Saturday at the Hut - 3/30/13

Although everyone wasn't there at once, we had a nice crowd at The Tobacco Hut on Saturday. The first batch of Hutters were there first thing in the morning: Lou, Joe K, Rob, Don, Pete (of course), and myself. Later Steve B, Ed F, and Laurie arrived in the afternoon. It's not like there's a time clock or anything, but there was definitely a morning shift and an afternoon shift. And, naturally, if you listened to Joe, we  have no idea what time it is in the store anyway since I spirited the clock away several months ago.

The humidors are growing. Well, not the humidors themselves, but what's inside. Pete has been actively increasing the inventory and it shows! It's not quite to the level where he wants, but there's plenty of selection and depth now - enough to please most everyone.

We pipe smokers have reason to be happy as well. There's a full rack of Peterson pipes and then some, and four new tobaccos. More pipes are on the way and Pete and I are working on putting together a "Pipe Night" event. More info to come on that.

Maybe Kramer will show up at our upcoming Pipe Night!
(more info to come).

Pete kindly gave me free range to "invent" one of the new tobaccos. I took the existing Baker Street tobacco, which consists of Virginia and Latakia and I messed around with the ratios a bit and added a bit of Perique. The new blend borders on being a Balkan-type tobacco and is quite tasty. The best part, I think, is its name. In honor of our friend, Lou, we named it Searchlight. I think he approved.

There is an English-aromatic crossover tobacco called Spitfire which contains Virginia, Burley, Oriental and a bit of Cavendish. There is also a whiskey-flavored tobacco which is called 19th Hole.

For the fourth new tobacco, Pete needs your help in naming it. It's a fruity, tropical tobacco, very aromatic with a very nice room note. We thought it would be fun to have a contest to name the tobacco. Take a sniff of the new blend, light up a bowl of it if you're a pipe smoker, and come up with a fun name for the tobacco. If your suggestion is used, you'll win a pound of tobacco or the equivalent value ($62) in a new pipe, or cigars! So even if you're not a pipe smoker, you can still have fun with it and have a chance to win some cigars! There are entry forms at the store and the contest is good through April 30. If you're not able to make it into the store before the end of the month and still want to participate, leave a comment on this blog post with your email address (so we can add you to the mailing list) and you could still win!

I think Saturday actually had more pipe smokers in than cigar smokers, especially if you count Rob who is considering switching over to a pipe in the next week or so. Also, a shout out to my friend Alex from the Times who came in a few weeks ago and smoked his pipe. Nice to see the ranks of the pipe smokers growing.

I have developed and am managing the new Facebook page for the Hut. So if you're on FB, head on over to the page by clicking here and "Like" the page. Why should you like the page? Besides continuing the conversation at the Hut and connecting with friends and making new ones, you'll receive weekly, exclusive, Facebook offers available to no one else. Every Monday morning look for a post on the store's page that outlines a special of the week.

Finally, I'm helping Pete develop a monthly newsletter to be emailed out. It will be emailed on our around the first of each month and if you'd like to get on the mailing list you can sign up at the store or shoot me an email - bob.harrison@tampabay.rr.com - indicating you want to be on the list. All the usual privacy policies exist: your information won't be shared with anyone, etc., etc. We won't fill your inbox with crap, just a monthly newsletter and the occasional email if there's an event coming up or something. The first newsletter goes out tomorrow!

There are lots of things happening at The Tobacco Hut. Look for a grand opening party in the next month or so. Hopefully we can plan on a date when Don is available to cater the whole affair with his mouthwatering BBQ.

See you next week!

Saturday at the Hut - 9/24/11

This week's gathering at The Tobacco Hut wasn't as wild and raucous as last week's - of course without Tom L and Adrian making wild and unfounded accusations of racism toward me like last week the discourse was more subdued. In attendance were Joe K, Bobby, Paul O, Lou, and myself.

It was good to see Joe again as it's been awhile since we've connected. I was gone on vacation for a couple weeks, then Lou closed the store while he was on vacation and last week Joe was MIA as he was suffering from swimmer's ear. He ended up going to an ENT doctor and undergoing some treatments that sounded less than pleasant but he's on the mend now. I don't know why he didn't just pour vodka in his ear like his son James did several years ago when he swam across a retention pond that probably measured well above safe levels for fecal material.

This makes two weeks in a row for Mike G's son-in-law Bobby and it's nice that someone's finally classing up the joint! Bobby has an interesting background, from living abroad in various exotic locales to his boat racing and his Puerto Rican heritage. In fact, he told a good self-depracating joke about his own ethnicity: Why aren't there any Puerto Ricans on Star Trek? Because they're not going to work in the future, either. It's probably better coming from Bobby himself than me since I'm not Puerto Rican. Me telling the joke just makes me sound racist. Damn, maybe Tom and Adrian were right!

Lou was complaining about the slowdown in his computer's speed lately and Joe and I were giving him some advice on what to do about it. Well, actually Joe was giving him practical advice and I was just advising him to get a Mac instead. Joe was estimating that Lou's computer was 4-5 years old and rather than installing Windows 7 on it to speed it up, the recommendation was to just buy a new computer. Rebuilt computers can be had for such an inexpensive price that at that age (the computer's age, not Lou's), it really makes sense to just replace it. Bobby agreed, having had good success with rebuilt devices.

By the way, thank you Joe for passing along the glowing recommendation from your friend who hasn't had any problems with their computer because (drumroll please)...it's a Mac.

It was also good to see Paul O as it's been several weeks since we've both been at the Hut at the same time. Paul's dry wit is always appreciated. He's built up quite a repertoire of jokes and one-liners about death - perfect for his line of work in funeral pre-planning.

Later in the afternoon, the talk turned to politics and included such topics as the influence of lobbyists, "Obamacare", and unions. It wasn't too divisive and I think everyone agreed that voter apathy is one of the biggest problems. I was proudly wearing my NPR shirt but was a little disappointed that Joe hadn't worn his "Pipe Down You Silly Liberal" t-shirt but he said he had to visit a customer about a computer before he came to the Hut, and didn't want to potentially upset a revenue source.

Saturday saw me smoking a bowl of G.L. Pease's Westminster tobacco in my Ser Jacopo sandblasted Canadian. Unfortunately, I had packed it a little too tight and had some trouble getting it going at first, but it soon loosened up and turned into a wonderful smoke. The sharp aroma from the Latakia was most enjoyable. Thank you in advance, Lou, for cleaning up my Corona Old Boy lighter as it's getting pretty gunked up with carbon and having difficulty lighting.

A reminder if I didn't include anyone in my change of address alert: I've switched from Verizon to Bright House as my provider so have changed e-mail addresses. My new e-mail addy is bob.harrison@tampabay.rr.com

I couldn't resist the allure of what the Bright House salesman when he came to my door. Well, let me correct that. I couldn't resist the allure of what he was selling. He actually looked a little like Mike G. In any case, we're now getting almost a hundred more HD channels for $25 less per month and the first month is free. Bright House is working hard to win back customers that they've lost over the last few years to Verizon and I'm obviously not loyal to any particular company. Except to you, Lou! In contrast to Paul who called himself a "cigar whore."

Everyone's favorite knife guy, Scott R, is on schedule to return to Tampa Bay in late October, so hopefully we'll see him in a month or so.

Speaking of missing regulars...where have some of you guys been? I'm thinking of Ed B and Darryl G. And Paul V - yes, you Paul, I'm talking to you! Box Ed, where have you been? Even Peter has turned irregular on us. Hey Vic, put your nuts down and make another trip up from Bradenton man! And I've all but given up on Barry. And there used to be this landscape guy who came in who always regaled us with his dating prowess. Steve was his name, I think. And Preacher Jim, how are you going to "save" me if you don't come in? Of course, I was gone for two weeks myself recently, so if you think it's hypocritical of me to call you guys out, come in and tell me! Seriously, would love to see some packed houses in the weeks to come!

