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The Quest to Find
Raul
written
Jan 18th
2005
Raul did my first tattoo in Oct
2001 when he worked at Ink Link Tattoo on Okeechobee Blvd.
I was SO happy with him, his artwork,
his skill, his pricing, well everything about him, I naturally would
not consider anyone else but him to do my second
tattoo.
When my second tattoo design was completly
done, I went to see Raul again to show it to him (this was early
2003) he was still at Ink Link Tattoo. I told him I would be back
later that year (after my summer holidays etc)
Well that didn't happen, so now it is January 2005 and
the time *IS* right and so I went online - typed in
inklinktattoo.com and up came a
page, I clicked on SHOPS right away. I Noticed that there were quite a few in
North Carolina, including one in Boone, which I found amusing since
I was JUST there in Dec at my In-Laws house up
there.
I scrolled down to the bottom to find the West
Palm Location, clicked on the contact info and rang them up. Raul
was there, we talked I made an Apt and also said I'd be by on Monday
(day before Apt) to give him the artwork etc.
So Monday (Kids have no school, Kid #2 has an
Orthodontist Apt at 2:30pm) I leave (with kid #2) at 1pm to give me
time to go see Raul before the Orthodontist Apt.
I
breeze into Ink Link Tattoo on Okeechobee Blvd with my artwork
in hand and announce confidentally,
"Hi,
I'm here to see Raul, is he here yet?"
"Who?"
"Raul, he
works in that room right there" (as I point to 'his'
room)
"Oh HE hasn't worked here for 5
months"
"Oh" I say, a bit
shocked. "But I just talked to him on the phone
last week, I KNOW it was him"
"Did
you call HERE?"
"Well I thought I
did, but obviously I didn't and I guess I won't be getting my tattoo
tomorrow unless I find Raul"
I leave Ink Link Tattoo,
looking and feeling rather foolish!
Get
back into my car (where kid #2 is) call kid #1 who is at home and
ask him to look up Ink Link Tattoo online - well he Googled it and
said, "There's 2 locations, which one do you
want?"
Aha, I think he must work at the other location
now (Clematis, downtown West Palm) - Kid #1 gives me both phone
numbers and I call the OTHER number.
Guy answers, "Ink Link Tattoo, can I help you?"
"Does Raul work at this location?"
"No, he hasn't worked here in 5
months"
"That's what they told me
at the Okeechobee store"
"This
*IS* the Okeechobee store"
"Oh" I
say, "I thought I called the Clematis Street
store"
"Oh that store closed down
too, all the calls are forwarded here"
Okay back to
square one, so I ask, "Do you know where Raul
went?"
"Another tattoo place, just
east of us on Okeechobee"
"THANK
you" I say and hang up.
I must
admit there were NOT nice there, I felt like I was dragging water
out of a stone getting any information out of
them!!
Off we go on Okeechobee Blvd heading
EAST. About a mile down the road I spot a Tattoo place, a
BRIGHT orange building - it says it's open, NO cars out front, looks
like no-one inside??
Being the brave
soul I am, I walked in confidently; it was a HUGE and empty place! A
guy come in from the back so I say cheerfully,
"Is Raul here?"
"Who?"
Oh boy, I'd heard THAT before!
"Raul doesn't work here
either?"
Now THIS guy was nice, helpful and offered up
right away, "but there ARE 2
other tattoo places on Okeechobee, one west of us, Ink Link Tattoo
and one East of us called Tattoo
Wearhouse."
AHA - Now THAT
rang a bell, come to think of it I then remembered that when Raul
answered the phone, he didn't say Ink Link, he said Tattoo
Wearhouse. I thanked that guy and went back out to my car. Kid
#2 is falling around laughing as I explain that the quest to find
Raul was still on.
So off we go east again and find
Tattoo Wearhouse, in I go and there he is - there is Raul, smiling
away, the same old Raul (well with a few more tatooos added) I never
was so happy to see someone!!
He
explained all and all was well!! I even got kid #2 to the
Orthodontist in time! |