ravkesef, as a former vendor, a patient man. . and on occasion a very stupid one -- I completely understand your err, and am very glad at your good fortune to experience it in the presence of the dying breed.
tommy, I think you've strayed onto the whole point of it all in that. Your word (and you have no idea how good I feel on the rare occasions I hear someone give it, and mean it with everything that it truly should be), and their word, and really -- all of us as gentlemen and ladies of any character.
The mistake was accepted, treated kindly, and the err (both real and accidental misappropriation) corrected with all due swiftness and willingness -- and it is on the unspoken promise that we are all men of our word, and one good turn damned-well gets another, and a favour is never forgotten. . .and if I keep talking I'll either end up quoting my father or The Godfather so I'll just let it alone at that.
As a slight aside, rather than be offended at the slight of cigarette smokers, I'd rather point out there are exceptions. In my experience all of those exceptions are men who also smoke pipes, but they do exist. I firmly believe myself to be such n exception. ---- Have I smoked a cigarette in haste? Yes. Do I tend to smoke my pipes a bit to hard or fast? Yes. . . but I've never done anything less than delight in smoke upon my tongue, or falling within my lungs, from any source.
I have never in my life smoked a cigarette because "I needed a a fix.", though when angered badly enough (very, very rare) I have been known to take a brandy to smooth out the edges before having a cigarette, or more likely a cigar or pipe in such a scenario -- to drown the world away with sensuous embrace of the fairest lady to ever enter my life, sweet, sombre, ever-so tender smoke.
I firmly believe a good cigarette can be as. . . yes I do want to use the word 'romantic' as a pipe. I'm sure many of you can see the term clearly in the experience of a pipe, but it exists in cigarette for those who know where to look. .. and of course who love the taste and slow inhalation, and the flow of that bitter, sometimes almost acrid. . but in the sweetest hazelnut or ameretto sense of it, moving over the bitter points of his tongue, then to the salty and at least what blessed little sweet is to be had.
Perhaps cigarettes are only gentle and beautiful when enjoyed as a gentleman does -- slowly and decidedly, powerful and yet so tender. ... But there it is.
*coughs with some embaressment* I am, a bit of an old romantic I fear, and unlike any woman I might have, or might in the future, ever love/d --- our fine Lady Grey, the lovely Tobacco is ever-ready to meet you by the fire with your slippers and a good book as you sink into your favourite chair.
But that's enough of my old-time poetics for one day.
