The Portfolios

I have been back in the States for a few days now. Right off the bat I went back to the caddy yard and got a few loops, earning some quick cash. Most intense workout I’ve had in years, though I guess that’s not saying much. Had dinner with Mom, Will, Gia and Piers for Mom’s birthday – just amazing to see everyone again. Will and Piers are grown people now, it’s a strange feeling. Will drives me around in his car, the opposite of how it used to be. Life is funny.

Dad is doing well also. Stopped by his office on the way home from the airport and had dinner at his house the next day. Big old cheeseburgers, just like he always makes. It’s good to be back.

“When people ask if I have health insurance, I say, ‘Yes, a plane ticket back to China and pocket full of change.’”

-“Bike Mike” Sutherland

Truer words hath never been spake.

I went back to the hospital and spoke with the doctor. Turns out I’m going to need surgery on my knee, I suppose to remove some loose cartiledge or something. With not enough time to operate before my upcoming trip to the States, I’m probably going to have the surgery when I get back to China.

I called my dad to talk about options. He said the surgery would cost around $15,000 in the States! Meanwhile, here it costs RMB10,000 (about $1,250). Having no insurance, it’s well decided where I’ll have the operation.

Some have raised the issue of safety. The argument runs basically like this: how could you consider having surgery in China, a backwards, third-world nation? This argument doesn’t hold much water as far as I’m concerned, as the hospital I’m going to is one of the best in China and from everything I’ve seen, doesn’t differ much from my hometown hospital. The procedure, meanwhile, is minimally invasive and routine. It’s not like open-heart surgery, here. If I was going to do something serious, I’d want the best doctor in the world. But this thing is probably less dangerous than, say, getting your tonsils out.

The other option is to begin a physical therapy regimen, which may be able to “cure” me eventually. However, the amount of work and time involved is prohibitive, probably more so than just spending the money. Supposedly the healing time after the surgery is quick and relatively easy. So it’s just a matter of ponying up the cash, which hurts a lot more than my leg right now.

People, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Quality, custom-made blazers delivered to your door for a fraction of what you’d pay at any of the big brands.

Coley and Jeff have worked long and hard to make DressMonkey a reality, and now that day has come. Everyone should go over to DressMonkey.com and check out the great site they’ve built.

You can choose your own fabric and every feature of the design can be changed according to your own whims and desires. They provide instructions on how to measure yourself and you provide your numbers. In a few weeks your new blazer arrives at your door.

For a brand new Ralph Lauren blazer, you can expect to pay about $1,000. But most brand new custom-made DressMonkeys will set you back only $150, and that includes shipping – and doesn’t include the stodgy, stuffy image associated with Polo posers.

Still, it’s understandable that some may be apprehensive. Many of us want to touch the fabric before we pay for it. DressMonkey has the answer: simply provide your address, and they will send you a fabric swatch book free of charge. Go here to order one.

By the way, I own an original DressMonkey blazer from the first test run, and it’s great. I am now going to get myself another – I’m thinking Classic White Linen.