The snarky yet honest email I sent to Representative Bachmann

To Representative Bachmann, 

I sincerely hope you will be donating any pay you receive while the government is shut down to the needy families in your district who will be impacted by the shutdown. It is your job and that of your colleagues to settle a budget, and you have not done your duty. While I may disagree with your goal of defunding the Affordable Care Act, I hope you come to see that the way the GOP and Tea Party have chosen to fight this battle does nothing but punish your constituents. If you must repeal it, repeal it through honorable means, not blackmail. 

Thanks for nothing, Catey Jordan

Clinging to Summer

It may be the end of September, but that doesn't mean summer's over!

We have been having beautiful weather this week, so being that today is my day off, I spent a lot of time outdoors.

First, I rode my bike to the library and back.

Then, I rode my bike to the grocery store and back (it's only like a mile away, but I'm always impressed when I can bring my whole purchase back on my bike, including a bag of apples and a gallon of milk, or a 24 pack of toilet paper).

Then, I decided to go all out and ride my bike to Lake Calhoun, rented a kayak for a couple hours, and explored the Chain of Lakes from boat.

I had a great time! I saw geese, ducks, seagulls, a weasel, a couple of hawks, fishes, and a young woman paddleboarding in wedges fall off her board. Oh, wildlife! (Why would you wear wedges paddleboarding?)

I also ate an apple (one of the things about fall that I love!) in a low-waste way. Instead of eating around the core, just eat the apple from the bottom, and there is no core! You have only the stem and the seeds left over (I ate the seeds, too! Hope I don't get an apple tree growing in me!). Much less of a hassle than holding on to the gross, brown, sticky core until you can find a garbage can.

Anyway, after my kayak trip, I decided to take the long way home, and biked south around Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet, and east along Minnehaha creek, past Lake Nokomis to the Mississippi, and I followed the Mississippi back north until I got back to the greenway and Hiawatha bike trails. It was a nice 15 mile trip, and my phone tells me I averaged 12.1 miles per hour, but that also includes red lights and a couple water breaks and a stop to turn my lights on, so I think I am faster than 12 mph.

All in all, I got a lot of exercise today. The downside is that I only did a couple minor chores today. At least I am being healthy in my procrastinating from cleaning my house, right?

The power of sleep

I am a night owl. I usually can't fall asleep before 12 most nights. And I like to get up early, just so I can take a nap later. But I don't always get a chance to nap. Ergo, I am often very tired.

Lately, though, the stomach department has been not performing up to standards, and I've been feeling more tired than usual, so I've been getting adequate sleep (not more sleep. Just the minimum).

Here's the fun part: I have been getting so much done!

Normally on any given Sunday, I go grocery shopping, and go to the library. I will probably cook, and may or may not do the dishes.

Today, I rolled out of bed at 7am, got dressed, and biked to the farmers market, then to the grocery store and then home. I ate breakfast and read the paper after I showered. I installed the air conditioning unit in my window. I started a batch of cold press coffee. I brushed the cat. I took a short nap.

Then I ate lunch! Normally, I nap til 11 before I even leave the house. I read a book for a couple hours, then headed to the library. I watched a movie, and ripped the CDs from the library onto my computer. It was too hot to cook, so I ordered Indian takeout using a groupon for a restaurant near my house. I wrote a note for my state senator. I made a fresh batch of soymilk.

I didn't need to do any dishes because I did them last night before I went to bed!

What is wrong with me? Maybe I should go to bed at 10 every night? I'll see if I can keep it up.

I can legally drive now!

I passed my driver's test! Yay! I carried that permit with me for nine years, and haven't driven in 7 until a week and a half ago.

Since last Sunday, I've driven 9, maybe 10 hours. And I passed "with flying colors!" said my examiner. "You passed 100%!" said my driving teacher. He used to be an examiner at that location.

Yay! So I bought myself a falafel sandwich from the cafe next door to celebrate.

I still probably won't get a car, but it's nice to know I could have one if I needed.

Vacations and Staycations

I just returned from a 3 day trip to Newport, Rhode Island with my mom and sort of my Dad. We went there to see my older brother graduate from the Navy Officer Supply School. It's his second time graduating from Newport, the first time was about 4 years ago when he graduated from Officer Candidate School.

Newport is always nice because my Aunty lives out there, who I rarely see because she lives in Rhode Island, which is pretty far from Minnesota. Plus Newport is very different from Minnesota. It's very East Coast.

