It's so rare that I'm outside close to sunup. I'd forgotten that birdsong is so loud and enthusiastic first thing in the morning. This morning, as I left for my monthly sales meeting, it was one particular bird who was throwing up a ruckus. There is a house, about four blocks from here, where there's a large fenced area with several chickens. It's my favorite house in the greater neighborhood, as it is an old farmhouse sitting on an acre of land, in the middle of the 1950s-era development of the city. It's the one that last year had the hand painted sign out front that said, "FREE ROOSTER." I can't say for certain that it was for the same particular rooster who I heard this morning, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one they were trying to re-home. He had a whole lot to talk about this morning.
One of my fellow agents led a tutorial today about how he and his business partner find houses for their fix and flip operation, and what sort of cost analysis they run to decide whether any opportunities they discover along the way have a chance at being profitable. I have wanted to do fix and flips for so many years, I can't remember a time when I didn't. I'm finally in a stable situation where I could do this sort of thing, without Uncle Sam telling me that we were going to be moving on short notice. Yet I'm also less strong, with less stamina, and more pain than is required to do the project hands on, as I had wanted to do all along. My friend's presentation gave me an inkling of how it could be done without swinging a hammer myself (much), but there's still a lot of organization and decision-making that sounds emotionally taxing. It's still something I'd like to do at least once, but it probably won't be in the next six months. Fun to think about, though.
Tonight was the night I brought the exchange student over to meet the gang, to see whether she really wants to stay here for a couple months. I decided it would be best to show us at our most rowdy, so she has an honest view of what life here would be like. We were loud and goofy and no one held back a single bit. When I drove her back to the current host family, I asked her whether she was scared off. She said no, she liked the chaos. She's with very quiet people now, and she looks forward to the other extreme. I hope she is serious. The die is cast, and I don't think there's any turning back now.
I fed everyone an ultra American sort of meal, for her benefit. I'm not sure she liked it as much as everyone else. We smoked ribs (3-2-1 method), and I made a homemade glaze unlike anything I've done before. I can't decide whether to give away the recipe. It was incredible, to a point where I think I could compete in pro-am BBQ cookoffs with this one. I wrote it down right away, and took a picture for my own reference, but I think the only image I will share at this point is the picture I sent my neighbor to tell him dinner was ready. I'll let you know if I decide to try my hand at a contest with it.
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