Here's my absolute favourite bod mod site. It's the Body Modification E-zine, and I love it! This graphic is cool too.

update: July 3, 1998. I think between the time work is over (at 4) and the movie I'm going to starts I'm going to up-gauge my tongue piercing. Right now it's 12 ga, but I'm moving to 10 ga. I think the barbell that I have now is poor quality metal and I'm allergic/sensitive to it. I'm quite excited because I'd never planned to stretch it and it's a neat thing to do. But I figured that if I'm going to have to spend the money to get a better quality barbell, I might as well get something a bit different.

update: July 6, 1998. Well, I up-gauged my tongue yesterday. I now have a 10ga stainless steel barbell in my tongue. I like it a lot! And, the post is shorter than the one I had before, so it's waaay more comfortable. It feels more like it's a part of my tongue, and not some thing sticking out of it. I'm thinking that I'll buy a ring for my nose, instead of the circular barbell. I like my CBB, but I like rings a bit better. We'll see, I'm quickly going quite broke!

update: July 22, 1998. Last week sometime I submitted a photo of my septum and I to BME. Hopefully Shannon will add it when he updates the page (I assume around the 29th or so). I'm excited about that! I'm also trying to write something for BME, but I keep getting sidetracked with other stories. I have almost completed the story of my tongue, so hopefully soon I can give it it's own page here. Then I'll do the septum, but that's a much shorter story. I dunno, we'll see.

Ooh, I'm also very close to actually getting a tattoo! I'm thinking a Maple Leaf on my back, between the shoulderblades. I might get it next week, or I might wait til later when I can spend the money. Who knows...

update: July 30, 1998. Well, I guess I'd better change the title of this page to "spunky's bod mods"...I got my tattoo! I went to Ian Rose at Universal (here in Ottawa) last night. He stayed late just so I could get mine done, which was super great of him. He's very talented and has won numerous awards, so I feel pretty good about the whole thing. It frickin hurt tho! People always say that piercing hurts, then I don't find it to be a big deal. I figured that this wouldn't hurt either...but it did! It felt like someone was pinching my back and wouldn't let go.

I did end up getting a maple leaf on my back, between the shoulderblades. Unfortunately the bandage fell off last night in my sleep, so we'll see how that affects it (I'm supposed to keep it bandaged for 24 hours).

It's funny after years of worrying (about five), I'm so mellow about this whole tattoo thing! I seriously was not scared or nervous...although I wasn't really excited either. I think part of it was the fact that I was so tired. I can't say I'd never get another one (the pain wasn't THAT bad), but I think I like the rush of piercing more. It's a little more immediate, and a lot more scary.

This is the exact picture that I used for my tattoo: I printed it off the Government of Canada web site (the section on flag dimensions). This one looks a little weird and fuzzy, but it's the same size, etc as the one on my back.

update: August 12, 1998. I haven't done anything new since my last update, I just figured it was time to write something new! I was worried at first about my tattoo, the bandage falling off and all, but it's all good now. The bandage thing wasn't a big deal, as long as it stayed on for 8 hours or so (which it did). It scabbed up completely and a lot of the colour seemed to come off with the scab. Now that it's smooth again, it looks better than I thought. I went in and saw Ian about touching it up; he said it looked good, but come back in about a week (so this weekend or next week I'll go).

I'm sort of disenchanted with my tattoo experience. I like it, and I don't regret the $60, but I don't really care if I have it or not. Maybe because only 6 people have seen it so far - I just haven't gotten any compliments or anything. I don't plan to show it off to strangers, but I want to show my friends in Regina.

Having said that tho, I am already planning my next tattoo! I know, it's hypocritical, but oh well. I just can't write an experience off only having done it once. I would like something to accentuate my Leaf...other than Canadian, my background is mostly German (plus a bit of English and the like, but not much of anything specific). I'm thinking I'll get some design that goes across my blades a bit, but mostly down my back (easier to hide for work and stuff). You know how Celtic knots and crosses are popular right now? I'd like something like that, but with an obvious Germanic twist. I don't know if what I'm thinking of really exists, but I'm gonna have fun looking! :)

