Sunday 3/26/23

March 26, 2023

On Sundays I reflect.

I had a beer with my brother the other night. He’s visiting for a weekend of snowboarding before my Miami trip for his birthday.

We got in a great morning of riding yesterday until I sent it off a kicker too fast and upon landing my rib popped out. If you haven’t popped a rib out yet, it’s extremely painful and there isn’t much that can be done for it. I left my brother with his friend at Pete’s for some laps in the back bowls, and I got myself down to the village taking two chairs and a few more runs in severe pain.

My car was in lionshead and I could hardly walk when I bumped into my dude Matt Weingast who immediately noticed my situation and helped me to my car. He even helped me get my boots off as I shrieked in pain. One wrong twist of the body and the rib shoots pain through my entire being.

I got to my studio and rested before my brother and his friend got off the hill. Jonathon got me to my acupuncturist who was able to get some movement and allow me to get back to regular breathing. I’m feeling much better today but I definitely have some recovery ahead of me.

I’ve been blowing glass all week and I was getting in a good rhythm before the accident. We’ll see what I can get done this week amidst recovery. I’m grateful it’s not worse than it is, and especially for the homies at Dialed In for keeping me stocked on the medicated syrup because that’s probably the only thing keeping my pain manageable.

Snowboarding with my brother is about as good as it gets. I really wish I were on the hill with him today but I also know I need to take care of myself and heal.

On the cup side of things, we got our first batch of Boro Bottles from GooRoo Glass and of the ten we got in on Thursday only three remain. They also sent a wine glass that got scooped and a few mugs of which we have two left. You’ll be able to see the rest today on our Instagram Live Stream as soon as I get to the studio.

Log has a bunch of freshies on the way, and we have a few new mug designs coming from artists we haven’t carried before. I mentioned I’ve been on the torch, and I wish I could share what I’ve been working on with you. Unfortunately, these projects are top secret collaborations I will be releasing May 6 at Stoked for the Connecticut Cup Collectors Club. More info about tickets and VIP coming soon!

It’s been an interesting adjustment this year coming back home from NYC. I live in a bubble here in the Vail Valley, one that has provided me an opportunity to shut out distractions over the last five or six years and focus on my art and on my business. Today it is clear to me that I need to make more time to step outside of my routine more often in order to keep an open mind.

In a lot of ways I have slowed down with social media in order to not become stale and repetitive. We have a few campaigns brewing in the background and I need to find more creative time to bring some new quality content to our feeds. Maybe one day we will have a social media manager (hopefully) but until then it will continue to be part of my job along with help from Marta and Eric, Giashreddi and all our models and photographers.

Before I wrap this up I’ll share a little bit of a conversation that I had with my brother the other night as he and I discussed our work life balance. One of us asked the other who we thought was the happiest person we knew. We both thought about the question and struggled to come up with answers quickly. A few names came to mind for both of us; some friends and some family. Who knows if what we perceive is correct?

In my own life I ponder what could make me happier. I wonder about how many things I would change if money were removed from the equation. The good news is that most of the things that would change are pretty minor. I would travel more and fly first class. I would book hotels instead of imposing on my friends. I would spend more time blowing glass and snowboarding, my two favorite things to do. The major change would be getting rid of my phone, a fantasy I have had for years. Maybe one day.

In my daily life I get to do what I want when I want for the most part, which puts the burden of motivation on me. Before hurting myself yesterday I had been diligent about my morning yoga routine since returning from New York. My smoothie game is strong, and I’m focusing more on my personal health and habits. 33 is off to a good start despite this hiccup with my rib, and I’m optimistic about what’s ahead.

Now it’s time for breakfast with my brother before I head to the studio and he goes for some laps at Beaver Creek. Thanks for being a part of our journey, and I hope to see some of you tuned into our Instagram live stream for Sunday Specials and check out some other deals we have here: Specials!!

Oh and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a drop of some fun new freshies from one of our favorite OG artists tomorrow!!

Enjoy your Sunday,