'Til next time...

Saturday at the Hut - 7/23/11

We had a smaller crowd at The Tobacco Hut today than the last several Saturdays. Not standing room only like last week, but a more intimate assembly. No vodka and liverwurst either, so I had to make do with peanut butter pretzels and Mountain Dew. No matter. In attendance today were Paul O, Joe K, Lou and me...and Adrian made an extended appearance!

I was joking with Adrian that a group picture had been taken a couple years ago that included him in the background. At the time, Adrian was just the black guy who breezed in and out and we didn't really know too much about him. In fact, I remember looking at the picture when I posted it to the blog back then and thinking, "Who the hell is that guy?".

From left: Tom L, Steve B (sitting), Bob H (your humble narrator), Joe K ("Thank You Jesus" pose), Peter G (sitting), Lou, Adrian (who is that guy?), James K, Ed B.
(Click to enlarge)

I did a little searching and found the blog post in question and am re-posting the picture above. The occasion was a party we had for James K, Joe's son, who was moving back east for his job. You can read the blog post here - it sounds like we had a good time back then.

Even with the debate and rhetoric over the debt ceiling raging in Washington, our discussion today remained pretty sedate. I tried to stir the pot a little, but no one took the bait. I think what's more pressing is whether professional football will be played this fall or not. We obviously have our priorities in order.

Joe was thoroughly enjoying his La Gloria Artesanos de Tabaqueros cigar and - best of all - he didn't complain once during the entire smoke! Typically for Joe, it will canoe or unravel or become too tight to draw through or taste funny or get a stem in it or go out or have an odd smell or the band will give him a paper cut. But this time, Joe was smoking perfection! Woohoo!

Glad to see Paul O sticking around. We could have called him the "White Adrian" because he would often breeze in and out, but the last couple weeks he's settled right in and enjoyed a cigar or two. Hope to see you next week again Paul!

Now the best news of all. Not only did Adrian show up but we actually played a game of chess. Typically when he does show up on a Saturday he'll make up some excuse why he can't play. He adopts his old "breeze in and out" persona, claiming that Mrs. Adrian is waiting in the car and doesn't have time for a game. Of course, he only started doing this once he had three victories in a row under his belt.

But today he sat down and, after everyone else had left, we broke out the chessboard. Hell, I was about ready to just take it home one of these weeks, thinking he would never sit down for a game. I'm glad I kept the board at the Hut though. Especially an hour and a half later when I emerged victorious! Adrian had me on the ropes about midway through the game, but the turning point was when I forked two of his pieces, a bishop and rook, with my pawn, and I was able to go up a piece. I still had to be careful, 'cause Adrian is quite resourceful and always has a surprise or two up his sleeve, but I held on and, with just a few pieces left on the board, he resigned.

He has pledged to return next Saturday, anxious to regain his crown. Maybe I'll do a disappearing act for the next few months so I can rest on my laurels - LOL!

Cheers!
 - Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 7/16/11

Sorry I'm a couple days late in filing this report. Saturday evening our air conditioning went on the fritz and was finally up and running this afternoon (Monday). Just didn't feel like banging out a blog post when the inside temperature was 92º.

Anyway, Saturday at The Tobacco Hut was standing room only as we had a dozen guys in attendance. Besides Lou and me, the roll call included Peter G, Joe K, Ed B, Jim C, Paul O, Vic and his cousin Russ, Tom L, Steve B, and Arnie. Arnie called his brother-in-law, Don, in North Carolina, and put him on speaker so we'll let that count.

Before I get to the savory treats provided by some of the fellows, I have to point something out that was a little troubling. Tom L apparently keeps a picture taken long ago of James K, Joe's son. I'm thinking Tom has a bit of a man crush on James, and was probably heartbroken to hear of James' wedding a couple months ago. Sorry, Tom, couldn't resist - you were giving me a rash of crap because I didn't know how to hold Arnie's iPhone. In retrospect, I guess I deserved it after I introduced you to Arnie as our resident a**hole. Maybe I should have softened the label by calling you our resident wiseass instead.

Paul O has been in many times, but seldom stays for long. This Saturday, however, he settled in for the duration. Paul works in the funeral business, selling pre-planned funeral arrangements. He is also gifted with a great sense of humor, and his choice of profession lends itself to many jokes and stories. So stop by often, Paul, we enjoyed hearing them!

Lou ringing up a big
sale - note the large bag
on the counter.
(Click to enlarge)

Lou was in an especially good mood since the cash register was ringing a lot, including a big sale of 5 lbs. of roll-your-own cigarette tobacco. That's Lou at the counter ringing up the huge bag of it. Whenever a customer walks out of the store with a bag that large, Lou's a happy man.

Vic mentioned that while he enjoys the blog, especially the photo of him that I doctored up last week showing him on his scooter with the bright purple handlebar streamers, I never include stories that poke fun at me. Now, be assured that I find myself in the barrel quite often, to use the terminology of the Hut. But...as writer of the blog, I exercise certain literary freedoms, and one of them is that I like to remain relatively unscathed and not draw attention to the barbs aimed in my direction. It's far more fun for me to recount the jokes at others' expenses. You are free, of course, to leave a comment on any of the blog posts if I've omitted anything!

Vic brought in a chub of homemade liverwurst from upstate New York. Joe brought in the crackers, and the feast was set up on the end counter. Quite a few people enjoyed the Braunschweiger, which originated in the city of Braunschweig in the Brunswick province of Germany. This particular liverwurst is made by a guy in western New York that Vic knows. Vic has brought quite a few chubs of liverwurst and other deli meats with him in his various travels from the north.

Arnie actually brought in
a full bottle of the blue-
berry Vodka, but it didn't
take long for us to drink
half of it.
(Click to enlarge)

Arnie brought an ice cold bottle of Norwegian vodka, Vikingfjord. He was telling us about it last week, along with Aquavitt. He didn't have any of the latter with him, but he did bring us a bottle of this blueberry flavored vodka. It's made with purified, distilled glacier water and it was quite good. I had a couple small shots of it and the blueberry flavor was distinct, but not overpowering by any means. It actually went well with the pipeful of G.L. Pease's Westminster I was enjoying. Indeed, in Arnie's honor, I was smoking a Nording pipe. Now Erik Nording isn't from Norway, rather Denmark, but it's all Scandinavia. The vodka did not go too well with the remainder of my Mountain Dew however.

Vic brought his cousin Russ in for a visit. Russ is visiting the Rochester, New York area and, we discovered after a bit, that he went to school (as did Vic) with a cousin of mine in Avon, NY. He's also friends with a cousin on my father's side, who also lives in Avon. Definitely a small world. Russ is a liquor and wine sales representative, so he and Peter had some common challenges to explore as Peter is in food sales.

Russ almost committed a fatal error by sitting in Lou's chair when he arrived. In Russ's defense, the chair was empty and I...well, I encouraged him to sit in it. Lou was more forgiving than I thought he would be, and after Vic fell from his scooter to one of the regular chairs, Russ took up his position on the scooter (sans handlebar streamers).

A shout out to Leah, Vic's wife. I became friends with her today on Facebook. I've looked for Vic on Facebook, but can't seem to find him there.

A little later in the day, Steve was talking to a customer about something I found interesting. The customer had suffered a heart attack a few months ago and is trying to maintain a healthier diet. Steve recommended he look at a website called Mark's Daily Apple. The creator of the site, Mark Sisson, has developed a "primal" diet. Acknowledging that humans have only been farming for the last 10,000 years, but began evolving millions of years before that, Mark eschews foods containing the various grains and sugars, instead favoring primarily meat and vegetables. I won't go into the whole diet and philosophy here, but check out his website. It's very extensive and understandable and makes a lot of sense. It boils down to a primal diet, i.e. eating what our ancestors ate, which was whatever they could pick or kill. Peter had asked for the website from Steve, which he gave him, but I thought a wider audience could benefit from it.

