Now till Retirement

In my home there are numerous items which lead to the what would be known as “clutter”. I am not alone in this regard, as many people tend to have too much stuff they don’t use and probably never will… you are probably one of those people. Having unused items in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, the not so good is when you have run out of room to store it all where it is out of the way and does not detract from usable space where current functional items are kept. This point has been reached by myself as I have a mild case of pack rat syndrome.

I am not crazy enough to save old newspapers in the corner of a room every day until I pass into whatever awaits you after death, but I do have a hard time throwing away anything that I could possible reclaim value from. What I mean by reclaiming value is selling, giving, donating, or using at some further distant date…. which would be fine and dandy except I tend to never get around to those things.

As to why any of you would care, maybe clutter is blogging you down as well. Take a look around how much stuff do you have that is in the way? Ask yourself, do I really need all this stuff. What purpose does it serve? Is my life better having a Sega Game Gear Cartridge of the game: Asterix and the Great Rescue, when the Sega is long gone? Someone else may want that game and be willing to pay you five dollars to have and enjoy it, rather then letting it sit in a box in the closet until the day you die or get evicted.

Now imagine selling all that random crap for a dollar, five dollars, ten dollars…. whatever the hell you can get for it. It is now no longer just junk sitting and rotting, it is now someone else’s junk to deal with while you have added to your resource pool. The few bucks you get per item, if you have as much garbage as I do, should be enough to add a sizable chunk to your yearly retirement savings… or pocket cash. Whatever you do with the proceeds is up to you, even though I would invest them… its better than letting too much crap fill your life.

Most of the “clutter” is stuff I have been meaning to sell forever but never seem to get around to doing. Today the lack of effort is going to change. I have set up a new eBay account, Paypal account, and a new ING Direct Checking account to handle this. Once the checking account is up and running I am going to force myself to start listing at least 5 items a week until I get rid of all the stuff that serves no purpose in this household, be it functional or sentimental.

I challenge any of you with a similar situation to do the same, who knows it might be fun… if not at least your feedback rating on eBay will go up.

The album linked under the image below has turned out to be the best gift I have received in quite some time. I had forgotten just how much I loved the music from the first anime I saw that I did not find to be total garbage.

Cowboy Bebop CD Box (Limited Edition)

Thank-you Kevin, for the awesome gift.

Cigar Name: Lew’s Smokers - 500 Long Filler
Purchase Price: $1.00
Location of Purchase: JRCigars.
Beverage: Diet Coke.
Cigar Size: 6×50 .
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade.
Binder: Honduran.
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Dominican.
Appearance: Medium brown with slight trace of veins.
Construction: Decently rolled, thick wrapper, looked sturdy.
Aged: One year in well kept Humidor.
Pre-Light Aroma: Woodsy and wet earth.
Method of lighting: Pre cut method(10 inch match, flame tip just under cigar foot while rotating cigar, cut cigar after cigar is lit).
Method of Cutting: Large ring punch.
Burn: Even about an inch and a half down, then stayed about a centimeter to a centimeter and a half difference for the rest of the stick..
Problems: Tunneled a bit after an inch and a half then left part of the wrapper not burning evenly until burnt off.
Ash Color: Medium to dark gray.
Ash Structure: Ash held well enough, not perfect. Tapped the ash every inch as I did not trust it.
Draw: Very easy draw. Decently sized clouds of smoke
Strength: Medium.
Tasting Notes:

First Third: Starts off with a dry woodsy taste with some nuttiness to it. A toasty flavor is evident as well as coffee.

Second Third: Woodsy flavor persists, toast and coffee flavors still present, nuttiness has faded into a peppery taste .

Finish: The stick still has a woodsy flavor, just much more spicy with the pepper flavors. The coffee flavor is still evident .

Overall Impression: This cigar is usually quite a decent stick for the money spent, especially if one intends to age them for a length of time after their purchase. This stick had problems which led me to do something I hate doing to any stick… using a match to even the burn when part of the wrapper gets left way behind. The problem with the wrapper was due to a bit of tunneling near the beginning that the cigar never got over on its own and was likely caused by sub par bunching of the filler.

Though even with this problem I am going to say the stick was still worth a dollar as the flavors were quite delicious. A very consistent set of tastes that get stronger as you puff along with a bit of change to keep you amused. If medium strength is your thing, it wont hurt to buy a 10 pack and let them age for a bit in your humidor… the tobaccos used within are worth the cost, just expect that one or two will not be rolled as well a s they could be.

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Bleach number 154 has been translated and is on various hosts for download. This episode like the previous three before was not a complete disappointment like all the filler prior. Still disappointing though. The show no longer has a satisfying feeling to it when an episode nears its completion.

