...and thank Buddha too. Holy fuck was it a pretty bad year with an odd mix of highlights.
Where do I start my new years blog?
I learned a lot... more like I remembered a lot. Many times this year I learned a lessons about trust that I thought I had figured out already. The 15 year old version of me would be cussing me out right now. Don't worry. I'm back to lookin out for number 1. That always straitens me out from a stupidly blind, generous, nice phase & wakes me up to see whatever dream/nightmare I've let run away on me. In the words of my wife's dad,"This aint my first rodeo, cowboy."
My reputation locally consist of a mix of my close friends calling me an asshole (because I speak the truth & exactly how I feel.. I'm not into head games & two face crap) & sweetheart, nice guy... I get a kick out of that myself. I guess because I want to be kind & often go out of my way to do nice things for people but do not have the ability to tolerate things & actions that I feel are below my evolutionary curve. I guess I expect everyone to be intelligent & cool. When they aren't I am left disappointed & reminded of human/animal nature. I am pretty laid back with most people. I guess I am nice & try to have a good time... but goddamn, if we aren't a bunch of amazingly cool, stupid little monkeys.
Haha.. that's what my whole life has been like.
That being said...
-My year starts off with the City attempting to close down the bar I'd worked at since 99. We were nude, strip club & made us go bikini, show bar. I told my boss right then what would happen to our business. We had been known as the best strip club in the city.
-I got to see Tool again... this time in Orlando.
-OH SHIT... I almost forgot... we saw & met Henry Rollins! One thing to mark off my to do list. You get your $$$ worth. I didn't think he'd ever shut up.. My ass started hurting, lol.
-I managed to get to OH this year for SG's St Pattys day party... Jesus.. was that 2012?... I guess it was.
-I traded my Honda I had over 40G in for a 06 HD Night Train. I will miss the Honda but I guess I feel more like slowing down these days. Plus, at $12 per gallon of race fuel & repairs, it got to be too much with my bar suffering on the money end & me being married & all. I'd managed to sell off a few other cars at the end of 2011, which would prove to be a blessing in 2012.
-Shot Tieranny.
-Somewhere about this time I got my 7 string Stephtones signature ESP.. Well, I like it. It became my new main 7 string. Thought about playing again & started writing songs but I still don't know if I want to get back into that ego pit. If it was just playing, recording & no PR, I'd be happy.
-I finally upgraded to a Canon 5Diii from my 50D. I'd been waiting on Canon to release it for a while before I upgraded my old body.
-I picked up a Fixie, hooked it up a little, got a Cannondale, said fuck the fixie & sold it.
-Over the summer I put between 15 & 20 miles per night on the road bike, got a good diet going & attempted to get myself mentally & physically in shape. This worked pretty good.
-I shot Torye in early Summer.
-My birthday came & went. I turned ... well ... let's just say I am not cool with birthdays anymore. Right in the middle of dieting, the wife made me this....
-I tattooed my wife's brother at our house, under protest. I'm not cool with scratchin but it was a Bday present for him.
-I'd decided to get back to part time at the tattoo shop. It had been almost three years since I'd been there. I did want to quit DJing in 2013 & I'd need to build up clients & get my chops back to make the transition.
-I cut about a foot of dreads off, finally... to be honest, I could use another 8" or so gone. I tried to give it to locks for love but they didn't want it... oh well. I tried to be cool.
-Shootfest came to our backyard. We went.
-While I was there I shot Casshas's new set, Clay.
Renesme who I'll probably load soon.. ish.
Ryker.. her set Florida Morning comes out in late March.
Pannn... who the sun went down on us. BOOOOO sun! Not enough for a solid set but a cool chick. I know she does have new stuff coming at you, though. Hopefully we'll get a chance to try over again.
And, I shot Toxic on my last day there... date tba, lol. I'll have to ask her.
-Took a quick road trip & Shot Azera's set Blue Skies... comes out March 15th.
-Missed this storm... DOH!!!! I wish I could have been here. I wouldn't have paddled out in that shit but I would have got some killer pix... Ohhh well, sigh.
-Halloween.... I had to work.
-Took a quick trip to shoot Ginary with here set Private Eyes, which comes out late March.
-Got back home, took a nap, woke to a text telling me I wouldn't be needed at the bar anymore. 
Bullshit. The owner is literally paranoid delusional & an alcoholic. He said I was the reason we were slow, despite the fact that I told him this would happen when we went bikini bar & I stuck it out with him through a bad year... I was there 13 fucking years. Pretty shitty. I'm still violently pissed about it.
-I went to Westside Tattoo full time. I had some money saved & there is some money coming in through the shop... As long as we get some income tax money, things may be ok.. ish
-Limped through Thanksgiving... AAaaaI don't think I have any pix. haha
-An old close friend got my back and gave me a shift at his bar, which turned into a few decent shifts for extra money.
-Gave the wife a Christmas tattoo...
-We had Christmas & spent NYE at home.
The end of the year came. It was an interesting one. As far as the site goes, I'd sold a couple sets this year. I met & shot some great people. My membership runs out in March, I think. I have no beef with the site but I am not sure just yet if I will renew. When that time comes, I'll let ya know. I'm still able to shoot sets but I won't be traveling very far,
I feel like poop cuz I gained back like 30lbs, maybe more & eating shit I can afford, for a while. I'm typing now with a horrible cold, I woke with. I'm going to call out of the shop today because I work every day.. I have since Nov4th. I'm tired.
I don't have high hopes for this year, though I'm not giving up. All I can do is pull in my extremities & brace for the crash.
I guess maybe I should roll into work for a while & see what happens.
There was a bunch of other shit that happened but I can't remember it all.
Later SG
