7th July 2018
So today I am having a tattoo done… am a bit anxious about it, I do have a tattoo on my left shoulder blade, but that was done over 30 years ago and I was drunk. I do hope this isn’t going to hurt too much.
But firstly I take myself off to Starbucks for breakfast and a chat with home… before I know it the time has flown and I need to get on my bike over to Nob Hill and the tattoo shop for 1pm.
Due to traffic I arrive at 12.58 so just in time. The guys in the shop are very laid back so no one is bothered that I am only just there. I have to fill in a waiver document and then my tattoo artist, Bryso, shows me the artwork for my tattoo. I have given him a very specific design; it’s the Dykes on Bikes logo from the belt buckle I bought with the words ‘Ride with Pride’ at the top and ‘Hug the Curves’ at the bottom.
Very soon I am taken into his tattoo booth and he shaves the top of my right arm, where I have chosen to have the tattoo. He then applied the stencil and asks me to check in the mirror to make sure I am happy with the positioning.. yep, I’m ok with with that. And so it begins… it hurts, but not as much as I thought it was going to. There are a few ouch moments while he does the outline, but we chat away and that helps to distract me.
He then begins the red colour and shading, which most of the time is actually painless, but there is one spot that is really quite painful. It only takes about 40 minutes with a break when he changes needles for the red colour and I am quite sore, but very happy with the result.
And he only charges me $160… bargain…
Here is Bryso and me, great job… thank you.
So, if you are ever in Albuquerque and want a tattoo then go along to Nob Hill and Tinta Cantina, they’re the best.
While Bryso and I were chatting I discovered that the white water rafting is closed at the moment because of a drought, there isn’t enough water in the Rio Grande, so that’s off the list for now. He does tell me that the shooting range is not far from here and they do rent out guns; I’m definitely going to check that out, but not today… poorly arm!! He also recommends a nearby motorcycle shop, a Yamaha dealers that sell all kinds of stuff so might have some saddlebags.
After I leave the tattoo place I do have a look in the Yamaha dealers but they don’t have what I want. Then I am in desperate need of a coffee and luckily there is a Starbucks nearby where I take the opportunity to google motorcycle accessory shops and find another one just around the block from the Yamaha place. I spend quite some time in here and do come away with a set of bags, (and a few other bits of course). The bags are a bit smaller than the broken ones but are on special offer, reduced from $150 to $99… they’ll do… fab. I am the last customer as it’s 6pm, so they are in a rush to go home.
I make my way back to the hostel, heat up the food from yesterday and generally do nothing.. I’m really far too tired to go out again this evening so the Sidewinder Ranch will have to wait till next time.
I’m pretty knackered and fall asleep for a couple of hours. When I wake up it’s gone 11pm and I make myself a hot drink. Then I think, those saddlebags were expensive, I think they didn’t charge me the special offer price. I check out the receipt and yep they’ve charged me full price… bugger, I’m going to have to take them back in the morning… grrrrr!
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