Playing fairy godmother

[Isabo]

How was everyone's Christmas?
Mine was a bit strained.
My daughter arrived early boxing day in a foul mood. I love the beloved offspring but she can be a bit much for civilised company sometimes. She also arrived alone and without boyfriend in tow which was the first clue to the problem. She has a wonderful boyfriend whom she does not deserve, they've been an item more often than not for the last ten years. They should be happily married or living together except that beloved offspring can be very stubborn and silly sometimes.
The boyfriend arrived in the afternoon. Beloved offspring locked herself in her bedroom. Schoolgirl behaviour! and also naughty as they always sleep together. Over a hot chocolate I got the story from him.
Christmas eve he met with some of his friends and had a drink or three. he went home much the worse for wear, he felt lonely and tried phoning beloved offspring, who's phone was engaged. To show the strenght of his feelings he decided on an indelible proof of endearment, the silly clot tattooed her name on his arm. She saw it the following night at his parents when they went to bed and she went berserk!
My first reaction was: WHAT! My daughter has more tattoos than a heavy metal group. But the silly clot explained he had made a spelling mistake! I still didn't see a problem as my daughter's name is Roberta Valeria, but everyone has alway called her Bobbi or Bobbi Valeria and spelled Bobbi every way imaginable. Yes you've all guessed it - he spelled Valeria wrong - he left out the "i"!
I gave him some more hot chocolate, told him there were all sorts of options like removal, cover-ups etc (thanks to my daughter and her friends I am now quite expert on the subject), and went to talk to beloved offspring.
Bottom line from her; she was blazing that he spelled her name wrong, that he didn't discuss it with her first, that he did it himself and badly, and that he had a tattoo at all! She was especially adamant on this last point!
I agree that a crude tattoo on the forearm of a young lawyer is not a good idea but let's be honest, neither is a wife with blue hair and extensive bodyart and piercings - yes they are the odd couple. I made her promise to kiss and make up and went back downstairs. I sent the twit upstairs with instructions to say the name would be removed. I then spent an hour tracking down my dermatologist for advice on what best to do. The atmosphere has improved a little today and we went to the dermatologist , boyfriend's been given a cream which will make the tattoo scab more and remove more of the ink and he's been booked in for laser removal. The dermatologist said he was lucky he didn't make the usual amateur mistake of going too deep with the needle. The lad is very sheepish but happy matters are on the mend. I am just confused about my daughter's reaction but I did secretly enjoy playing fairy godmother for them.
Am I alone in having to deal with the emotional problems of grown up children? and before anyone asks - No I will not post photos

[BlueSkyJaunte]

This Xmas my wife spent the Eve puking all night, followed by a 103 degree fever.

Spent the past 72 hours taking care of her, but now I'm down for the count! Ughhh........

[oldE]

Isa,
Thank you for once again making me feel like a million bucks! So far (knock on wood), my daughter, who was going through a 'Goth' phase, is sweetness and light, compared to what you're dealing with.
Please note, at this stage you probably don't want to do her in and start over.
Well done on your Fairy Godmother work.
All the best to you and your family in the new year.
Les

[Isabo]

Originally posted by oldE
Isa,
Thank you for once again making me feel like a million bucks! So far (knock on wood), my daughter, who was going through a 'Goth' phase, is sweetness and light, compared to what you're dealing with.
Please note, at this stage you probably don't want to do her in and start over.
Well done on your Fairy Godmother work.
All the best to you and your family in the new year.
Les

The hard part for me is that my "little treasure" looks like she's come out of a Hell's Angel convention most of the time! She started with tattoos when she was about 14 but they were kept out of my sight until I saw them when I accidently walked in on her in the bathroom when she was about 16, she was so distraught I didn't have the heart to react very strongly. It wouldn't have made any difference anyway. The hard case image she projects is an act. I really wish she would settle down with her boyfriend.

[Rikao4]

Oh ,the never ending you are a parent for life drama / comedies, choose the pet route instead. My animals have tattoos, but it's to help them get home.
Merry Christmas Isa,
Rika

[masraum]

It sounds like she's a bit of a handful. Fortunately my daughter has been the easy one. It's the boy that's been difficult and expensive.

I don't think it ever completely ends, but I think that it eventually starts to tail off some.

[gchappel]

My son, who was in college at the time, asked me what I would do if he got a tattoo. My response was actually pretty good for spur of the moment, I told him I would not do anything. He was pleasently surprised until I informed him I really would not do anything. I would not write his tuition checks, I would not write his checks for room, board, etc. That was the last time we had the discussion. He is a little older, and out of school now. No tattoos.
Gary

[legion]

I want to get a tatoo.

Something small and in a relatively hidden place. Something that won't force dressing decisions in any situation.

[jyl]

What in the world is the point of visible tatoos?

I can't think of a single enthusiasm, sentiment, obsession, or statement that I felt or expressed at 20 y/o that I still felt the same way about when I was 30 y/o and 40 y/o. I'm very glad that I don't have to wear those long-discarded views inked into my body. Not to mention that visible tatoos lock you out from many jobs.

Visible tatoos seem to me like a blatant indication of short-sightedness and stupidity. You're basically saying that you expect to never change throughout your lifetime, or that you expect to have a very short lifetime.

A small concealed tatoo doesn't bother me, but I still wonder "why bother"?

