Tattoos and other distractions

What happened to my valedictorian habits? Now every time I crack open my laptop to get a little studying done, I end up on Facebook or catching up on blogs. I have a major exam tomorrow that I am not prepared for whatsoever... let's just say an all-nighter is in my future.

My current distraction: I have tattoos on the brain. I blame my sister. It's her day off and she's been texting me about her latest tattoo itch. To be fair, I've known for years now that I need to get my silly sun tattoo fixed because I'm pretty tired of people asking if it's a sticker or if I drew it on my foot. Why they think I'm that weird person who draws on my feet, I haven't the slightest. (Although I did tell my grandma once that my friend Ariel drew it on my foot...sorry Ariel. She forgot fifteen minutes later anyway.)

I got the sun tattoo because my dad always called me "Sunshine" when I was little. But now I'm thinking about replacing the sun with a rose (or roses) because one of my first memories in life (possibly the very first) is sitting on the porch between my grandad and his friend Alf, who became my surrogate grandad after mine passed away. Alf called me "a rose between thorns." I've clung to that phrase and always thought it a brilliant way to live your life. My mom has a couple rose tattoos also. I won't disclose where. So it's either vamp up my silly sun tattoo, or replace it with the roses. Decisions decisions. Either way, it isn't going to feel very good.

Here's the rose design I like:

I highly doubt I could fit that whole thing on my foot, but you get the idea.

I half wish I had no tattoos at all, but it's a little late for that. Ah, the things we do when we're young. I have a Hebrew tattoo on my wrist, and I assured my mother that it was fine, I would cover it up with a giant watch or bracelet whenever I went in for a job interview. Now I completely forget that it's there. I've still been offered several jobs since, though, so apparently I'm not being judged too harshly for it. Whenever someone spots it for the first time, the first question is always, "What's it mean?" (The answer being "life.") The second is inevitably, "Are you Jewish?" I had no idea that only Jewish people are allowed to get Hebrew tattoos, but it's totally acceptable to get Chinese symbols drawn all over yourself. Oopsies. Like my Auntie Gwynn said, Jesus grafted me into the Jewish family.

Anywho. While you all are spending your night at church services or watching Modern Family, I will be studying cross cultural journalism and brushing up on my grammar. I had to laugh when my Chinese friend Youyou got a 98 on our practice grammar exam, and I got a 78. Us Americans don't speak English too good.