Another shout out, this time to Jim C, and his new (to him) 1978 Corvette. Sorry I don't have a picture to show, but this is one fine looking - and sounding - machine. If you ever get tired of it, Jim, and just want to give it away, keep me in mind!

Paper bead necklace; beads
imported from Uganda.
(Click to enlarge)

One more thing...as many of you know, Paula has been making bracelets with paper beads that come from Africa. She has now just started making necklaces from the same beads. Bracelets are still only $5 and necklaces start at $20, depending on the size. I'll be adding photos of the necklaces to her website, Paper Bead Bracelets but, for now, you can see what the necklaces look like here.

That's it for this week.

 - Bob

P.S. In the weeks to come, you may see some unobtrusive advertising from Amazon along the right "rail" of the blog. I'm exploring ways to monetize the blog, but only if I can find a way to do it that isn't distracting and is relevant to the subject at hand. If you have any feedback regarding this, please don't hesitate to let me know, good, bad or ugly. Thanks!

Saturday at the Hut - 6/18/11

Today was the much-anticipated Father's Day Celebration at The Tobacco Hut, and we had a nice turnout. I'll do rollcall in a moment, but first a shout out to Darryl G and Lou for putting everything together. Darryl supplied wings, chips, pretzels, peanuts, and even adult beverages. Lou - well, Dotty - supplied delicious homemade cookies. I brought in a tray of pinwheel-rollup-appetizer things that Paula picked up at Target.

We had quite a few in attendance this afternoon: the aforementioned Darryl and his son Greg, Joe K, Vic, Peter G, Box Ed, Major Ed, Preacher Jim, Barry C, Tarpon Cop Scott, Kevin & Paul (don't know their last names, but see them from time to time), and another guy of whom I don't know his first or last name.

Vic was kind enough to bring in a supply of homemade liverwurst. A friend of his in upstate New York makes it and Vic brought in a tube(?) of it. What is the "unit" that liverwurst is sold in? Sleeve, tube, carton...? I don't know. Anyway, Vic brought it in with some crackers and Joe made a beeline to it. There wasn't much left by the time the party ended, so it was definitely a hit.

Before I go on, I had to figure out how liverwurst is sold. I mean, you say "block", "round", or "wedge" of cheese, or by the slice. I realize you could just indicate that you wanted, say, 8 oz. of liverwurst. But what was the actual package called? As always, Google is my friend. Apparently, it is called a "chub." So what Vic brought us was a chub of liverwurst. Now I went to the dictionary and discovered that a "chub" is also the "common name for Leuciscus cephalus, a thick-bodied European river fish with a gray-green back and white underparts, popular with anglers." Are you reading this, Scott R? The next time you're in Europe, make sure to fish for chubs.

We also had two new arrivals at the Hut today to enjoy the festivities, Alan & Daphne. They've been in before, but this is the first time they've stayed for awhile, at least on a Saturday. Wanting to give them a proper introduction here on the blog, I was careful to ask for the spelling of Alan's name, but I was remiss in asking how Daphne spelt her name, so I'm assuming it is "Daphne". I believe there are other ways to spell it, like "Daphnie", but hopefully I've gotten it correct. In any case, the name is an old one, originating in the Greek language and means "laurel tree". I knew it was of Greek origin, but had to look up the meaning. Sorry Alan, I have no idea where your name comes from or what it means! BTW, Alan and Daphne, I usually send out e-mail notices when the blog goes out so, if you want, send me your e-mail addresses and I'll add you to the mailing list. Hope to see you both again soon.

Ohioans were in abundance today at the Hut - Alan, Box Ed, and I are all from Cleveland, Lou is from Columbus, and I believe Joe was born in the Dayton area. Daphne, Vic, and Barry are all from New York. Peter, of course, is from Bahston, as in "pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd."

When we speak of who was here today, one immediately thinks of who wasn't here. Three notable absences include Steve B, Tom L, and Adrian R. Steve was probably busy with work or Miss December, Tom indicated earlier that he was busy with his son at a hockey tournament, but Adrian. Apparently Adrian has no problem showing up during the week, but when I am there on Saturdays, he's suddenly a no show. The last time we played chess, he beat me three games in a row, and I've been anxious for a rematch. I've said tongue-in-cheek lately that he's not been in attendance on Saturdays recently because he wants to hold onto his crown, but now I'm convinced of it. C'mon Adrian, where the hell are you?

Also hope to have seen Paul V today - he's always fun to talk to and is extremely knowledgeable on a myriad of subjects.

Scott R was absent but he's slowly making his way to upstate New York, so he gets a pass. I know he wanted to be here for the party and was hoping to master the "be in two places at once" trick but hasn't mastered it yet. Leave the magic to me, Scott!

Mike G actually made an appearance from Tennessee. Well, not an actual appearance, but one by phone. Knowing that Lou was giving away free cigars for the event, Mike called hoping that would be enough to score a free one or two, but no dice. Apparently Lou didn't even give him a raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize. Sorry, Mike, maybe if Lou has an extra hat he can mail it up to you. Good to talk to you, by the way.

The party started at 1:00, but Joe and I had the same idea and that was to arrive about an hour early to secure good seats. I got there about noon and Joe shortly thereafter. Darryl and Greg were already there so, in fact, we were just able to get our traditional seats. Thanks to Greg for letting the old man (Joe) have the comfy chair.

I gave out some more of Clipper Pens and hope to secure some orders for them. Kevin looked at it and said, "Oh, Scott (R) has pens with this logo on them". Great, no orders from Kevin now as he'll be buying from Scott - LOL!

I finished up Paula's website this past week for her new line of paper bead bracelets. Peter's wife Stacey likes the two she bought a lot and will be selling a few of them at a local restaurant they frequent. Take a look at the website and if you'd like a bracelet for your wife, mother, girlfriend, sister, aunt, grandmother, daughter, etc., let me know. They make great Mother's Day gifts too - start shopping now for next year!

As many of you know, Joe's son James K got married recently. They apparently had a lovely wedding on Davis Island (of course, we wouldn't know since none of us got invited for some reason) and their wedding was featured in the most recent issue of Tampa Bay Weddings Magazine. Shot by Ashley Brooke Photography, the magazine put a nice piece together about the event. Here's a link to Ashley's blog and the article on their wedding. Great article, and fantastic photography...my only fear now is that James's head will grow even bigger now that he's been featured in a magazine.

Alas, there were only two pipe smokers in the room, Box Ed and me. I was smoking some Tinder Box Reserve 1928 in the Cassano pipe I got in Boston a year ago and Ed was enjoying some of Lou's Baker Street in the meerschaum I gave him. Baker Street has it all, great taste if you're the smoker and a wonderful room note if you're nearby inhaling the light, slightly sweet aroma.

Congratulations to Preacher Jim who just purchased a 1978 Corvette. It sounds like it's quite the hot rod and hopefully he'll drive it to the Hut next time he comes up. Would love to see it. I might even pray that I get to drive it around the block!

Thanks to everyone who came out today. I think we all had a great time and thanks again to Lou and Darryl.

Cheers!

 - Bob

P.S. Joe took a couple pictures with his iPhone and was supposed to send them to me. As soon as he figures out how to send them, I'll post them here.

Saturday at the Hut - 5/21/11

I spent my last moments before the Apocalypse enjoying a bowl of Tinder Box Reserve 1928 in a Peterson Kinsale at The Tobacco Hut with friends. Joe K, Jim C, Peter G, Steve B, Ed B, Lou, and I had a wide-ranging discussion while puffing away and watching the Lightning beat the Bruins to tie the series at 2-2.

