I'm giving everyone permission to laugh at me for this one because I accomplished only one thing on my list this month.
Yep. One.
School started back, and it's been straight up Crazy Town. And just as I was reconfiguring my schedule for all things related to workouts, lesson planning, going to therapy, and rocking the single mom life, I got knocked on my ass by a sinus infection. My body was clearly not loving the major shift from our more random and laid-back summer schedule. But I will say I was incredibly relieved that the visit to the doc's revealed I wasn't ill with covid.
So here is the ONE thing I checked off my birthday bucket list:
7. get a bigger tattoo
Covid has changed the way tattoo parlors set up appointments for clients since I got my last tattoo in 2019. Artists open their books quarterly, and you have to put in a request as soon as they do. Seeing as this was the case, I started doing the research alongside my friend, Krissy, for the best women tattoo artists in Athens in April. I wanted a woman to do my next piece. So I narrowed it down to whom I considered to be the top 4 women artists in Athens based on the kind of work I wanted done. I put in a request with all 4, and the first one to have availability would be the one who would draw on me.
Even though we couldn't get appointments on the same day, Krissy and I both got confirmations from artists at Chico Lou's Fine Tattoos, a tattoo parlor owned and run by women. They started out as a small operation as a tiny booth in the back of an upscale salon. And now, they have a stand-alone building with lawn dragons and an assortment of skeletal art. If this tattoo parlor doesn't scream Vikki...
By April, I was notified I would have an appointment with Jess Clark while Krissy would see Veronica Hahn (another woman on my short list). We spent the summer bouncing tattoo ideas off each other and counting down the days until we got to sit in the chair again. And on 14 August 2021, Jess Clark created a gorgeous black work tattoo on my right shoulder of blackberries and camellias. My first botanical piece.
Guys. I love this tattoo. Jess left space for me to add upon this piece, and I plan to.
Bonus items:
45. my daughter joined me for a live yoga class
Let it Be Yoga is one of my favorite places to practice indoor yoga because classes are in a funky art barn, and they have a sliding scale for their class fees. When I explained to my daughter what a yin/restorative yoga class was, she said she wanted to give it a shot because it sounded relaxing. (Which it is, in case you're wondering.) And it was extra easy to sell her on it because the class was on a school night. Kids are funny like that.
Long story short, she wants to go back again. Happy yogi momma heart.
46. I PAID OFF MY GRADUATE DEGREE!
Pour me a whiskey neat and make me a pile of nachos! I flippin' paid off my Ed.S. in only 3 years. When I budgeted for about 8. As a single parent. During a pandemic. On a teacher's salary. While still paying all my other bills.
[Is this when I'm supposed to drop the mic?]
While others were using the 0% interest rate on federal loans to defer their payments, I was paying down extra anywhere I could draw from. The tiniest amounts felt significant. And now that it's officially behind me, I feel so damn proud of myself.
Just tell me to stay away from the temptation of the doctorate degree. Because I definitely have looked at programs, and I just need to enjoy the freedom from student loans. Right? RIGHT?!?!
Stats:
13 items down
27 items to go
And 6 bonus items!
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