Saturday, May 23, 2009

I am a wood slut

Ok…so if you haven’t guessed yet…I have a slight problem. You see, we are a family that loves the outdoors and we tend to camp a lot and we also take advantage of the great weather here in Southern California and sit out by our fire pit several nights a week.

The problem is that I have gotten to that place where I refuse to buy that stupid freakin ‘balsa’ fire wood that the local grocery stores sell for $6.00 per bundle of 5 logs. I am also unwilling to spend $50 per load of wood from the local firewood yard.

My thing is that I drive around town and stop at lumber yards and construction sites, ask them for any of their scrap wood. It works perfectly for camping and our fire pit…and it is free. I can load up the back of the car and have a week’s worth of wood with only a little bit of cutting with my saw.

I’m sure that this does not sound so bad right now, but it has gotten bad…I could be compared to a drug addict, on a quest for my next fix. I have been known to slam on the breaks, with a car full of people, throw the car in reverse…just to check out a new construction site. Driving down the street, I crane my neck as I pass by lucrative site, to see if there is any junk wood. When I start getting low on wood, I make a point of dedicating a 2 hour window of my day to troll the streets for my pot of gold.

Given the above…Mariah and the kids have all begun calling me; “Wood Slut”, “Wood Whore”, “Scrap Addict”, “Scrap Junkie” and other derogatory names. At first I did not mind, but ….an I sick? Do I need help? Is there a 12-step support group for this?

Well…I gotta run. It is Friday and I need wood for the weekend!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well any sawmill has all the fire fire wood you want! The first cuts where the tree is squared so they can make boards are useless to them and they have to find a way to dispose of them. Also many many businesses have a problem with pallets, they pile up and they have to find an outlet for them, they often actually PAY to have them removed! They should give you all you want.

Just Jules said...

I have about 5 trees still waiting to get cut down (the dead ones over there with the ribbons on them) you cut them you can have them- however the commute makes it's worth questionable

Homer and Queen said...

We found a landscaping/tree removal company, they bring the wood already cut up and put it in my wood pile. In Vegas they charge to dump, so it's a win win. And only a wood slut, seriously?

TentCamper said...

Sage - If there were only a sawmill within 200 miles of Santa Monica.... But they do use 'that' wood to make charcoal...FYI

Jules - We'll get on the road shortly...or we can swing by when Mariah and I do our cross country road trip next month.

H & Q - great Idea...but then I can't troll the streets... hmmmm
and , well, Hula slut, beer slut, Mariah slut, coffee slut...I guess the list goes on and on.

Not a soccer mom said...

Yes twelve steps and the first is admitting you have a problem.
but the second is wanting to change it... I'm not sure that is you...

How much wood would a wood slut cut if a wood slut could cut wood?...

Shelle-BlokThoughts said...

NOT A SOCCER MOM... that was good! HA!

Anyway... you can get free wood? who knew?

TentCamper said...

NASM - you are right. I am NOT that person. I am just not ready.

Shelle - (and everyone else) If I see any of you at MY construction site....we'll throw down right then and there!!!!

M said...

Well, I can't imagine paying for wood in the first place.

But I live in 8 acres of woods, so I guess it's all perspective.

I say let em call you names, it's you boat honey and you may float it as you like :)

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