Things are going to get better, I promise.

In just a few weeks our small town will say goodbye to a great man and his wonderful family. They are packing it up and heading for new horizons and experiences. This town is about to lose its best/and only real Charcuterie Chef.

We all come and go. We pass through kitchens making friends and colleagues along the way. We go through the busiest of rushes together. We get our asses kicked and go to battle with each other making the impossible possible. We create strong bonds with each other. We make each other better. We change each others lives.

I am excited for you B. You always kick ass at what your doing. Thank you for hiring me 8 years ago. Thank you for not firing me the half dozen or so times when you legally should have called the police on me. Thank you for coming out to Crazy Town and making it a little less crazy. Thank you for making the hard times fun. Thank you for making me laugh when I'm ready to explode. Thank you for becoming the Maitre Butcher that you are today. It made our lives so much better.

We all like to think that when we resign from a kitchen, that we are leaving the place in better shape than we've found it. In your case B you are leaving the food of the entire Willamette Valley in better shape. You've turned our local hogs into fine proscuittos and salumi. There are people from as far as Portland and Roseburg who make the drive because we are their favorite restaurant. Our wine buyers across the country and the world have seen your kitchen, and have tasted your product. They own restaurants. They write menus. Who knows how your product has inspired their innovations and changes! In this era of American Charcuterie you have a lot to be proud of.

Hands down you are the coolest bacon stretchin, air bottling, meat gluing, fly fucking, bung stuffing, amateur intern hillbilly douche bag I've ever met. I love you bro.

Thank you B, for everything.