Number 13

As I'm sure 99.9% of you know, I have quite a few tattoos. Currently, I am sitting at 12. I have always said that I want 13. As far as what I want as my last one.. I keep going round and round on that subject. It's like I'll see something that is fucking awesome and would make a killer tattoo, but then I see something else and think that might be better.

This isn't how I normally am with tattoos. In the past, once I've decided.. it's done and over. No other image or flash or design is going to sway me from it. Maybe it's because I'm telling myself that number 13 is the last one. Master keeps calling bullshit on that. He knows I not only love the ink I have, but I love the whole experience of getting ink. I really do think I'll stop at 13 though.

I have always wanted some kind of skull or reaper type tattoo though. I have a morbid side to me. But part of the problem I have with finding a good design is that I don't want it to be too masculine. I know.. how is a skull or reaper tattoo not going to be masculine?

But I'll find something. The icon I'm using on this post crossed my mind as a nice small, not too masculine, type of tattoo I could get. Obviously it would be a finished heart. But I do like to splatter around it. But then I stop and think about it and wonder how faded the actually skull part would be. It would have to be just so it wouldn't take over the heart portion, ya know? So that's a no go.. I like bright, vibrant tattoos. I don't like that faded look, at least not on myself.

Master already has one on His arm. It's a pirate skull. It's bad ass. But it would look absolutely horrible on a chick. This is what I mean when I say I don't want i to be too masculine. I don't want it to look "wrong" on me because I'm a girl.

I did promise myself though that I will the tattoo on my left leg touched up first. When it was fresh I had fallen and as a result the healing process didn't go the way it should have. It doesn't look all jacked up or anything, but it needs to be touched up to look right. So regardless of when I find the design I still with for number 13 I will get that tattoo touch up done first.

Tuesdays Aren't Much Better

Well, as most of you already know my grandfather is not in the best of health. He's still ticking and the old man could be around for another year for all I know. Stranger things have happened. But just to be on the safe side I asked HR if they had any sort of policy on bereavement leave.

Apparently, regardless of who in your family passes away you get two days off. So, it could be your child, your parent or your spouse, etc. Two days.

Interesting. So I asked if I could use one to attend the funeral and another for the will reading. She said no. Apparently bereavement leave at my place of employment is strictly to be used for "funeral needs". So I'm assuming that means the wake and the burial, if the deceased has a burial and if it is not the same day. The days have to be consecutive. You can not space them out. If there is no burial and it is only a wake, then I won't have an "excuse" and will only get one day. Even at that, while I'm almost numb from grief I also have to remember to request a note from the funeral home stating that I was there at such and such a day and my relationship to the deceased.

If the funeral (wake/burial) is on the weekend, I do not get to use any bereavement leave as I do not work on weekends.

These days are unpaid, which really doesn't surprise me. But what the fuck dude? I can't break them up? Okay, lets say only a wake is given, but I have to go to a will reading which is a few days later. Well, I can only use the leave for the wake. The will reading I have to do on my own time. Never mind everything else.

Morbid, I know. I'm not sure if this is out of the ordinary or not. I've never had to ask about bereavement leave. Maybe this is perfectly normal and I personally just don't think it is being handeled correctly.

I know I need the money on my paycheck, and I know I don't have any paid days off left until March. But having said that I also know that I am going to do what I am comfortable doing. If that goes over the allotted time, I'll make the time up. I talked to Master about this already and He agreed with me.