Jackalopes

I wasn't going to write about my tattoo.  Then I realized that the next time I see you (or meet you for the first time) you will likely see a jackalope on my arm and want to know the story.  I cant keep Winnie, as I'm affectionately calling him, private as he is permanent on my flesh forever.  I must share his story....

Brit has traveled to Arizona many times with her parents.  On her previous trip, several years ago, she got some artwork done on  her arm in Scottsdale and I knew she had kept in touch with her tattoo artist because it came up in conversation a few times.  I like the art so several weeks before our trip to Arizona I asked Brit if I could get tattooed by him.  Sadly, he'd moved to California.  However, this idea must have put a spark in her brain because when I joined her and Jackie in Arizona, we all started talking about getting tattooed.

On the morning of her golden birthday, Brit made us all tattoo appointments.  We were surprised and lucky enough to get same-day appointments.  Then we started talking about what to get.  [I realize that this is in reverse order from what a normal person would do but Brit and I have a lot of tattoos already (she more than I) so we didn't think it was weird].  We love rabbits and we are in the desert and one thing leads to another and we came up with the idea of jackalope tattoos.  I can't explain it any better than that.  I wish I could.

We started to look up pictures of jackalopes and information about them.  HILARITY ENSUED.  First of all, we all thought jackalopes were real creatures.  Turns out, they're not.  They're like the unicorn of desert places.

Some fun facts we learned about Jackalopes:

• Traits: Sure footed and agile; nocturnal; opportunistic; crude ability to mimic campground chatter; fondness for whiskey and Harley Davidson oil lines; will attack if cornered or provoked. [via jackalope.com]
• The town of Douglas, Wyoming, has declared itself to be the Jackalope capital of America because, according to legend, the first jackalope was spotted there around 1829. [via jackalope.com]
• Jackalope hunting licenses can be obtained from the Douglas Chamber of Commerce, though the hunting of jackalopes is restricted to the hours of midnight to 2 am on June 31. [via jackalope.com]
• It is said that a jackalope may be caught by putting a flask of whiskey out at night.  [via Wikipedia]
• In some parts of the United States it is said that jackalope meat has a taste similar to lobster.  [via Wikipedia]

Is that not the most awesome creature ever!?! Then, I saw all the cute jackalope photos on Google images and I knew I had to have one tattooed on me and I wanted it to look like my late, beloved Winston.

I feel obligated to tell you what it represents for me since it doesn't seem like I thought it through very well.  For me, it's a symbol of joy and humor, my love for animals, my love for my cousin-through-marriage: Brit, and my trip to Arizona.  

So, I did it.  It's really real.  It still hasn't hit me that I have a somewhat visible tattoo on the inside of my arm for the rest of my life.  Maybe I am still in shock? Oh well. It's only flesh, right?