As for piercings...if I have the money to spare I will pierce my right rook next. I don't know if that will be in the fall or wait til after Christmas. Either way, it will be done! Probably in the fall... :)

btw, Shannon didn't use my picture on his last update, but maybe eventually.... I also submitted a story I wrote on the reason I think I got and continue to get pierced. I'll give it a page here within the next day or two. Oh, and I went through metal detectors on Saturday, so six earrings, a septum and a tongue pierce won't beep! I always get asked that! :)

update: August 16, 1998. Today I was bored so I went to Universal to check out their lucite (plastic) captive bead rings. They did in fact have some 14ga ones, so I bought me one for my septum. It's got a clear ring with a blue bead (my favourite colour). I like it, altho it sorta looks like I have a blue booger from afar! Oh well, it was only $15 and it apparently glows under black light! :)

Tomorrow I'm going to e-mail my future roommate Jodi about my piercings. I'm kinda scared that she'll act differently to me than she would if I wasn't pierced. I debated whether or not to tell her or just show her when we meet (I answered her ad in the paper). I decided to e-mail her for two reasons:
1) I'm impatient!
2) I think we've e-mailed enough that she sees my personality, and won't worry about my piercings.

I'm not even that heavily covered, I just worry about stuff like this. On Friday a woman at the Greek Festival here in Ottawa kept ignoring me when I wanted to order something. I don't know if she didn't realize that I was next, or if she was just a bitch. At any rate, I didn't get what I wanted and walked away.

Ooh, I guess I should write why I am updating in the first place: Shannon used my story! So, here's the link to the story for why I got pierced! There is an accompanying article to check out there as well.

update: August 20, 1998. I bought a captive bead ring for my septum the other day...it looks so great! It's 14ga 3/8", so just little. I like it so much I've considered wearing it to work. I would, but I just don't feel like dealing with the comments that I'll get. I like it when I get noticed and all, but I would just rather leave this job with most of the people I work with thinking I'm "normal". I will get to deal with enough ignorance when I get back to Regina, I'm sure.

I also got my tattoo touched up, so that's nice. I guess the reason why it didn't take is because Ian was using ink that he really doesn't like that much...the kind he prefers is on order at the moment. Hopefully this takes cause I'm going home in 8 days!!!

I made a half-assed attempt at stretching my right earlobe last night. At first I used a broken Q-Tip; it worked okay (ie. it is a nice size I thought), but the paper swelled and wouldn't finish the job. Then I tried a BIC pen end, but it was too sharp and hurt. THEN, I tried a small bamboo skewer...perfect size, but the wood just doesn't slide very easily. I think next time I get ambitious I'll try and find some metal!! My ear is a bit sore today (it was bleeding a tad last night), but it's not too bad.

update: October 3, 1998. Hmmm, been a while since I last updated. I haven't done much is why. After my half-assed stretching attempt, I did a better one a few days later. It worked great using lotion instead of Vaseline to lube it up. I used the same technique, sharpened a paper Q-Tip and stretched. Then I put cut off plastic Q-Tips in. It looked so cool! I figured it was about a 10 ga (compared it to my tongue), and since the plastic Q-Tip was hollow I could actually see through my ears. I only kept them in for two days, I was worried about losing them in the shower.

I waited a month and tried it again, but both ears bled immediately (they didn't bleed the time I was successful). I think I will have to wait a while, like til next semester maybe, before I can try again. Shit. Oh well.

The piercing situation in Regina fricking sucks! The guy piercing at Valhalla (Rik) quit after a fight with the owner (R.J). He's apparently opening up his own place sometime in October, but I haven't heard anything yet. The girl replacing him (Julie) seems nice but claims to be trained by someone who couldn't have done it. So, I don't think I wanna go to a liar who's very likely never been apprenticed! The girl piercing at Rising Sun (Annie...she did my tongue and is a friend of mine now), quit also. She said she was sick of the situation there. So, now I have to wait for Rik to figure things out before I can get my rook done. Dammit!

Oh, check this out! Shannon used my septum pic and it looks pretty cool! :)

My tattoo plans are off at the moment. My mom's aunt passed away this summer and my dad's father is really sick, so we've been talking about family histories a lot lately. Turns out that on my mom's side we're not German at all, but Austrian! On my dad's side we're very Irish (I really didn't know much about the heritage on that side, I was told we were a bit of English and some other stuff...not true I guess!), so I don't think putting a German-themed compliment on my back would work! I guess I could do the Irish knot thing now, but I don't identify with that. I have always thought I was German (I guess the family was in Germany for a few years before they moved to Canada, which is where the mistake occurred). It feels like I just found out my birthday is in November instead of January...really doesn't change anything, but has really confused me!

update: November 11, 1998. The Q-Tips in my ears have gotten many more comments than I thought they would! Most people just ask what they are, I don't really have many people explaining to me how gross it is (but I've had a few).

