Call me Lydia

You guys don't know this about me, but I'm a bit of a movie nut. Not only do I love movies, but I also have a knack for remembering actors, directors, dialogue... even composers! It's a useful skill during trivia games, but it also means that I often equate a particular situation or event in "real life" with scenes from movies.

For instance, when Phil and I were staring at a wall of fireworks we were thinking about buying a few years ago. When I spotted one that looked particularly explosive, I immediately thought of Sid, the mean next door neighbour in Toy Story, unpacking his long awaited rocket, which he planned on strapping on Buzz Lightyear, and said "Ex-tre-me-ly dan-ge-rous. Keep Out of Reach Of Children".

Or when the attendant was giving me attitude at the gas station one time, and I immediately thought of The Terminator, searching for appropriate responses to a nosy neighbour complaning about the smell emanating from his room. In my best Schwarzenegger voice I said "F*#$ You, A$$hole" and drove off.

To his credit, Phil immediately got the references on both occasions (and many, maaaany others) and we both collapsed into heaps of laugther. To this day, we STILL laugh at those jokes.

All that to say that it's not surprising that last week's adventures remind me of a movie. This time it's The Fisher King, one of my favourite Terry Gilliam films. In it, Robin Williams plays a former psychiatrist turned homeless man who'se head over heels in love with Amanda Plummer's Lydia. On their first date, at a Chinese restaurant, so happy is he that he bursts into song, and what should he sing her but a song Groucho Marx made famous, called "Lydia the Tattooed Lady".

I've wanted a tattoo for quite some time now. I had originally planned for it to be a 30th birthday to myself (I'll be 33 in June), but wasn't quite sure what design I wanted. Then I got pregnant with Maxime, so I let it go for a while. A few months ago the idea came back into my head, and this time it just wouldn't go away, so I started researching designs. I knew I wanted something involving a tree, something positive and that spoke of unity and uniqueness and strength. I chose a Celtic Tree of Life, and I was particularly inspired by Jen Delyth's print.

Not your typical choice for a "first" tattoo. As my tattoo artist Jeff said "This ain't no rosebud". And I love it. It just represents everything I'm trying to personify in my life, and I'm so glad to have this process I've been on permanently marked in my skin.

Let me just point out that Kate-the-Enabler came with me to hold my hand and keep me entertained during the 2.5 hours it took to get this bad boy done. Isn't she just the greatest?

Now, before you all get in a huff about me keeping this under wraps for a week, I'll just remind you that Phil was out of town last week on business. No, I didn't get this done on the sly! He knew I was getting a tattoo, and he had seen the design. But he still wanted to see it "in person" rather than seeing pictures on the blog. I'm sure you understand.

So there you go! Call me Lydia, for I am now a tattooed lady. I appreciate that body art isn't everyone's cup of tea. But I just hope you understand that, for me, this tattoo IS the embodiement of a very special journey I've been on over the past few months, as a woman, as a person, as a wife and mother. Believe me when I say that there IS no bad here. :)

Back to knitting next post!