Saturday at the Hut - 1/16/10

I introduced a special guest yesterday at The Tobacco Hut. All the way from Seattle, my brother-in-law Mark was in town for business and was able to extend his visit to spend time with Paula and me. I couldn't let the Saturday go by without a stop at the Hut for a cigar and a pipe, so we hit the store around 1:30 or so and he got to meet Lou and Joe.

As I filled my Ascorti Pepino pipe with some Tinder Box Reserve 1928 (I must say that this tobacco made exclusively for the Tinder Box by McClelland continues to impress - never harsh, great flavor and excellent room note), Mark picked out a Fuente and we settled in. Joe reminded us that he was heading for the north country on the 21st (Erie, PA) so we probably won't see him 'til the following Saturday. Stay warm, Joe!

I was hoping that Joe's son James "Two Kidney" Koker would call in like he usually does on Saturday afternoons, but he must have been too busy pouring vodka in his ears.

A short time later, Peter arrived and I introduced him to a fellow Bostonian. Mark and Peter compared notes and Boston history, and I think Peter was finally glad to be able to share his love of Beantown (or Tremontaine as the city was originally called) with someone with as much appreciation and love of the town as him. Not that the rest of us don't care, but some of the recondite and arcane points of Boston's history are lost on non-natives.

Barry came in toward the end of our stay and after the introductions and pleasantries were out of the way, the talk turned to baseball, specifically Yankees vs. Red Sox. Barry staked out his position as a Yankee fan and apologist early, defending their numerous championships and maintaining that, with one or two exceptions, his players are squeaky clean. He is quick to point out how juiced the Sox players are though. Mark diplomatically made the point that, like corrupt politicians, athletes using performance enhancing drugs are rampant on every team.

Mark congratulated Barry on the Yankees' 2009 World Series win, making a reference to how their gigantic payroll probably played a not so insignificant role in their win. Barry disputed this, of course, claiming that the payroll between the Yankees and Red Sox wasn't so far apart - maybe $10-20 million. So I did some research. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, the 2009 opening day payroll for the Yankees was $201.4 million. Opening day payroll for the Red Sox was $121.7 million, a difference of almost $80 million. I'll let my reader decide for himself if, and to what degree, money makes a difference in winning MLB championships. Just an aside, the San Diego Padres' 2009 opening day payroll was $43.7 million. 'Nuff said.

I had hoped for a more vigorous, and logical, fact-based defense from Barry concerning Yankee steroid use and "bought" championships, especially in the face of a united Mark/Peter front, rather than ad hominem attacks accusing the two of a budding "bromance." He did tell the entertaining story of when he met Derek Jeter in a Tampa restaurant a couple years ago. His veritable lust for Mr. Jeter seemed a bit like a "bromance" as well, and Barry unashamedly admitted to it, claiming it would be "just sex."

On that note, Mark and I took our leave. I'm not sure if my advanced hype of the Hut lived up to expectations, but I hope Mark had a good time nevertheless and will consider joining the gang again the next time he's in town.

Until next week...

- Bob

P.S. How did Dallas do in their playoff game, Barry? Sorry, man, had to do it. Still friends...?

Saturday at the Hut - 1/2/10

Unfortunately, I was forced to stay home from the Tobacco Hut with a nasty cold I picked up last week. So no pipe for me and no reporting on what transpired.

I did however send my intrepid correspondent, Joe K, to the scene. From past e-mail exchanges with him, I know Joe to be concise and succinct. So I doubt that you'll be subject to the loquacious and verbose reporting you have grown accustomed to from my writings over the years.

Here's Joe's full report now:

We smoked.

Well, then, there you have it. Thank you Joe for that fine bit of reporting!

And, by the way, happy birthday to our correspondent! Sorry I couldn't be there to hoist a pipe in your honor. Hope to see you next week.

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 9/19/09

Today's headline at The Tobacco Hut: "The Pot Calls the Kettle Black". Let me explain. Joe K was talking with Lou and I about a new suit that he had purchased last week. The three of us were having a nice conversation about how Joe was inspired by Lou to accessorize his suit with a pair of suspenders. Lou often wears them and Joe thought a pair for his new suit would look spiffy as well. I then got to musing that maybe I should wear a bowtie instead of the traditional necktie. Joe said that I had the right "look" for a bowtie and that it might look nice. Lou then said abruptly, "Yeah, bowties look good on fat people!".

So, it would seem that we've moved from "Grumpy Lou Day" (see last week's post) to "Abusive Lou Day." Not that that's a particularly special day by any means mind you, but the zeal with which Lou insulted me kind of caught me off guard. As an aside, I like to think of myself as "chunky" or "husky", thank you.

And to the "pot calling the kettle black" point, don't worry Lou, I think you would look good in a bowtie as well! Any bets as to when I'll receive an apology from Lou?

Well, once we got that little unpleasantness out of the way, the day progressed nicely. Jim C arrived and told us a little about the renewing of the vows between Lou and Dotty that he officiated over a few weeks ago. Apparently Lou isn't as gruff as he likes to pretend, but I won't go into details here.

Peter came in and he and Jim discussed some of the finer points of Biblical history and theology. Quite an interesting conversation, even for me.

Steve B arrived with his friend Brian and we began kicking around ideas to help Steve market his landscaping business online. We talked about search engine optimization, starting a blog, Google AdWords and other ideas. A lot to think about, eh Steve? I'll send you some links that I think you might find helpful.

Today I smoked a bowl of Tinder Box Reserve 1928 in a Viking Crown Winslow freehand. It's got a very nice room note and a great, smooth taste. Poul Winslow does a nice job with his entry level pipe series. I have a few that I've bought from Lou and all look and smoke terrific.

Before I sign off, I found a great collection of old pipe and tobacco magazine ads online. I'll be posting them from time to time. This one is from 1932 for Granger pipe tobacco - click on it for a larger view. We won't find ads like this anymore. Just the fact that tobacco advertising was allowed plus the ad depicted smoking around a child. I'm really into vintage advertising anyway, so this appeals to me in several ways. Enjoy!

