Tattoo, Skimboard or???

So, it's another year gone by and another year tacked on to my age today. The wife gave me an envelope with some cash in it for my present and the note said: "This money is for the tattoo that you have been talking about getting, or for a new, real skimboard. ONLY USE THIS MONEY FOR THOSE TWO THINGS, or if you have a better idea, run it by me"

So, I have been dabbling in skimboarding for the past couple of months since its flat on a crappy, flexy board that I got for $4 in a thrift store. In one of the "surf shops" down here, they have real, pro style glassed skimboards in between $250-$300

I could get a pretty nice tattoo for about 3 bills also (And Im not a big tattoo guy, I have one shoulder done and want to fill it in more basically. And last year I was supposed to get one done for my birthday, but the methed out artist and I couldn't get on the same page so I never went back to get it. Nothing like having a tattoo artist say, "I dunno bro, I don't think I could do a good wave on your should". Even after I DREW THE DAMN THING FOR THE GUY AND SAID HERE, DO IT... The dude was sketchy about it, so I didn't trust him to do it.

The curve ball is that the local shaper emailed me last week and said he did have a few used longboards laying around his shop. I havent gotten the price, but I could throw about 3 bills towards a new "used" longboard, which I am have a big need for. But then I would no doubt have to explain to the wifey that I need to put even more money down...

So,

Tattoo?

SKimboard?

or Partial Throwdown on a longboard....

What to do?

 

Haha. I guess. I am a little old to be smacking down in the sand, but its fun. I feel the need to ride some sort of board even when its flat, so the skimboard is really the only option... It is really fun though.

And there is NOTHING good on craigslist down here. EVER. I could look on JAX or Charleston. But if the local shaper doesn't have an old longboard for the right price, the longboard option is out the window.

 

I am trying to fill-in/cover up my unicorn tat on my shoulder. Thats the whole thing.

 

True. I could use some more fishing gear.

 

Haha. Thanks... Sounds advice.

 

I'm kind of in that boat. Got a tribute tattoo to a homie of mine that died in college. Added the hawaiian islands above it years later when I went to Maui... Now, I have what looks to me like a random, incomplete shoulder.... So last year, my wife got me one of those "Groupon" deals where you pay $100 for a tattoo and they give you one worth $200.... So, I still have that. Its expired and only worth the $100, but that would be applied.... So anyway, I already drew a large abstract barrel that I want to completely cover the shoulder with... Not cover OVER anything, but incorporate the two random tattoos that I already have into a nice, good one that all ties together. Not to mention the fact that wifey always tells me she thinks a bigger tat would be "Sexy".... So, hey, why not.

 

Haha. Man, trust me. When you are in your early 30s, been with the same girl for 12 years, married her 4 years ago and have an almost 3 year old daughter, you will understand the game and how its played...

This is why my wife is awesome: She knows me well enough, and knows herself well enough that if she were to go out to a shaper and tell him what I want, it would in fact not resemble ANYTHING I would ask for myself as far as a board.... Been down that road years ago... "Please Honey, don't go into the shop and have some 13 year old convince you to buy a $700 surfboard, with a tail/fins configuration that I would never want.... If you are buying me a snowboard, please call my friend who snowboards with me and was a sponsored kid, ask him advice so you get me the right size equipment.... Same with a skimboard... Don't just go into the shop and ask some kid how big of a skimboard I need based on my size and weight and walk out of the store with a $500 POS....

Just saying, when it comes to Surfing/Boardriding/Golfing whatever, when you and your lady really know each other... You will understand....

She gave me the envelope BECAUSE she gets it.... She knows I don't give a sh** about a card. She had my daughter hand craft me one... Thats a cool gift... But the wife hands me cash, knowing that I will get EXACTLY what I want if I do it myself, and not live with dissapointment in a gift that isn't correct in size or theory...

ya feel me? She knows man... She knows...

 

But with that being said, since I am the american father figure, head of household and all that and take care of the bills, yeah, I have ZERO financial authorization. My check goes right in the bank... Wife distributes money for bills, mortgage etc... I make sure I have enough money for beer, gas and a couple nice dinners each week and I go about life man... Is what it is.... When I get a bonus at work, or its tax time, year I can get a couple new toys, but generally speaking, when you are a husband/dad/bacon-bringer-homer than you don't always get what you want, even when it's your money.... I mean, my kind of treat is upgrading to a good IPA one night instead of bringing home bud light... It's the little things man...

It's hard to justify buying luxury sh** when you got life piling up around you. My daughter isn't even 3 yet and Im paying for private school this fall.... Never ends bro.