#LetsTalkBlogChallenge Week 4: Survival Guide

I'm no Bear Grylls, that's for sure, but I am adept at surviving more than a few odd situations. The awkward first day of an internship where you don't want to do stuff in case the boss has other plans for you, the calling of your boyfriend by your Ex's name the first time you go to meet his mother, drunken ranting at your then boyfriend for never letting you meet family members when you're sober, panic attacks over a balloon bursting, you name it, I've had to do it!

Today though, rather than go for an awkward situation, I thought I'd go for something different.

Surviving a Two Day Archery Shoot Weekend (Aimed -ooh pun!- at the novice shooter and elite alike)

• Before the shoot, please enter in plenty of time. People entering the night before the biggest charity shoot of the season really get on my pip. These people are always seniors who should know better!!
• On the First day, turn up EARLY, please. As someone who has run shoots, it's very annoying to have people running in as the Equipment Inspection is taking place, or having to shake people down for their fees during a break in play. A 9 am for 9.30am start means turn up before 9 please. 
• Don't ask the TO to move you just because you don't like one of your Target Buddies. If a shoot has sold out, then there's no way I can move you. I always tried to group people with their friends, and where I could, give people a choice. On the day, my shoot line is my masterpiece, and I wont change it. 
• If you want to swap details (AB/CD) with a target buddy for coaching reasons, ask the person you wish to swap with before you come and bother me. I love you, but I am also trying to keep 84 shooters happy as well as you, okay?
• Put your rubbish in one of the many, many bin bags on the fence behind the tent line, put it in your pocket, or stash it in your bow case, but keep it off my field. You have been warned.
• Sun Cream. Please bring sun-cream, I cannot count how many poor unfortunates I've seen arrive on the second day looking like a lobster because they forgot sun-cream. 
• The same goes for water. Drink as much as you can, then drink another litre. You will thank me afterwards.
• STRETCH. You're reading the words of an injured archer who didn't stretch and now it's come to bite her on the arse. It's been a long time since I got to shoot alongside my chums and chummettes. Stretch, or feel my wrath. 
• Don't hesitate to come and find me if you need the first aid kit. 99% of the time I can get you an actual medic in the form of Eamonn, if not, I will do everything in my power to help or if it's serious, call 999. My shooters are important to me, most, if not all are personal friends at this point, I don't want any harm coming to you. 
• Make a decent lunch the night before, pasta and veg or rice salad, fresh fruit, veg snack packs, yoghurt, granola, anything you like that can be eaten cold.
• Make the best of a bad day if you don't have the luxury of a sunny weekend.
• Have fun, take pictures. 

I hope you enjoyed my latest addition to the #LetsTalkBlogChallenge, as always, I want to take a moment to thank Sarah for letting me take part in this super fun challenge. I hope everyone else is having as much fun interpreting the topics as I am.

Do you think you could survive a two day shoot on my watch?

Leave me your #LTBC post links below!

Amy

xxx

Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest

Lip Service - Tattoo Hatin'

5. Arrow; Right Forearm

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I recently had my 5th tattoo. I love tattoo's and can honestly say that if I meet someone who has a visible piece, I will compliment it. It's a kinship of sorts, I feel. 

I absolutely love the whole thing that goes with being tattooed, from the design process, to the stencil application, I mean, I can't pass a studio without smiling or commenting on the smell of the rubbing alcohol or the sound of the guns, it's just a really unique experience, that ends with you having a piece of art with you for life. 

That's pretty special. 

 However, the point of this post isn't really to talk about how much I love indelible body art. The purpose of this post is to address the topic of Tattoo Haters! I'm going to try and address the most common things I've experienced personally, from people I know and strangers, alike!

• In General; The people who passively just don't see the appeal! 

4. Venus Doom & Heartagram

I know that there are people out there who dislike tattoos and don't understand why others like them or get them. I have plenty of people in my life who dislike the whole concept of ink and that's okay, it's their opinion. After rolling into college, fresh out of a 2-ish hour session in Spilled Ink, I was chatting to a guy in my course who just plainly doesn't see the appeal, and that's okay! Tattoos are most definitely not for everyone. I have absolutely NO problem with someone who is just passive and says "That's nice for you, but it's not my bag!", because I know that those people know they have no right to judge me for what I do... 

Take my mother as an example, she's pretty cool about tattoos. I mean, she signed the paperwork for me at the age of 16 to have my first tattoo. I cannot say more than that. She doesn't like them, she sees no appeal, but she knows she would not be able to stop me. I suppose it helps that I am respectful enough to say, "Look, I'm getting more work done, I'm telling you so I don't catch you off guard. You're informed beforehand, that way we avoid having any kind of row or anything of that nature.". She's always been cool with it, it's my body at the end of the day. 

