I'll play. I'm 48 and live in the delightful weather bipolar schizophrenic land of Chicago where its 100 one day and 60 the next. I'm married and have a son who just started high school. For a job I am a pricing manager/consultant for a large technology company which means I am the financial reviewer and approver for sales opportunities across portions of the US. I also own Obsidian Pipe Company. My favorite ways to spend time other than pipe smoking are bicycling, air gunning, cooking and hosting friends over for dinner and spending time with my dog, who is simply brilliant. I recently sold off my scooter to ride my bikes more. I have 3 bikes, a city bike, a long tail cargo bike and a touring bike. One day I hope to ride from Land's End to John O Groats. I'm a city boy through and through but enjoy the country in limited amounts. Living in Chicago makes it hard to enjoy the country since 40 minutes from Chicago means its corn fields in every direction for days. In the past I studied improv pretty extensively and hope to return to it one day.
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Poker Deck
Pipes Magazine » General Discussion
Slow Puff Cafe
(215 posts)-
A tattoo on a beautiful woman is like graffiti on a Ferrari.Posted 1 year ago #
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It's the Endeavour Capt. Cooks ship.Grandson built it for me for my 77th birthday.I will get some detail pics up in a day or so.
Posted 1 year ago # -
It's the Endeavour Capt. Cooks ship.Grandson built it for me for my 77th birthday.I will get some detail pics up in a day or so.
Oh, great. A US space shuttle was named after the Endeavour, such a great ship.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I am 66, retired and live on 5 acres in rural SE North Carolina. I worked as an Electrician in construction for 20 some years and then as an Instrument technician for about 18 years before retiring in 2006. I moved from CA 5 years ago to NC and do not have any regrets. I collect mostly Danish pipes and vintage tobacco. I sell pipes and tobacco on and off on eBay. Am planning eventually on having a website to sell vintage tobacco and other related items. I am married to a NC girl who is a gem! We have 5 cats and 3 dogs. Too many! lol I like to travel, but am limited by the cost of fuel. I have a 1988 BMW MC with a sidecar that I like to put around on. I go to pipe shows twice a year.
May your hands always be busy, May your feet always be swift. May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful, and may your song always be sung, May you stay forever young! Bob DylanPosted 1 year ago # -
Names Aaron, 27 been smokin a pipe for about 6 months now. Im from lafayette Louisiana and was born and raised cajun. Love to fish and started hunting about three yrs ago. Not married yet but have been dating the same girl for almost two years and recently found out we have a kid on the way and I couldnt be more exited. i also love to cook. i do commercial refrigeration all over the south and have probably been to your home town more than once if you live in MS AS LA TX or AL. Oh and BOB don't let it get to you(which i'm sure you don't)... we call anyone outside of south louisiana either a redneck or a yankee!
Posted 1 year ago # -
we call anyone outside of south louisiana either a redneck or a yankee
I'm from Lafayette, too. Lafayette, Indiana. I've always been fascinated with cajun country. Indiana's not an exciting state, but we're a down to earth, unpretentious people. I'm not sure if Hoosiers would be considered yankees or not
Posted 1 year ago # -
bump for the new members to respond
Want to get raped? bank with Wells Fargo, the worlds biggest Criminals
Does a culture based on seperation and competition, of scientific sophistication and mideval religion, offer happiness even as it ravishes the Earth that sustains it?Posted 1 year ago # -
I am 22 years old and I have been smoking a pipe since my 18th birthday.
I currently work for a boutique hotel in Norman, Oklahoma and I wear many different hats in my job.
I am a big guy, I stand 6 feet 5 inches tall and I weigh 300 pounds.
I have practiced martial arts since I was 7.
My other hobbies are Acting, Moderating this forum, reading, disc golf, and dumpster diving. I do a fair amount of computer repair on the side as well.
I have a gorgeous wife that can be seen here.... Cynthia SmokingI have no idea what else to write in this post. I am not very good at describing my life!
Mason jars and bale top jars, mason jars and bale top jars.... that is all!
"There’s truth in the statement that pipe tobacco will never be any less expensive than it is today, so think of your cellar as a cost averaged investment" - G.L. PeasePosted 1 year ago # -
I have no idea what else to write in this post. I am not very good at describing my life!
I'll add that Bubba is one of the most helpful, friendly and generous guys you'll ever meet!
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm 48 and live in the delightful weather bipolar schizophrenic land of Chicago where its 100 one day and 60 the next
Hauntedmyst, get your atlas out and look for Peoria, then go about 45 miles east. Little town called Flanagan, maybe 100 miles south of you. Thats where Im at!
Posted 1 year ago # -
My other hobbies are Acting, Moderating this forum, reading, disc golf, and dumpster diving
dumpster diving?
Posted 1 year ago # -
At a CVS near my house there is a dumpster that says "Private Property - No Trespassing. Trespassers will be prosecuted." Its filthy and I couldn't help but think, is this really necessary? If you are voluntarily getting in a filthy, smelly dumpster, hasn't life prosecuted you enough without the dumpster police needing to get involved?
