This year started out a little rough but we found something out. George can not make a living standing still. January we started off homeless, to be honest. We were staying with relatives and had actually been without a place to call our own since before October.
The New Year came and we started thinking about how we were going to make it this year. By the end of January we had a plan. We started taking deposits from clients back in Central Texas and Houston to get him on a plane to tattoo. We got art work together, ordered supplies and bought a plane ticket. And he was on a plane RIGHT before the "Big Freeze" rolled throught our fine State.
February and some of March he was gone tattooing and when he came back. He had a motorcycle and we had a small RV to live in. While he was gone I was looking for employment in the El Paso area. I still did not have job when he came back but I was waiting to hear back from a few places. I got a job by the time April came around.
The begining of summer was not all that fantastic. But once again, he was on the road tattooing clients all over the Central Texas and Houston area. He bought a truck to have a source of transportation. Only for it only to be taken by APD. The truck was reported stolen by the original title owner. The police officers treated my husband like a car jacker because the police reported said "TRUCK stolen at GUN POINT" My husband was incarcerated for something he did not do and was thrown in jail to be forgotten. The Austin Police department and Harris County gave everyone the round around about how to get him out of jail. While he sat in jail with no word from anyone, we were trying to get him out. OR find the right department to get give us answers on who made the report, who gets the truck and so forth. Needless to say, the original truck owner who made that false police report ran off with OUR truck and his insurance money. That thief caused my husband to loose a week of his freedom. I am very unhappy with the police force in both areas for not LOOKING closer into the matter and releasing my husband sooner. PROVEN GUILTY due to LAZINESS and Cracker Jack Investigation Training Certification. An assistant D.A. helped find his file and had him released immediately, she knew if they held him any longer we could have a case against the entire system. Some cut throat lawyer out there would have eaten up the details and taken it to court. But who has time for a lawsuit, court dates and more paper pushing junkies not us.
George kept traveling running behind on his tattoo appointments because he had taken a "FORCED VACATION" He came to see me in El Paso to recollect himself and start over again, getting a vehicle to make it to the next stop of his journey. I kept working while he was away, missing his company, love, and our Gypsy life style.
When he came back for me....
He came back for me mid Sept or so. We packed up our stuff, sold the big stuff, threw the junk away and left El Paso. We made one last stop in El Paso to say our good byes. As we left, I started crying because even though the Sun City was not always good to us, I had grown to like it. The dessert weather was always sunny. The view of the Franklin Mountians during sunset were memorable and beautiful. The popcorn thunderstorms that rained muddy water were few and over quickly.
We were walking to the truck to leave, I was wiping my tears away following George outside. I looked down at his butt and there they were. A pair of pink lace panties stuck to the velco of his short pocket. "What the hell are these doing there?" As I reached down and pulled them off.
Patty takes the panties from me and we all start laughing.
Little George's GRAND exit. :) No more tears from saddness, now a belly busting laugh.
We left El Paso.
Headed up to Alburqueque, NM. We took our time to get there. We had some engine troubles not even an hour away from El Paso. Had a meal under the light of the FLYING J sign, with our sliced pizza and our coffees. We managed to get to a rest area to sleep because we just did not want to travel too much that night. We were exhausted from the packing and emotionally drained. But we were on the road together and that was good enough for both of us. The next day we were at a friend's farm, the first stop on our travels back together. We stayed there for 2 weeks. One week to recover, reorganize and plan our next destination. The following week came and then we were held hostiage by our friend. Just kidding but she was dreading the day we pulled out of there. But we hit the road and headed out on OLD ROUTE 66.
Through the mountain range there in New Mexico, throught the panhandle of Texas we rode on until we got to the HISTORICAL Route 66 Rest Area, on the East side of the Panhandle close to the Oklahoma border. That night was a little bit cold and very windy but we were hungry Travelers we were the first to use their NEW Texas Shaped Grill to make us dinner. The Rest Area was big, layed out every well, and was obviously a addition to the area. There was sliding glass doors to the center, the rest rooms were clean and take care of, there are touch screen televisions for those folks who liked to read more about the OLD Route 66. And a few Flatscreen TV's in the middle of displays that told their own stories too. Hell, it even had Tornado Shelters on either sides of this huge building reminding everyone that TORNADOS do strike in the area and to be aware of your surroundings. We got back in the truck and headed to Oklahoma. Where George had a friend from the Island that is now a transplant to the OK area.
Elk City, OK. The big BAR S food plant is there. You know Bar S...your cheap hot dogs and bologna that is made with cow's assholes, pig's armpits and chicken lips. Yup, its either their plant or their distribution center but it is on I40 near the town of Elk City. We got to Mike's and were made to feel at home. Sleeping quarters were arranged for us, food was there for us to chow down, and tattoos were there to get. :) We had a good time in Oklahoma. We had 2 2011 Harley Davidson Street Glides to ride if we so choose. I found some thing out about me as a passanger on a bike. I need a sissy bar cause I am a sissy and everytime he goosed it I felt like I was going to be left behind on the street. The only part of our trip that was the bad was dealing with UPS out there in the middle of no where. UPS is the worst company ever to have your package delievered. You pay extra to have things over nighted to you and what your really paying for is to get EXTRA screwed. We left Oklahoma as soon as the appointments slowed down and we were getting the "soon" but not now speeches. That is always a good sign to leave an area, for we shall always return and there is money to be made some where else.
North Texas.
Where we met up with our favorite Gypsy friends. My definition of Gypsy: A person or persons that travel to make a living and/or follow the money. Many live in RV's and when it is time to go, they can leave in a blink of an eye. Hard working, honest folks that travel with spouses and take care of their children. We are AMERICAN Gypsys. The first night we got there we did not work, we drank with everyone and had a great visit. Good times. We had a few tattoos and we were able to get enough money together to buy us an RV that was just right for us. It is a little older, but it was bigger than what we had, and it is was also ready for the road. Well kinda. We stayed long enough to get it road ready and headed out of town......
We came back to Austin to our families for the Thanksgiving holiday and now we are in Houston.
The year was full of ups and downs like everyone else's. But we make it through the rough times to also enjoy the good times. We have big dreams for 2012, so I am ready for this year to end so we can turn these dreams into REALITY one tattoo at a time.