I had actually asked Lou to polish up the stem of the Peterson last week and he did a great job on it so I lit it up anxiously on Saturday, eager to enjoy one of the best values in pipes. It had been a while since I'd smoked this particular Peterson and the Vulcanite stem had become rather oxidized. Oxidation occurs when the sulfur in the rubber stem rises to the surface, discoloring it and giving it an unpleasant, sour taste.

There are many prescribed methods to removing oxidation from Vulcanite stems, some involving bleach and other chemicals, but probably the easiest is with a buffing wheel and then applying a thin coat of Carnuba wax, which is what Lou did last week to the pipe. Unfortunately, there was apparently a lot of oxidation on the stem, because even though the stem was restored to its shiny black state, a few minutes of it in my mouth and it quickly reacted to the saliva and turned nasty.

I left the pipe with Lou for him to work on throughout the week, and hopefully he'll be able to remove the remaining oxidation and get the pipe back to its spiffy, like-new state.

It's this oxidation issue that has driven my recent pipe purchases. I now stick with almost exclusively Lucite stems which are, essentially, plastic, and don't suffer from oxidation problems.

A quick rundown of what's happening with Saturday's attendees: Steve B and Jim C had a good conversation about Steve's new burgeoning business ventures; Peter is steeped in training for his new job, eager to be cut loose amongst the Tarpon Springs restaurants; Joe wore his highly offensive "Pipe Down Now, Silly Liberal" shirt; and congratulations to Major Ed B!

Adrian had promised to show up on Saturday so we could resume our chess games, but I guess his new philosophy is "Quit While You're Ahead" as he was a no-show. I suppose he wanted to be reigning King of Chess when the world ended.

Speaking of which, since I'm writing this on Sunday, May 22nd, it's apparent that, in fact, Harold Camping and his band of idiots at Family Radio were quite wrong about the end of the world occurring on May 21st at 6 PM. It would have been more amusing if there weren't so many people who actually believed it and jettisoned all their belongings and money and now - with families to provide for - have nothing. I doubt seriously that Mr. Camping, et al, will support his followers now that some of them are destitute.

Preacher Jim C and I differ on a lot of things, but we were both in agreement that Saturday, May 21st would pass like any other.

Don't forget the Father's Day Celebration at the Hut on June 18th, from 1-4 PM. Show up for the food, beverages, prizes, and fun. I think Lou's going to rent a Karaoke machine too. Okay, I just made that up, but there will still be prizes, good food and beverages. See you there!

 - Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 5/7/11

Today at The Tobacco Hut was fun, but also touched with disappointment. Fun, because in attendance were Scott R and Steve B. Scott delivered some greenbacks to Lou for some of the lighters he's sold for Lou on eBay, which made Lou very happy. Scott, Lou, and I had a wide-ranging discussion covering topics like high school reunions (Scott made his position about whether I should attend my upcoming 30th very clear), pocket knives, the promotional product biz, eBay, and even religion.

I pontificated on how psychics prey on their victims and even performed a quick card trick for Scott, who was suitably impressed. Scott impressed me with some wizardry of the mathematical kind. I promised him I would send him a link to a fun online magic trick, but thought others might enjoy it as well, so here it is: http://www.flashlightcreative.net/swf/mindreader/

Steve B arrived later in the day after a 2-month hiatus. Always a pleasure to see Steve, especially after such a long absence. I don't know who has more ideas for business and making money, Scott or Steve. Steve's getting involved in the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) as a way of giving back and helping people become more self-sufficient, as well as strengthening their community. Looking forward to hearing of his progress on this front in the weeks and months to come.

What was a little disappointing was that Joe K was a no-show. We missed him last week because he was doing something with his son, James. The week before that was James's wedding. So we were expecting to see him today and when we didn't, I called him. A little while later he texted me to say that he was in Erie, PA (where the temperature was a perfect 58º). Doh! That's right, he told us he was going to Pennsylvania; we just couldn't remember when exactly. Hopefully he'll be back next week.

The disappointment was tempered when Adrian R came waltzing through the door. Well, I wouldn't say he exactly "waltzed", but he certainly made one of his grand entrances. I was excited to reclaim my chess crown and went for the chess board that Lou stores for me behind the counter, but my excitement was short-lived. Adrian announced that he was back to his old self and just breezing in and out to buy a cigar or two. Mrs. Adrian was waiting in the car and he couldn't stay. The last time Adrian's wife dropped him off, we forced her to come in so we could meet her. Strange...she didn't come in this time. Hopefully we haven't scared her off. Adrian promises to allow me the opportunity of playing another game of chess soon.

And yet another disappointment...Peter had promised last week that he would stop in today, but he was a no-show. I wanted to find out how his new job was going and also tell him that I finally took his recommendation for dinner. Last night Paula and I went to Mr. Souvlaki in Tarpon Springs and I had their signature Greek Chow Mein. Wow - what a meal! Paula had the souvlaki and she was equally impressed with her dish. We will definitely be going back. I had the full order and could only eat half; I had the remaining portion tonight for dinner. A thumbs-up recommendation from me! Thanks Peter!

A shout out to Scott and the creation of a CafePress store he just put up, featuring his most-excellent knife photography. Check it out at http://www.cafepress.com/steelbrother - perfect gear for the outdoor lover. BTW, another regular at the Hut, Paul V and Scott have another shop on CafePress featuring some cool cigar art: http://www.cafepress.com/cigarshirts

That's it for this week - hope to see lots of people next Saturday!

 - Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 1/8/11

Happy New Year everyone! Many of you attended the New Year's Eve gathering at The Tobacco Hut (sorry I didn't get a blog out that weekend). We had a good crowd on the 31st: Joe K, Peter G, Adrian R, Ed B, Steve B, and Tom L. Some even brought treats to share...Steve brought wings for everyone and Tom raided his own version of the Holy Grail humidor, bringing some aged Fuente cigars to pass out.

Tom enjoyed his role of cigar dispenser so much he even migrated to behind the counter when he gave Lou his special cigar. See photo at left. I think Tom enjoyed his new position so much he's considering buying the store. Just kidding, of course! If Tom owned the shop I think it would become the area's only "adult" cigar store if you know what I mean. 


Lou took his new role as customer to heart, even sitting in a chair other than the "throne." The photographic evidence doesn't lie (picture below - click to enlarge). That is the quintessential "Lou" pose, isn't it? Just sitting back, relaxing with a favorite cigar. 

By the way, if you look in the background, you'll see a wall calendar. We learned that someone in our midst is actually dating Miss December. Hubba hubba.

A much-anticipated event took place New Year's Eve at the Hut...Adrian and I finally met over the chessboard! I know you're all thrilled to know the outcome. Adrian admits that though he enjoys playing the game, he's a little rusty. I did beat him in the two games we played, but his second game was better than his first so I fear that with continued play, any rustiness will get shaken off and I will be playing a formidable opponent indeed. The picture at left (click to enlarge) was taken during our second game, shortly after we had exchanged queens. Lou has graciously agreed to let me keep the chess set at the store, so if anyone stops in during the week and wants to break it out, feel free.


Today at the Hut (Jan 8) saw another nice crowd. In attendance were Joe K, Adrian R, Steve B, Ed B, Darryl G and his son Greg, and Ed F. Ed F is a new member - a pipe smoker no less! - and will hopefully make the Hut a regular Saturday haunt. Of course, we have two Eds now and I'm reminded of the Monty Python episode featuring the "Bruces". The group of Australian philosophy professors are sitting around and they're all named Bruce. One of the Bruces walks in with a new professor, Michael Baldwin, and makes the introductions. Going around the room, he says, "Michael Baldwin, this is Bruce. Michael Baldwin, this is Bruce. And Michael Baldwin, this is Bruce." One of the Bruces asks, "Is your name not Bruce then?" To which he says, "No, it's Michael." Bruce replies, in perfect deadpan, "That's going to cause a little confusion." So it might be with the Eds, but I'm sure we can figure things out.

