Diary

	Book of Days
	See a FLASH ANIMATION of the development of the tattoo from original concept to outline, colouring, and finally completed art. This animation is 327Kb in size.

The following are a series of diary entries from the time that I was being tattooed. They are not the entirety of the experience - few detail, for example, the healing process afterwards, and they do not cover each session. However they provide an interesting historical record of what happened at the time.

Saturday, March 3rd, 2001: Given the philosophical nature of a few of my friends, especially after a couple of shots of Glayva, I was asked why phoenix wings....
Wednesday, March 7th, 2001: I did a lot of work on the wings last night...
Thursday, March 8th, 2001: Whew! At long last, the tattoo design is done!
Tuesday, April 10th, 2001: I'm tense today...
Wednesday, April 11th, 2001: One day left with nothing but the scars and the natural marks of freckle on flesh.
Friday, April 13th 2001: Well, that was as disappointing as hell...
Sunday, April 22nd, 2001: I was nervous when I walked in. Not desperately, I've dealt with enough pain over the years that a lot of it has become merely an act of will. But I was wondering. How exactly Claudia might have changed my design. Whether she would make a mistake...
Saturday, April 28th, 2001: The second wing, the left one, went on yesterday.
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2001: So, now I have some colour to my wings. Just on one side, which is slightly annoying, as I'd prefer it to be more symmetrical...
Thursday, June 14th, 2001: I went in for more work. Claudia was late, and two women were waiting, one to see her, one to see one of the other artists.
Thursday, June 21st, 2001: And I have this to say. Getting work done on the shoulder blade hurts more than on the spine.
Thursday, July 12th, 2001: Although the top part of the wing did not quite get finished - Claudia worked for three hours
Tuesday, July 17th, 2001: I'm not jaded...
Thursday, August 9th, 2001: Last night I had another session with Claudia. The worst one yet, really - work over my sides, along the side of my spine, and the sides of my ribs.
Wednesday, August 15th, 2001: Last night on the way home from a failed coffee run (alas, white chocolate mocha latte was not to be mine), Brandt and I found a chemist to enquire about Emla cream.
Wednesday, October 10th, 2001: Hint. Emla cream doesn't work if Claudia works on areas where it hasn't been put.
Friday, October 12th, 2001: It's the black ink that really hurts, especially over the small of the back.
Thursday, December 6th, 2001: So now I have a large swath of colour across my right hand side, and it is finally - finally - begining to look as though the artwork may one day be finished.
Wednesday, February 20th, 2002: Finished!