I've lurked these forums for a couple of years and wanted to take a moment to thank the lot of you for all the helpful planting/growing/drying info I've gotten from here in that time. Never actually joined because I don't have much free time and never felt I had much to contribute. I lost my plants and my seed bank this year and thought I should definitely say hi before hitting anybody up for some spare seed next season. I've loved spicy stuff since the habanero was king of pain. My girlfriend at that time was a Mexican from the Yucatan region, so I got used to having them in virtually everything I ate. I still eat 2-4 whole as a side with lunch/dinner most days that I have fresh habs or bonnets handy.
I'm a walking counterpoint to the health benefits of spicy food, though. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and I just spent this last year enduring a round of chemo and 3 surgeries for a completely unrelated cancer. Thankfully, that's all gone and done with. (Not the brain tumor, I get to keep that.) I know Nigel Carter and TMudder roamed these forums in the past and would like to thank them for their videos if they're still around. I spent a lot of time laid up watching youtube over the past 8 months and went through all of their old pod videos as well as Paul Tonkin's and that chili beast dude. Gave me positive things to think about along the lines of what I want to grow or try next year, etc.
I did manage to get some red habs off my plants before they died, but that was the only thing I had ready in June. Saved seeds off those and made the peppers into a commemorative "Life Sucks" wine. Everything else was gone when I got back from hospital following one of my surgeries. I live in a ghetto shoebox apartment complex and the plants got trashed by hoodlums while I was in hospital. Same neighbor who cleaned that up for me mistakenly threw out my seed bank when they were cleaning out my fridge. Kinda a bummer on top of a year full of stress, but easily replaced for the most part. I'm not dead and the Cubs are in the series for the first time in my entire life
, so things are pretty good right now.
Last job terminated me when I got sick, but it was just as well. If I had worked during treatment; I'd currently be in a massive 6-figures of medical debt even with insurance. Imagine being stuck with a bill like that right after losing a loved one. I feel so bad for those folks. With Medicare, I only wound up owing about a grand and should get back on track soon as I land a job. In the meantime, I just wanted to toss a quick thanks to the lot of you for all the good chili advice over the years. Cheers.
I'm a walking counterpoint to the health benefits of spicy food, though. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and I just spent this last year enduring a round of chemo and 3 surgeries for a completely unrelated cancer. Thankfully, that's all gone and done with. (Not the brain tumor, I get to keep that.) I know Nigel Carter and TMudder roamed these forums in the past and would like to thank them for their videos if they're still around. I spent a lot of time laid up watching youtube over the past 8 months and went through all of their old pod videos as well as Paul Tonkin's and that chili beast dude. Gave me positive things to think about along the lines of what I want to grow or try next year, etc.
I did manage to get some red habs off my plants before they died, but that was the only thing I had ready in June. Saved seeds off those and made the peppers into a commemorative "Life Sucks" wine. Everything else was gone when I got back from hospital following one of my surgeries. I live in a ghetto shoebox apartment complex and the plants got trashed by hoodlums while I was in hospital. Same neighbor who cleaned that up for me mistakenly threw out my seed bank when they were cleaning out my fridge. Kinda a bummer on top of a year full of stress, but easily replaced for the most part. I'm not dead and the Cubs are in the series for the first time in my entire life
, so things are pretty good right now.Last job terminated me when I got sick, but it was just as well. If I had worked during treatment; I'd currently be in a massive 6-figures of medical debt even with insurance. Imagine being stuck with a bill like that right after losing a loved one. I feel so bad for those folks. With Medicare, I only wound up owing about a grand and should get back on track soon as I land a job. In the meantime, I just wanted to toss a quick thanks to the lot of you for all the good chili advice over the years. Cheers.
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