Just a shopping spree? Or are you dying?
Well I am not the picture of health, but nothing imminent that I know of....
I do have a lot of medical issues, but are mostly neurological and from injury. I have been living with chronic pain since 2000.
Had a heart attack awhile ago and almost died...that wasn't fun...but my lungs are clear and fine..just had a pulmonary test.
Truth is I used to be a Paramedic and suffered a career ending back injury a good while ago...afterwards I got into hand tool woodworking kind of as therapy and then as the injury kept deteriorating my back and then arthritis, I could not do the heavy lifting and woodworking.
I think the Marines did a number on me to that finally caught up with me.
So I have been selling off my shop....and now my personal hand tool collection.
Just using a lot of the funds to start a new hobby and phase of life.
I started repairing antique clocks, and stopped smoking cigarettes.
I have wanted to go back to a pipe for a long time and would go and look at the pitiful offering of our lone smoking shop which is 99.9% cigars, of which I did not enjoy.
I started to lurk here and browse online YouTube videos, look at pipe stores online.
Just never took the plunge.
So what really set it off was coffee...and joining this forum. I am not big on the Internet.
I belong to one woodworking forum and a Catholic forum...thats it..no twitter, Facebook, ect.
I am the epitome of the crumudgeon luddite.
I never smoked in the house or car...and really not very much...back in the day I was as the doc defined a "recreational smoker"...I told him the beer bones connected to the smoke bone.
But I quit drinking....only had a smoke with my cup of Joe.
I had my routine, Starbucks and then a couple smokes....then I got tired of the taste and cost so I bought an Aeropress and started making my own coffee in the basement shop with fresh beans...which led to a craving and so I went and got a cheap corn cob and the rest is history.
The spree really was just because they had great pricing and I had a list in mind of what I wanted.
I (famous last words) now have the pipe collection I always envisioned, and then some.
Oddly no big honking calabashes or churchwardens or billiards...except I guess for the 6 dollar cob.
I can work on a clock with a light jaw hanger, If I get flummoxed and irritated, I sit back and slowly puff on the pipe....instead of stepping away for a cigarette.
In the evening a good book and a nice smoke...all is well.
I really do like this forum though, a lot of very nice folks.