Posted 1 year ago # -
bump for the new members to respond
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hello, My name is John and I will be 49 this Sunday, I was born in the foothills of NC and moved to Pensacola Fla. with my Father, Mother and sister when I was 7 and we moved back to central NC when I was 14 and have been in this area since then. I will be married for 20yrs this November and my Wife and Me have no children, I am a lineman for the electric utility in my area and have done this for almost 25 years and the way things are looking it will probably be another 25 before I can retire, That being said, I am very very thankful for my job and I pray that those without one will have a job soon. My leisure time is helping folks that I know like mow yards and fix what needs to be fixed. I started smoking a pipe seriously last year and for whatever reason I cant seem to stop buying pipes and tobacco, The more I see the more I want. I am a cigarette smoker for almost 32 years and am getting very tired of that and is one of the reasons I started the pipe back up and the pipe helps quite a bit, I practice playing a banjo in the in between time, not very good at it but not so bad that it scares the cat away, I play clawhammer style, That means I play with my thumb and index finger and I dont use picks, As far as pipes are concerned I like savinelli pipes, They seem to be my favorite, I like the look and feel of the savinelli's and they tend to smoke well for me. I started off with a savinelli and some prince albert when I started smoking and soon after that I ordered a pipe from 4noggins and they sent me a sample of bald headed teacher with just the slightest hint of latakia, When I had a smoke of that it was all lat and oriental blends for me with the occasional otc to break it up once in a while.
Enjoy what "You" smoke, and smoke what "You" enjoy.......Regardless of what anyone else thinks about it.Posted 1 year ago # -
Howdy! I am going to be 56 years old in December. I live in Sonoma County CA. I am not a native Californian - as I was born in the South - Alexandria VA. My Dad and Mom packed up the Family (my brother and I) at age 5 and moved out to a state he thought would be a disappointment. "You just can't get good Lobster!" he'd grumble (he was a country boy from ME who became an airline pilot after Charles Lindberg landed in a field near his Dairy Farm). Needless to say he loved it out here and spent all his freetime Golfing! He was totally adicted to pipe smoking - and always had a bowl of Amphora Red going in his pipe.
I graduated from High School in 1974 and went to Chico State for a few years. Moved back East and attended a State College in MA. While hitchhiking in Cape Codd - a Marine Corps recruiter gave me a lift. What followed was 4 years of USMC - got out as an E4/Corporal. I then moved to New York City where I was accepted at the Neighborhood Playhouse and pursued an acting career for 8 years. However, stardom is elusive and I ended up playing my most famous part "The Bartender" where I schlepped frozen margaritas for many years. Oh! I did get on a couple of Soaps - primarily One Life To Live. Perhaps you remember seeing the back of my head in all the restaurant scenes? "Oh Waiter!" Moving on from the 80's I came back to CA and based on some bizarre impulse - got accepted at a Chiropractic College in San Lorenzo. I finished my degree. Got divorced and decided that I definitely did not want to be a Chiropractor. So a friend recommended I try to get a job as a Massage Therapist - and it's been a 16 year career ever since. I did get a 5 year break where I sold wine for various wine brokerage houses - but I still did massage therapy part time.
I have been married 3 times and am on my 3rd and final marriage (I am not doing this again!). I have been lucky to meet & wed a beautiful Italian/American woman who I love very much. We have been married 2 years. We have a lovely teenage daughter who loves to shop, scream alot and sulk - but all in all it is a good fit. We have a cat named Lady Bug and a dog named Pelushi (Pelush looks like an unmade bed most of the time - despite baths and hair cuts).
I love movies especially old B movies. I tended to watch a lot of Black & White movies on TV when I was a kid. I have reviewed old Horror Movies in fan magazines. Collected Old Horror movies (1940's-1980 releases). But generally speaking I love Cinema - my favorite movies are usually Black & Whites - so Film Noir, Universal Monster movies, Suspense, Thrillers, Gangster movies are natch for me. I just think that the old B movies have a lot of heart and imagination. I love to read and have been reading since I was very young - I always wanted to be Tom Sawyer. But generally speaking - I read about whatever strikes my fancy at the time - can be just about anything...Ok maybe not Everything! So I guess you can say I love to read, watch old movies, listen to music (Rock, Surf, Lounge, Blues, Classical, Opera) and do a little writing in my spare time.
I have been smoking a pipe since 1988 and have been collecting off and on again over the years. I usually ended up trading my pipes a way - so my collection is not huge. I smoke anything that I deem well made - so that includes Aros, VaPers, Hybrids, Flakes and English. I love to smoke a pipe first thing in the Morning with coffee and last thing in the evening with a glass of wine or beer or coffee again. Usually I can have a little time to myself outside (where I am banished) before the howls and demands bring me back inside the house.
Posted 1 year ago # -
OK, get ready, this may take awhile, as you know I'll post up sh!tloads of pictures, a story isn't worth a crap without pictures.
I too am 56, born unfortunately in Central Ky.,spent the first 18 years there, moved away as soon as I got out of High School...never did like that sh!t-hole place.
Moved to central Ohio where I lived for 18 years and met my wife of 33 years (she is on the right, daughter on the left)
I worked for Owens Corning Fiberglas Technical Center for 10 years until the big re-structure, then worked at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft for 5 years, then decided I hated cold weather and took the re-location package from the plant closing and moved to NC where I've been now for 18 years. I did Commercial HVAC/Refrigeration all that time and now for the last 5 am employed as a HVAC Estimator for a Mechanical Contractor. Unfortunately I never liked any of that crap, still hate it with a passion that cannot be described within the English language.
My hobbies keep me half-way sane, which there is too many.
Fishing:
Motorcycles:
spraying things:
Speaker Building...a pair of 8 ft tall models I built and sold
Making Projection Screens...my 110" on my Great Room wall:
playing trumpet:
driving exotic cars:
Racing karts on the big road racing tracks:
and the multitude of home projects, been working on the garage for 5 years now, still not finished( drywalled, Heat pump installed, epoxy floor, wall cabinets, projection screen on front wall, 5.1 surround sound
built a loft for storage above the garage door
Now I have to tear down the false chimney off the back of the house, fill in the roof area, replace siding, then go inside the house and rip off the mantle, remove the fireplace and drywall and replace all of it since the incompetency of the piece of sh!t roofing contractor allowed water to flood my house.
