Heya Gang!
It's been too long since I've come by here- I need to change that!
And thank you all SO MUCH for the kind words and messages regarding my surgery! I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified- but I'm pretty much back to full health and luckily my art hasn't been affected!!
I used to be a semi-pro bike racer so I've been riding a bike pretty much every day for twenty years. That, combined with getting older, putting decks into bottles all the time, tuning Industrial Revelations, working out, and Crossfitting, etc, just kind of wore my wrist out. I went it with some chronic pain and the doc said, "You know, we can fix that."
So in October, they did what's called a "scope". They go into your wrist with a camera and make sure there's no arthritis and to see what's what. They saw that I tore my SL ligament- but that it was repairable. So in November, I went in for full surgery! Basically, they took a piece of tendon from my forearm and then inserted it into my wrist. They drilled through 3 bones in my wrist and tied that piece of tendon around them. It tightened everything right up. Madness. When I went in for my custom cast, they castmaker asked what I had done. When I explained, he replied, "Ah. Fancy surgery." And you know what? He's right. It IS fancy surgery. And I am SO LUCKY to be a Canadian. In other countries, I'm sure they never would have even considered doing anything. And it doesn't cost me a cent. Unbelievable.
And now here we are 4 months later! I'm just now starting to feel great and have been making bottles again. Hurrah! I have to say, though, that these Madison ones are amazing. There's something about having his signature on them that makes me feel like a piece of him is in my home at all times. Haha. It sounds weird, but it's true. I look at AIPs like friends- and Madison is an awesome one.
I also know that there's always some talk about the price tags, too. And I promise you that I'm not buying a mansion on the hill or anything, lol. They take hours- and when you factor that in- with everything else, I think they're priced fairly. I know I spend hundreds on art that I love- especially if I know I'm going to keep it for years and years (my favourite is my Ricky Jay poster that I had framed. Holy smokes, now THAT was expensive, lol).
I guess that's about it! I'm definitely going to try and contribute here more! And, please, treat me like an open book! I'm the most honest guy you'll ever meet- so if you have a question about anything, don't be afraid to ask. Except for "how I make the bottles", lol. I've heard that about a million times by now. But anything else- if I can help you, I will.
Your pal,
jamie
