I'm Not Blind Yet.

Well, That was an exciting three weeks.  It was come to Omaha month. My Sister flew in on a Sunday, my Mom drove in on the next Friday, my sister flew out on the Wednesday after that. My Mother drove out on the Sunday after that. The next day, Monday, my Mother- and Brother-in-laws drove in (from the same town as my Mom so they passed each other as my Mom stayed at a hotel on her way home making it a two day trip.) The in-laws left the Sunday after that.

Whew!

That was a LOT of visiting. It was great, though. I had not seen my sister for over a year. We would love to be closer together but our lives are on different paths for right now. Hers in Florida, mine in Nebraska.

To celebrate our togetherness my sister, Michelle, the bravest of the three, my mother, Gretchen, the one who is crazy about her girls, and myself, the one who has had it done before, all got tattoos. (How’s that for a run-on sentence!)

My sister went first and was very brave through the pain. She has two piercings in each ear and that’s the extent of body modification she has had done. Unless, you count eyebrow waxing. Originally she wanted a celtic design of hearts and metalwork to look like a bracelet around her wrist. It would have been too huge for her line of work to get the detail she wanted without it looking like mush in 10 years. So she went with 5 hearts in shades of purples, pinks and a blue. 5 is her lucky number. The inside of the wrist is a painful place to get tattooed. Especially how close to her hand it was. She pushed through the pain quite amazingly. I don’t think she would have been as brave as she was if she had tried this a few years ago.

My Mom was next, and she was wary with how hard of a time my sister had so she decided on just using color as an outline. A cross to remember and honor her parents who are no longer physically with us. A purple circle for my sister and a blue circle for me, our favorite colors. Red is her favorite color. Mom was pretty brave about it as well, it hurt her as well. Also, it was a crap shoot seeing as she is pretty much allergic to anything thanks to her medication.

Then mine, 8 stars, in a design like my sister’s. I liked the design the artist came up with Michelle’s so I changed it to stars as I prefer them, and in shades of blue. (8 is my lucky number.) We have come to the conclusion that I have tattoo antibodies, because it didn’t hurt me any where near as much as it did for them. It may be because I have 12 ear piercings and 6 other body piercings, and 4 other tiny tattoos that I was used to it. I also pegged it to my eyes. Having injections in ones eyes and other pokes and prodding by machines, puffs of air, and drops makes one a little more used to sitting and not moving a muscle than others.

I felt bad that it didn’t hurt as much as it did for them. I didn’t want them to have a more painful experience. I wanted them to enjoy it. (It also irked them that mine didn’t get as puffy as theirs or that it’s healing faster. Strange, with it being the biggest one of the three.)

Here they are.

This is maybe the day or the day after Mom and I got ours done. Turns out Mom was allergic to the after care products, hence why her skin is more red than ours.

Somehow we also managed to watch 4 seasons of the Office in 3 days. Still funny.

I was sad to see them go. My sis and mom can’t get away much. All three of us are unemployed right now. Different circumstances got us in teh same boat. I hope I can make the journey down to Florida for Christmas this year. Take my husband with me and show him a snowless winter!

My in-laws and I lazed the days and waited for Robert to get home, then we would go somewhere, or just hang out. It was nice to talk with my mother-in-law because we are obsessed over the same two books series right now. Gossiping about all the characters and the shocks and ribaldry.

Now it’s quiet. I have been waiting until these visits happened to do a deep cleaning of the apartment. Kitchen, living room, hallway, extra bedroom, done. Bathroom, front door/dining room/computer room, bedroom, tomorrow.

I found out today that a downpoor means I might as well close my eyes while driving. i can’t see where the road is. Even though I can make out where the other cars are, I can’t see the lines on the road and I panic about being to close to the other cars. The fact it was a half sun-shower didn’t help. Light reflections are always unwelcome.

I just sent in my fourth Braille lesson. I wish it was going at a faster pace. The postal service and life like to eat at time. I would really like to be certified soon, but I know I need the time to let all the info sink in for good. Not just for some test down the road. This is a skill I’d like to keep. I start classes next week. French online and Japanese on location at the school. I’m looking forward to it and scared. I know it’s a well used community college for all ages. I am nervous about being the strange old woman in the corner. I don’t know why I still care after all these years. I will always be strange and different and I am there to learn for my future.

Time to put on my grown-up pants and dig in.