Also restoring my 1994 Suburban with 270K miles on it ( original engine still has 160# compression on all cylinders) stripped/blasted all the paint off of it, resprayed it, gutted the interior, etc.
before:
after:
so still working on my Bucket List, doing pretty good this year as I'm going to drive an Indy Car in November, getting closer to being able to work with my son in his stereo/subwoofer business:
http://www.stereointegrity.com
http://www.obsidiancaraudio.comI guess that's it for an abbreviated version, oh, did I tell you I'm a
Posted 1 year ago # -
Suddenly I am suffering from Photo Envy!!! Ah well here is a picture of my new Roy Frame Jr. Freehand pipe
SMOKING THINGS!
Oh by the way, just FYI for those who live in the Bay Area - I worked at 2 pipe stores (albeit briefly): Sherlock's Haven San Francisco - when Marty Pulvers was still in the Embarcadero Plaza and Druquer's when it was still open on University Avenue in Berkeley. So I kind of know tobacco and what I like. Who knows? Maybe I sold you something.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Y'know? I thought I had done this, but in the spirit of keeping Hobie off my back......... Here goes.
Born in 1955 and raised in Surrey and Sussex in the UK. Started fooling around with Guitars and Piano when I was about 6. First Job was working in a Music Shop, which lead to me joining a few bands in the area as the years went by, culminating in ending up touring most of Europe playing Army and USAF Airforce Bases etc. On a brief visit home, was approached to record some guitar parts for a friend who was a Singer Songwriter with a contract with Island Records. This in turn ended up with me becoming one of the regular session guys who worked for Island and a few others. Toured and recorded pretty much continuously up until 83 when things went wrong on the relationship front and ended up flat broke, in huge amounts of debt that I was completely unaware of, only to discover that everything I owned had been sold apart from the clothes on my back. Worked flat out for 18 months just to repay Madam's debts, living on various friends settees and floors until I was able to afford a one room flat.
For various reasons, left the music industry and began working with the elderly, mentally frail. Continued with that for about 6 years and then got that wanderlust again and upped sticks and moved further north. Got a job in another music store and started playing again. Been that way ever since really. Met and married my greatest friend in the world and finally began to trust again. Had a glitch on the health front in 1995 which led to me becoming a Bi Lateral amputee (ankle level). Continued playing sessions etc but no more Gigs unless they were Theatre Gigs where we are seated either in a Pit or behind the Wings out of sight. Moved to East Anglia and have been here ever since. 3 years ago had to have further amputations which took me to the rather more conventional "Below Knee" level and I now have my full mobility returned and am enjoying every second of life again.I have been a Pipe Smoker since 1976 and have been a devotee of Petersons for all that time.
Communicating via this internet malarkey is an ideal way for me to socialise with YOU, the great unwashed and uneducated, whilst keeping you all at a distance. Tones it down you see?Posted 1 year ago # -
Bump for the new members to respond
Posted 1 year ago # -
no bites from the newbies?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I will bite.
Glad I am not the only female pipe smoker on the forums. I am married toPaul The Pipe Ninja, it will be 10 years, oh nuts, next friggin week.
I picked up pipe smoking after my grandfather passed away. I was about 15 and I was close to him, when he passed my father gave me one of his pipes. After sitting on my dresser for many years, curiousity finally got the better of me to give it a try. I really enjoyed it, but I had the typical growing pains like many others, wicked ass tounge bite/burn, limited knowledge of how to pack and light a pipe etc. But I finally got the hang of it.
I work as a freelance photographer, with images submitted to many of the major news wires, so I follow the news and travel quite a lot. The travel bit is getting old however and both He Who Must Obey Me and I are looking to start a full time photography studio.
Paul and I share many of the same hobbies that, quite frankly, I think it can be a little erie. We both love horror / suspense movies (we both love a good scare), love of photography, sports (he follows baseball and hockey, I just follow baseball and tollerate the hockey).
We are coffee freaks, there is never a moment the coffee pot is not brewing something. We definitely are not coffee "snobs" however, as we primarily drink Dunkin Donuts, we know there is much better stuff out there, but it is what we like.
That's about all I can think of at the moment. Now that Paul forced me to answer this, I am handing the laptop back to him
!Oh! I almost forgot our pets. We have a rescue Shih Tzu named Howie (my profile picture), an orange Persian Cat named Ollie and we are looking to add a maybe Basset Hound to the mix or a Lhasa Apso (damn Paul wants a white one with long fur so he can name it Casper).
Posted 1 year ago # -
@ The Pipe Ninja and the Ninja Master...
I'll forget by next week, so Happy Anniversary now!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Anonymous
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Posts: 2,331offlineLogin to Send PM
The Pipe Ninja and the Ninja Master...
I'll forget by next week, so Happy Anniversary now!
Thank you Philip - I am sure I will forget by next week too
Posted 1 year ago # -
Better stop digging Paul, she knows where you live!
Hullo and greetings pipeninjamaster!
ROTFL, the master in you alias takes on a whole new meaning, hehehe (-;
Snus, snuff and briar.
Not much more required in a day.
Brian from Oregon USAPosted 1 year ago # -
now the rest of you slackers need to post up your story.