For the first time ever, Joe was actually hoping I would have worn my NPR t-shirt. I specifically did not wear it today for fear of upsetting my ride to the cruise port next week. So did Joe actually see the light and convert, and that's why he wanted me in my NPR attire? Au contraire, he's fought back with a shirt of his own. He ordered it special from CafePress and received it just yesterday. The photo on the right shows what he bought (click to enlarge). Joe made me promise not to alter the picture in Photoshop before I posted it! 


Coincidentally, note the illustration in the shirt I'm wearing. It's the exact same piece of clip art. The shirt I have on is one I designed and sell in my shop, The Erudite Outlet. I was a little offended at first that he didn't buy his shirt from my shop, but of course, I would never sell such a silly shirt as what he's wearing! I got a huge charge out of Joe's shirt and will naturally have to find a way to top it. 


Today found me smoking one of my favorite pipes, one of the Sherlock Holmes pipes from Peterson. I had Lou order it for me several years ago and like all the other Petersons I own (8 total), it smokes wonderfully. I was smoking Greg Pease's Westminster, a rich English blend, heavy on the Latakia. Ed F was smoking Lou's Black Cavendish and later a bowl of Alaskan Gold. To Ed, and any other pipe smokers, I would encourage you to check out Smokers Forums. It's a fun and welcoming online community of pipe smokers of all stripes, from beginners to long-time veterans of the briar. No question is too basic and everyone is willing to help out and make suggestions and recommendations.


Lou mentioned that Mike G was in town visiting family for the holidays. I tried calling him on the number that Lou had for him, but wasn't sure if that was a cell number or home. I guess he's sticking around for another month, so hopefully he'll stop in on a Saturday in the next few weeks.


Late in the day it was just Steve, Adrian, and myself. Lou was busy tallying up the day's business and the three of us had a pretty heady discussion ranging from aliens and UFOs to psychics to the Bible. It was fascinating stuff which I think was initiated by Steve when he mentioned "chemtrails". He pointed to one out the window in the sky. All I saw was the remnants of a jet contrail and he said that no, that was a chemtrail. I had never heard of such a thing and he explained that he only learned of it recently himself.


Apparently what we all take as contrails are actually chemicals sprayed by government planes for various nefarious reasons, from military efforts to control weather, attempts to mitigate climate change, and even population control. Naturally, I spent a little time on the Internet tonight researching this phenomenon and...I'm a little skeptical that it's anything more than innocent jet contrails. Now admittedly, I've only done a cursory search on the Internet but - at least to me - the evidence tips more in favor of jet contrails than "chemtrails." 


For those interested, a Wikipedia article on the subject is a good place to start. My next stop was a website called Educate Yourself. I hesitate to provide a link because I don't want to give this site any more "Google Juice" than it already has. This is the motherlode of conspiracy theories and the article on chemtrails seems to wrap them all into one. The author of the article first talks about how chemtrails are part of the New World Order's attempts at carrying out Henry Kissinger's depopulation order, and finally  ties it in with satanic worship. 


Now, chemtrails might indeed be government experiments in weather/climate control, and may be kept secret from us, but calling it a form of satanic genocide is stretching credulity, at least mine. The author even goes so far as to suggest that if the "orgone generators" (whatever those are) don't work to combat the chemtrails, certain "metaphysical" tactics may be used, if done in conjunction with others.


This skeptic will open his mind to the possibility that the government keeps certain things secret and often acts in its own self-interest, and I will admit that chemtrails may indeed be different than contrails, but without more proof (and research on my part), that's as far as I can go right now. But thank you, Steve, for bringing this to my attention. I always enjoy learning new things and I think the three of us had a great conversation as the day came to a close. 


Until next time...cheers!
 - Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 11/6/10

Two weeks ago in this space I made a disparaging remark about Fox News, likening them to a certain German political party of the 1930's. Certain friends at The Tobacco Hut, namely Joe K, took offense to this the following week, claiming that I had called him a Nazi. In the subsequent blog, I clarified my remarks, reiterating only that the Fox News entertainers like Beck, Hannity, et al, were the Nazis, not my good friend Joe. But I apologized profusely to Joe in last week's blog. This week, when I walked in to the Hut, Joe was in the back room, and when he came out...well you had to be there. Needless to say, it was hysterical and we all had a great laugh.

How about some fascinating trivia speaking of Nazis? The National Socialist German Workers' Party did not originate the swastika for their national emblem. In fact, the word itself comes from the ancient Sanskrit, svastika. The ideogram has been used for thousands of years; its first use found in the Euphrates-Tigris valley and in some areas of the Indus valley. The swastika was commonly used in ancient Greece as well. In China, India, and Japan, the sign is mostly associated with Buddha. In the early centuries CE, Celts used the symbol as decoration, but it fell out of favor during the rise of Christianity in Europe, probably seen as anti-Christian due to its association with Buddha. More recently, it was used in nineteenth and twentieth centuries cartography as the symbol for electrical power plants. It was part of the company logo for Swedish electrical machinery manufacturer ASEA until Hitler adopted it for the Nazi national symbol. The Danish brewery group Carlsberg also incorporated the swastika in their branding but discontinued it when Hitler began using it. Finally, it is still widely seen in Finland, and is part of that country's Finnish Cross of Freedom. It was even used in advertising (see image above - click to enlarge).

Now that this week's history lesson is over, we can move on to less important topics. In attendance this week were Joe K, Peter G, and Ed B, whom we haven't seen in a couple months. Last week Vic called promising a visit this week, which I took to mean Saturday. My bad, as he came earlier in the week, so we didn't get to see him. Now that he's retired and living the good life, maybe he'll include Saturdays in his Hut visits.

Steve B wasn't able to make it, but he called. This is all we ask, people! If you can't make it, just call. This allows us to revise the catering order and size of the keg.

As is becoming more and more common lately, we had another crazy walk in and spend some time. This particular nutcase is not a stranger apparently. He's been in before asking to sort through all the change in Lou's cash register looking for the "good coins". This time he made a small purchase and took the chair vacated by Joe as he was heading home for his nap (good timing, Joe!). A college football game was on the TV and after a few minutes and out of the blue Mr. Crazy launches into a play-by-play call of some imaginary game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns, as Howard Cosell. He fell silent after a minute or so of his "broadcast" but resumed, this time calling a fumble recovery with player "49" picking up the ball and "running through the tunnel carrying Barbara Bush's purse." With that, Mr. Crazy got up and walked out the door.

After Peter and Ed left, Lou and I got down to the serious business of talking about another new pipe tobacco blend. He has had great success with Baker Street, a perfect blend of Virginia and Latakia. Just this week at the store, the first half dozen customers I saw walk in all purchased pipe tobacco, two of them buying the new Baker Street. Shortly before closing, I suggested to Lou that he experiment with a crossover between an English tobacco and an aromatic. My recommendation was to take the existing Baker Street, and add in some Cavendish. I've already come up with a name for it: London Bridge. Why London Bridge? It's a "bridge" between English and aromatic tobaccos. Very clever, right?

Two more quick things before I sign off, both for Lou.

#1: October 16, 2010, Camp Randall Stadium, Wisconsin. Wisconsin 31/OSU 18. Source: BuckeyeExtra.com

#2: Peter had a great suggestion about putting up a sign in the window advertising Christmas gifts like sampler packs, etc., to capitalize on the new traffic coming in and out of the new Sunshine Groves store next door. Don't forget to talk to Dotty about it!

Until next week...

Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 10/30/10

Saturday brought an old friend to The Tobacco Hut...Mike G made a surprise visit from Tennessee! Always great to see Mike and it was just like old times at the Hut. Joe K was there and Steve B came in later in the afternoon. If you haven't checked out Steve's new website, click here to take a look.

