(If you're a member of the Yahoo Group "Stoker's Haven", this is the same post, the joys of cut and paste 
I really do need to get back involved with my hometown pipe club!
Went, twice, to the Kansas City Pipe and Tobacco show yesterday. I've been working 12/12 night shifts since early June, so I'm coming back into life amongst the sunshine people
The KC show has morphed over the last few years. It's now focused on American carvers. It's also in a new location. It used to be very close to the airport, which was very convenient to where I live. Now, it's down at the Doubletree in Overland Park, a bit of a drive.
Not all the usual suspects were there. Airfares are climbing. Lee Erck could not find a decent fare, so he passed. Bruce Weaver wasn't there either. I've known Lee since irc #pipes days, so it's a personal lament when I don't see him. I've known Bruce less time, but he's just good people.
Dennis Congos was there, and I got a Charatan Supreme, florid L, off the shape chart! It's a perfect 11, bent shape. Dennis had retrofitted it with a lucite stem, but I've asked for the original as well.
Sally Gottliebson, www.pipetart.com, was there as well. She'd had a handmade Kaywoodie billiard on her website, and it sung the song of the Lorelei, and I crashed on the rocks. It's mine now.
Later, I took Sally to Papa Bob's for barbecue. Sorry, $50 a plate for the rubber chicken circuit, even if Fred Hanna was speaking, was just too much ;-).
After dinner, the heat was finally wearing off, so we went out to the smoking tent. Over the course of the evening, I sat between Sally and Mary McNeil, and we all discussed where tobacco is and where it's likely to go. None of us liked where we thought Government was going to take tobacco.
I currently have a tin of Red Wax (2002) Anniversary open. Mary has a little tulip briar, and she dipped into the tin to see how it had held up
We also had a surprise... one of our tablemates in the tent had a tin from Benadaret's of San Francisco, CA, in its mailing package, dating to 1967. The blend name was Aristocrat. It took the combined efforts of Brian Levine, Greg Peace, Mike McNeil, AND a phone call to Marty Pulvers, to deduce what the blend was and who had manufactured it! :D
Thus was June 23 for me. Tonight I'm taking Sally, and maybe Greg Pease, to Strouds for fried chicken.
I really do need to get back involved with my hometown pipe club!
Went, twice, to the Kansas City Pipe and Tobacco show yesterday. I've been working 12/12 night shifts since early June, so I'm coming back into life amongst the sunshine people
The KC show has morphed over the last few years. It's now focused on American carvers. It's also in a new location. It used to be very close to the airport, which was very convenient to where I live. Now, it's down at the Doubletree in Overland Park, a bit of a drive.
Not all the usual suspects were there. Airfares are climbing. Lee Erck could not find a decent fare, so he passed. Bruce Weaver wasn't there either. I've known Lee since irc #pipes days, so it's a personal lament when I don't see him. I've known Bruce less time, but he's just good people.
Dennis Congos was there, and I got a Charatan Supreme, florid L, off the shape chart! It's a perfect 11, bent shape. Dennis had retrofitted it with a lucite stem, but I've asked for the original as well.
Sally Gottliebson, www.pipetart.com, was there as well. She'd had a handmade Kaywoodie billiard on her website, and it sung the song of the Lorelei, and I crashed on the rocks
. It's mine now. Later, I took Sally to Papa Bob's for barbecue. Sorry, $50 a plate for the rubber chicken circuit, even if Fred Hanna was speaking, was just too much ;-).
After dinner, the heat was finally wearing off, so we went out to the smoking tent. Over the course of the evening, I sat between Sally and Mary McNeil, and we all discussed where tobacco is and where it's likely to go. None of us liked where we thought Government was going to take tobacco.
I currently have a tin of Red Wax (2002) Anniversary open. Mary has a little tulip briar, and she dipped into the tin to see how it had held up
We also had a surprise... one of our tablemates in the tent had a tin from Benadaret's of San Francisco, CA, in its mailing package, dating to 1967. The blend name was Aristocrat. It took the combined efforts of Brian Levine, Greg Peace, Mike McNeil, AND a phone call to Marty Pulvers, to deduce what the blend was and who had manufactured it! :D
Thus was June 23 for me. Tonight I'm taking Sally, and maybe Greg Pease, to Strouds for fried chicken.