Posted 1 year ago # -
My real name is Ben.I'm 18. I live in nowhere Michigan and work at McDonalds. I enjoy to cook and bake.I also like playing video games and I love movies. I live on 21 acres, and we have a track the runs around most of it for atvs.I like to shoot guns, but I don't hunt.Thats pretty much it
As long as I got a pipe full of baccy and a nose full of snuff, I'm a happy camper
Cigarettes are an addiction, cigars are a hobby, pipes are a religionPosted 1 year ago # -
I'm 37, married for 9 years and have two children (ages 5 & 3). I'm originally from NE Florida, but escaped to Alaska 14 years ago. The decision to move here a spur of the moment thing. I quit my job, sold all my stuff, dropped out of college, and bought a one-way plane ticket. No job, no plan, a few hundred bucks in my pocket was all I had. It wasn't easy, but now I have a trade and I live a pretty good life. I love it here! Ah, my trade. I'm a truck driver by trade and I typically do heavy haul on the Slope and around the state. I used to specialize in HAZMAT tank but when I learned that I could make more money hauling dirt with less responsibility, then I moved into gravel haul for a bit. Now, I'm the lowboy guy (75 & 100 Ton lowboys)
As for my hobbies. I'm a car, motorcycle, boat guy. Well, truthfully, pretty much anything with spark plugs kind of guy. I fish (often, poorly), Love to cook, much to the detriment of my waistline. Last and most expensive, continuous projects at "Rancho dinero pit-o" My old house and property.
What I do.
From my last job. Just north of Atigun Pass in the Brooks Range at Galbraith Lake. In the Mornings, I would have my morning pipe, a cup of black coffee, and quietly enjoy the sunrise. A good way to start the day, even if it's only 15 degrees outside
If you can't fix it with a hammer, then it must be an electrical problemPosted 1 year ago # -
Anonymous
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Posts: 2,331offlineLogin to Send PM
Joe, I got to ask, you drive the ice roads?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Joe, I got to ask, you drive the ice roads?
Not only do I drive on them, but I often help build them in the winter. Don't believe everything you see on TV.Ice road on ocean to Oooguruk Island
Posted 1 year ago # -
Anonymous
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Posts: 2,331offlineLogin to Send PM
Not only do I drive on them, but I often help build them in the winter. Don't believe everything you see on TV.
Ironically, I don't like that show! So I take it with a grain of salt. My impression is: It aint easy and it aint for everybody
!But I just a found respect for truck drivers in general, what you guys can do with a truck most people cannot do with a car, let alone on ice.
Oh and welcome to the forums - glad to have ya!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hm.
61 years old, retired involuntarily due to the bank shenanigans in '08. Was in IT; spent the last 10 years doing contract work for the Ford and GM - mostly Ford, including Ford Credit. Married 37 years, 3 daughters, ages 29, 27, 25. (All three have college degrees, real jobs with benefits that can't get sent to India, and own houses - one of those is a HUD house being rehabbed that should be ready soon. One married, one getting married next October.) No grandkids.
As a former IT guy, computers are just normal for me, so I do a lot of online stuff. Active in my church - I'm a Unitarian Universalist - state commissioner for the Clan Campbell Society (North America), member of the local St. Andrew's Society. Also a voracious reader.
After two years of unemployment, then a bunch of part-time stuff for the Census Bureau, I am just now trying to figure out what it means to be retired.
Thought in the early morning, solace in time of woes,
Peace in the hush of the twilight, balm ere my eyelids close
Rudyard KiplingPosted 1 year ago # -
I dont know if I posted here when I was new so here goes. I am an iron worker I live outside of Pittsburgh PA I am 32 married with 2 kids and one on the way my oldest is 3 I must be crazy. I like anything to do with the outdoors. I smoke more cigars than pipes but would like to get back into pipes.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Bump for all the new members to respond
Posted 1 year ago # -
Come on guys/gals, this is usually a fun thread for everyone to read, so all you new members post away.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I agree with you Hobie, this is a fun post to read. I'll put my story up since while I'm at it.
I am 20 and will turn 21 this August. I was born in downtown Chicago and slowly made my way north (within Chicagoland) as I got older. I am a swimmer and classical piano player and recently I've been plucking a guitar because there is no piano for me to play (more on this later); I've been doing both piano and swimming since I was 8. I swam on club up until high school where I then joined the varsity swim team. I swam my first year at Grinnell College before other interesting things popped up my second year, so I dropped the competitive swimming. Piano-wise, I enjoy playing pieces by Bach, Liszt and Chopin primarily. I've played some Rachmaninoff and Beethoven too.
I graduated from High School in 2009 and was admitted to Grinnell College in Iowa. I went in as an "undeclared" major, but I had a good idea that I wanted to do some sort of science. Physics and Chemistry seemed to be my calling. Second year rolled around and I was still unsure. I took an introductory acting course my first semester because my sister recommended it, and I absolutely loved it. Maybe because it was completely different than all of my other lecture/lab-based classes. I decided not to swim this second year because auditions for the school theater production were coming up. I'd been swimming competitively for so long, and being on the team was a big time drain. I thought it was time for something different. I participated in the play, had a great time, and called home about it, yadayada. My piano teacher of... oh, 6 years or so showed some interest. She told me that I should go to China and see what the market was like for actors. She recommended that I go after I graduate from Grinnell. I had some other plans. I was getting a bit sick of Grinnell, actually, so I decided that I wanted to take a year off. I talked to my school about the possibility, they said "sure", I went online and looked up film schools in China, found Beijing Film Academy and applied. I applied for the 1-year program and was accepted. Currently I'm on winter break (Jan 13 - Feb 27... FAR too long if you ask me) and preparing for the entrance exam for the bachelor's degree, the four-year acting program.
Yes, now I have to decide whether or not I want to stay here for four more years and do some acting stuff OR go back to Grinnell and finish my Physics/Chemistry degree... quite a decision I have to make. I want to curl up into a ball...