Lots of laughter, a little political banter, and great stories from Mike as always. Love the tale he told while visiting the Smoky Mountains (I think it took place there)...Mike's driving around a winding mountain road, carefully negotiating a path between a cop who has someone pulled over and pedestrians on the other side, and his wife spots a deer and hands him the camera phone to take a picture. In his words, Mike doesn't "even know what the f*** button to push!"

Somewhere along the way, Joe got the notion that I called him a Nazi in last week's blog. In fact, I called the Fox News entertainers Nazis, not Joe. But, in any case, a sincere apology to my good friend Joe for leaving him with that impression. I was poking fun at Fox News and didn't mean for Joe to take offense at that so, again, my apologies. Plus, I still need that ride to the Tampa cruise port in January.

Saturday found me smoking an unfinished signed Erik Nording freehand. It has a large bowl and I filled it to the brim with Lou's new English blend, Baker Street. I've written about this blend before, but really am liking it. It's the perfect blend of sweet Virginia and Latakia and I helped Lou sell a couple ounces of it at the shop to a new customer. He also bought one of Lou's estate pipes and hopefully he'll be back to join us on a Saturday.

Vic called during the day and promised to make an appearance next Saturday. Congratulations on your closing Vic and we're looking forward to the housewarming party!

I can't resist...Mike's wife Diane posted this wedding picture of theirs on her Facebook account earlier in the year and I've been meaning to post it here. I guess it's only fair as I a couple weeks ago I posted the picture from several decades ago of Lou and Dotty, so feast your eyes on Mike "back then" (click to enlarge). One of these days I'll embarrass myself and post some of my old pics. They won't be nearly as old as Mike's of course, and I'll be better looking, but you'll get a laugh anyway.

Cheers!

Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 10/23/10

When I pulled into the parking lot in front of The Tobacco Hut, I was pleasantly surprised to see Joe K's truck in its usual spot. I had expected him to be in Atlanta visiting his son James. It turns out Joe canceled his trip and I soon discovered why. Immediately after I arrived, he donned a shirt slamming my beloved NPR for their firing of news analyst Juan Williams earlier this week. This fine T-shirt was handcrafted by Joe and Val (mostly Val from what I hear) and Tom L snapped the picture you see here (click to enlarge). Probably the best reaction to the shirt came from Peter G who practically danced a sort of Greek jig in celebration of it. When asked of my reaction to Williams' firing, I admitted that the way he was let go wasn't the best, but that I agreed with the decision.

Joe and Tom both tossed many barbs my way throughout the day regarding NPR, although in a reply to Peter, I pointed out that the network itself was running news stories and commentary about it. Their reporters, analysts, and ombudsman aren't afraid of reporting on NPR even to say that mistakes were made. Obviously NPR values a diverse range of opinion (when it's rightly in line with their contract provisions) while, say, the Fox News entertainers march along in lock-step, not unlike a certain German political party active from 1919 to 1945. But I digress.

We had a new, hopefully regular, guest in our midst, a pipe smoker named Dravin. I'm hoping that I spelled his name correctly. He seemed to like the new English tobacco that Lou has whipped up, Baker Street, as he tried it and bought an ounce or two of it. He stayed for awhile and joined in the fun and hopefully will return.

Steve B came in we talked about my doing some more graphics work for his landscape company. It is also with great pleasure that I can announce that the S&B Lawn Service website I built for him is now live. I encourage everyone to check it out and keep Steve in mind if they need any landscaping. He and his crew did an outstanding job in transforming our front yard this past spring from being the shame of the street to the pride of the neighborhood with new sod, mulch, shrubbery, flowers, gravel, and more.

Adrian is back to his old self - he rushed in, grabbed a cigar, threw down some cash for it, and dashed out. On his way out the door, he did take time to apologize to Lou for sitting in his chair and also noted Wisconsin's upset win over Ohio State last week. You know, Adrian, if you're going to be an Ohio State hater, perhaps you should just keep breezing in and out! Kidding, of course.

Paula and I went over to Tom and Amanda's for a small dinner party later in the evening and I was shown Tom's Holy Grail. A large humidor filled with dozens, nay, hundreds, of 15 year old Opus X cigars. Every year around Christmastime, Tom comes up to the Hut bearing gifts as he passes out some of his prized Opus's to the guys. He also wanted me to "rub his pork", but I won't go into that right now.

Cheers!

Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 10/2/10

It was "Day of the Crazies" at The Tobacco Hut today. First, let me take roll call: In attendance were Joe K, Steve B, Barry C, Vic, Lou (of course), and myself. Barry came too late to see the first crazy, but her name was Marion or something. She barged in, announced who she was, her age (62), and flirted with every man in the room, quizzing us on how long we'd been married.

She took a particular shine to Joe and Vic. Joe because he - well - he flirted right back with her. It was kind of embarrassing, especially after I had just seen pictures of him from his recent trip to Pennsylvania wearing nothing but shorts while chopping wood.

She thought Vic was particularly handsome and made some comment that if he'd not been married she would throw herself at him. Vic tried to look flattered, but I think he threw up a little bit in his mouth at the thought.

It was good to see Vic now that he's given up the Empire State for the Sunshine State. He's been a little busy this past month with buying a new house, but I think retired life is definitely going to agree with him.

Steve and I tried to ignore Crazy Marion and conduct a little business as she was bouncing from man to man. We're on the verge of getting his website up and running - watch this space for the announcement shortly!

I enjoyed a bowlful of Lou's most excellent English blend - Baker Street - in my Ser Jacopo. This is a pipe I've owned for over 20 years and it always smokes like a dream. It brought out nice hints of the Latakia in Baker Street, without letting the Virginia take over the smoke.

Barry arrived later in the afternoon and we all argued a little about Derek "Cheater" Jeter, his favorite player on the Yankees. Vic and Barry were at the game when the "pitch heard 'round the world" occurred. They even spotted Rays manager Joe Maddon in the stands a few rows away from them after he was ejected for arguing with the umpire.

Apparently, Barry's loyalty to the Yankees doesn't run as deep as we all thought. Here's the proof. The photo to the left was snapped as some jealous fan was trying to grab his prized Rays hat from his head. I was assured that he got his hat back, with nary a punch thrown or harsh word exchanged.

Lou gave me a prized possession of his while I was at the Hut. A photograph of him and Dotty taken at their daughter's first wedding in the mid-70s. It was an 8x10 and had suffered a little wear and tear over the years. He asked if I could bring it back into shape and I was glad to do it. Of course, I have to post the picture here so everyone can see Lou in a tuxedo, and his fancy Ted Koppel-like haircut. Dotty, of course, looks stunning in the photo and didn't need any retouching to bring out her beauty. Lou, on the other hand, required so much work that even my brand new iMac (thanks Joe!) wasn't up to the task and kept crashing. Anyway, enjoy the before and after photos of Lou "The Early Days" Search! Click on each image to enlarge.




Until next week...

Saturday at the Hut - 9/11/10

Today at The Tobacco Hut I brought one of my David Jones handmade creations, a dark tan colored sandblasted billiard that always smokes nice and cool. I loaded it up with Tinder Box Reserve 1928 and settled in for a relaxing afternoon of pure tobacco delight.

Lou and I were joined late in the day by Barry and Steve. Steve and I discussed finishing up the website I'm re-designing for him. Shouldn't be long 'til it's ready to go - I'll make sure to announce it here when it's live. In case nobody was aware, Steve owns his own landscaping business, S&B Lawn Care. In the spring, Steve and his crew did a fantastic makeover of our front and back yard, installing new sod, plants, and hardscaping. We've had numerous comments from neighbors about the resulting transformation. Thanks Steve!

Joe took the week off as he had a dental procedure done a couple days ago and the dentist advised against smoking for a few days. Having had a tooth pulled several weeks ago, I can understand why he decided to skip this Saturday. Peter was AWOL, but he was probably DJ'ing at the local Greek radio station, or doing a live remote from Tarpon Springs or something. Now that he's back on the air, we'll probably never see the guy anymore.