Until next week...

- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 9/12/09

This was my first visit to The Tobacco Hut in a couple weeks. My son Ryan was visiting from Ohio, and try as I might I just can't get him to take up pipe smoking. The photo of Ryan with a pipe was him goofing around while getting his senior pictures taken last year. Ryan is headed off to Ohio State in a week, my alma mater. He's kind of excited and nervous at the same time, but he'll do fine I'm sure.

Joe K and I arrived at the Hut at roughly the same time on Saturday and - Wow! - were we in for a treat. It was "Grumpy Lou Day" at The Tobacco Hut. Well, more so than usual. He did show us pictures from the store's anniversary party as well as when he and Dotty renewed their vows a couple weeks ago and that seemed to cheer him up slightly. But it was short lived.

Joe commented on how his Padron 1964 wasn't smoking well and Lou about bit his head off. I was about to ask if we could adjust the air conditioning by a degree or so, but thought better of it.

Joe's son James called on Joe's cell phone and as soon as Lou knew it was James he grabbed the phone and let fly with a burst of obscenities that would make a longshoreman blush. Then he simply handed the phone back to Joe. Of course, this is nothing out of the ordinary.

I didn't speak to James, but he said he was sorry he couldn't be there in person to see me and rub it in that he had two kidneys versus my one. Ouch!

I bet Lou was even grumpier after Ohio State's loss to USC Saturday night. You know, to be fair, Lou did say he wasn't feeling the greatest, but it's more fun to not cut him any slack and just call it "Grumpy Lou Day".

Peter timed his arrival perfectly as Joe was just leaving, but soon afterward Steve and Barry arrived. Barry just happened to be wearing a football jersey that sported the USC colors, in sharp contrast to Lou's OSU shirt. Congrats to Barry for surviving the round of layoffs at the county and it sounds like Steve has a solid marketing plan in place for his growing landscaping business.

Speaking of business [shameless commerce plug alert], my online t-shirt business, The Erudite Outlet, had its best day over the weekend! In one day, I sold over $200 worth of t-shirts and other merchandise.

And on another business note [shameless commerce plug alert], Paula has begun to ramp up her jewelry making for the holidays. The latest creations coming out of HeartStone Jewelry can be seen at her shop on 1000Markets.

At the Hut I smoked a bowl of Frog Morton in my Ascorti Canadian. Another pipe smoker came into the store and we had a brief chat. Always nice to see another pipe smoker as we seem to be a dying breed.

I did watch a movie Saturday night that featured two - count 'em - two pipe smokers. I had recorded Manhandled (1949) from TCM a couple weeks ago, starring one of my favorite actors, Sterling Hayden. In the film, two police detectives are questioning a suspect and both are smoking pipes. Pretty rare to see pipe smokers in movies these days.

Until next week...

- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 8/15/09

Today turned out to be a pretty crappy day at The Tobacco Hut. Not in the metaphorical sense, but in the very real sense of the word. Allow me to explain.

When I arrived, Jim C and Joe K were already there, Jim seated to Lou's right in the matching chair that Lou sits in. Joe was to Lou's left in one of the white vinyl chairs. I took a seat in the remaining vinyl chair near the refrigerator.

I lit my pipe, and the other three were all enjoying their cigars, all settling in for a nice afternoon. After a bit Lou relays what happened earlier in the morning when a poor, unfortunate homeless man had walked into the store. Lou has seen him around and he's always been friendly enough. Knowing that money for cigarettes is hard to come by for the man, Lou offers him a pack of cigarettes he had been given as a sample by one of his vendors, and a cup of coffee.

The man sits down in the chair where Joe is now sitting, smokes his cigarette and drinks his coffee. Only after the man leaves does Lou realize that the man shat himself, leaving a sizable brown stain on the chair. Lou looks at Joe who is slowly rising out of his chair, and he reassures him that he cleaned the chair thoroughly.

Well, an hour or so later Joe gets up to pay for his cigar and Jim and I notice that the front of the chair has a distinctive brown stain running down it almost to the floor. I call to Lou that he didn't do as thorough a job cleaning the chair as he thought and that Joe better check the back of his legs.

All hell breaks loose at this point as Joe is jumping around, thoroughly grossed out and Lou is chasing him with a bottle of Windex to clean him up and clean the chair at the same time. Joe goes so far as standing at the front door and partially removing his shorts, saying he can't wear his pants anymore (thankfully he put them back on, but please note that Joe wears blue jockeys).

Joe attempts to sit on Jim's lap, but Jim is successful in pushing him off, and Joe tries to shake everyone's hand as he's leaving, but no one will touch him at this point. He finally leaves, heading home to bathe and do a load of laundry no doubt.

A short while later Barry C arrives. Jim and I both encourage Barry to have a seat (in the chair) so we can tell him a story. He sits down and gets his cigar lit and we proceed to tell him the story. He looks at all three of us incredulously saying, "You let me sit in shit?!" We assured him that it was cleaned at that point, plus Joe probably got most of it on him. Nevertheless Barry wasn't pleased.

About a half hour later Peter walks in. Barry gets up and get himself one of the stools to sit in complaining that the chair "hurt his back." So Peter gets his cigar and sits in the chair. We proceed to tell him the story and the look on his face was priceless. He was equally as grossed out as every other previous occupant of the chair.

Peter was also eager to yield the chair when Steve B showed up. Musical chairs continued with Peter getting a folding chair from the back, complaining about his back. Steve eagerly took the seat and lit up his cigar. We didn't hesitate telling him the story and after we convinced him we weren't kidding, he reluctantly stayed in the chair, with his legs held out from the front of the chair.

We certainly got a lot of mileage out of that one, and probably would have lured others into the chair but it was toward the end of the day and nobody else came in and stayed.

One other quick funny moment occurred when an attractive young woman came in, looked at Lou, and said, "Hi, I called earlier - I'm here for your nads." Barry and I immediately looked at each other, and then Lou clarified what she meant...she was there to purchase some Nat Sherman cigarettes, "nats" for short.