How I got into smoking... Well, I can safely say that it was a bit of a uncertain decision. I actually had a distant uncle that passed away from, I think, a severe asthma attack. Despite his asthma, he still smoked cigarettes. When I was younger, I had some issues with asthma too, but swimming pretty much got rid of that completely. So, I started out by looking at things I could smoke without having to inhale. I have a neighbor back at home that smoked cigars when it was summer. I'd have my window open and a wonderful smell would always waft by. So I thought to myself my second year in college, "I want to try a cigar". I was scared of pipes because I thought that there was so much equipment that I had to get BEFORE I could even enjoy pipe tobacco. I went to the small market in my college town and looked inside their humidor. Well, not really a humidor, just this cabinet that LOOKED like one; it didn't seem like there was any proper temperature and humidity regulation within. I bought two, brought them back, and lit one up. HURK, after I tried both, I was thinking to myself, "How do people even smoke these things?". Granted, this was one of those cheapie cigars. I knew I had to go to an actual tobacconist to get some real cigars.
Several weeks later, I hear that there is a shuttle going from our college to Des Moines Iowa. I look up online if there are any tobacco shops in Des Moines. I find one, but it's in Central Des Moines and the shuttle is going to West Des Moines. No problem, I can walk, right? The shuttle was going to pick us up after six hours in Des Moines, so it seemed like plenty of time.
I didn't factor in my stupidity. I didn't wear comfortable shoes for walking/running. I had brought my laptop (why did I do that again?). It took me hours of walking/running in hot and sunny weather. When I got to the store, I couldn't have been happier. I picked out some Oliva, Rocky Patel, Brickhouse, and two others. Then I looked at the time. Only two hours left, crud. I had no choice but to call a cab. I climbed and after we started rolling, I watched the money count go higher and higher. I looked in my wallet. Uh oh, I shouldn't have gotten that 5th cigar, should I have? For some reason, I decide to ask the cabbie what a cabbie would do if the customer made a run for it because they didn't have enough money. OH MAN you had to be in that cab to fully realize the situation. The cabbie was suddenly super... defensive, should I call it? He told me about how he had numerous friends and family members in the law business. He definitely thought that I was planning on making a run for it. Truth be told, after he described all the methods available to him, I was getting a bit scared because I actually didn't have enough cash on me. Luckily he took debit, which I had.
Oh god, this is getting incredibly long, or at least that's what it feels like. I'll wrap this up.
I tried those cigars, they were kind of meh. The Rocky Patel The Edge was way too strong for me or my friend (he was also getting kind of interested in tobacco and cigars, sadly -- in my opinion -- he's gone the way of bongs and vaporizers...). During my late-night security office dispatch shifts, my officer walked by my computer as I was looking at random cigar websites. He then told me how he used to smoke pipes but things changed in his life and cigarettes were much more convenient (I recently shot him an email, to which he hasn't replied yet, that I myself had gotten into pipes).
And yes, smoking is much easier here in China, you can kind of do it wherever you want. I'm sure that has accounted for my getting into what I initially thought was inaccessible, pipe smoking. All I have left on me currently is ... 150RMB and I haven't paid rent for this month yet. If I could I would definitely go and get myself some more tobacco, but getting more pipe cleaners is hard enough as it is.
Welp, here ya go, that was kind of a random ramble, but that about sums up what I'd say in a bar/random place type of setting. I'm glad I was able to read about some of you guy's interesting stories. As I approach that fork in the road, your experiences will help me choose which route to go, but who knows, maybe those two paths will converge at some point...
Happy puffing.
-SwillyPosted 1 year ago # -
Holy crud that was longer than I thought...
Posted 1 year ago # -
34 years old, happy to still be here.
No wife, no kids, never been lucky in love, but been lucky enough to love a few times. I'm not sure if women made me crazy, or I made them crazy, or both, or what.
I used to do a lot of things, I've had many jobs, retail, call centers, mortgage sales, drove a cab, bank teller, dog walker, data entry, web design, IT infrastructure, and now I deliver mail as a courier (for the second time in 14 years). I've said it before and I'll say it again, walking dogs in the sunshine or driving a mail van around beats the heck out of earning a little more money sitting in a cubicle 9am-6pm Monday through Friday.
Start playing guitar when I was 14, my Dad taught me. Tried terribly hard to progress at it through my teen years but I hit a creative wall and put the thing down.
I describe myself as a techno sci-fi geek. I love my gadgets, consumer technology amazes me and I try to stay current on it. I built the PC I'm typing to you on now entirely from parts ordered from NewEgg. I like my video games so this thing isn't state of the art, but it's pretty close.
I'm a huge Star Trek and Star Wars fan, I've even been to conventions (I did say I was a geek). I saw David Duchovny and Gillian Andersen talk about the 2nd X-files movie before it came out at Wondercon 2008, and I've seen most of the cast of Star Trek The Next Generation uncomfortably get through getting on stage and trying to be entertaining in front of a crowd full of sci-fi wierdos (like me). Brent Spiner is by far the most awesome and Nichelle Nichols (Uhura from the original series) has a wonderful singing voice.
I used to totally avoid prime time TV but that changed about 5 years ago. Seen every single episode of: Star Trek The Next Generation, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, 24, Fringe, House, the 4400, and Doctor Who (excluding the ones that aired before I was born)
I've dabbled with DJing at home, mixed some progressive trance music, enough to make an album that I've only let a few people listen to. It isn't that great.
I'm a movie buff, I have so many quotes and movie themes floating around up there that I usually can tell when I see even a fairly obscure actor/actress from one movie to the next. I respect good acting, I recognize that these performances are a reflection of our dreams (and sometimes nightmares).
