So Im still terribly disappointed that I'm not able to go, but have givin it a day to 'calm down' so that I can explain exactly why this came to be.  Im not lookin for sympathy or anything of the type; just informing people and also the hopes that no one else has to go thru the bullshit I ensued.

  The 1st part was tryin to get my passport on time.  I applied while still on the road in Montana over 3 months ago.  Gave the office all the necessary paperwork that I thought they needed.  Week before I return to Cali I gets a call from my mom that she received a packet from the passport people saying because I didnt have a DL, just a state ID, I needed to send them LOTS of extra info basically proving who I am (this wudve been nice to know when I 1st applied for the goddamn thing @ the post office! ).  So upon my return I fill out all the forms, send them back in, and was told to include a letter asking for it to be expedited cuz it was gettin closer to my date of travel.  Then I call the next day and they say I need to send another $75 to get it expedited (again, nice to know at the time n not after). So I shell out even MORE money for that, and it comes down to the week before until I FINALLY got it in the mail.  So Im filled w/ relief and dont have anything else to worry about right??

Nope.  I get a call from Laura VERY early the morning of my flight saying that for some reason (either I insured the package for too much or it was too heavy or w/e) that to accept it Andy had to pay 150 pounds to customs. This box contained my ECU, all needles and scalpels.  This money would have been the majority of what I made at the meet.  So basically Id have to start all over again tryin to earn that money back upon what I needed to get to buy my return ticket to the states.

  I call the airline and tell them I couldnt travel cuz my 'visa didnt get there on time and my package of supplies was denied by customs'.  They say I have to call the agency I purchased it thru (priceline) to get refunded (by the way i DID purchase the flight insurance just in case sum b/s like this happened).  Then they tell me I have to call the insurance agency to get refunded. Then the insurance agency told me (because of what Ive told all those ppl over the phone and that shit's recorded) that I have to call the embassy and get a notification of denial of work visa; or else I lose the entire lot I spent on my 1-way ticket (btw they wont hold my ticket and/or be able to use it towards a later flight thru the same airline). 

  So I could have just said fuck it to all, gotten on my flight when i needed to, and hoped for the best.  However, I still had the rest of my supplies (quite a bit) that I was goin to put in my checked bag under the plane.  Basically taking a HUGE chance assuming that not only I could repay the cost of customs on the package, and get thru customs myself when I got there, and made enough money to get back to the states asap.  Unfortunately this was just too many "ifs" for me so I had to 'cut my losses' and basically canceled my plans to go overseas.

  Now for the better news in this whole shit fest. I am SOOOOOOO truly happy and grateful that Laura and Andy actually took the time out to call me and inform me of exactly what was going on. If I didnt know what I did after they called, I would've potentially been fucked over even more goin over there thinkin everything was ok. 

On top of that, I HAVE to give an extra special thanx to my new shop, Urban Body, for not only hiring me on, but letting me work this past weekend. If it wasn't for them, Id be fucked off; literally. I spent damn near all I had to get to the UK, and if I didnt have this shop to fall back/look forward to working at full time; Id have been broke n jobless.  Lets say that this is the 1st shop I will have ever worked for that will truly appreciate me for the hard working artist i am, which is quite refreshing from those of you who know what Ive dealt with in this industry.

 So to all those who were lookin forward to meeting me; I truly am sorry beyond belief, but as some can tell you, I literally did EVERYTHING I could to try to make this trip happen.  Been lookin forward to it for months.  And believe me, no one's as disappointed about this more than I. SO dont you all go feelin too bad though.  You still have all each other to hang with and make it a great weekend indeed.  Ill just have to wait until later to make my journey overseas to Europe.  So until then, I wish you all amazing times this weekend, be safe, live it up, and I look forward to meeting you all soon one day.  Ros, Laura n Keiran, I shall be seein you all at skind for sure!! Not a chance in hell Ill be missin that.

Jonz I'm really sad that I won't get to meet you yet. Hopefully one day I'll make it to the states for SkinD as I'd love to get work done by you.

Sooooooooooooo gutted I can't make the meet.
I hope EVERYONE has a smashing time. :)