Good MORNING it is Sunday , 10th of August ,2008, Not much going on this week I was not very active at all, went back to work on Wed. & didnt do much at all , just staightend out the mess my buds left for me hahaha, still a lot to do in that respect , How ever I did go to Pittsburgh & did a tasting of Don Gonzalezs a wonderful puro from Nicaragua, still a small batch made cigar but tasty as anything I have had , I love the Maduro , but the Cojhrois a very nice spicy smoke , the natural Connecticut wrapper is not a puro but dammmmm a smoooooooth smoke , but od the 3 wrappers , I like the maduro . I have been smoking a few sticks I picked up in LV , last night I had a Pitite corona Claro , no band on it , lasted almost an hour , TONS of smoke & burned slow & true & great flavor, but I have NO IDEA where it came from, , OH welll chalk that one up to a great smoke with out a pasport or even a green card !!

Breakfast this morning was SO DAMMMMM EASY , Barb made the coffee & opened a package of store bought danish, I had a cheese & blackberry , she had just plain cheese , dammmmmm I love being lazy on a Sunday morning, But I am going to make up for it with supper, veal is on todays menu, I picked up a veal cutlet that will be lightly dusted in seasoned flour & pan seared with BUTTER & EVOO , laid on a bed of home made fettuccini & covered with a pan sauce with fresh buffalo mortzella, dammmm I am getting wood just thinking about it hahahaha

The Boys were here thursday night when I got home from the leaf & bean in Pittsburgh, , so we had a little fun before bed time & thursday night , then Friday morning I took the big one with me to the eye docto get his frames adjusted & to the Church to Pick up Pieroghis ( like a ravolli, but filled with ***, or potatos, or cheese , but no red gravy, melted Butter & onions ) for lunch , I think every cuisine has a version of the stuffed dumpling, from Pot stickers to hush puppys , its all Good stuff. , well I dropped them off at home when I was on my way to the shop for the friday night BYOB,

I will be in the shop all day Monday as we have a lot of new product to find space for on the shelves , with the help from Tim we will be Moving stuff & closing out some of the SLOW movers, we are also going to add a Computer scanning system to the shop , a lot of work pricing every cigar with a bar code , but doing it just one box at a time , it might take a few weeks to get it all done but then checking in new orders with the bar codes will be a breeze, scan it , put it on the shelf !

last friday night was a SLOW night at the shop , opening of the summer games & the Steelers were at home & on the tube so a lot of the regulars were at the game , so it was a Nice Quiet day at the shop, I stopped at the local coffee shop after i got off at 11 PM & took home a sausage pocket pastry, split it with the boss for lunch onm Saturday, like a pizza but a different crust, almost like a pie crist, but loaded with hot sausage & peppers with a little hot pepper cheese in it , made my nose run ! all it needed was a little horse raddish & some ketchup hahahaha & a dash Of JOE PERRYS Bone sucking hot sauce , thanks for the heads up on that one Wacco !!

I have a Don Carlos #3 calling to me , the Kona is about done & after the black silk( from Foldgerls I do enjoy ) , the kona & the DC# will give my taste buds a Jolt & return my taste buds back to center & start the tasting all over again ! Enjoy, Vince

Good Morning it is Sunday 17 August 2008, A fantastic day here in da burgh , this past week has been super, highs in the Mid 70's , lows in the mid 50's , dont need to run the A/C, keep the windows open all night & we havent had any rain in a few weeks , the grass is burning out so it isnt in the need of being cut, just an all arround good patch of weather we are having !