Even though I realized a long time ago that I can't play guitar very well, I've listened extensively to any music involving the instrument. Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and probably a thousand other artists and groups I will fail to mention here, I have profound respect for.
I'm also a huge fan of new age, electronica, ambient, trance, and house music. Daft Punk, Cicada, Fatboy Slim, Robert Miles, Groove Armada, Klaus Schulze, Enigma and this 17 year old kid from France that goes by Madeon are on the top of my list.
Music has gotten me through dark times, and a wise woman once told me "without music, there would be no joy". That might not be true for everyone, but it's pretty true for me.
I'm fond of getting into debates with people who are willing to share interesting thoughts and have open minds (I run into way more of these types of folks online than I do in person).
Geez, I almost forgot about books. I've either listened to on audiobook or read every book by Dean Koontz, Terry Goodkind, and Tolkien.
And I have many folks to thank on this forum for helping me enjoy pipe smoking to the utmost. I think you know who you are.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Oh Snap, Terry Goodkind! His Sword of Truth series was and still is my favorite series of all time. Glad to know another fan is on here.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Ill throw some newbie goodness in here.
I am 24 years old, from Houston, Texas. I have been happily married for just under 2 years to the most incredible woman
I was born in Dallas, moved to Houston at a week old. Due to strong influence and admiration of my grandfather - a country guitar player who played with many of the 50's and 60's legends - I spent the early part of my life obsessing over music and wanting to be a professional entertainer/musician. I did my time in a rock band and quit when I couldn't take any more of dealing with typical musicians
I had some fun times though and it gave me a chance to exercise my need for 30 inches of hair before it could interfere with my employment prospects I went to University of Houston and flopped majors several times between music and whatnot before finally graduating (in 4 years still!) in 2010 with a B.S. in Physics. I had a stint in law school, and realized that I just cannot do that with my life. I was hired by a successful lawyer I met by giving him guitar lessons, strangely enough, and have had a real good taste of the day-to-day in the biz. Last summer, my wife and I were making plans to move to Phoenix, where her family is (cave creek area on the northeast edge of town, beautiful place) and I was preparing to hop back into the sciences and work for Intel. At the last minute an opportunity to start a business reared its head and we decided to stay. I have been working days paralegal-ing at the law office while staying up all night pounding coffee and slamming code for the last few months, and hopefully we should be ready for public launch within the next few weeks.
My wife has a degree in music education and is a long-time singer, but like me she got burned out of music because of the typical experience you get dealing with other musicians. She tried out teaching but it wasn't really for her either.
We both tend to indulge ourselves in nerdery, reading comic books and playing lots of video games. A typical get together with our friends involves playing starcraft and taking breaks for pipes/cigars (my wife likes the pipe as much as I do, we always smoke together!)
Posted 1 year ago # -
Oh god, this is getting incredibly long, or at least that's what it feels like. I'll wrap this up
Swilly, a most excellent post, highly enjoyable.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Music has gotten me through dark times, and a wise woman once told me "without music, there would be no joy". That might not be true for everyone, but it's pretty true for me.
zanthal: I with you on this one, without music, I would have ended it long ago.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Bump for all the new members to respond.
Posted 1 year ago # -
bump for the new members
Posted 12 months ago # -
I turn 55 in December and I am a divorced father of 4 kids ages 22,18,17 and ten. I am originally from Boston and lived there until 1990 when I opened my first business. In Boston I dropped out of B.U after 2 years and became a mfgs rep in the jewelry industry representing 6 mfgs out of NY. I then got into the car business and became a manager for a couple of large dealerships in Boston. I owned an upscale billiard parlor in Warwick R.I for 20 years and closed it almost 2 years ago. I own the plaza where the billiard parlor is( bought that in 1994) so now I just collect rent. I hired a manager in 1996 to manage things for me so I could spend time with my kids and he is with me to this day. My oldest( 22 year old son ) is going into his senior year at Ringling College of Art, my oldest daughter( 18) just graduated h.s but is going into her first year of college as a sophomore( dual enrollment program). My 17 year old boy is a junior in h.s and my 10 year old girl is going into 5th grade.
I moved to Florida in 2003 because it was always my dream to live here and be warm year round. My grandparents moved to Miami Beach in the 50's so I have been coming here my whole life. I play a lot of tennis, some golf, do a lot of reading and spend a lot of time taking care of my 2 sons who live with me. My daughters live with their mom. We have 2 dogs, a yorkie and a 5 month old American bulldog. I also enjoy watching sports, movies and most history and science shows. I recently bought a town home and it has all the amenities. Clay tennis courts, full court basketball, pool, workout room, basically a country club atmosphere. I plan for it to be my last home, I hate moving.
I got into pipes around 1999 because a cigar buddy told me how cool it is. My dad and grandfather smoked pipes and I always loved the smell so I started up. I enjoy many different blends, love buying pipes and tobacco and have a serious case of PAD and TAD. Compared to the cigars I used to buy, I am way ahead of the game. I recently found this site and I am having a great time meeting everyone and talking about this great lifestyle.
Here is an ad I used to run for my billiard parlor. R.I went non smoking in 2006 which sucked big time, definitely cost me money.
HarrisPosted 12 months ago # -
Cigrmaster, thanks for sharing your story. I have family in Exeter, Rhode Island. I have actually been to your establishment in Warwick! I must confess I didn't play billiards as I am horrible and didn't want to embarrass myself or scratch one of your tables! LOL. That being said my Uncle Michael had a good time playing against some of your regulars and we all enjoyed the atmosphere.
Cheers to you my friend!
