Hi from Colorado. I got started in smoking 2.5 years ago when someone got me a gas smoker as a gift. I had never considered it, but turned out to be one of the best gifts I've ever received. (I secretly think they wanted to eat BBQ but make me do all the research/work ;) ). I got tired of babysitting the gas smoker all night, so I upgraded to an MES40 w/ Bluetooth and have never looked back. I enjoy all the tips/tricks found on the forum and seeing what others have created to encourage me to try something new. Thanks for sharing!