Barry paid a visit, and he came bearing gifts. Well, a gift. For me. He had traveled to Ohio recently and picked up an Ohio State cap for me. His timing was perfect as he entered the store right at the opening kick-off between Ohio State and Miami. I immediately put on the hat and I'm sure it brought the Buckeyes good luck as they went on to beat the Hurricanes (no real surprise, of course, as OSU was ranked #2). Thanks for the hat, Barry. I appreciate it!

A shout-out to Scott who's on his way to upstate New York for a high-school reunion. Safe travels, my friend. Also, speaking of the Empire State, we're expecting a visit soon from New York Vic who recently sold his house and moved to the Bradenton area. I guess we can't call him "New York Vic" any longer. Barry said he called him "Cracker" as he's now a Florida resident. I think I'll just call him "Vic."

Until next week!

 - Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 8/7/10

I walked into The Tobacco Hut today and the first thing I saw was a gleaming white Dunhill My Mixture tobacco jar atop one of the humidors. An example of one of these highly collectible jars is shown at left. I wasn't sure where Lou got it, but I was hoping it was for sale, but alas it was for display only. Then Lou pointed out a half dozen Peterson System estate pipes for sale and a whole bunch of pipe racks and ashtrays. Lou hit the mother lode! Apparently he was approached by an agent of a pipe shop owner in Vermont who was closing his shop and he purchased a couple dozen estate pipes from him and a ton of pipe furniture.

He's in the process of cleaning up and sanitizing the pipes and has put some out for sale. Lou is only asking $45 apiece for them, which is an excellent bargain as new System pipes typically run anywhere from $95-110. Naturally, I selected one from the rack and was soon smoking it. Wow, what a cool dry smoke it is. The reservoir that traps the moisture in a System pipe really did its job and brought out the flavors of Lou's new tobacco blend very nicely.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention some more changes at the Hut. Lou has introduced a Virginia-based English blend of tobacco and he let me try a bowl of it in the Peterson. We talked about how the amount of Latakia in it should be tweaked ever so slightly and he has given me the honor of coming up with a name for his new blend. Since it's an English blend, he wants some sort of reference to the British Isles, and below is a list of possibilities for him, in alphabetical order, with the reasoning behind the names:

• Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes' address)
• Castledown (Castles are an obvious English feature)
• Celtic Dream (More Irish than English, but I like how the two words flow together)
• Falconer (Although originating in the Middle East, the sport of falconry was widely popular among the royalty throughout England's history)
• Foghorn (Maybe not British per se, but certainly nautical and England has a long maritime tradition)
• Mallory's Summit (Early Mt. Everest mountaineer George Mallory was an avid pipe smoker, and died on the north slope in 1924)
• Norman Conquest (Well, technically the Normans were from France when they invaded England in 1066, but it's a pivotal point in England's history)
• Parliament (The British governing body is an appropriate name I think)
• Sweedlepipe (A character from a Charles Dickens novel, Martin Chuzzlewit. I don't know if he smokes a pipe in the book, but I love the name)
• Wessex (Named for the Kingdom of Wessex in southern England, from ca. 600-1015 CE.)

Hopefully Lou likes one of these names and uses it for his new tobacco. Hope I helped Lou!

In attendance today were Joe K, Peter G, Steve B, and Darryl G. We were hoping to see Adrian but he must have spent the $12 that he lost last weekend and later recovered!

Lou was very gracious and at 1:00 changed the TV to the Rays-Blue Jays game. Unfortunately, the Rays took a beating, ultimately losing the game 17-11. Even with the loss, it was better than watching golf. Darryl might have disagreed with me, but I know Joe was on my side. Joe (and others) are anxiously awaiting football season, which starts in a couple weeks.

Click to enlarge

Last week I didn't get a chance to write the blog, but I have to make a remark or two about my choice of wardrobe then. I ordered a very special T-shirt for myself just for Joe's pleasure. I know how much Joe is a fan of National Public Radio, and I'm sure he donates a sizable amount of his discretionary income to the worthy cause, so I was quite puzzled when he wasn't enthusiastic about the shirt I wore just for him. In case you can't make out what the says, it reads: "NPR - Radio For Your World". Can't figure out why Joe didn't ask me to order him one after he saw it.

I think Scott R and Paul V will be at the Hut next Saturday, so I'm looking forward to seeing them. My son Ryan comes down for a two week visit next Monday, so we'll fit a Tobacco Hut visit in to the schedule, probably that first Saturday he's here, Aug. 21.

Cheers!

 - Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 7/10/10

This blog post actually covers two week's worth at The Tobacco Hut. I meant to write one after last week's visit, but the long weekend just got away from me. On July 3rd, Joe was still recuperating from his kidney stone procedure, but Peter G and Ed B were in attendance, along with a Very Special Guest from the past. All the way from Coker Creek, Tennessee (think Ma & Pa Kettle but with indoor plumbing)...Mike G made an appearance along with one of his sons-in-law, Bob.

It was great seeing Mike and it was like old times with him telling stories peppered with, shall we say, colorful language. The tales he tells just wouldn't be the same without the %$*@, %#@$*, and +%&*@#. I had never met his son-in-law Bob who was a fascinating guy who's led an interesting life and he had some good stories to tell as well, minus the more colorful adjectives.

I smoked some more of the #05 from Bennington's in Sarasota in an Ascorti Pepino. The rusticated straight Pepino handled the English blend wonderfully, producing a nice, cool smoke.

This past Saturday saw an excellent and lively group at the Hut. First and foremost, Joe K was back, bigger and better than ever. He's feeling back to 100% after his surgery and, in his words, he's finally "peeing yellow" again. (Thank you Jesus!). As someone's who peed red Joe, I can relate to what a good feeling that is! He even got up and danced a little jig for us. Hmm...perhaps I liked it better when he wasn't feeling in tip-top shape.

Apparently Joe's son James is in town, but he didn't have the nerve to show up. According to Joe, he was off fishing or something. I think he's somehow intimidated of me. Knowing that I only have one kidney, he probably knows that my other organs are even stronger to compensate.

In addition to Joe, we had Preacher Jim C whom we hadn't seen in a long time, Peter G, Ed B, Steve B, as well as Tom L and his friend Frank. Tom brought some aged Opus-X cigars. He bought a supply of them from Lou 16 years ago and has been aging them ever since. Apparently they were very good, but I stuck with my pipe - the same #05 but this time in a Bjarne straight billiard. Tom made a half-hearted attempt at offering me one but I could tell he didn't want me to have one. I'm kidding, of course. Tom actually offered me the butt of one that he was finished with.

Ed B has a new career ready when he retires from the Sheriff's department in a few years: Pest Control. A monster palmetto bug (cockroach) escaped from the empty unit next to Lou's and was crawling along the wall. Ed took a big puff of his cigar and blew it on the 6" long bug (maybe I exaggerate slightly, but it was big). It staggered a little and after a few more puffs it fell behind a shelf. We never saw it again, so I presume that the high concentration of nicotine was just too much for it.

Apparently it was also time to switch the lenses out on the fluorescent light fixtures. Judging by how yellow the ones that were taken down were, I would say that is an operation that has never been attempted before. Peter looked like he had everything pretty well handled by the time I got there, and Tom was helping, plus Preacher Jim assisted at the end, so I sat back and puffed my pipe, mindful of the adage about too many cooks in the kitchen.

That's all for these two weeks. Until next Saturday...