When I first started watching this great series, every episode for the most part left me wanting more… but it also did not leave me feeling like something was completely missing. Now when I watch the show my frustration continues to grow as each episode leaves you with a feeling of eating an appetizer where the meal never arrives and never will. Too many story lines are trying to be shared with the viewer at once with the current episode length. Either the length needs to be extended by ten minutes an episode or one story at a time need to be shared.

At the current rate of story progress I am becoming upset to the point where I no longer look forward to Wednesday night as new bleach day and am quite likely to wait until next year to pick up the series again to watch them all together at once so the enjoyment I receive is not overpowered by the lack of progression.

Two words: Fetzer Riesling.

This is one of my favorite wines that does not cost all that much. In fact the price seems to depend on the day, as on sale it will be around six dollars us and off sale it will be about fourteen dollars us… of course I recommend buying it on sale.

This wine is very fruity and crisp, the flavors of pears, apricots, and peaches is very apparent and quite delicious.

Most would enjoy this wine with various dishes of ham and chicken , but I find it tends to pair well with a rare portion of steak. If food is lacking, this wine also goes well by itself and you may find yourself at the end of the bottle quite quickly due to its magnificent flavor. Buy this wine in bulk for a better discount but please drink in moderationas with this one its quite easy to forget one is drinking alcohol.

I think as far as my family goes, everyone received items they either wanted or could use, without going too overboard. I am the lucky recipient of a new Timex Expedition watch as a replacement to my last one with a broken face, some T shirts, an Axe gift set, Dvds of the Borat movie and The 300, Cd set of Cowboy Bebop music, some cd-r’s, and some money that has already been dumped into my mutual funds.

I gave out clothing that was requested, a mixer for a guitar to my sister, money to a friend, and a computer that is not quite done yet to my friend.

Cigar Name: Victor Sinclair - Primeros - Churchill
Purchase Price: $2.75
Location of Purchase: Cigars International.
Beverage: Diet Coke.
Cigar Size: 7×50 .
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade.
Binder: Dominican.
Filler: Dominican Seco and Ligero.
Appearance: Golden brown, oily, with only a small trace of the veins showing.
Construction: Well rolled, thick wrapper. Firmly constructed.
Aged: Twenty two weeks in well kept Humidor.
Pre-Light Aroma: Light woodsy and nutty aromas.
Method of lighting: Pre cut method(10 inch match, flame tip just under cigar foot while rotating cigar, cut cigar after cigar is lit).
Method of Cutting: Squeeze the tip.
Burn: Even all the way down to the band.
Problems: None.
Ash Color: Off white.
Ash Structure: Nice firm ash, held to an inch before I decided to tap it.
Draw: Very easy draw, large clouds of smoke all the way down.
Strength: Mild to Medium.
Tasting Notes:

First Third: Creamy, woodsy, buttery.

Second Third: Creamy, woodsy, buttery, with sweet undertones.

Finish: Creamy, heavier woodsy taste, slightly buttery, some sugar and spice.

Overall Impression: I have read quite a few things pointing at this cigar to not be worth their moderate price… I would like to say those other folks are wrong. This is a wonderful cigar for the money, and unless i got the one decent stick made in the line, I am almost sure that the other reviews out there smoked them fresh or directly after transit… I make it habit to not smoke cigars when they first arrive at my home lest they come from a local location, and if I do I certainly would not base my opinion on that stick as it would be an unfair judgment of the product.

This cigar is mild enough for a beginner, yet it has enough flavor and changes throughout for someone who has a heavier taste. Throughout the entire cigar great tastes were present in gigantic white clouds of smoke that filled the room. The flavors went from light to medium pretty smoothly as the flame traveled its way down the tobaccos towards the band. I will smoke this stick again(especially seeing as I have a box aging) and would recommend it to others as well. It will probably cost 5 dollars to purchase a single stick at a local shop, but I do not think you can stray too far wrong at that rate.

Merry Christmas everyone.

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Cigar Name: Hoyo De Monterrey - Excalibur 1066
Purchase Price: $3.75
Location of Purchase: Smoke Shop; Amarillo, TX
Beverage: Malibu Rum and Coke
Cigar Size: 7.2″×54 (Churchill)(Lancelot)
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Connecticut Shade.
Filler: Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan
Appearance: Oily brown wrapper, veiny
Construction: Nicely rolled, could have been a tighter
Aged: 2 1/2 years in my humidor
Pre-Light Aroma: Sweet and smooth with a slight aroma of chocolate.
Method of lighting: Non-torch flame from Colibri lighter, while heating the tip for approx. 10-15 seconds before allowing flame to contact cigar
Method of Cutting: V-cut
Burn: Fairly even throughout; about 1/3 of the way down started to started burning about 1/8″ to 1/4″ off. Did even out in the end.
Problems: Wrapper was somewhat cracking, and I know it wasn’t my humidor, as all other cigars were fine. Could have not been properly stored from purchase place.
Ash Color: Very light gray with very light traces of black. Black more apparent about halfway through.
Ash Structure: Fairly tight, but as I said could have been tighter. Had about 1 1/2″ of ash before I flicked it off.
Draw: Nice and smooth with no problems on the draw.
Strength: Medium/Full
Tasting Notes:

First Third: Creamy, sweet and smooth with coffee tastes and a few spices mixed in.

