Re: TATTOO's... Lets see what ya got!!..
These are mine, in the order I got them...
I was in my late 20's and wanted to get something with my sons names, but not "just their names". One day while washing my '87 Firebird (I was heavily into 'birds, and had/have owned atleast one of every generation and trim package. At that time I also had an '89 Trans Am racecar and a '95 Formula) I started messing with my wife about having the car tattoo'd on me instead of the boys names... she objected. I wasn't serious anyway, but I started thinking about the "phoenix" and what I could do with it. The end result is basically the Firebird logo with my sons names in the wings. DEREK on the left, and ALEX on the right. And the "T" in the tail feathers is for my wife, Terry.
I don't regret any of my tats, but in hindsight, I should've went with a more traditional looking Phoenix. As the Firebird logo aspect of it seems kinda "redneck'ish" now.
This was my second, about 6 years later. It's a memorial to 7 people I lost in my life within about two and a half years. Each icon represents a different person. Most notably, the saxaphone in the center is for my Dad. The text is Latin for Forever Remembered.
This was my third and fourth I got in the same sitting. The Angel is a testement to all the stupid things I've done in my life and I haven't lost her yet... she's still hanging on. The Kanji is a testement to the fact that you shouldn't sit in the Tattoo shop for too long before your appointment... or you'll start picking out more stuff to get inked. They're the symbols for the nicknames I call my wife, and my sons. From top to bottom... Sweet (sweetie), Tiger, and Monkey (short for Monkey See, Monkey Do).
This is the most recent. A little over two years ago. I went to a local Tattoo Expo just to check it out. And it just seemed rude not to buy something while I was there...
And for the record...This not for the Saints football franchise. I was born and raised in New Orleans. The Fleur di Lis is a symbol of the City, dating back to it's inception. Which is why the Saints used it for their logo... not the other way around.
My next one will be coming soon. A Koi on my right shoulder with the Kanji for Perserverence. I have it drawn out and ready to go, I just need a few weeks to raise the cash.