• Judgmental People: The people who are just rude and offensive! 

3. Evlish LOTR quote; Right-Hand Ribcage

Okay, I know plenty of these people too. As a tattooed woman, who has some visible work, as well as hidden tattoos, I can definitively state that I have met my fair share of people who are really fucking rude about it. "Tattoo's are stupid!", "You're going to regret them when you're older!!" "Why would you waste your money on that?!" And to those people I have the following replies: 

1. "Tattoo's are stupid!" - Well, your judgmental attitude, your ignorance and tone are unpleasant, and lets not get stared on your face, love!
2. "You're going to regret them when you're older!" - That is my risk to take and I'd thank you not to comment on what I do with my own body.
3. "Why would you waste your money on that?" - Why the hell does it matter to you (or anyone for that matter) what I do with my own money? And also, it doesn't occur to you that I handed over the money in the full knowledge that this is coming with me everywhere, from the moment it's done even beyond the day I die. The only time that it will be gone is, as gross as it sounds, when I've decomposed in the ground or when I'm cremated!

I really cannot wrap my head around why anyone would think they have any right to dictate to another human what they do or pass comment on their choices. I understand that they think they have a point, but none of their reasoning stands up to rebuttal in terms of their opinion of what they believe I should be doing with my body. I don't want to die a beige, wrinkled old lady who regretted not taking the chance to be more aesthetically interesting than those who vehemently shove their beige-ness down my throat. 

• The people who deliberately try to demean you - and usually they fail!

2. Ambigram of my Name; Left shoulder.

These people are less common but they are still the worst ones to encounter. I have been unfortunate enough to have experienced these people who are flat out the worst kind of human. These are the people I go out of my way to annoy because it's hilarious that they think their opinion means anything. In fact, these people, while being out-and-out rude, are also kind of my favorite because they make me laugh too. 

I have a rather large tattoo dedicated to the band that helped in a major way, to save my life. It took me 5 years to work up to a tattoo dedicated to them. Do these people really think they have any kind of place to say things like "Oh you won't love that band in 5 years time...". Well take it from me, pet, if I still thought it was a good idea 5 years after I originally decided I wanted it, and thought about it for those 5 years, a grand total of 60 months, I'm pretty sure my decision was a good one. Similarly with my newest piece, I don't care what anyone says about it because I know that it was a good decision, that it's going to make me smile every day because it represents a sport where I excelled, and that gave me friends I know I'll have for a very long time to come. 


All in all, tattoos are a personal choice for those who have them. I love 90% of the attention garnered from them, because it's usually like-minded, colorful people (both in body and spirit) who are an absolute pleasure to talk to. I adore my tattoos and would never regret them, because they are important to me and my life's milestones as well as achievements. They remind me who I am and that I am the product of every struggle and success so far in my life, as well as what is to come. 

Have you experienced tattoo hating people? 
If you have how do you deal with them?
What do you think of my body art?

Amy xx

Things That Piss Me Off...

Normally, I would leave this kind of thing to my lovely friend Aisling, aka The Rantigator, but today, I'm gonna have a bash at a good aul fashioned rant! I'm not going to tackle any particularly weighty topics, rather, I'll just have a moan about things that "grind my gears" as they say...



People who tell me one of the following...

"God, you're so skinny!"
"Have a ham sandwich or something!"
"Would you not try to put on some weight?!"

Right, here's the first thing. I weigh somewhere around 7st 4lb. I am naturally thin, though with that being said, if I got my mothers genes, I'll eventually be curvy, somewhere around the age of 23. The second thing, I eat!! I fucking adore food! I can't take dairy really and I'm not the biggest fan of certain meats, but I happen to hoover up roast dinners, cottage pies, any kind of pasta, I will mow through salads and paninis, and I can't get my fill of Mexican food. Making the assumption that I starve myself or limit my portions is rude and unnecessary! If you must know, I was on medication that slowed my metabolism and when I came off it, I went back to where I was beforehand.


I really shouldn't have to explain myself, but let me just clarify this one. My weight is nobody else's concern. It's just as rude and ignorant to comment on a thin persons weight, as it is to say to someone who is a size 18, "Would you not go on a diet, and try to slim down a bit?".


Take a long hard look in the mirror before you pick on someone's weight. Chances are, you're not perfect, yourself, love!