The New Additions To The Family

I have recently become the proud owner of a new kitten. My roommate from this past year is moving to Hawaii and they couldn't take the kittens or the mother with them. Being the animal lover that I am, I told her I would gladly take one of the kittens of her hands. So my girlfriend and I packed up and drove to Fayetteville, NC and picked out the little guy who we have named Badger. He is quite possibly the cutest little thing you have ever seen. It was an interesting trip though. The little guy was terribly frightened when we took him outside, presumably for the first time ever in his 6 weeks of life. We had more than a few scratches by the end of that day.

When we got home it was time to introduce him to my other cat, Casper. Casper is used to being the only child and receiving all the love from us. Unfortunately, it was apparent we had offended him by bringing Badger into the household. Badger is a loving kitten and only wants to play with Casper (who recently was fixed, but I'll talk about that later). There were times when Casper would try to show his dominance by attacking Badger and holding him down. There were times when I couldn't take the cries that the little kitten was making whenever Casper would do this. Thankfully the next day, Casper was past this and began treating him more as an annoyance than something to replace him.

I've come to the point in my story to say that pets are expensive things to have. Badger is too young to have anything more than kitten food and Dawn Soap baths to keep the fleas at bay but Casper is at the age where he needs to go to the vet. Fortunately I found a place that would give him all of his shots, flea medication and fix him for relatively inexpensive prices. This place is called Cape Fear Spay and Neuter. This clinic has some great deals for those of us who cant afford a regular vet. Fees range for cats and dogs but to get your animal fixed costs under $100. Their flea treatments are only $10 for a month and you can get all of your pets vaccinated on the day of the surgery.

My New Ink!

So I guess working in a tattoo shop does have it's perks. Most of the guys are really nice and willing to hook you up with some free ink. I've gotten two things done thus far since I've started working at Hardwire Tattoo. One of them isnt finished yet but the progress so far has been amazing so I cant wait for ya'll to see it!

This is the second tattoo I've added to my body since I've started working at Hardwire. As you can tell, that yes this is a Zombie Seahorse. One of the guys who works here, Sid, had drawn up a zombie bird but as you can see by my next tattoo I already have a bird on my back. We brainstormed a little and finally came up with a Zombie Seahorse. I think it's awesome. My inner nerd is let out. (I'm a HUGE fan of zombie books and movies. If you know any, feel free to make suggestions!). I also love that its a seahorse. Something that should be so delicate but looks so sinister is so amazing to me! I love it! It's on my left thigh. For those guessing about getting a tattoo, no worries this area does not hurt one bit!

This is the first stage of my tattoo on my back.

I started this piece a few weeks back. At first it was just the outline but this past Monday I came in to get some more work done on it. I think the flower is gorgeous! It hurt so bad though. He went over the same spots 5 times with different colors. By the third time I was almost through with it. There were moments when my eyes would go dizzy and I'd have to focus on one of the posters in his room to keep from fainting. One time I had to even ask for a break because I thought I was going to throw up. The skin just gets so tender from being tattooed repeatedly that it almost gets unbearable! The pain is worth the art though and I love how beautiful the finished product is going to be. Hopefully next Monday I can get the bird finished and then after that I'll only have one more sitting! Be forewarned people who want huge tattoos with lots of shading and detail, it is going to be painful.


I hope everyone thinks they are as beautiful as I do. My mother has even started to tell me that some of the tattoos that she sees are art and not just marring a person's skin. That's what I think. Each tattoo I have is a work of artwork no matter how intricate or simple they are. As humans we have the right express ourselves and to me tattooing is the best way to do this.

Downtown Living

I've only lived downtown for a little over a month now, but I've enjoyed every second of it. I ride my bike to work and back (although sometimes it does get a little frightening when I get off at midnight). I can walk to any eating establishment from my work and I meet amazing people everyday because of the setting I am working in. There are so many interesting people who live and work in the downtown area and not many students from UNCW get to experience this. Downtown is so far from campus the only time most students travel down here is to go to a club or a bar. This is not the Wilmington that people should see. The Wilmington I see, the Wilmington that people walk everyday is what everyone should see, especially the AMAZING food that this place has to offer.

