12. Harry Potter and The Dolphin Tattoo....

No this is not an unreleased chapter of the Harry Potter story!  Just a couple of special anecdotes I wanted to share  :)!  During my time in Brisbane it was Alicia's birthday and Jamie took her out for dinner, then I met them and we went to see the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie.  Excellent! During this was the promo for the last Harry Potter movie which got Alicia and I quite excited.  For my last weekend in town Alicia's parents agreed to have the kids so that we could go out for dinner and the intention was to go to the movies to see Harry Potter.  We were all excited and had spent the previous week watching all, yes ALL, the Harry Potter movies...one a night, sometimes two...eek!  We were on a roll!  When we went to book the tickets we were a little embarrassed to find that we were about a month early!  The film had not even been released...doh!

We spent the Saturday night quietly with a few drinks and an early dinner after a trip to the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art.  The purpose of this trip was to show Alicia an image for a tattoo that I thought I might like to get.  I had seen it during a recent visit there with Rob.  I have always wanted to get a tattoo but wanted to get something that was meaningful to me.  I also went off the idea as tattoos are so popular here now and Im not one to do the popular thing.  This image was the first that had really stood out to me but it had gone out of my mind until we started talking about it.  Alicia was encouraging me to get the tattoo and so we went to bookshop there and I showed it to Alicia.  I still liked it, so that was a good sign so Alicia took a photo of it.

We tinkered with the design a bit.  Alicia offered to buy the tattoo for me for my birthday.  We talked about going to the tattoo shop that day but it just didnt feel right.  The next day we were close by the tattoo shop and so I said to Alicia, lets see if it is open (it was a Sunday).  It was.  Okay lets see if they can fit me in.  They couldnt really but as I was leaving the next day, Jimmy offered to stay back and do it at 6pm.  Who could argue with that!  Jimmy also made some suggestion about some changes to the design which I liked so I agreed.  I left after making the appointment feeling very nervous but that soon turned to excitement.  Alicias mum agreed to have the kids a little longer (as I had to have Alicia come with me...yes I am 50 but I was nervous!).  Jimmy was good and made me feel relaxed.  He got me to drink a can of coke so I had plenty of sugar to get me through.  It took about 45minutes and was a weird sensation.  Painful but bearable, at least I couldnt see as the tattoo is on my back.  I left feeling super cool, quite proud of myself and just a little paranoid that it would get infected so off to the chemist for some Bepanthen.  The tattoo is of a dolphin, mid leap out of the water, with a little wave symbol next to it.  I have always loved dolphins and never tire of seeing them, particularly when sailing.  I was able to relate to all the meanings that I came across and there are many.  Celts and Pirates believe they are a symbol of protection (and who doesnt love a Celt or a pirate right?); to a variety of deities they represent things including freedom, wildness, joviality, playfulness, sensuality, compassion all attributes I respect and aspire to, the perfect tattoo!  Not only do I have the perfect image for my tattoo, my friends bought it for me for my 50th, I had it done at the same place as Alicia got her tattoo AND Powderfinger (Im a massive fan) used to rehearse upstairs...rah!!  Ah, it was all just meant to be!!