Congratulations to Peter who is getting married in the Greek Orthodox Church tomorrow to his wife Stacey. They've been married for twenty five years, but it was a civil ceremony, and they are now tying the knot in the church. Congratulations Peter and Stacey!

Congratulations to Lou and Dotty as well who are renewing their vows shortly, but he's not telling anybody when or where, afraid that we'll show up and "crash" the party.

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 8/1/2009

Well, I arrived at The Tobacco Hut this afternoon and before I sat down Lou bawled me out for not writing a blog for last Saturday, and for missing the blog from two weeks ago as well. So, my humble apologies to Lou and all my faithful readers for stumbling a bit lately. I have no excuse, other than being lazy.

Peter G was already at the shop when I arrived and he was depressed that he wasn't going to be there when Barry C arrived as he had some errands to run later in the afternoon. He was anxious to see what sort of venom Barry would be spitting regarding allegations of yet another his beloved Boston Red Sox players using steroids.

Peter and I spent a good amount of time talking about - surprisingly - salads. In particular, a tomato, cucumber, and chick pea salad that Paula had made recently. Peter suggested adding some mozzarella cheese balls to it for some extra zip. We then talked about how Peter needs to get back into the food business. Not necessarily owning a restaurant like he did before, but as a consultant or food critic or at least write a blog about it. If you write a successful enough blog, it will attract advertisers who pay to be on it. (Needless to say, the blog you're reading right now does not fall into that category!).

Peter left and about an hour later Barry arrived. But not just Barry - Barry in a suit! And not some ill-fitting 1980s fashion cast-off. Au contraire! Barry was sporting a very nice tailored suit and tie. And I got to meet his lovely wife for the first time, Lori (with an "i"). They had just come from a wedding and had some time to kill before the reception, so stopped by the Hut. I persuaded Barry to smoke at least a small cigar, which he did. I was very sorry I didn't have my camera with me since it was the first time I've seen Barry dressed up (and probably the last).

As of this writing, Joe K is probably just past the Continental Divide in his cross-country trek with James from Portland, Oregon to Atlanta. We had some good stories from Yukon Joe about his recent Alaskan cruise and hope to hear some equally good road trip stories next Saturday.

Until then - cheers!

- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 6/20/09

We welcomed Lou back from his gambling junket to Tunica, Mississippi today. Lou and Dotty like to get away now and then to try their hand with Lady Luck. The fact that Lou was there this Saturday and not jetting off to the Riveria means that they must not have brought too much of the casino's money back with them. But they had a good time, and that's what's important.

I think I reported in the last post that they went to Biloxi but I was mistaken; it was Tunica. And speaking of being mistaken, I made another mistake. A few weeks ago I designed a brochure on the Smoke Stik, the electronic cigarette that The Tobacco Hut started carrying. I provided Lou a CD with the front and back designs in PDF form, so he could take it to Office Depot or Staples and they could print it out for him.

The next week he reported that they couldn't open the file and that it wasn't in a PDF format. I said that was impossible, and he should go to someone competent like a traditional print shop. So when I saw him yesterday, he reported that he took it to a real print shop and they had trouble opening the file as well, saying that it wasn't a PDF. They were able to open the files in Photoshop and print the job for him, but I didn't design the brochure in Photoshop. I designed it in Adobe Illustrator and saved it as a PDF.

I was bound and determined to prove myself right, and fortunately I had saved a copy of the burn disk so when I got home from the Hut I checked it immediately. Well, now I'm eating some crow, because the files were saved in the Illustrator format. I had never converted them to PDF's.

It takes a big man to admit his mistake and the scales don't lie; I'm a big man now admitting his mistake. Sorry Lou!

Joe K and Ed B were in attendance today as Peter G was in Ft. Myers visiting his daughter. I'm still not smoking yet, but probably will break out a small pipe next week during the anniversary party. Ed, Joe and I firmed up what we were bringing to the party for eats. There will be refreshments and raffles and should be lots of fun. No dancing girls, unless Sue Ann shows up!

The party is next Saturday, June 27th, from 11am-4pm. There was a great turnout five years ago at the 20th anniversary party and we're expecting the same next week. If you don't have it on your calendar to attend, make sure to pencil it in. Dotty and Diane will be helping out as well, so at least come out and say hello to them, even if you ignore Lou.

Joe brought in a gift certificate that Val got for him as a Father's Day present, specifically reserving Joe's favorite cigar (a Padron 1926). Joe smoked it down to the nub, relishing every puff and, with the smoothness and confidence of a pickpocket, folded up the gift certificate and put it back in his pocket after he lit up the cigar.

The subterfuge almost worked until two hours later when it suddenly hit Lou that he hadn't actually been handed the gift certificate. Joe handed it over with a laugh and I think we all learned a lesson: it's tough to pull one over on Lou, especially when money is concerned.

I am reminded of a joke Mike G and I played on Lou several years ago. Lou had the TV tuned to some sports event like football or golf when he got up to take care of a customer. Mike suggested I change the channel and then take the batteries out of the remote. So I found "Disney on Ice" or something similar and pocketed the batteries.

Hilarity ensued when Lou returned to his throne, er chair, looked at the ice skating and erupted, "What the hell is this?!" He snatched the remote from the table and began stabbing at the buttons, to no avail. Lou's face got redder and redder, and the profanities started flying as he was now convinced that the remote was broken. Before he burst a vessel somewhere, I produced the missing batteries. So it is possible to get one over on Lou, but only when money is not involved.

Anyway, hope to see everyone next Saturday for the big party!

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 6/13/09

Well, I'm still not smoking my pipe, but it was good to visit The Tobacco Hut yesterday after being in the hospital last weekend. People sometimes ask how long I've been smoking a pipe - the photo above proves that I started at a very young age! That's me in a photo taken in 1965 surrounded by some older cousins. If you look carefully you can see a corncob pipe hanging from my mouth. At 18 months old, I probably hadn't discovered English tobaccos yet, so was probably still smoking an aromatic. Just kidding of course. I started smoking a pipe when I was in my early 20's.