-Harvard
Posted 12 months ago # -
Well, I'm Gunnar I'm 18 I live in eastern Washington. I graduated high school this year and I ship to boot camp November 12th ( marine corps) I tend to serve 4 years and then go to college I want to go into either engineering, biology, geology, archaeology, or get a teaching degree and teach world history. I love animals, I have two cats. I'm a Lutheran and i was on the committee to hire our new pastor. I have many hobbies, anything outdoors: fishing camping hunting shooting boating hiking etc. I enjoy working with my hands with woodworking and Iv welded a bit. I fly radio control airplanes been flying for a about 12 years and I play table top war games such as warhammer. Iv played in the concert and jazz band for a total of 8 years. I play trumpet. I'm learning vocals and guitar. I plan on moving south ASAP I can't stand cold weather and snow. I enjoy many different types of music jazz to hip hop to country. My interest in pipes and tobacco started when I was about 16 picked it up at 18. I belong to the YouTube pipe community and I make videos. Iv always wanted to learn how to surf. My dream job would be to become a pipe maker but I have no idea how I could make it into a career. Oh I also enjoy gardening. I have two younger siblings a brother and a sister they are twins and are 13.
Cheers!
GunnarYou can buy education, but wisdom is a gift from God.Posted 12 months ago # -
Gunnar, I was in the Corps from 00-04. Don't plan on getting out before you go in. It is a mistake, IMO. Do your twenty and then decide what you want to be when you grow up. At 38 years of age, you will have gained the life experience to really know what direction to take. The military life can be demanding but if you have nothing to hold you back, take advantage of what the Marine Corps will allow you to do and go see the world man. At times, I wish I would have done the same. If you really want to go to college, then excel at your MOS, get good pro/con marks and keep your nose clean. Then, look into MECP (Marine Enlisted Commissioning Program) which is fully funded tuition and they will pay you as an e5 while you go! Cant beat that! Good luck man.
By the eternal! There is a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every college in the land. It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies; do the thing - "carry a message to Garcia!" Elbert Hubbard "A Message to Garcia" 1899Posted 12 months ago # -
Nice write-ups guys. Thanks.
Posted 12 months ago # -
Gunnar....what trumpet do you play on? And while you're at it, which mouthpiece?
Posted 12 months ago # -
jharvard, I am glad your Uncle Mike had a good time. You should have played, it doesn't matter how good or bad you are it is about having fun. You didn't need to worry about scratching my tables, those babies took a beating for 20 years and still looked great when I closed up shop.
Exeter is beautiful, I lived not far from there in East Greenwich. I have to be honest though, I do not miss R.I too much. I love the weather much better here is sunny Florida. Nice to have another N.E guy on the site. If you are still in Boston you should check out my favorite place in Chinatown( Ocean Wealth) and get a 5 pound lobster done in black bean sauce. I do miss Chinatown.
Posted 12 months ago # -
Bump for our new members to respond.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Cigrmaster: Ocean Wealth is a dream come true! Your post made me smile and make dinner plans soon. Cheers!
Posted 11 months ago # -
Getting my MBA in Accounting (Got a BS in it), extreme sports enthusiast. 27 years old... My sports are mountain biking (2 years), White Water Kayaking (17 years) I am a Tax Professional during the winter/spring, rest of the time I am looking for work. I smoke my pipe probabley one bowel every other day and I have been doing that for 2 years. There is no type of tobacco I prefer, right now I smoke aromatics, english, and VA about equally.
"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time."
Mark Twain - Eric (taerin): nickname (username)Posted 11 months ago # -
My name is Dr. Peter A. Roessle.
I am 54
I was born in Galveston Texas, raised in upstate New York, and have spent my entire professional career in Georgia.
I am a tenured full professor of chemistry at Georgia Perimeter College
I hold a PhD in physical chemistry from the Rensselaer Polytehnic Insitute and a MS in physical-inorganic chemistry from SUNY-Oswego. My research interests have shifted to chemical education.
I have been married for nearly 26 years. No kids but we have three dogs, two cats, and my wife's identical twin sister living with us. Fortunately the house is big enough.
I hack at my electric guitar from time to time. My first electric guitar was brought home to me by Shirley Muldoeney (Top fuel drag racer Cha Cha, "Heart like a wheel". I knew her son John when we were kids.)
First started smoking qpipe in the 70's. Put it down for many years. Picked it back up a few years ago. Still amateur but learning. Find I prefer english blends.
Pretty much it for now.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Profar......you don't ever get your wife and her twin sister mixed up do ya?
Posted 11 months ago # -
Profar......you don't ever get your wife and her twin sister mixed up do ya?
@hobbie1dog: No, to me they are entirely differentb.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Alright,
Abreviatred for now, more to come when i have the time and ambition.I'm married, 46 with 1 boy (16 going on 40). Musical genius.....not me-him.
I've been in sales and marketing for 28 years(I know my sh*t), yep since high school.
I have 2 great danes, Max and Erma that are 3 years old and like my adopted kids.
I enjoy golf, fly fishing motorcycling(BMW 1200GS) and now pipes. I'm also addicted to the internet.
I smoked cigars for years but mainly on the golf course.
I tie my own flies, make beer, wine, gin, bitters and love to cook.
I do nothing half-assed.
I live by a creed of "its not the destination but the journey"
I am a bit of a smart-ass with a dry sense of humor.
I never want to offend but enjoy poking fun.
I like to start every sentence with "i"....
PS. my friends call me "Tuna" as in "Big Tuna" as in Parcells....
