The final cut

I had a meeting yesterday with the company that absorbed mine and it was very much like a final divorce meeting.  Like getting a divorce it means I no longer need to interact with, think about, obsess on the other half.  It will take me a while to get there but ultimately it is a good deal.

The downside is I'm likely to lose any money I had left in the company.  They still suck at business and no indication that will ever change.  And I'm last in line for investment recovery.  Long line ahead of me.  So I'm mentally writing it off.  I was holding things back, waiting to plan, dependent on what they 'might' be able to do for me.  So that waiting is gone and I can count the income I've got as all there is.  Should they ever magically get their shit together and decide to pay off their investors I may have a windfall.  But I think the odds are lottery-like so basically zero.  Plan accordingly.

It kind of puts me in a position that I need to find some part time work to pad out our situation so we can eat more than pasta and travel further than Austin but there are always things on the horizon that fit what I can do without leaving the comfort of home.  And I have time.

The release of no longer being married to the company or any other company for that batter is nice.  To no longer be attached to a potential that is so unlikely to happen has a lot of potential.  

That whole attachment thing.

Wood

Now I've got a too big smoker I need to be able to fill it with wood.  This thing is so big I'm buying another much smaller one so I can grill steaks.  The firebox on it is huge, the meat box is cavernous.  I could easily cook half a dozen sides of ribs or three briskets and it does a great job at that.  But it needs to be fed.  I went through all the charcoal I had first time I used it and that wasn't enough.  After some research I found this place in Austin:  http://harleyswoodyard.com/

The pictures are accurate.  The place is huge and has deals on wood that are cheap compared to anything at Home Depot or our local grocery chain.  I got a pretty large wheelbarrow of oak and a huge bag of smaller pieces for $30.  Maybe a quarter of what it would have cost me elsewhere.

The guy that sold me the wood along with advice on using it for brisket had a couple of teeth missing and would typically be mistaken for homeless.  But he was on the job and really helpful.  

Now I've got a stack of wood and plans for ribs in a week or so.