Lou wasn't at the Hut on Saturday - he and Dotty were in Biloxi playing the one-armed bandits and hopefully bringing some of the casino's money home with them. Joe K was running the store and Steve B was there along with Peter G and Ed B. Ed hadn't been reading the blog so was unaware of my ordeal over the last few weeks, so we brought him up to speed.

Usually I run the store for Lou on Saturdays when he and Dotty are away, but because of my situation I wasn't able to, so Joe and Peter took care of things. Joe was in charge this Saturday and he definitely runs things a little differently than I do. I mean, sure, I give lots of free stuff away, but I usually limit it to handfuls of cigars. Joe was giving away whole boxes to practically anybody. And he took a lot of naps.

I did tell the guys how I've been trying to "milk" the whole cancer thing with Paula. You know, she'll mention a chore that needs to be done like taking the trash out, and I'll respond with, "Hey, can't help you - cancer!" When I was just home from the hospital, I could get away with it, but now that I'm up and about and feeling almost back to a hundred percent, I can't use the cancer card anymore. Of course, not having the cancer anymore thanks to the surgery kind of makes it a tough card to play anyway.

This past Friday I had the staples removed plus we got the pathology report back from the doctor - the surrounding tissue all showed negative which is, obviously, excellent news. I meet with an oncologist on Monday who will set me up on a schedule of follow-up scans to make sure it doesn't come back.

Today Paula and I bought a car to replace the Honda that was totaled almost a month ago in the accident that started it all. We bought a 2009 Hyundai Elantra, doing our part to stimulate the local economy. Too bad I can't afford to stimulate it a little more and buy the new Camaro, but I needed something to get me to and from work.

The car came with XM Radio built in and since they've merged with Sirius, they now have an NPR feed, which I'm happy about. So Joe, not to worry, I'll still be able to fill you in on everything I hear on that last bastion of fair and objective news in this country, National Public Radio. By the way, Joe, you don't even have to type in the URL; I've given you the link to NPR right here.

The Tobacco Hut turns twenty-five this year and Lou & Dotty are celebrating with a party on Saturday, June 27, starting at 11 am. I think it's a pretty big deal when any small business can make it to the silver anniversary mark, but a tobacco store in today's economy and business environment is especially notable. Lou & Dotty have obviously been doing something right all these years and I hope that everyone reading this is able to make it over and help them celebrate. Even you out-of-towners - come on, buy a plane ticket!

Thanks to everyone who wrote or called with their support, prayers and good wishes over these last few weeks. It's been a tough period for Paula and I, but made much easier with the support of good friends.

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hospital - 6/6/09

There was no joining the crowd at The Tobacco Hut for me this past Saturday. If you've been following the blog these last few weeks, you know this weekend was spent in the hospital having my right kidney removed. When I was in the ER for the car accident in May, a CT scan revealed a cancerous mass on my kidney. Standard procedure is to remove the whole kidney, and that's what I had done this past Friday. Saturday was spent recovering, and I was home today.

The doctor said the surgery went very well - he was able to do it robotically, meaning I have four small incisions and one main one where the kidney is removed. Smaller incisions mean a shorter recovery time. It is pretty hard to fathom that 48 hours after having an organ removed, I'm home from the hospital and walking around, albeitly slowly.

I have to really give a shout out to the staff at Mease Countryside. They were all very friendly, extremely competent, and compassionate. Sue Ann, if you're reading this, you are entering a very noble profession and you have my highest admiration.

Paula wasn't even jealous when Courtnee, a very pretty blonde nurse, offered to take me for a stroll Friday up and down the hallway. I was in heaven as we trundled down the fourth floor, me holding on to the IV pole, Courtnee walking beside me holding the back of my gown closed and carrying my pee bag. I think she liked me.

I only wish that my roommate, Joe, had been as considerate as I tried to be. Was it the bodily noises he made all night long that bothered me? No, that can't be helped, and I'm sure I made a few of them as well. But did he have to keep the television on from 6 am-10 pm every day?! I don't think he watched a single program for more than ten minutes; he was constantly flipping channels. Next time I'm springing for a private room.

The food wasn't even that bad in the hospital, once I was off the liquid meals. My first two meals were broth, jello and juice, but on Saturday I graduated to solid foods. A tuna sandwich never tasted so good! Now I'm home and some home cooking from Paula tonight was wonderful.

It looks weird to look in the mirror and see Frankenstein-like staples covering my shaved belly, but it's better than one large front-to-back incision. Even the shaving process had some humor. Apparently, I'm quite ticklish on my stomach and I couldn't tolerate the technician shaving below my chest a few minutes before surgery. So I did it myself - I wonder if I get some sort of discount for doing their job?

If I'm feeling up to it, I'll stop in to the Hut on Saturday for a little bit to say hi. I should be a little better by then. I'm looking forward to getting back to my pipe, but that's several weeks off I'm sure.

Until next time - cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 5/30/09

Today at The Tobacco Hut, it was Lou, Joe K, Peter G and myself in attendance. I had good news to report from the doctor's visit yesterday: according to the PET scan I had done earlier in the week, the cancer has not spread - it's localized to just the one kidney. That's exactly what Paula and I were hoping to hear. It's now just a matter of removing the kidney and there probably shouldn't be anymore treatment necessary.

I'm scheduled for the surgery next Friday, June 5th, bright and early at 7:15 am at Mease Countryside Hospital in Safety Harbor. The doctor hopes to do the surgery robotically which calls for just several small incisions, minimizing recovery time. He said if all goes well, I could be home the next day and back to work in a week.

He did caution however that because of the injuries sustained in the car accident, it might prolong the recovery. The doctor also said that if he has to widen the incisions to get his hands in there, it would lengthen the recover period and if there's bleeding or complications and he's forced to do a full opening, front to back, the recovery would be closer to 6-8 weeks. Obviously, we're hoping for the first option, but the doctor won't know for sure until he gets started.

The doctor did spring a little surprise on me in his office - he informed me that he wanted to do a cystoscope of my bladder. It basically entails a visual check of the inside of the bladder to make sure it's clear as well. It didn't take me long to figure out exactly how he planned on doing that! If not for broken ribs, I probably would have run from the office.