Second Third: More coffee flavors, still sweet but not as apparent with hints of nut.

Finish: A warmer creamy taste, a tad harsh but not to the point of non-enjoyment. Blended in nicely with all other flavors.

Overall Impression: I’ve always enjoyed the Excalibur series. They are fantastic, inexpensive cigar with a high quality taste. I’ve been smoking them for about 4 years, and will continue to purchase boxes after I empty the ones I have on hand. They are a very pleasing smoke and leave a nice aroma in the air. It’s a rich cigar and has never let me down yet. This was my Christmas Eve smoke, so it does rank high. Merry Christmas everyone!

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I do not only enjoy tobacco in the form of cigars. I also enjoy other forms such as pipes. Be it a standard pipe or a water pipe… a.k.a. hookah. Tonight I decided to have a bowl of Al Fakher - Rose and it is beyond delicious.

This shisha is a very light smoke that makes the smoker believe they are not smoking, but enjoying many a turkish delight fresh from the confectioner, yet quite calorie free. (Though I am not sure if it is cancer free) . Unlike other forms of smoking, I do not give a second thought about having shisha smoke within the confines of a room.

The only scent that will be left when you are finished is the scent of the flavor. In this case the room now smells of roses. This of course adds to the enjoyment as you can sit back and relax without giving a damn about after you are done, or running a fan non stop to comb at the smoke. The smoking style is also more relaxed and less messy.

Once set up properly with decent coals and the proper amount of shisha, the Hookah will last an hour or two without the hassles of ashing or dieing out due to extended leaves of absenses. It allows you to relax and do other things while smoking, not worrying about whether it is going to go to waste because you are not giving it the attention it deserves… as is the problems with other methods, including our beloved cigars.

If I had to choose only one form of smoke, it would be cigars… but I don’t have to choose and as such I will attempt to a figure out some format in which to review various flavors and makes of shisha for you enjoyment as long as I am to keep up this nifty habit.

Well, I am completely stressed. Tonight’s the night of my Christmas party. I am having several people from the hospital come, and am going to try and round up the guys for a round of cigars. Even those who don’t normally smoke, will have to, just as a friendly gesture. Afterall, it’s just a shame not to smoke on a celebration….like a holiday. Well, that’s all for now. I’ll be posting some pics of the new look and the finished humidor hopefully next week. Goodbye for now everyone.

Until I decide to make the investment and effort of building my own walk in humidor like Damon has with active humidification, I mostly stick to medium sized humidors and coolers.

When I first started smoking cigars I found humidification of these devices to be a royal pain in the ass and not always up to snuff using traditional means…. a sponge device with a liquid mixture of 50% Propylene Glycol and 50% distilled water added. For some reason I always had trouble keeping the humidity where I wanted it. Thats was then though, and I have been using humidification gel for quite a while now in my coolers and I must say I have never had a single problem since.

Make sure the water is to the fill line and you are good to go. The gel will regulate the humidity and will do a darn dandy job at that. If you also keep many smaller humidors as I do they also have the gel in cigar sized sticks called a DryMistat.

Hello again all; here’s a fun story for everyone to enjoy this evening. About 2 weeks ago, 2 of my dogs decided to escape. Normally, they come home on their own and everything is happy go lucky. This time wasn’t the case. One did indeed return home, while the other stayed out wandering. It was very foggy and cold, and I was beginning to worry. I woke up on Saturday morning, hoping to find Chloe (the one who was insistent on staying gone) laying in the front yard. As I opened the door, being barefoot mind you, I drug it across the top of my big toe, in a rather face motion. Needless to say, it blasted extreme, horrific, and blinding pain into my body. So much pain that it was bleeding from under the nail. Well, today, I was examining it, always hoping for the best, and my nail has almost completely come off. I have about 1/4 of my big toenail left. Trust me, it’s not as painful as it sounds, because most of the tissue has died which keeps the nail intact. So, just a little amusing story for you….and a cheap shot for some sympathy. There are two things I HATE, which are stubbing your toe (especially to the point of bleeding) and hitting your shins (especially on a trailer hitch on the back of the truck). Oh well, you can’t win them all I suppose. G’Night everybody.