1. Chops Deli: If you haven't tried it, then grab your car keys and head immediately to Front St. Chops serves only the freshest of ingredients. Once you've had one of their sandwiches or salads Subway will never be the same. Their staff is also very friendly and unique. Most of them have tattoos, gages and a unique sense of style which makes the deli a chill place to have a sandwich with some friends. It's super convenient for me because it's literally two shops down from my work. I eat there almost every day I work. I'd suggest the Jackson but there are so many other different types of sandwiches, just explore and let your taste buds do the talking.

2. NY Pasta House: This place would be a great place to go on a date as it is not the most cheap place to eat. (Downtown there really isn't many places you can get a meal under eight dollars unless you go to Firebelly's on a Monday when they have dollar tacos). This is Italian at it's best. The owners are from Italy and bring the Old Country to the States. Everything on the menu is mouth-watering and I kid you not, the chicken Parmesan is the size of my face, and that's just the chicken. It's got a great atmosphere so whether you are just going out for a night on the town or a romantic date NY Pasta House is the place to be.

3. The Pour House: So I had to throw a bar in. This bar is a quaint (just in size folks) little place to grab a drink and socialize with friends. It's in the basement of a building so your automatically brought down into a cozy atmosphere. They have great drink specials everyday. Just don't forget your ID because you WILL be carded at the top of the stairs before you are even allowed to go down to the bar. This place is nice because it's never really overcrowded. You can sit at the bar, drink your drink, and not worry about getting elbowed in the face. Just check online for their local drink specials (they have regular drink specials as well, just ask about their bombs). 

The local life here has grown exponentially since school has let out for the summer. You meet all walks of life when you walk into places like these. Explore downtown because there is so much to see and do, UNCW students just don't know it yet. And if you walk by Hardwire, come in and see me!

Hardwire Tattoo

I guess it all started way back when I was 18 and got my first tattoo. It's a small star on the side of my heel. I guess I have a flare for the dramatics because when I went back and watched the video that was taken of me getting the tattoo my face is contorted in immense pain. Four touch ups later I've come to realize that it doesn't hurt nearly as bad as I thought it would. I think I got more pain from my parents refusing to talk to me and my dad putting tattoo removal shop fliers in my car whenever he drove it. I swore to my parents from that day on that I would never get another tattoo, that the star was all I wanted. What tattoo artists fail to mention is that tattoos are addicting. You get pricked once, your addicted for life. Since then I have added five more tattoos to my body. A shark to the top of my left foot, a symbol meaning strength to my hip, Carpe Diem with leaves and a flower to my left ribcage, Sanskrit to the back of my neck and most recently I have started the addition of a back piece which involves a bird, a sun and a flower.

Tattoos to me are more than just ink on skin. They are works of art and self expression. I mean after all 14% of Americans have at least one tattoo. You see them everywhere and on every age. Just today we had a 63year old man come in and get his first tattoo ever; a badge from the police department that he worked at. Earlier this week a woman in her sixties came in and got a tattoo of a flamingo on her ankle, her first as well. She works at the hospital in New Hanover County and she is not the only doctor or person in a high position of work who has tattoos.

If you couldn't tell, I work in a tattoo shop as a receptionist. Basically all I do answer phones, do paperwork and make appointments besides the occasional sushi run for the guys. Each guy has their own artistic style. It is my job to make sure that each of them walks out with at least one tattoo a day. I guess we have it pretty easy though. The other day I watched a movie with one of the artists because it was a slow day and there is always somebody down for a Wii bowling match or two. Working in a shop gives me lots of free time, even though my hours are always long. Every weekend I work 30 hours a week and normally get home around 12:30am. I don't mind it though, I love working here.

You meet so many interesting people when you work in a tattoo shop. One guy in particular always makes my day though. His name is Tony and we normally see him on the weekends. He owns no restaurant but brings in huge tubs of food to sell to people all over front street. What he sells depends on what he was in the mood to cook. Recently I've had amazing Angus hamburgers from huge roasted chicken with gravy to spicy shrimp and sausage with vegatables and rice. And here's the kicker, he never sells his food for more than 8 or 9 dollars. And when he walks in, the smell can make anybody hungry. It could put a smile on your face when you've had a bad day or make a boring day that much more interesting. Thank god for Tony sometimes. His food can always cheer me up.