After what seemed like an eternity (probably only 30-45 seconds) of searing pain, he was through and I was catching my breath on the examination table. As I was unclenching my fists, the doctor looked at me and said, "Now, we'll have to do this once a week for twelve weeks." He didn't let the shock take over my face too long before he said, "Just kidding." Funny guy, that urologist!

Peter, Lou, and Joe were all smoking some fine cigars and there I sat without my pipe. I won't smoke anything 'til I'm done with the surgery and fully recovered. It's been two weeks since I've had a pipe and I sure do miss it! Truth be told it probably didn't make any difference whether I smoked a pipe or sat there breathing in their cigar smoke, but at least I can rationalize it better that way!

I probably won't post for a couple weeks, but will update as soon as I can here.

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 5/23/09

This will be a bit of a different post than the usual ones have been, a little more personal instead of just a round up of the day's happenings. It's been a pretty crappy week starting with last Tuesday. If you were at The Tobacco Hut today, you heard the story so bear with me. If not, here goes...

Tuesday afternoon I was heading southbound on Alt. 19 out of Tarpon Springs and a van was headed northbound. The van was rear-ended by a pickup truck which sent it into my lane. I always try to leave myself an escape route, but this time there was no place to go. I hit the van pretty much head on, but my little 2000 lb. Honda did its job against the 3500 lb. van. The car is totaled, but I'm alive. I was wearing my seatbelt and the front and side airbags deployed. The Honda is shown above at the salvage yard the next day.

The firefighters had to cut the left side of the car off to get me out and I was transported to the hospital where I was x-rayed and given a CT scan to check for internal bleeding. The x-rays showed a couple of fractured ribs, but nothing else broken. My right knee is pretty bruised and my left arm was lacerated from the broken glass. I've got some nice bruising all across my chest from the seatbelt that's turning a nice eggplant color.

While the CT scan showed no internal bleeding or organ damage from the accident, it did show a 5.5 cm mass on my right kidney. The ER doctor suspected it was cancerous, but urged me to get with a urologist to confirm it. So Thursday, Paula and I visited a urologist and he confirmed our worst fears that, in fact, it was a renal cell carcinoma.

The doctor was very optimistic and confident though that based on the CT scan, it looks like it is localized to the kidney and has not spread. He scheduled me for a PET scan on Tuesday which will give him more information and determine the course of action. Most likely, he said, he will just remove the kidney which is standard practice. If it were at the top or bottom of the kidney, they might just remove part of it, but since it's in the middle, they'll take the whole thing.

The good news is that with Stage 1 tumors that haven't spread, the success rate is 97% and no additional treatment such as radiation or chemotherapy should be needed.

Paula and I were obviously pretty upset and emotional at the doctor's office, but he urged us not to "freak out" and that everything would be okay. His confidence went a long way toward easing our minds, and we've since done a lot of research (well, Paula's done most of it) on kidney cancer. While we're not without concern of course, we're doing okay with it.

I have a follow up visit with the urologist next Friday and he'll probably schedule the surgery for the following week.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to visit the Hut today as I've decided against smoking at least until I'm fully recovered from the surgery. But I wanted to go and be among friends.

Paula dropped me off around 1 o'clock and I told my tale of adventure to Lou and Joe K. Peter G and Barry C arrived a little while later and I filled them in as well. Everyone's support was a little overwhelming to me, but certainly not surprising. And what I was hoping for happened...I laughed. It hurts to laugh to be sure with the cracked ribs, but it's a good pain.

Joe offered to do anything for me he could, but stopped short of bedpan duties (although he did mention a long-handled brush, but I shut my ears at that point). Everyone offered me their prayers and wishes and while I'm certainly not religious, I appreciate it. Positive thoughts regardless of their form are quite welcome.

Joe said he would drive me home to save Paula a return trip so around 3 o'clock we got up to leave. I of course took a little longer to get up because of the sore, stiff muscles and rib pain, but I got there. While Joe went out to his truck to clear off the passenger seat, Barry made the comment that the pain was in my head and I should just walk it off (thanks Barry!).

Joe returned moments later - with a shopping cart. He opened the door and wheeled it right into the store, looked at me, and said, "Hop in!". A better alternative presented itself when an elderly woman drove by in an electric scooter. The offer was made to hijack the scooter for me, but I declined.

Thanks to Lou, Joe, Barry and Peter for their support today at the shop and for making me laugh. I'll keep everyone posted on my progress and should be able stop in to the Hut at least for one or two more weeks.

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 5/9/09

The big day had finally arrived...James K's party at The Tobacco Hut. I arrived shortly after 11am and he started whining right away about the absence of the promised Hawaiian Tropic Girls. He did point out the potato salad that he brought as his contribution to the party (since it was past the expiration date, I didn't eat any).

Tom L was already there and it was good to see him after a long absence. Tom must have a bit of a man-crush on James since he hasn't showed up in months, but only after repeated announcements of James' arrival does he make an appearance. I'm just saying...

Joe was there, of course, and he enjoyed telling stories about James' past abuses of his credit card privileges and other transgressions. James feigned ignorance but his sputterings and shoutings were weak defenses. We knew the truth, for every week Joe would come in when James was at college with a new story. And since James wasn't there to tell his side of the story at the time, we always fully believed his father. Sorry James.



In the absence of proper entertainment, Tom borrowed Joe's iPod Touch and surfed over to a very, um, interesting website. In the interests of decorum I won't describe the "theme" of the website, but suffice to say that what was depicted is illegal in several states.



Peter G and Ed B arrived and shortly thereafter Joe's wife Val came in with the food. Joe had sprung for wings for the guys and I must say, he set a nice buffet for us. I was kind of hoping he would serve us too, but he drew the line there so we had to settle for self-serve. The wings were very tasty and we tore through them pretty quickly. We were hoping to just throw the bones on the floor, but Lou would have none of that. He produced a special trash can for the bones and he said he would take it home with him that night. Must be some sort of Santeria ritual or something he was planning...