Posted 11 months ago # -
Outstanding post Tuna
Posted 11 months ago # -
Bump for the new members to respond
Posted 10 months ago # -
harvard, you need to go to Brookline( where I grew up) and check out The Golden Temple( beacon st). They make the best pork strips, spare ribs, egg rolls, scallion pancakes and shrimp with lobster sauce. I lived right down the street at 15 Winthrop rd and remember the place when it was a little hole in the wall.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Bump for the new members to respond.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Bump for the new members....again.
Posted 8 months ago # -
I'm Brant, aka morton on this, the only forum I go on. I am the headbrewer for a medium sized group of brewing companies in Saskatchewan Canada. I am 53 years old, was married once some years ago and have now found the love of my life who has put up with me for three years. I smoked a pipe off and on for many years but until the last couple of years, didn't really get the whole thing. Now with over 80 pipes and probably 50 kinds of tobacco, I am on a journey of discovery. I collect labrador retrievers (or so it seems) or maybe they collect me as I seem to have a whole bunch of them around at any given time. I have 4 (3 blacks and a yellow) that I rescued with me now, and she who's suggestions must be listened to, has mentioned that I don't have to rescue every dog I see that is in trouble. I am reluctantly seeing the wisdom of her ways. I ride motorcycles, drive but mostly work on my VW camper vans and antique 911 Porsche. I cook, drink, and spend a fair bit of time smoking pipes and reading the assorted comments of my fellow pipe forum members. Hobie1, you piqued my interest in Penzance and I can say truthfully that I quite like it. I enjoy almost every kind of pipe tobacco but have been on a Va, VaPer kick of late, to the point where I am adding perique to things - just to see how it will taste. Great in some stuff, not so good in others. I am going to end this, have to edit as Dekker (the biggest Lab) just stuck his nose on the keyboard and posted before I was finished. Glad I have met all of you ,hope to stay awhile.
Be careful what you wish for, as you just might get it.Posted 8 months ago # -
All right, I'll take a turn. I'm Dave and I live in BFE Wyoming and I love the place. I teach music and I play lots of instruments but my main one is tuba. An amazing woman actually married me and puts up with me and my hobbies. We both love to travel so I'll have to put up some of our photos, especially those we took last Christmas in Vienna. I have a couple of rescue cats who were 10+ years old when we got them and they are just a kick. I grew up the son of a couple old hippies who owned a VW repair shop until my dad had to retire due to Parkinson's. Maybe I'll add more as it happens but it is nice to read some of this and learn more about the great people on this forum.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.Posted 8 months ago # -
Tuba, the mouthpiece the size of a bucket.
Nice posts guys.
Posted 8 months ago # -
Hi all my name's Ehren.... 39 years old. I've lived in Portland, OR for about a year now. Before that I lived in Georgetown, CO for 11 years. I grew up in southern Illinois and went to college at Millikin University in Decatur, IL where I studied music. These days I'm a music producer for a small indie label and like to hit auctions and estate sales to make some extra scratch selling on ebay. I've been with the most beautiful woman in the world for 17 years and goin strong. I like bodyboarding, riverboarding (check out facelevel.com to see what riverboarding is), hiking with my dogs, skiing (if you want to call it that out here lol), painting, and fishing. I used to hunt elk back in CO but haven't out here. I'm still very new to pipes and figuring out what I like..... I recently tracked down a few tins of this Penzance everyone raves about and am looking VERY forward to its arrival.
“Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses to be bad perhaps in some way better than a man who has the good imposed upon him?”
― Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork OrangePosted 8 months ago # -
Just joined up, but I'll take a turn here too. 33 years old, live in northern Michigan, and have been married for 3.5 years now. No kids yet, but we have a dog and a cat that think they own the place. I went to college for mechanical engineering, so I'm working as an engineer for a large corporation as my day job. My real passions though are music and creating things with my hands. I've been playing music for about 9 years...started on bluegrass-style banjo and now I'm playing electric guitar and singing in a rockabilly/honkytonk country band just about every weekend. When I have time I enjoy building musical instruments, including banjos, mandolins, and electric guitars so far. I've also built a few amplifiers and I'm now branching out into electric guitar pickups. I also enjoy riding my old Harley Sportster (although I didn't get to ride much this year since I was busy repainting it and doing other work on it), and hunting and fishing as time permits. I already told the story of why I started smoking my pipes in the introduction thread so I won't get into that here, but I'm finding it as a nice relaxation tool to unwind. I can already see my creative juices flowing with this new hobby as I have a couple pipe tampers in process that I'm making from some beautiful curly maple scraps leftover from a guitar neck that will be capped with some cut down .30-.30 rifle shells
Aaron
Posted 8 months ago # -
Ehren and Aaron, great posts.
Posted 8 months ago # -
Bump for the new members.
Posted 4 months ago # -
I'm David and 44, I'm in rural St. John's County Florida which is in Northeast Florida just outside of St. Augustine Florida. My family has been from this area for quite a long time...a very long time! I have been married 18 years to a very bright and beautiful, 1st generation American/Italian woman from NY that I met in college. I have two great sons that are well behaved and excel in sports and academics. I graduated from FSU and played a couple years of college football. I'm a big man. I'm 6'2 and my playing weight was 275lbs back in the day, I'm now 230lbs.
I am a police officer in the very big city nearby and have done it all and seen it all in my almost 19 year career. I will be retiring from law enforcement in a couple years and will start a second career in I don't know what yet. Fortunately my wife is a brilliant shrink and makes much more money than I do.
I grew up right on the beach so I spent my childhood surfing and fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. My favorite activity is to surf and have been doing it since I was 9, minus a few years when I got sorta fat. But I'm super fit now and can surf all day. I also play golf a little (3 times a month or more). I am a true southerner, I say “y’all” and “recon so”. I consider myself a very blessed man and have a happy life and very good health.
Posted 4 months ago #
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