As many of you know, I recently graduated from X-ray school and took a job down in Tampa, FL.  My wife and I have a house and have lived in TN for 8 years, but she had to stay there for a few months to finish up things at her job as well as get the house ready to put on the market.  I was going to have to find a person renting out a room for who knows how long before finding and buying a house down here.  Not exactly something I was looking forward to.

About 7 weeks ago, when my wife and I came down to Tampa for my pre-employment screenings, we met up with .50 Cal, his wife, and another ARFCOMMER (Schornstinfager) and his wife for some brews.  I'd never met any of these people before, though .50 cal and I had bumped into each other one time years before at a gunshow in Knoxville when he lived up in the area while working for Barrett.

Had a great time, and .50 cal's wife told me that if I needed a place to stay while househunting I was welcome to use their spare bedroom in their apartment.  I was humbled by the offer, and gratefully accepted it.

For 4 weeks now they have shown me wonderful hospitality, and it has truly been a great experience - can you imagine someone who you know only from a few posts on the internet inviting you into their home for weeks?  We've become good friends and it has been so nice coming "home" after a long day at work and having someone to talk to.  His wife even hooked me up with my mortgage for the house I bought and I got a great deal.


Rikwriter, whom I've IMed with a few times and had good discussions with in threads for years, out of the blue invited me yesterday to his birthday party.  I've never met him in person, and again was struck by how thoughtful a gesture this was to a "stranger in a strange land" like myself.  I had a great time last night, surrounded by his family and friends.  His mother in law is from Costa Rica, and spent the entire day cooking Costa Rican food.  I fell in love with this food last year on a visit to Costa Rica, and she is an amazing cook.  We had:

Slow cooked pork
Amazing chicken (fell off the bone, incredible taste)
Gallo Pinto (black beans and rice - the beans were seasoned to perfection)
Grilled/baked fatback - oh so bad for you, and OH so tasty!
Yucca (like a potato, but tastier)
Marinted and baked avacado and onions
Wonderful coffee, and cake and ice cream.

I brought some Dos Equis Amber, fresh limes from my new lime tree, and a bottle of 1800 Tequila for Rik for his B-day present (he says he always drinks cheap Tequila, so I got him some better stuff this time!)



Thank you, guys, both, once again for opening up your homes to me and making me feel welcome.  There are truly some great people on this board, and I just wanted to share my experiences with everyone regarding that.

Eric

Very Cool!

just wait till he gets the bill

And "they" say the General Discussion Forums are a complete wasteland.  

It was great having you over Eric...hope to get together with you and your wife once she makes it down.

Quoted: It was great having you over Eric...hope to get together with you and your wife once she makes it down.

Thanks, man.  And with a mother-in-law who cooks like that, I was shocked when I met you.  I would have thought you would be at least 400 pounds!

What's this? A good news story in GD?!

Ban him!!!!  


Congrats all around! It's good to hear this sort of thing. Especially after the past couple weeks or so.

I could eat gallo pinto every day.

No problem bud. Glad to have you for a stay.

the people down here are so nice,

wish I could have enjoyed the food Rick

50cal, thanks in advance for your help wit teh fal barrel wrench

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME

too damn kewl

Firearm-Folks have been some of the BEST people I have ever met in my life.


LB

Quoted: too damn kewl Firearm-Folks have been some of the BEST people I have ever met in my life. LB

True dat.