Steve B arrived a little late and must have been afraid there would be no food left as he brought veritable food pantry with him. He hit the mother lode of wings, scoring quite a few of the leftovers.



In addition to the food, Val also brought The Picture. Apparently James was in Hawaii several weeks ago and lost a bet or something and donned a coconut bra. His girlfriend snapped a picture and forwarded it to Joe and Val. They had it blown up and mounted and we presented it to James today. We all knew James was a little, well, funny and this just confirmed it. Before they left, we all signed it with fond parting comments and James promised to treasure it the entire time he took it to the trash.



James and Joe departed around 1pm - Joe did a nice job of cleaning up and putting everything back to its original state (in addition to computer work, Joe hires himself out as a topless maid) - and a little while later Barry C arrived. It didn't take long for Peter and Barry to talk about Manny Ramirez, suspended earlier this week for 50 games for the presence of a banned substance. Peter was actually the first to bring up the former Red Sox player, trying to beat Barry to the punch. I'm sure Barry had no intention of bringing up Manny's indiscretions and we might have made it through the afternoon without any baseball banter.

Everyone had a great time and it was good to share some laughs and insults with the guys. By the way...FU James! :-)

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 5/2/09

Sorry for my missing blog post last Saturday. I was at The Tobacco Hut, but just didn't have a chance to get the blog written. I can't think of anything too memorable happening that day...there were no heated sports or political debates and Lou didn't fall off any ladders.

This Saturday saw myself planted in my usual chair, Joe K in his, Peter G arriving mid-afternoon and Barry C bringing up the rear (sorry, poor choice of words, but he did ask to look at my can later in the day - more on that later). Peter was itching for Barry to show up so he could dog him about poor attendance at Yankee Stadium and A-Rod taking steroids in high school (allegedly). Barry fired back with some jabs about a Celtics player not getting suspended when a Knicks player was for the same offense, or something or other. By that time the banter was so rapid fire that nobody else could keep up.

With one more week to go before James K arrives for his gala party, final preparations were being discussed. Deposits were put down on caterers and entertainment, limos were reserved for the dignitaries, and valet service hired for the commoners. We're hoping it's not so hot next Saturday that the ice sculpture melts. Because of Swine Flu we had to abandon our search of Mexican straw markets for the monkey that stole James' cigar a few years back. The bash kicks off next Saturday, May 9th at 11am and goes 'til 1pm. We might end it sooner though if we get bored with James' stories of teenage highjinks like pouring vodka in his ear to ward off infection after swimming across a retention pond.

We almost made it through the day without hearing a customer gripe about the higher taxes on tobacco until a conspiracy nut came in. He somehow managed to connect the recent federal tobacco tax increase with how the Nazis carried out the Holocaust. Joe's howls of laughter drowned out the rest of the guy's theories, but that was probably for the best.

Lou announced that he would like to go to the upcoming tobacco dealer's trade show in July, but that he didn't want to. It took us all awhile to figure that statement out, and I think the jury's still out. We just weren't sure which phrase had the most weight: "would like to" or "didn't want to". I guess we'll find out if we show up some Saturday in July and the store's closed.

Peter entertained us with stories from his years of working in radio. Well, he entertained me at least. I think Barry and Lou were talking golf. Joe had left at that point, probably to go rent the 3 foot high chocolate fountain for next Saturday's party.

Today I enjoyed my Cavicchi pipe with a bowlful of Tinder Box Reserve 1928, easily one of my favorite pipe/tobacco combinations. When I was finished cleaning the pipe, Lou asked to take a look at it and Barry asked if he could look at my can. I was prepared to bolt out the door, but then I realized he was talking about the can of Reserve 1928 tobacco. Phew!

Remember, next Saturday gets started at 11am!

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 4/18/09

We had a fun group at The Tobacco Hut today. Joe and I arrived first and chatted with Lou first about his little mishap with the ladder earlier in the morning. Apparently he was replacing the door closer on his front door and, climbing down the ladder, missed the last step and found himself on the floor. Joe and I both admonished him for climbing up ladders to begin with, but it's doubtful that Lou's stubborn streak will stop him in the future. Hopefully his ego is the only thing that got too bruised in the incident.

I fired up a Poul Winslow freehand with some of my favorite tobacco, Tinder Box Reserve 1928 while Joe enjoyed a Padron 1964. Lou reported that sales of his e-cigarette (electronic cigarette) have been brisk. After only a few days, he sold out of his stock and has ordered more. As the price of traditional cigarettes skyrockets because of federal and state taxes, e-cigarettes have become an attractive alternative. And since they don't actually produce smoke, but rather a vapor mist, one can theoretically "smoke" them in public places that would prevent tobacco smoke. It would be curious to see if this is actually the case though.

We talked a little more about what to do for James' homecoming scheduled for May 9th from 11am-1pm. Perhaps we could put Lou (and his Speedo) in a dunk tank in the parking lot. Charge a dollar for three throws and if you dunk him, you win a free box of cigars.

Barry and Peter arrived and we talked a little more about Peter's new business as well as some of the changes to the website I'm building for him. Of course with Barry and Peter both in attendance, the talk soon turned to sports.

Usually, Peter and Barry start exchanging their encyclopedic knowledge of past sports teams, figures and statistics, and I can't keep up enough to report anything meaningful, and today was no different.

Barry did mention that the 3:30 game between my beloved Cleveland Indians and his beloved New York Yankees was on TV. The bad news is I wouldn't be able to see the game since I was leaving early to visit family in Spring Hill who were visiting from up north.

I wasn't disappointed that the Indians spoiled the Yankee's home opener in their new $1.5 billion stadium though a couple days ago. After I got home from Spring Hill, I found an e-mail from Peter who informed me that in the second inning of Saturday's game, the Indians put up 14 runs. Oh, how I wish I could have been at the Hut to witness Barry's sorrow.

Once I got home and found out what the final score was (22-4), I almost called Barry just to find out what happened, beyond the total collapse of his team. But, alas, I didn't have his number.