Don't get me wrong. Everyone is very nice (unless they're driving). Newport is definitely a small, touristy town with a lot of quaint charm and history oozing from every cobblestone. But people there don't wear jeans. I don't know why that bothers me so much. Maybe khaki shorts dry faster than denim while they're sailing.

I think it's just how obviously upper-crust the whole town is. There are some not as wealthy looking areas, but they're all in Middletown, not Newport. To me, it comes off as they're too well-off to wear jeans for every day use. I'm sure that's not the intention, of course, but that's how it rubs me. To me, jeans are getting dressed enough to be presentable in public. I would happily wear yoga pants or board shorts outside if I could get away with it. In Newport, I don't even feel like I could get away with jeans.

I had a great time, though. One exception: There was a terrible storm here in Minnesota while we were gone, and I missed it! Trees down, power out, flash flooding, the works! And I had 75 and sunny weather. How boring!

Now I start my 3 day staycation. I'm going to clean and relax and not go to work and I'm going to enjoy every minute!

Relearning how to drive

Last time I drove, I was 17 and it was 2006 and it was terrible and I never wanted to drive again!

But now I figure I should finally just suck it up and get my license. I'm 24, almost 25. I don't benefit from not having a license. I wouldn't have to drive just because I have my license, but I'd be able to if I needed to.

So, I signed up for driving school. It's a little expensive, but I'd rather be trained by someone who knows how to train me to pass the test, and who also has a brake on his side of the car.

It was my first lesson today.

My first teacher is Mohammed. I was definitely not ready to drive, but I did. He made me. And he made me go on the freeway. "Are you serious???" I said. "On the freeway?!"

"Yeah, of course," He said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. I did it. I was nervous as hell, but I surprised myself at how comfortable I was.

Last time I took Behind the Wheel, I could not make myself go faster than 45mph, even though it was extremely unsafe to go so slow. I felt much more comfortable this time, but that may be because I was in a small Kia sedan and not a giant Chevy SUV.

I felt more comfortable at everything. I was very surprised at myself. Mohammed only had to use his brake a couple times. I am still not very experienced in knowing how much to push down the brake and accelerator. I either push too hard or too soft. I'm sure that'll get easier with time.

I take my test in a week and a half! Crazy!

On Cloud Nine

It's still sinking in. From that rally in Iowa a few years ago when they won the freedom to marry to today, when it happened in my own home, I can't believe it's real.

I knew we could do it. I am still so surprised though.

Minnesota LGBTQ couples can get married to the person they love.

I am so fortunate to be Minnesotan. If I were in most other states, I could be evicted and fired because of who I am and it would be totally legal. Here, I have the right to work, and live, and love as I need to without fear of repercussion. My future is just as valid as any other person's future.

Before today, it wasn't, and I'm having trouble understanding the endless possibilities that just opened up. I won't have to adopt my own children. I won't have to get permission from my future spouses family to visit them in the hospital. This is almost unreal to me.

On the other hand, there is still a lot of work to do. Other states are terrible to their LGBTQ citizens. I will still have to be careful about who I am me around (some people wouldn't like it if I were myself around them). There is still an uphill battle for bisexual, transgender, queer, etc. people who may not want a traditional monogamous cisgender marriage, but who deserve to have a dignified and respected life based on who they are. Queers outside of the mainstream, like myself, are not who were represented in the campaign for same-sex marriage.

When telling my story to people, I usually kept it vague and used examples from my friends. Someone who is thinking of becoming a supporter wants to hear about Mitchell and Cameron from Modern Family instead of the bisexual genderqueer person who thinks marriage is a patriarchal institution that limits people into distinct gender roles unnecessarily. I definitely want a committed long term relationship, and I will probably get legally married, but I will never be a "wife" or "mother." I will be a partner and a parent.

Queer activism goes beyond having what the straight people have. It's about being accepted and affirmed as a queer person, and not someone who is "just like you, only gay." It's opening up a whole spectrum of identity and opportunity for everyone, including straight cisgender people. My success measure is having people understand what I mean when I say "My preferred pronouns are Ze and Hir," and not having people get angry with me for asking that they acknowledge that I am not a cisgender person.

Even though it is not by any means the end all of LGBTQ activism in Minnesota, this is a huge milestone, and I am really proud of my state. I have cried about 6 times in the past week just from pure excitement and happiness. This is real.

Rode my bike!