I got a new earring on Saturday...I went to Julie at Valhalla. I talked to a few people who know her and say that she is trained and very good. I just got sick of waiting for Rik, and I probably just jumped to conclusions on her "hack" status. Anyway, it didn't hurt too much to get, but it's painful right now. The kid I babysit smacked his head into my ear on Monday, so this might end up being a bitch to heal. We'll see. Here's a diagram of the ear that I got from BME. Now y'all will know what a rook is:

update: December 6, 1998. Well, my rook seems to be healing fine. It hurt A LOT for the first couple of weeks, now it isn't so bad. The crusties are going away, and it's only just a little tender. I always thought that when people talked about pain in piercing that it was just the initial piercing. But I think that often times (as with cartilage piercings and any deep tissue piercings) they are also referring to the pain during the healing period. Well, don't have much to say today, just thought I'd give a little update. toodles, :)

update: January 12, 1999. Hey, Happy New Year! :) My rook is healing nicely...just a few crusties at the moment, and very little pain when I play with it. I took the Q-Tips out of my ears a few weeks ago (just after Christmas). I was sick and tired of my family telling me how ugly I look with my ears so "disfigured", so I decided to just take a break for a while. I was also sort of worried about my new job, so taking them out made me feel more business-like (at least on the outside). Besides, the fun part was the actual stretching, not keeping them. I will stretch up again, we'll just see when.

I've been thinking about getting another piercing sometime soon (I'll have money in February). I've considered my nipples, but I don't think I'll do them for at least a while (and maybe never). It just doesn't feel right. It took me about 1/2 an hour to decide to pierce my tongue once it was suggested. Less than a week to do my septum. And once I thought of putting my tattoo on my spine it took me just a few hours to decide (after years of indecision). If I'm still this unsure after six months about the nips, it's not for me. Right now anyway. I even had an appointment to get them done, but I didn't do it. My excuse was that I was too tired and sick, which was true, but if I really wanted it I'd have done them the next week (this was in September). All of my other piercings have felt right, but this one doesn't. I want it, but it's got to be the right time. I have to be happy about it, not worried. Scared is fine, that's what makes it fun.

So, I'm thinking about doing my hood instead. A friend of mine took out both of her 10 ga hood rings and promised to send them to me. Depending on the diameters, I will hopefully put one in my hood and the other in a lobe and buy one to match it. I'll have to talk to Rik first before I do anything about the hood. I want to know how experienced he is with that piercing...he's a super nice guy so I'm not too worried about being comfortable with him. And, I'm not taking a no for an answer when I ask him to do it in 10 ga. I don't want to do it thinner, and I'm not paying for upgauging. Having said that, I'm a total pushover, so we'll see! :)

update: February 23, 1999. Well, the potential hood piercing has been put on the backburner for now. Perhaps I'll do it later...I dunno. I decided yesterday that I'm going to upgauge my tongue again. I think instead of going to 8ga I might jump straight to 6ga. I can fit a Q-Tip into the hole easily, and I think that might be closer to 8 than 10. I'm going to call Valhalla today to see if they have any 6ga, 7/16" length barbells in stock, and how much. Vegan One (Matt) from Mind into Body BBS will sell me one for $65 (includes tax, shipping and handling). So, we'll see. I've never seen a 6ga in real life (biggest was 8ga), but it's pretty big (especially compared to the 12ga I started with!). I might end up having to go to Valhalla to get it put in if I can't stretch it myself, but again we'll just have to see. I'm excited!

Here's a list of Brown and Sharpe Gauges (used by most American manufacturers) and their metric equivalent that I found by starting on The RABbit Hole web page

---------------------------
gauge inches   millimeters
---------------------------
20    0.032    0.812
18    0.040    1.024  
16    0.051    1.291  
14    0.064    1.628  
12    0.081    2.053  
10    0.102    2.588  
8     0.128    3.264 
6     0.162    4.115
4     0.204    5.189  
2     0.258    6.544 
0     0.325    8.251  
00    0.365    9.266