Field Trip !!!!!

When we got up this morning it was cold. Too cold for old bones to get excited about working outside, so . . .

I suggested going out to lunch via Costco.
Being the clever guy that I am, after Costco, I looked very surprised at my wife and said, "You know, we aren't that far from the Tinderbox!" (Actually it was about 15 miles, but still closer than to our house.) She's a good natured woman that sees thru me in a second, so she just smiled and said "sure."
I love a brick and mortar. We walked in and I was in heaven! The smell and feel of the jars. The pipes in the cases and on the wall, even the cigar boxes stacked up empty for sale. I loved it all! I even went so far as to hold a couple of Churchwardens to see if I could live with the long stem. And then I saw a sight that would make any of us happy. My wife was lifting lids and enjoying the smells as much as I do.
All to soon it was time to leave (after all, I'd promised her lunch). Clutching my 4 oz. bag of Tinderbox Sunset and matches, I reluctantly left. (4 oz is $19.00 in our area and since we'd spent a couple of hundred at Costco I wasn't ready to spend more - besides Santa will be coming soon from the look on my wife's face.)
We drove another 10 miles to a little dive in the port of Tacoma called "Quik Pick". They make the best burgers in the area. All and all, it was a great field trip.

There are very few B&Ms left in Washington. The Tinderbox in Tacoma is the only one even remotely close to me (about 25 miles away).
I had forgotten what a sensory delight it was to walk into a storefront. I enjoyed it so much that I've made a promise to myself that I'll go at least twice a year. I am happy to help support the guys on the internet, but I want to help the Tinderbox also. The only thing that would have made the visit even better would have been a couple of leather chairs to sit and smoke in. Alas, this is Washington, so that won't be happening.