Exposure...

Ok.. since I posted about my new ink and mentioned my old one someone has asked about how mom found out about the first tattoo. So here you have it...

I got the tattoo on a wine cooler infused whim about a month after turning 18. I was visiting a friend in Houston (actually I was a wing man for a friend who was getting a long distance booty call) and it came up that I had always wanted to get one - after a four pack of Fuzzy Navels it sounded like a brilliant idea. So we went to a shop on Westheimer (spell check doesn't like that one) and I picked a design off the wall and got it done. I put it on my hip so it would be easily hidden and laughed as I chatted up a stripper named Candy who was watching the Portuguese tattoo artist (no english spoken except "I'm going to pull your pants down further") go to work on me.

Because of it's location most of the time I forget that it is there, after the initial healing I forgot about it most of the time. Once I almost got busted by my little brother in the pool at home because it was peeking out over my bikini bottom but I played it off as a fake.

One spring break, a few years after the tattoo was done, I went home and my mom and I made plans to fly to Tampa to visit my grandfather. When we got to the airport the agent offered us a first class upgrade, a voucher, and a night in Chicago, if we would give up our seats. Well of course we did and then we were off to Chicago - luggage free. Well, we got to the hotel around midnight and showered and headed to bed. Being luggage free I got done showering and dashed across the hotel room partially covered by a towel. Not really thinking.

Mom "Is that a tattoo?"
Me "Noooooooo" (slam the light switch off and fling myself at my bed)
Mom "It is isn't it?"
*silence*
Mom "A tattoo, I can't believe it"
Me "Night"
*silence*
Mom *sigh*

And I still haven't lived it down. Every time my brothers do something wrong and mom starts in on them their response is generally "Well, at least I don't have a tattoo"... and the focus turns to me.

Family dinner on Wednesday -- we will see what she says. Probably should have someone record it for posterity (or youtube).