I finally got around to uploading xmas photos to Flickr. This one is of me, my mom and my oldest son Max.

I'm the one with the antennae.

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tommyrot, thanks for posting that. Now I have finally connected you with your facebook account in my mind. I friended a lot of people recently who I knew were buffistas without necessarily knowing who specifically they were.

shrift, my preferred aftercare of choice (once the wrapping is off and you've rinsed the skin with water) is vitamin E cream (nothing added, no fragrances). It's been the single best thing I have done for healing and my skin. I used it throughout the whole process of my left-arm sleeve.

The problem is, last year my assigned "goals" didn't get completed. One, because I never understood what the hell she actually wanted; everything I handed her, she gave back, telling me I should do something else. I've had stress nightmares over that project. (She doesn't know that I know that it was her project, given to her by her boss, that she didn't want to do. So she gave it to me, and I don't have the background knowledge to do it.) And two, because the one person who had the data I needed didn't give it to me until November, which was rather past my deadline of August. So I should be more proactive in getting information. From people in other departments who don't respond to my emails or calls. So it got done, just late, which wasn't my fault but apparently it's my fault.

She had to give me a Superior rating in my performance of my actual job, because it was superior, dammit, and I still got rated in Full compliance with the goals, so... like, whatever, okay. We are not actually in high school, and I know the raises have already been processed and the reviews have little or nothing to do with them.

Next week we have to meet again to set my "goals" for this year. I hate this process so much. I'd like to find the gung-ho go-getter in Harvard Business School who came up with this sales-based ratings process for all jobs whether sales or not, and kick him repeatedly in the liver.

I'm applying for another job today.

Woo hoo! Autocorrect tried to change that to "woo boo" which sounds passive aggressive.

I'd like to find the gung-ho go-getter in Harvard Business School who came up with this sales-based ratings process for all jobs whether sales or not, and kick him repeatedly in the liver.

I will provide the steel-toed boots.

It's been the single best thing I have done for healing and my skin.

Thanks for the advice! Nobody else is having an issue with the aftercare ointment from the tattoo studio but me, so I suspect I am a special snowflake. Also, I've never gotten a tattoo before so I don't know what's normal for me.

Were you encouraged to use A&D? I have a dermatological reaction to petrolatum products, so I quickly tossed my A&D for cetaphil (also a solid choice for healing) and vitamin E. Ultimately I prefer vitamin E because of its wonderful effect on skin and no reaction. You can rinse off your tattoo every couple of days (more after the ink has stopped weeping) but I would use the vitE at least 2-3 times a day. No such thing as over-moisturizing with freshly inked skin.

Mmm, talking about this is elevating the itch in my veins for my next tattoo even stronger. I finished my sleeve in July, after 5 years of sleeve work. I can't wait to move on to the next one.

Also, I prefer the vitE cream, not the oil.

I'm thinking of putting my next one on my forearm, seems like an easy to cover up but also easy for me to see spot. Have y'all run into any drawbacks to that placement?