I did, though, call my cousin Bryan in Spring Hill who was in for the week from New York, to inform him of the shellacking that the Indians dished out. As a diehard Yankee fan, I did not deliver welcome news. I'm hoping that Bryan will visit the Hut next Saturday before he heads home. If not, and you're reading this Bryan, we'll have a smoke for you!

The image above is, of course, Chief Wahoo, the Indians' mascot. Go Tribe!

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 4/11/09

Another relaxing day at The Tobacco Hut with the gang found me smoking some G.L. Pease Maltese Falcon in a Ben Wade poker. I'm down to the final few bits of tobacco in this tin and it had gotten a little dry, so it wasn't the best smoke I've had. Another reason could be that I don't think I had thoroughly cleaned the pipe after the last time I smoked it, which is never a good idea. I'm usually religious about cleaning my pipes, but for some reason, I didn't. And yesterday I paid the price. So in fairness to Greg's fine tobacco, the fault may have lain with me.

For most of the afternoon the group consisted of Lou, Joe K, Peter G, and myself. Peter and I discussed what his website should look like and some other ideas about his new business. Joe still seems pleased with his iMac, so he probably won't be gifting that to me anytime soon. Joe and Val and Paula and I went to dinner last weekend at Rusty Bellies in Tarpon Springs, and had an outstanding meal and a great time. So to Lou, if you're reading this, I heartily recommend it. So does Peter!

Oh, and this was a shocker, while we were at dinner last week, Joe stripped off his shirt and did a little show on the deck of the restaurant for everyone. I caught a quick photo with my camera phone for everybody to enjoy...scroll to the bottom to see why we got kicked out of Rusty Bellies!

We tried to come up with some more ideas for James K's homecoming. Joe's son is breezing into town for a limited engagement and is eager for us to embrace him like New York City did for Captain Sully after landing his plane on the Hudson. By the way, for everyone planning to attend James' wild homecoming bash (both of you), the date is actually Saturday, May 9, 11am-1pm, at the Hut. The flyer in last week's post had the incorrect date.

Zoning laws prevent us from erecting a circus tent in the parking lot, and good taste prevents us from hiring the kind of "entertainment" that James would probably want. So, we've hired an out of work ventriliquist. Hope that'll do, James!

Steve B came in toward the end of the afternoon and brought a newcomer in with him, Brian. Nothing too exciting or controversial was discussed and we steered clear of politics. Maybe this was in deference to Brian's first visit. Subsequent visits will reveal our true nature!

Everyone had a good laugh about Lou's picture from last week's post. Peter wanted to know which Greek gentleman in Tarpon Springs Lou had stolen the giant cross from and Lou insisted that his Speedo was red, not black. Of course, it was a black and white photo, so I'm not sure how Lou knew it wasn't his Speedo.

New Jersey Ed came in and sat down and smoked a cigar with us (not to be confused with Ed B). I don't know New Jersey Ed's last name, so he's stuck with that moniker for now. NJ Ed was a pipe smoker for a long time but has since switched to cigars and it seems a little strange to see him smoking one. I get the same reaction when I'm smoking the occasional cigar at the shop, since I'm almost exclusively a pipe smoker.

Five o'clock arrived before we knew it, the smoke cleared, and the door was locked. Until next Saturday...

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 4/4/09

It was good to be back at The Tobacco Hut today. Paula and I went to Venice last weekend, so I missed out on the weekly bull session. And it had been awhile since I smoked some Tinder Box Reserve 1928, so that was a nice "welcome home" treat.

And speaking of welcoming home, Joe K reported that in further conversations with his son James, who's coming into town the weekend of May 16-17, that the prodigal son is really pushing for some big bash to be held in his honor.

In addition to the Hawaiian Tropic Girls he wants (see the post from a couple weeks ago), now he wants Lou to promote this party heavily with flyers and ads. Sheesh - not sure how much attention this kid warrants, but we talked a little about putting a flyer together and posting it around town. Oh, and James said something about the flyer featuring Lou in a Speedo. Okay...

After we got that nasty vision out of our heads, we talked a bit about computers (of course), and how Joe K slipped up and missed a day's broadcast of NPR, at which point Lou about dropped his cigar in laughter. I think one of these days, I'll make a donation to NPR in Joe's name...

Barry C arrived after a hard day's work (really, he had dirt on his pants to prove it!), and he and I talked briefly about our memories of upstate New York as kids. Joe and I talked about Pandora, an internet music service that allows you to build custom streaming radio stations. It's been around awhile, but I just discovered it and highly recommend it.

Peter arrived and we all talked a little about the speculation behind the hotels being built on U.S. 19 in Port Richey. Apparently the buzz is that an amusement park of some sort is being planned for the Hudson area, but nothing official has been announced. Such rumors have been around for years, but with hotels being built, there might be some truth to them.

Steve B arrived and talk turned briefly to the state of the economy. Being a small business owner, we often look to Steve as a kind of gauge as to how businesses are doing, since his work puts him in contact with many different kinds of companies, and he has actual paid employees - unlike Lou who hires and fires Joe, Peter, and myself at will.

Naturally, some of the talk turned to how the new Federal tobacco taxes are affecting Lou's business. None of his customers are happy with it of course, and many are just now finding out about it. What is unknown is what will happen at the state level as Tallahassee now considers how much tax to add to tobacco products.

I had to leave a little early today so I could crank out that flyer for James' big party. It's kind of basic, and not the usual work I do for Seneca Creative Solutions clients, but I only had to get it put together quickly. And yes, the above link is a shameless plug for my new side gig!

Anyway, the flyer appears below, and - as you can see - I managed to find a picture on the internet of Lou in his Speedo, just for James. Click on the image for the full size view - if you dare! Not sure what the big bling is around Lou's neck...you'll have to ask him the next time you see him.

Cheers!
- Bob

Happy Birthday to Paul V

One of my political sparring partners at The Tobacco Hut is celebrating a birthday today. Paul V has the dubious honor of being born on April Fool's Day, but I shan't be making any comments tying his birthday to his political leanings.

I haven't seen him in a few weeks, but I hope this message finds him well and he makes his way into the Hut soon.