[vash]

i honestly want to get a foilage scene on my right forearm. all the way around. at this point i am too cheap. i have a few smaller ones, and strangely, what they say about tats being addictive is true.

i am a bridge engineer, and i baby sit contractors, so the job issue will never bother me. besides, i think any stigmas associated with body art is going away. back in the day, you see a tattoo, you picture a rebel, or a criminal. i dont think it is that way anymore. the young woman that handled my title package let a small one slip on her front lower hip. (she stood up and stretched), on the outside she looked like a conservative hottie chinese girl. when i mentioned it, she peeled down her pants a bit to show me the asian/tribal styled spider she got. she told me she keeps it hidden at work, but it shows with her belly shirts and low ride jeans. for the record her skin was pasty smooth...er nevermind. i think i fell alittle bit in love that day. i will let her handle my next refi...forever. till she marries me...j/k.

[masraum]

Originally posted by vash
the young woman that handled my title package let a small one slip on her front lower hip. (she stood up and stretched), on the outside she looked like a conservative hottie chinese girl. when i mentioned it, she peeled down her pants a bit to show me the asian/tribal styled spider she got. she told me she keeps it hidden at work, but it shows with her belly shirts and low ride jeans. for the record her skin was pasty smooth...

Hell, I'm in love and I've never even seen here.

[jyl]

Originally posted by vash
any stigmas associated with body art is going away

Lots of stigmas emerge, go away, and then return, over a lifetime. Body art is a fashion, and fashions are fickle, especially at the fringe.

It used to be cool for men to have really long hair and women to not shave. It used to be cool to openly smoke pot and wear peace signs. It used to be cool to have collars the size of dinner plates. Today those things make you look ridiculous. Not a problem for bridge contractors, maybe not for bridge engineers, but maybe a problem when you want to be the bridge engineer's boss or establish your own bridge engineering firm. But it's not a major problem, because none of those things are permanent. Unlike visible tatoos.

Okay, maybe tatoos will somehow become a classic, timeless look that never goes "out". If I'm going to make a 30-year bet, I'd rather it be on something that will earn me a reward if I'm right, rather than something that will merely not cause me a loss.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by jyl
What in the world is the point of visible tatoos?

I share the same sentiment on non-visible tattoos. What I find really silly is people getting Japanese/Chinese characters tattooed on themselves. For fun, I ask them what it means, and they say "love/peace/etc" How do you know? Do you speak Japanese/Chinese? "No, but I went to this (chinese/japanese) restaraunt and they told me..." So why not write it in English? "That would look stupid!" So how does it not look stupid in Kanji?

I know two chicks who have the (alleged) Kanji symbol for "love" tattoed on themselves, and both symbols are completely different! I don't know the language, so for all I know one of them says "beef with broccoli" and other is "kung pao chicken"

i think any stigmas associated with body art is going away

No, they're not. They've just lost their shock value.

[Milu]

Originally posted by Isabo
[B]

I agree that a crude tattoo on the forearm of a young lawyer is not a good idea but let's be honest, neither is a wife with blue hair and extensive bodyart and piercings - yes they are the odd couple. /B]

Isa forgets to mention that;

he would be marrying the senior partner's daughter, (the boy is totally indifferent to this but the rest of the world probably doesn't think so)

his potential father in law also often looks like a senior delegate to a Hell's Angel convention,

Bobby Valeria might look unconventional but she has enough class and self assurance to make a grand duchess feel small at a royal wedding.

I'n sure they'll get together eventually, even if it's only to stop Isa having a nervous breakdown

[Isabo]

It's karma. I'm being paid back for what I put my mother through.

[Rikao4]

Milu is proud of her,as I'm sure you are. My sister, minus the tattoos sound's alot like "Bobbe", married a Dr. and has 2 daughters now.She turned out to be a he@@ of a mom, I do remind her often of her past doings, and to keep them in mind when dealing with her tribe.Those two young ladies are awesome, and I love being their friend.
Rika

[}{arlequin]

thanks for the smiles Isa. what's a family gathering without *some* amount of drama? congratulations on the mending.

Milu, filling in the blanks makes the story even better

[Rot 911]

Originally posted by jyl
What in the world is the point of visible tatoos?

I can't think of a single enthusiasm, sentiment, obsession, or statement that I felt or expressed at 20 y/o that I still felt the same way about when I was 30 y/o and 40 y/o. I'm very glad that I don't have to wear those long-discarded views inked into my body. Not to mention that visible tatoos lock you out from many jobs.

I have a tribal tattoo on the inside of my right forearm. Everyone that managed to make it through the British Combat Tracking School in Malaysia (not many) got the tattoo. Everytime I look at it I am reminded of what I had to go through to get it. Has never hindered me in any job interview (as I have never been rejected). I always get asked about it and what it means. By the way I am presently a prosecuting attorney, but have worked in firms.

[jyl]

You don't usually display the insides of your forearms in law firm interviews, do you? At least I never did.

Anyway, that tatoo has a compelling story that makes you even more impressive to an interviewer. (That guy made it through Combat Tracking School, he'll be great on interrogatories.) You don't have to point to some stupid kanji and explain that it expresses love in some language that you don't read :-)

Maybe I should have made an exception for a handful of time-honored tatoos. E.g. USMC on the shoulder of a Marine.

Although, apparently if you have a visible tatoos, the military won't take you.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blartattoo.htm

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051203/news_1n3tattoo.html

[nostatic]

Originally posted by widebody911
What I find really silly is people getting Japanese/Chinese characters tattooed on themselves.

great site: http://www.hanzismatter.com/

Ever seen a 40 year old tatoo?

I'm tat-free. I've got enough to worry about...