I rode my bike to work twice this week (3 times tomorrow!). I really like it. I don't have to wait for a bus to come by. I get some exercise in. I get to enjoy a nice, safe path along the river. And my new bike is so awesome, I don't even have any trouble getting up the giant hill at the end! On my old bike, I definitely would have walked it.

And I haven't gotten very sweaty yet, but it's been rather chilly. And here I went to Thrifty Outfitters and got some wicking/quick dry shirts (not sure expensive because they were "samples" sent to the store. All size medium!), and I don't sweat that much. Or maybe I'm not sweaty because of the shirts?

All the same, this bike is a million times easier to peddle than the old bike. I'll have to take it on a really long ride to see how it goes. Maybe I'll bike to Roseville or something.

I want to ride my bicycle!

I had part of the day off today. After a quick meal and a quick nap, I went to go get my hair cut (results: super cute, but not what I asked for. She was really nice, but I hate when hairstylists think what will look better is more important than what I want).

After that, I headed along Lake Street to check out a few different places to buy a bike. I am finally giving up on my old school Magna that I bought at Target in middle school. Only 2 of the gears work, and it's rusty and heavy and impossible to bike uphill. Literally, impossible. Even slight inclines I usually end up getting off and pushing it up most of the way.

So, I ended up at the Hub Bike Co-op (after a few different stops where everyone was really nice but the bike selections were a little out of my price range). It's a cooperatively owned chain of shops in Minneapolis (there's one right by my house, but I went to one farther away that has a larger used and clearance selection).

They were just a friendly as everyone else at the other bike shops, but they actually asked questions and showed me what bikes they had that were what I was looking for. Another bike shop had just sent me to the creepy basement by myself to look at what bikes were in the graveyard. Probably awesome if I had any idea what I was looking for, but this is my first time buying a bike since I was 13 and I just cared that it was purple. The guys at the Hub were very friendly and helpful and took the time to make sure I was happy. They even answered questions about the bikes with more detail than I knew was knowable.

It's like that circle of knowing that I vaguely remember from school. Inside the circle is what you know, and outside the circle is what you don't know. The circumference of the circle is what you know you don't know, basically. The more you learn, the more you know how much you don't know. So, I learned a little bit about bikes tonight, so the area of my knowledge circle grew bigger, but since the circumference (what I know I don't know) grows with what I do know, I know I don't know a lot about bikes. But I also know more about what I could know about bikes.

Anywho, they're getting my new comfortabler seat and rack put on tonight, and then it'll be mine to take home. Should I name it? It's a Giant brand, and it's black. It'll have a rack on the back, and a basket on the front. I might put the fenders on there too from my old bike. I'll think about a name.

This is going to be a breeze compared to my old bike.  I would dread riding it. Even used rental bikes were a dream to ride in comparison. I'm excited.

Strange Dream

I had a weird dream the other night.

I dreamt that I got myself pregnant.

Not like a Virgin Mary miracle pregnant. Or an Ambien-induced accidentally-slept-with-the-neighbor pregnant. Much stranger than those.

My left ovary was actually an undescended testicle, and had been undetected for my whole life until I went to the doctor with pregnancy symptoms. Anyway, I got myself pregnant through some miracle of intersex science.

I remember thinking "How am I going to raise a baby on my own, and even without child support?" but decided to keep it because how many people in the world can get themselves pregnant? At the very least I could get my own TLC show.

But then I started getting used. The media was harassing me. Scientists were exploiting me. Crazy Evangelists started threatening me because I was allegedly carrying the Anti-Christ.

So, I got myself a lawyer, and then I woke up!

The Dentist

Remind me to change dentists.

I scheduled a cleaning/exam a couple months ago at the dentist I had been to once before.

Apparently, even though I repeatedly told the scheduler that I had been there before, she only scheduled me for a new patient exam, which does not include the cleaning.

I was not aware that she scheduled me for only an exam.

So I got there early (about 3:55 for my 4:10 appointment), and they greeted me really nicely, etc. Went back there, and the dental assistant kept looking at me funny. I never did figure out why, but I imagine it is because she is new. She never said she was new, but I eventually figured it out because of how the other assistants helped her.

They apparently lost all the x-rays I took last time, because they insisted I take all 10+ xrays again, even though I was there only 9 months ago for my first "new patient exam." This is when I discovered I wasn't going to get my teeth cleaned. I also happened to overhear them saying they should take the xrays again anyway because I had private insurance.

