Precious Metal

So the left ball of one of my two lip piercings has been missing for about a month+ now and I decided with the free time I had today and with my steady flow of tips lately I could pick up a new one. I had been to the kiosk at the mall before but decided it was time to find a nearby piercing shop and get me a new dern ball.

Looking up the shops in Long Beach, I found Somatic and also got referred to it by a friend. Done and done. On my way there and my lip can't wait.

I walk in and start waiting. There is a guy filling out some disclaimer, a girl behind him, and then me. Once the guy turns in his paper the girl in front of me gets her turn. Holy shit, she decides to ask the cost of about EVERY lip ring available. I mean, ALL of them. I could feel my bone marrow rotting. Anyways, once it became my turn the girl behind the counter left to help a couple in the back. Awesome. 2 minutes later a girl comes to help me (a different girl). I show her my lonely lip stud and she tells me they don't sell the ball to attach to my shaft (gigitty), but she CAN offer me a whole new piece completely. Great, i was considering buying a whole new one. How much is it......i ask. $28 she responds. Twenty eight American dollars?! holy shit!? What is this thing made of, moon rock? Hot Topic sells studs for $14 ea. and i thought THAT was expensive but $28, i nearly crapped a load in my underoos. I know for a fact steel prices have gone up, but $22 will get me a good 8 ft bar of scrap metal.

That's about the time i turned around, walked 30 feet and grabbed a cup of coffee at The Library for $1.80.....much more satisfying.

Although, in my 16 hours of waiting i happened to notice a sign posted on Somatic's wall. It was a little ad for "Tooth Gems." What? Tooth gems? say it.....tttoootthh ggeemmmss. Gems for your teeth. That's right folks, not only will Franny Faceholes stick a metal bar through your eyebrow, but she'll bedazzle your teeth. I didn't realize white was out. I guess it's cool to look like you have braces....well, just one brace. But don't worry, they are only $30 per gem. Thank god for that. I didn't realize Warren Buffet was a #1 customer. I mean, they need to pick these things up with tweezers! If im spending $30 i want a forklift to give it to me in the parking lot. And anyways, if i wanted to look like i had food in my teeth i'd spend my money on a pepper sandwich.

Well, once I got to The Library it was an iced coffee study sesh/catching up on streetcarnage's posts. A good substitute for being constantly unbalanced facially. I guess i will be seeing that kiosk again sometime soon.