 - Bob

P.S. A special shout-out to Vic. See, I do mention you in the blog! :-)

Saturday at the Hut - 6/19/10

Saturday at the Hut started a little early for me with a phone call from Mike G in Tennessee. My wife handed me the phone and with no introduction, I heard Mike's voice say, "When you go to The Tobacco Hut today I'd like you to pick up two La Gloria Cubanas and drive them 600 miles to the north. I'll be waiting on my front porch for them." It was great talking to Mike especially since I seem to keep missing him when he comes into town occasionally. He asked how Joe was enjoying his retirement and offered a tip on how to kill small projects around the house by describing them as very large projects: "Okay, honey, you want those flowers planted. I'm going to start by renting a backhoe..." Classic Mike.

In attendance today were Joe K, Peter G, Steve B, Ed B, myself, and Lou (of course). Steve brought a friend, Bobby, who - like Peter - has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of all things sports. I'm always amazed how people can hang on to little seemingly arcane bits of information about practically every team in every sport. I was glad to hear that Bobby was a Cleveland Indians fan and he's not even from Cleveland. I grew up there so it's kind of an automatic thing that I would be an Indians fan, but he's from Gainesville and made the choice voluntarily - wow!

On my recent trip to Key Largo, I was able to bring back Joe's favorite cigar, the La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros. Joe first tried them at Lou's and fell in love, but they've been on back order ever since. I first tried the tobacco store in Key Largo, Island Smoke Shop, which is a large, well-stocked cigar store. They didn't have any de Tabaqueros, but I did pick up a sampler of their El Original line of house cigars. I brought back one for Lou and Peter and though I haven't tried one yet, Peter enjoyed his maduro torpedo.

On the trip back from the Keys, we drove through Sarasota, so I was able to stop at Bennington's at St. Armand's Circle. Boy, do I love this store! Hundreds of pipes, lots of tobacco choices, and very knowledgeable staff. I could spend all day in there, and I'm sure the hour we did spend seemed like all day to my wife. No new pipes since I had just purchased a new one a couple weeks ago in Boston, but I did pick up a couple Bennington blends of tobacco. And Joe's much-coveted de Tabaqueros cigar.

Saturday at the Hut I enjoyed one of those Bennington blends, No. 15. Like Lou, Bennington's blends their own tobacco and has since 1965. I had the privilege of speaking with Gary Bennington, who blends the tobaccos himself. They also stock a lot of commercial tins of tobacco, and Gary was able to point me in the direction of some of their mixes that mirror the commercial blends. I had actually come in with the intention of buying some more Frog Morton, but ended up with a couple packages of theirs.

I tried the No. 15 in a Crown Viking from The Tobacco Hut (are you reading, Tim?) and it was excellent. According to Gary, it was patterned after the famed Balkan Sobranie White Label, out of production for over a decade now. This tobacco is a light, medium-bodied English Mixture containing a high percentage of Turkish Yenidge leaf, flue-cured Golden Virginia Ribbon and Cyprus Latakia. At first, it burned a little hot, probably because of the Virginia, but it soon settled down and became a most enjoyable smoke, especially in the beautiful Crown Viking from The Tobacco Hut (still reading, Tim?).

Next week I'll try their No. 5, a mix of Latakia, Virginia, and Burley. Not sure which pipe I'll try it in. Maybe one of the other Crown Vikings from The Tobacco Hut, or one of the several Petersons I've picked up from The Tobacco Hut over the years. Maybe even the Comoy I bought from The Tobacco Hut. (Are you still with me, Tim?).

That's all for this week - cheers!

 - Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 5/8/10

I know, I know, it's been three months since I've made a blog posting. So sue me. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's recap what happened today at The Tobacco Hut. Who were the regulars in attendance and what fun banter was exchanged?

Here's the entire list of Saturday regulars and semi-regulars who were in attendance: Me. That's it. No Joe K, no Peter G, no Steve B, no Barry C, no Tom L, no Paul V, no Scott R (correction - according to Lou, Scott stopped by in the morning for a smoke but, alas, he had left before I arrived), no Ed B, no Vic (although I think he's gone back to New York so I guess he's off the hook), no James K (although I suppose living in Atlanta excuses him, but he could have at least made his usual harassing phone call), no Sue Ann, no Darryl G, and no Mike G (is it really *that* far from Tennessee to join us for a Saturday smoke once in awhile?)

Fortunately we had a steady stream of other customers, although no one stayed to enjoy their purchases. At 2 o'clock, Lou turned the TV to some golf tournament which was sheer torture for me. Unfortunately, without other folks to converse with, all my attention was reluctantly focused on the TV. I think I learned more about golf in those several hours than in the previous several decades.

I did, however, thoroughly enjoy my pipeful of Tinder Box Reserve 1928. It smoked beautifully all the way down to a fine ash in the Winslow Crown Viking I purchased from Lou a couple years ago. It's a wonderful, medium-sized freehand, partly rusticated. Lou has one remaining freehand that I might just have to buy - don't tell Paula.

In two weeks - May 22nd - Lou is hosting an Oliva tasting. Mark it on your calendars and all will be forgiven if you're able to make it. I also pledge to be better about writing the blog. Deal?

By the way, as many of you know, I design websites on the side. Here's my recently completed site for the company Peter G works for, Amen Air. Check it out!

Cheers!
 - Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 8/22/09

Compared to last week, this Saturday at The Tobacco Hut was pretty tame. Joe K did present Lou with a bill for $140 as a result of having his car detailed. This came, of course, because Lou let Joe sit in a chair that had been crapped in earlier in the day the week before. Lou ignored the bill and Joe said that that was okay, he probably had lifted more than $140 in cigars the last time he worked at the shop.

At one point a middle-aged couple walked in and while Lou was ringing up the husband's purchases, the wife walked in front of the TV to look at the Zippo lighters. At that moment, Joe was watching the golf game on TV and exclaimed, "Nice putt!" after witnessing a long putt. The woman, not realizing there was a golf game on TV, heard "Nice butt!" and whirled around to look at Joe, who immediately recognized what had happened, turned a little red and explained. All three of us laughed about it as she and her husband left the store and we told Lou what happened. And not to put too fine a point on it, but I think it's been awhile since the woman has heard anyone say "nice butt" to her, so I'm sure she was more flattered than insulted anyway.

Peter arrived, then Barry, and I'm surprised that nary a mention was made of the Yankees beating up on the Red Sox the day before 20-11. Maybe the rivalry between the two teams isn't that important after all.

Barry began to re-tell a story he told to Peter, Lou, and I the week before for the benefit of Joe who wasn't there at the time. Halfway through the story, just as he's building up to the climax, Lou launches into his own story - seemingly unaware that Barry is talking. An awkward moment follows when I point out the obvious to Lou, that - in fact - perhaps we should wait to hear Lou's story when Barry is done with his. Lou pouts a little but acquiesces. Barry does offer to cut his story short, noting that it is Lou's name on the door and ownership of the shop trumps all. Lou reluctantly tells Barry to go ahead with his tale. When Barry is done and we've all had a good laugh over it, Joe asks Lou for the story he was going to tell. Lou tells it, and when he's done, Barry looks at him and says, "Yeah, that was worth the wait." I almost blew the tobacco out of my pipe.

Peter and Barry began discussing the finer points of baseball shortly after Joe left and I helped guide a new customer with a pipe purchase. He's new to pipes - my favorite kind of customer - and Lou and I got him into a nice Peterson, along with some of Lou's premium blended tobaccos.

Steve B arrived and I think Joe left too early for Steve had a number of good computer questions, mainly having to do with workflow, the benefits of an aircard for his laptop, networking, etc. I also did a little proselytizing for Mac. Not sure if it's the solution that makes total sense for Steve, given the existing hardware he already has, but whenever I can spread the Mac gospel...

I enjoyed a Ben Wade pipe that I had gotten from Lou a couple months ago. My bowl of Frog Morton tasted especially nice. I have two Ben Wades and both are solid little pipes, consistently offering a nice smoke.

I won't be around for the next two weeks as my son is visiting from up north before he makes the big leap and heads off to college, but will resume my visits and reporting after that.

Cheers!
- Bob