Seriously? Do people with private insurance get different treatment than others? Also, they had no record of my medical history, which I gave them last time. And is it so hard to clean someone's teeth? That's all I went there to do! I didn't even care about the exam so much.

Anyway, after all this, the new assistant slowly takes the xrays (if I get charged for them, I'm definitely going to complain!), in the meantime cutting my gums because of how uncomfortable the bites are.

I learned a lot about my mouth today. Apparently,  I have tori, which is extra jaw growth on my lower jaw. Totally normal, and nothing to worry about unless I need dentures. Or if I am getting xrays taken, in which case I am going to bleed and it's going to be painful.

Seriously, it was painful. I cried. I have a really high pain tolerance, and I cried. Maybe it was the surprise, or maybe it was because it was on my face? I feel like when I hurt my face, my eyes water uncontrollably.

After this, I waited patiently for the dentist to do the exam. Really patiently. The assistant left to go get her at least twice.

She was very awkward in a way where she was trying to be nice and professional, but she just came off as stiff. I suppose my mood at this point didn't help. She did teach me some interesting things about my mouth. In addition to having tori, I have a low muscle that connects my upper lip to my gums. This will also be a problem if I ever need dentures. I still have a crossbite from before I had braces. My teeth are crowded on the right side. I have an enamel pearl on my molar. I have general calcification, which means I should have had a lot of cavities, but my teeth calcified before they could fully form. Luckily, the calcification is hard enough where it shouldn't be a problem. I also have snowcapped molars, from the calcification.

Also, I need to floss more. "Do more homecare." Story of my life.

Aside from getting my teeth cleaned on June 5th, (Seriously, a month and a half from now?) I will not be going back to this dentist. Plus I was there until 5:25. How was I there for an hour and a half when all I did was get a dinky exam?

I miss my Northfield dentist. And doctor, for that matter. They were all so pleasant and lovely to be around and helpful.

When Cats Ain't All That

Don't get me wrong, I love my cat. She's adorable and sassy. (Get it? Like Sassy from Homeward Bound?)

But then there are times when she eats yet another rubber band that you were 100% sure you put in the junk drawer, and chews a hole in the plastic garbage bag.

And then throws them up on the towel you just washed!

Why would she eat those in the first place? This cat is going to end up in the vet one day just because she eats random stuff.

Like bra straps. At least the rubber band was free.

Sleep

I fell asleep last night at 9:30 on the couch. I woke up at 5:30 am, and slept more until 8:30.

Then, I thought to myself "I'l have the whole day ahead of me to do everything! No way I can go back to sleep after this!"

Well, a tasty breakfast later and some Sunday morning internet browsing later, I took a nap from 11:30-3:30.

At this point, I actually left the house to go get groceries and make dinner and everything.

"Wow, I am going to get so much done today. I won't be able to sleep a wink! I'll have so much energy, I'll probably end up cleaning all night."

Nope. I'm tired enough to sleep already, and it's not even 11pm.

It's amazing how tired one can be when the only thing one has to do is clean.

This couch is amazing.

The North Loop

It was such a beautiful day, I decided to walk home from work.

I am going to ride my bike to work most days once it gets warm enough. I could go through downtown for a shorter trip, and almost no hills, but that's seems almost suicidal to me during rush hour. I think I'm going to take West River Road, which has a nice winding bike path. It's just under 4 miles instead of a little over 2, and there are a lot of hills, but there's safe and scenic paths the whole way. There's a bike trail that branches off of the river that runs about 1/4 mile from my work, but for the life of me I cannot googlemap a convenient exit from the trail. 

So I decided to scope it out on my walk home, and walked to where I think the bike trail should start. I'm going to have to try it out with my bike on a Sunday or Saturday once it warms up a bit more and the bike paths aren't muddy and icy.

To get to the river, I have to go through the North Loop, and up-and-coming upper-crust neighborhood in Minneapolis. It's the only really really nice part of North Minneapolis. There are nice areas, but this place has million dollar condos and the like. I felt like I had jumped the fence and entered a gated community where I did not belong.

It is ridiculously nice. There are small independent fitness centers on every block, and fancy specialty gourmet restaurants as far as the eye can see. It's even got the little banners on all the street lights letting you know where you are. The North Loop is very clean and well-maintained. With one major exception: Dog Poo.

