High school ended, I added CkOne. When Carrington was discontinued and I couldn’t find it anywhere, not even dollar stores, I added Jean Paul Gaultier – mostly for the bottle. What? The Gaultier bottle is hot. For the rest of my adult life, that was it.  The only scents I’d spray.

Now, after eighteen months, I’ve added to my collection of scents: Burberry Sport, Burberry London, Burberry Touch – I like Burberry, love London – Kenneth Cole Black, CkTruth…and those are just the favorites

I like to mix and match to create a unique scent that fits the moment being lived. And to answer your unasked question, Jew and Gentile Readers, “Yes. Yes I needed the over $500.00 in cologne because my life is full of unique moments, I can’t be expected to smell the same every time.”

I’m 35! (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…)

The point, and I do have one, is; it’s the second birthday I’ve celebrated onboard The Boat. It really has been a year.

When I mentioned my one year anniversary a few weeks ago here, it still didn’t feel real.

I’ve a hard time wrapping my head around the fact I’ve been living on a floating hotel for a year. That I’ve had access to free room service, free maid service and free dry cleaning for a year. I’ve been to places I didn’t know I wanted to visit and places I’ve always dreamed of visiting…. For a year, I earned money working as a performer, a year I’ve managed to pay off my small mountain of credit card debt, to finally say proudly, “For the first time in my adult life I’m debt-free.”

My two birthdays, Jew and Gentile Readers, is a definitive year in the life. With the passing of this milestone, I can sort start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the end of contract number two is approaching. I just need to get to through the second Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve…

The old paw, of Vinpaw fame...

About fifteen years ago I got a tattoo of a bear’s paw on my upper left arm. I got it in San Diego when I was doing a show out there at the Diversionary Theatre in the Hillcrest neighborhood. It symbolized that time in my life, when I embraced the animal inside me… I felt it was time to get it covered up. While I still embrace the bear inside, I didn’t want it outside anymore.

Two months ago, I was taking a bus tour of the Hawaiian island of Maui and we drove through the Hippytown neighborhood. I was instantly enamored of the small town of Paia and vowed to get back there on my next visit.

Paia Tattoo Parlor

In fact, when I saw the Paia Tattoo Parlor sign on that first visit, I decided that’s where I’d have the paw covered up. and that’s where I’d get the tattoo to represent the grand voyage I’m currently on.

At first I was going to get the Nasca Monkey, but felt that would only represent the Peruvian leg of my voyage and I wanted something a little broader to represent the nautical journey. Now, I could have gotten an anchor or a ship wheel but, those things, while certainly nautical just aren’t me. After careful debate and various internest searches I fell in love with a compass rose – the center part of a compass, don’t worry Jew and Gentile reader, pictures are posted, if you can’t wait to see, scroll down…

So, on the island of Maui, in the city of Paia, Billy, the owner of the Paia Tattoo Parlor gave me two amazing tattoos; one to remind me I’m a star and one that lets me remember where I’ve been and where I’m going…

The outline - it's amazing how off center the paw actually was...

It took only about ten minutes using the needle he called the Magnum to fill in and cover up the paw.

Baby, I'm a star!

And now, the Compass Rose:

The outlining, I feel is the easiest part of getting a tattoo. But I'd forgotten exactly how painful an ankle tat is. I screamed like a very masculine young girl...

the outline is complete - you'll notice, I stayed with my theme of stars, replacing the "N" of north with a star. The North Star...

The fill, makes all the difference. Billy had the steadiest hands and when I saw the North Star and how perfect it was I decided to leave it as just an outline.

I’m very pleased with my new ink and what they symbolize. I have a feeling, I’m going to get more…

As you should know, I love to travel and I love to write and I love to write about my travels, but I’m finding it so hard to make the time…

In the past four days, I was forced to visit the four major Hawaiian Islands where I saw two live volcanoes, parted on Waikiki Beach, summited a 10,000 foot crater, enjoyed a touristy luau, drank Mai Tais all night long, got lai-ed four times and honored those lost at Pearl Harbor…

Life’s hard, I’ll write more I promise.

With love,

Vinnie

One month = $225.00 still in my pocket; my lungs a little pinker; the nicotine out of my system and time spent living life rather than slowly poisoning myself.

I feel better, I look better and I certainly smell better.

I don’t usually use this space to pat myself on the back, but right now, I’m patting myself on the back.