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