There is dog shit everywhere. If you can afford to live in such a nice neighborhood, you can probably afford some little pooper scooper bags. Or are they so rich they're too good to pick up after their dog?

Seriously. It's gross. The hedges were well-trimmed, and the lawn decorations were tasteful and beautiful, but there is simply crap everywhere. I get that melting snow reveals a lot of doggy waste that wasn't necessarily visible before the snow melted, but even my neighbors in my litter-ridden neighborhood can pick up their dog's crap.

Of course, if that's all I have to criticize the area about, they're doing pretty well.

A picture of the river from my walk home today.

Bums

Living and working in Minneapolis, I see and talk to a lot of bums. You know, the people who are most likely homeless, really stinky, and are way too talkative for their own good?

For example, I was in the library bathroom downtown yesterday, and one homeless woman (didn't even see her, so I can't be sure she was a "bum," but she told the whole bathroom she was homeless, so I'm not even assuming anything about her) waited to use the last stall. She explained why:

"I spend a lot of time here because I'm homeless. I only use the last 2 stalls because the camera can see you in the other ones."

There I am, in the 3rd stall to the end, peeing. I look up, and what do you know?

A camera. I stuck my tongue out at it and waved.

The bum I see second most often is not actually homeless. I call him Chair Guy. The first handful of times I saw him, he was carrying a folding chair. I think he lives in the mill district, which is strange, because that's a pretty nice area. And he has no teeth, lays on the sidewalk while waiting for the bus, and has nothing in his backpack, which he can never get all the way on his back, and it's always open.

Anyway, I was sitting across the aisle from Chair Guy in the front part of the bus, staring absentmindedly at the ground near him, when I saw a Hershey's chocolate egg fall out of his pants.

I was very confused, but he didn't notice. The egg proceeded to roll away from him. I know it was just because the bus was moving, but it really looked intentional. Like when the Ring of Power bounces away from Gollum. I had to try really hard not to laugh.

I probably should have told Chair Guy that his egg left him. But I'm an introvert, and his mouth was really bloody and gross. Anyway, the egg rolled back up to the front of the bus when Chair Guy got off.

Unfortunately for Egg, PersonGettingOnTheBus stepped on it the same stop Chair Guy got off.

Tragic Ending.

Recipe: Falafel Hot Dish

Whoever said "Always walk with your head up. Don't look at the ground." never lived in Minnesota during the winter. Those sidewalks are skating rinks! Try not only walking on the sidewalk, but while carrying 40 pounds of groceries. Downhill. I'm proud that I didn't fall.

Anyway, those groceries are being put to use right away. I was craving falafel, but falafel is a little too fussy for me, plus the fresh veggies that go along with it tend to not last as long as I need it to. So, I did what any smart Minnesotan would do: made hot dish.

The rest of the country may call it casserole, but they're silly. It's a hot dish. Casserole doesn't even mean anything. Hot dish is pretty self-explanatory. And this one is healthy and simple!


Ingredients:
20+ ounces of spinach/kale/dandelions/some sort of leafy green.
1 block of soft tofu
2+ cups of feta (or another kind of cheese. I like feta)
2 T fennel seeds
1 box of falafel mix (or your own falafel recipe, just don't make it into balls yet)
2 large tomatoes, diced.
1/2 cup of tzatziki sauce

(NOTE: Don't add any salt. There is enough in the falafel mix. You don't need it.)
(Note 2: You could, however, add some other things. This is just the starting point for my first time making this dish. I would think tabbouli, or chopped onion, garlic or cucumber would add to it. Some basil/parlsey/cilantro would probably taste good too. Lemon juice would give it a nice zing. Maybe some chicken or lamb if you eat meat. I added about a 1/2 cup of quinoa tabbouli, but I imagine it would taste just fine without it)



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare the falafel mix according to box (just add water!)
In a large kettle, steam the spinach down until it's really sad looking.
In a large mixing bowl, mix tomatoes, tofu, fennel, tzatziki and half of the feta.
Add the spinach, and mix well to make sure the spinach isn't clumpy.
Pour spinach mixture into a hot dish pan (13x9ish size) or casserole dish, if you're not from around here.
Spread the falafel mix over the top, and cover with the rest of the feta.
Bake for 30 minutes, and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Serve with toasted pita, crudite and hummus. And tea!



