Well Friends, it's come time to sign off for a while and go do this thing.
I very much appreciate all the advice and well wishes from the gang of regulars here, especially the first-hand goods... that really has been reassuring. I'd be a lyin' sack-o-suds if I tried to play it like I wasn't scared, but I do have a very good medical team on the job. If they can't fix me, nobody can.I'm as prepared as you can be. I have stocked the house with enough food and water to hold me until I'm able to drive again. (about 6 weeks) I've somewhat idiot-proofed everything... so no climbing or unnecessary maneuvering will cause injury. All the bills are paid up through November. One of the neighbors is getting the mail out of the box. Ted and Deb, two of my closest friends are driving me to and from the hospital for the operation, and will be keeping watchful eyes on me for those first few days after they bring me home. (probably Thursday, if all goes well)
It's been a KRAZY time this Summer. Maybe knowing each gig might be the last one made me appreciate them more, but I soaked up every minute of it. And they were all a bonus round... I thought the whole gig season was going to be a wash when all this started back in Spring. I gotta' tell you, by the end - it hurt. I got an ESI on 8/2 and can barely feel the fingers on my left hand anymore. It's definitely time for a surgical solution.
Now that all the prep work is done, and I've worried about all there is to worry about, I'm spending some quality time with my basses this afternoon and evening. Going to run through a couple Fleetwood Mac albums, maybe spin up Dicks Picks Volume 3. Then I'm going to put them in their cases with humidifiers, for safe keeping. Hard to say when I'll hold them again.
So hopefully things work out okay, and I'll catch up with you all in a couple weeks. But just so you guys know, if they go... well...
not so good - I've had a good time here. I really mean that.
Take it easy... I'm out.