I Am Inked

Most people are surprised when then find out I have tattoos. I currently have 8 (as of last week) and I love them.  I love my tattoos, I love other peoples tattoos, I just love tattoos.  I got my 1st one when I was 20.  It is a Chinese symbol for 'star' on my lower back (tramp stamp) I wont lie...I picked if off of a wall when we went up to New Hampshire for my sister's 25th birthday present.  I had always wanted a tattoo and was told I could get one as soon as I was 18. I don't regret picking it off the wall, it represents who I was as a 20 year old.

At 25 I got my 2nd tattoo.  I was in Florida visiting my mother and I remember besides seeing her, getting a tattoo was the only other thing I wanted to do while I was down there.  I also remember my sister pitching a fit b/c it was something that she didn't want to do and it was taking up an hour of her time.  But my mother happily drove me back to the place and I got a cross tattooed on my foot. 

From that point on, I got a new tattoo almost every year there after. 

After the tree, I took some time off. I think it was mostly due to the pain I sat through getting that beautiful piece of artwork done.  It was the most (physically) painful thing I had ever endured.  I knew though, that someday I would get another, just didn't know what or where.  Until a couple months ago, I talked about something but didn't know what to do until I saw a quote that really resonated with me.

"She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future"

I knew that was what I wanted. And I booked the appointment.  It was a big thing for me too since it would be the first tattoo I got in my new home.  Last week I sat in Tattoo 13 in Soho waiting for the tattooist to call me in.  About 40 minutes later I walked out with a smile on my face and this beautiful new piece of artwork on me.  

I know some people have pretty strong opinions on tattoos. Things like "yeah but how is that going to look when you are 60?" or "you realize that is permanent right?" But honestly, its my body and I will choose to do what I want with it, when I want with it and will deal with what comes later in life.  I'm aware that some people think its trashy and low class and they are entitled to think that, but did you know...

I just thought I would put this out there.  Its a little bit about me that you might not know unless you know me personally.  I'd like to think that people who like me now would still like me if I looked like this, as I don't think it would change my personality if my body was covered in art.  

London 2012 and Me

Y'all, I have been seriously MIA for the last 5 months or so.  My life has been crazy to say the least.  I'm sure you all know that I was one of the thousands of people chosen to take part in the Opening Ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic Games.  That is where I have disappeared to, only to return mostly unscathed and with memories to last a lifetime.  I mean, its not every day you can say you lived in that city when the Olympics took place and not only am I lucky enough to say that, but I can say I was a part of it.

I spent from April to July rehearsing anywhere from 5 hours after work to 12 hours a day, it was mental.  We started this journey in a film studio over in Bromley-by-Bow where we danced, danced, danced our asses off.  From there we moved to the EVER-SO-GLAM car park in Dagenham.  Have you ever been to Daggers? Don't go, there is no reason ever to go out there.  I spent about 1.5 months in a car park in hot weather but mostly rain and wind.  In June we moved...I got off the Tube in Stratford, walked through Westfield Shopping Centre and came across this...

Holy shit!!! I'm going to be performing there?!?!  Indeed I was.  I spent a little over a month again mostly in the rain rehearsing at Olympic Stadium. It was unreal.  I worked with Danny Boyle (of Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later...fame) as our director. You might be thinking Mr. Big-Wig Hollywood Winning Director, how often was he there?  I think he was there all but 2 of my 100+ rehearsals.  He is the most amazingly generous and kind man ever...and what an experience to be able to speak to him and hear his visions and all that jazz.  Holy Shit...me, a little girl from Norwell, Massachusetts was going to be a part of the biggest show on Earth (no, not the circus...but at times it felt like it.)

The 27th of July arrived and this is how I was feeling...

This was is, what we've all worked so hard for.  80,000 people would fill that big bowl behind me and some 2-4 billion people would be tuning in to watch.  Wait, what?!?!  

Meanwhile, 1.5 miles from the stadium we were all in our costumes waiting to be called for the show to start.  At 20:12pm (that's 8:20pm non military time) the pre-show would begin and we would start to make our way down to the main event.  

I wish I could describe everything, but this post would be WAY too long.  But what I can tell you is that waiting down in our voms before we went on was the most outrageous and exiting moment.  I'm an actress, I have been performing most of my life whether its been in dance recitals or in shows. Those moments when you are waiting in the wing before you head on stage for the first time there is so much going through you.  I had butterflies, I must have told my "bed buddies" I needed to pee at least 10 times, I was so nervous but mostly I was so full of excitement and energy.  I was going to be in the Olympics!  

God Save the Queen was being sung around the time of the above photo.  Right after that it was time to push that bed and showtime! One of the girls told me to leave one of my inner ears out as I enter the stadium to take in the crowd.  The sound of 80,000 people waiting to see whats going to happen next is unlike anything you will ever know unless you've been there.  I keep saying it, and I kept saying it that entire week, but Holy Shit Y'all!!!! 

We danced, we pushed beds, we zombied and we curtsied to the Queen! I was AMAZING!!!! I was sweaty and tired and on the biggest high of my life.  I was in the Motherf*cking Olympics!

On my walk back after passing all the athletes (I saw Usain Bolt!) I took this last photo.

 

It was a bittersweet moment.  This place had pretty much been my home for the last month and like that it was all over.  This was our final goodbye.  I posted it on my Facebook and immediately my mom commented on it saying congratulations and this would be a memory to keep forever.  My response...Mommy, I was in the Olympics!!!

There you have it, that's where I have been these last months.