Cheers!
- Bob

P.S. Thank you to Scott R for informing me of this momentous occasion!

Saturday at the Hut - 3/21/09

Today saw Joe K, Peter G, Ed B, Steve B, and myself all enjoying Lou's good cheer. As the S-CHIP tax date draws near, Lou's blood pressure notches a little bit higher as he explains for the umpteenth time to a customer why the price of their cigars and tobacco is going up.

James K, Joe's son, is certainly expecting a big party when he arrives in May. Apparently he called Joe requesting the Hawaiian Tropic Girls be present at The Tobacco Hut. And he stressed that he wanted the real thing, not - in his words - "Bob in a bikini or Lou in his Speedo." Well, James, I'm not sure what the appearance fee is for the Hawaiian Tropic Girls, but something tells me we're going to have to scale back a bit. Maybe we can only afford one of them. Probably the only thing we can truly afford is pictured below. Sorry James.

We definitely need some women in the shop (Sue Ann, are you listening?), because for a few minutes the discussion turned to erectile dysfunction. A couple weeks ago it was proctology, now E.D....enough!

I loaded up my Ser Jacopo with some Maltese Falcon and had a delightful smoke over the course of the afternoon. The weather was warm and breezy and the day probably should have been spent working around the yard, but this was far more enjoyable.

A lot of the discussion centered around how New Port Richey has changed over the years, especially with Steve, Ed, and Lou present, all having grown up here or spent a long time in the area. Not all the changes have been for the good, but for the most part, the city is still a nice place to live, especially with a great little cigar shop to hang out at like the Hut.

Toward the end of the day we saw Lou in all his glory as an older couple came in to inquire about some sort of tobacco purchase - I wasn't clear what - and then started ranting about the price increase. After Lou patiently (and I use that term loosely) explained that the increase is due to a federally-mandated tax, they finally left after about ten minutes without buying anything and Lou could barely contain himself. But we finally got him calmed down. There may have been some reference made to the woman resembling Sea Biscuit, but I can't be sure.

There will be no report from me next Saturday as I'll be in Venice for the weekend. Venice, Florida, not Venice, Italy, I'm afraid. But it will still be nice to get away for a few days. I'm hoping that smoking is allowed on the grounds of the B&B we're staying at, so I can enjoy at least a cigar while I'm there.

See you in two weeks!
- Bob

P.S. James, we took up a collection for your party's entertainment, and this is all we could afford:

Saturday at the Hut - 3/14/09

Sorry for the late post on the Hut round-up. I was busy last night working on my website and today Paula and I headed over to Orlando to visit family visiting from up north. We arrived home tonight just in time to see the shuttle take off from the east coast - it was a perfect night for it and we had a great view of it. Even saw the solid rocket boosters fall away.

Anyway, Saturday was a fun one at The Tobacco Hut. I spoke with Vic T, aka "New York Vic", on the phone. I haven't seen him awhile, and he didn't make it in on Saturdays during his last visit, so I guess I'll have to wait 'til he moves down here permanently.

Most of the regulars were there - Joe K, Barry C, and Peter G. Steve B arrived straight from a golf tournament. Joe got a phone call from his son James who just wanted to make sure we were planning the big party for his arrival in May. Yeah, James, not to worry - got you covered! We're thinkin' a couple Snickers bars. Anyway, we gave him his usual Tobacco Hut greeting, not printable in a family forum.

Peter reported having a good Caribbean cruise last weekend with his family and Joe is planning an Alaskan cruise in the summer.

Joe and I gave a little recap of our experience at the Rocky Patel tasting at Blue Smoke a couple nights ago. We urged Lou to get the same type of cushy, leather furniture that they have. We also urged him to hire some of the same eye candy that they employ... ;-)

Other than a few jabs here and there, the political debate was kind of tame. Where's Paul V been? I miss my sparring partner!

Oh yeah, my bowlful of Tinder Box Reserve 1928 smoked as smooth as ever in my Cavicchi pipe. A customer did come in smoking a nice looking GBD with an amber-colored stem. Most of the Hut customers are cigar smokers so I always take notice of a fellow pipe smoker.

That's it for this week - until next Saturday...

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 3/7/09

Today wasn't the usual hijinks at The Tobacco Hut, as I made an early day of it. Of course, I don't mean to imply that only when I'm there is it a fun and lively bunch. But since I wasn't there for most of the afternoon, I can't report on it. Any readers of this post are free to fill in the blanks, as it were, in the comments section below.

I arrived around 11:00 am and left shortly after two o'clock, to meet some old friends of the family for dinner. At least I thought I had arrived around eleven o'clock because shortly after I sat down and lit my pipe I glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost 12:30. What kind of bizarre Twilight Zone was this? Like an alien abductee, was I experiencing "missing time"? Were there probes involved?

When Joe arrived, he too was confused by the weird time vortex and almost left an hour before he had planned. It didn't take long before we solved the mystery of the apparent rip in the space-time continuum. It turns out that Lou had turned the clocks ahead that morning for Daylight Savings Time. He didn't want Dotty to have to adjust the clocks Monday morning, so he did it Saturday morning when he opened. Why he didn't wait until closing time and forestall his customers' confusion will remain a mystery.

Once that was settled, I loaded up my Peterson Donegal #408 (pictured above), purchased many years ago at Lou's, with some of his Alaskan Gold tobacco. This is a fine English blend, light on the Latakia and the perfect amount of bite-free Burley. This is far from the most expensive pipe I own, but it is probably the most consistent, best-smoking briar in my stable. And once again, it didn't disappoint. By the end of the afternoon, nothing was left in the bowl but a fine, light gray ash.

As has been reported earlier, Joe K announced that his son James is planning a trip from Oregon to grace us with his presence sometime in May...and that he wants a party thrown in his honor. Sounds like a certain west-coaster has gotten a little uppity! We will, of course, welcome the store's prodigal son back to the fold and light a cigar in his honor when he arrives. And if he wants to bring some potato salad or something to share, that'd be fine.

Cheers!
- Bob