Nutrition info (including the tabbouli) per serving (8 servings total):
Calories - 285
Fat - 15 grams (8 saturated)
Cholesterol - 41 mg
Sodium - 955 mg
Potassium - 596 mg
Carbs - 22g
Fiber - 7g
Sugar - 6g
Protein - 22g
Vitamin A - 160%
Vitamin C - 52%
Calcium - 40%
Iron - 28%
Taste - 1 million yums.
Filling - full but not bloated.

Saturday night cravings

As I was sitting around this fine Saturday evening, feeling a little hungry but not wanting to go buy something, even though I have almost no food in the house, I started Googling recipes. At the top of the list was "Feeling hungry on a Saturday at 8pm but don't want to order a pizza?"

Yes, Google, thank you. You were only 2 minutes off, too. (It was 7:58) In any case, the giant search engine led me to try to get more creative with my toaster oven than bread and cheese.

So, I am now waiting patiently for my "pizza" on bread with cheese to cook. Maybe not so creative, but I am getting rid of some leftover marinara sauce, as well as satisfying my cheese craving besides just eating plain cheese. And not just plain cheese and bread (I hate myself for calling it "plain." It's heaven to taste, but it's not very adventurous is all I mean).

I did not win on the low-calorie battle, though. It's 2 slices of bread, 2 ounces of cheese, 2 boca spicy chicken patties and some homemade marinara sauce. It's basically a full meal, but I suppose I didn't have dinner today.

I was trying to only have a lunner and a small snack later because I got a mocha this morning from my manager, which, considering it is a only cup of soy milk with chocolate and espresso, sure has a lot of calories. The whole is the greater than the sum of its parts, and I'm not entirely sure how it does that. Must be a lot of fancy chocolate syrup or something. Cuz it's 330 calories without whip cream, and I know 16 ounces of soy milk is only 180 calories tops, and espresso is maybe 1 calorie.

I am pairing it with some diet cola made with my Sodastream machine. Love it. If you don't have one, you should seriously consider getting one. I don't even drink that much soda, but it's worth having.

Giving Back or Staying Sane?

I have been thinking I need more in my life. Don't get me wrong, I love coming home from work and not having any cares beyond deciding if I should work out or what I should have for dinner, but I also feel like I need something more.

So, I had been considering committing to a volunteer opportunity or perhaps getting a part time job for 6-10 hours a week. One such option would be to volunteer less than 5 hours a week at a non-profit organization, and making it a regular thing so my work schedule would be consistent. It would still leave me plenty of time to bum around and do nothing or go out with my friends.

I thought about getting a part-time job, but decided the probably low pay wouldn't be worth the extra responsibility and time.

I settled on doing office work for OutFront MN instead for a few hours on Wednesday afternoons. OutFront is a LGBT advocacy organization officed in South Minneapolis. Last week I stuffed envelopes. I think I might be doing data entry tomorrow.

I hope it's more rewarding than not having anything to do. I do like sleeping and playing pokemon.

Tattoos!

lt;np, sorry. I'll try to be better this year. I just wanted to share the news that I got a new tattoo! Two tattoos! Three total now.

This is the first one I got, back in 2008. It's a sun with a raven in the center. It's my high school graduation present, and a constant reminder to me that I have goals and ambitions and I am perfectly capable of achieving them. And ravens are awesome, and have a lot of good qualities that I should strive for.

This is the second one, but only by technicality. The artist just wanted to knock this one out before starting the second one for the day. It says Aure Entuluva - Day Shall Come Again. It's written in one of Tolkien's Elvish languages, Qenya. I got it as a reminder that no matter what is going on in my life, it's going to get better, and it probably isn't really all that bad to begin with. I have ways of improving my life if things are really unpleasant. If I'm not trying that hard to change it, it's probably not that bad.

I may or may not have broken not one, but two self-imposed tattoo rules. 1) Wait at least a year so you know that you for sure want it. 2) Nothing below the knee, past the shoulders. But, like my tattoo artist said, "rules are meant to be broken." Plus, I have a Elvish tattoo, which I think is awesome. #nerdz4lyfe

This is my third tattoo. I've been planning on getting this one since the day after I got my first one. It's a grizzly bear. Grizzly bears are great. I got it to remind myself of my own expectations of my behavior. I should be reasonably loyal, protective, resourceful, calm, and sometimes a little lazy. Ferocious or affectionate if the situation calls for it. And it doesn't matter that much if I smell bad, because I can catch fish with one paw! (The last one may not apply to my situation, but it's still awesome!)