[AllyOops!]

Ray! You're finally getting your tattoo! You've wanted that design for almost as long as I've known you! I'm so very excited for you. Promise you'll call me when you're all through getting "inked"!

I am disappointed, however, that you aren't getting the same tattoos that I have and display proudly. You know, my reaper tearing through my left shoulder blade with a sickle? Then, there's that serpent that wraps up my thigh. You know, the one where he's using his tongue to strike at my naughty bits? And of course, my favorite- "Los Angeles Crips" inked in blue old english script (it was my tribute to Tookie) smack on the middle of my bags. Oh, well. I was hoping we could get the sad, juggling jack-in-the-box with the phrase "SMILE NOW, CRY LATER" on our right shoulders together. You break my heart.

Golly, I'm kidding!

I have one tattoo, that's not visible unless I'm stretching in low-rise jeans. I have two teeny (the size of a dime each) adjoining hearts on my right hip. I wanted something that I would love, and something classic that I would never tire of. Nothing trendy!

And no initials in those hearts! Though that was originally my plan when I got my tattoo..wow! Almost 8 years ago!

I had a boyfriend who actually saw my tattoo and told me, after a week of dating, that "as soon as we're together for a year, you're going to get our initials in those hearts."

I wanted to die. I smiled kindly all the while thinking, "muthertrucker, please! We dated ten years ago and didn't stretch beyond a month! I'd sooner get that reaper on my shoulder".