I have the house to my self today, the Boss went to some craft show with her sister, so I know of 2 households that will be nice & QUIET today hahahaha

I put a full week in at the shop & will be going in a little today just to clean & fill the humidors with water, & maybe have a weeee dram when I am there , Now i could have a weee dram here , but its a lot better when there is some one to talk to .................. the only time i drink is when i am with some one or am alone, hahahaha but the conversation is a lot better when there is some one to talk to , welllllll it will depend on WHO your talking to , some times the wall is better than a person hahahaha

Since the boss is away for the day i have a pot of peppers onions & beef going in the slow cooker , should be ready about 5 PM , I will add some vine ripe tomatos about 1 & let it all cook down , time to add the 3 whole heads of garlic , & a dash of worchertshire , by the time I add the tomatos the garlic will have melted into the beef & peppers adding a Perfume to the house & adding to the potency of the gas I will be passing in the morning hahahaha

I didnt do much of anything this week, just work, well its realy not work, but it is a fun time , if you enjoy what you do you will never WORK a day in your life & let me tell you , what i do is NOT W O R K , when I was cooking , it was work some times , but some times it was not, when I was on 1460 WMBA Radio is was not all work , & now that I am out selling cigars, smoking cigars , sipping single malt & drinking coffee & listening to Jazz all day & GETTING Paid ( BUT NOT ALL THAT MUCH , but at this point inmy life WHO CARES !! ) to do it , dammmmm how much better can it be ???

I havent seen any action in the cow pasture this past week, dammmm I miss ole angus McStudd , ever since he was sold the pasture just isnt the same with out him, yea there are a few little ones running around but not as many or as big as the sons & daughters of the Studd machine !, & the Cows dont seam as " satisfide" any more hahahahaha

the Bird have been eating everything in sight the raspberry bush was tore up by the whrens & chickadees , the cardinals, bluejays & doves have been leaving deposits on my windshield & the back deck , some times I wish we didnt have the Bird feeder, but then they are a kick to watch & listen to them sing all day, execpt for the dammmm DOVES loud & horney bastards , I think they try to hump more than ole angus did ( for you new readers angus mcstudd was the Bull in the pasture next to my place , & he was the KING of his harium, world champ, & studd to the rich & famous in the cattle breading world ) but he is now living on through his Frozen Sperm as he was sold a few years back , Tuffest tenderloin I ever had hahahahaha

we stocked a few new brands this week, Sun grown Don Tomas & a 6 X60 Partagas black lable, , I love the par.Black lable but I dont want lock jaw so I will pass on the 6 x x60 , thank you BUT NO thank you , just to Big for me , now a 8.5 X 52 , I am all over that , a 54 some times , but unless its a tapered head, nothing bigger than that, I am verrrry happy with a 45 to 50 ring , SAM you hear that, how about a NUB with a 50 ring ? hahahaha ( Yea like Sam will be reading this ) hahaha

This past Thursday night I did venture out to Mountaineer park for a 10 cane rum & Rocky Patel tasting , a great buffette with a lot of island classics , the Mango salsa was a killer, tasty & sweet at first bite then the F I R E hits you just as you swallow it , dammmmmmmmm I have beads of persperation on my forehead just thinking about it again !!!

Nextthursday will be a tasting at Alleghney Smoke works in Blawnox Pa , just north east of the Burgh , I am north west , so I will be heading theree ,a Talasker single malt, chocolate & Ashton cigars , dammmmmmm I am ALL OVER THAT , I will be taking my old buddy Mike Papas , he isnt a scotch drinker, So I get his ! hahaha , yea like I need any more whisky to add to what I all ready sip, , I do ENJOY a wee dram , never to excess, thats just waisting good booze, it seams to me if you want the effect, dring the cheep crap & get sick all you want , but leave the smoooooth as a babys bottom for as Sippers who enjoy the taste & not the effect, like some DUSHBAG ordering a 150 year old Brandy & mixing it with orange soda , hey just because the moey is there dosent mean you have any taste or class hahahaha , , well I dont have that kind of money or class, but I do have the diserning taste to know you just dont mix a 150 year old brandy with orange soda , or ANYTHING, , neet in a snifter warmed with your hands & savored with a Fine cigar, Not filled with ice & smoked with a swisher sweet ,,,, dammmm rich bastards just piss me off hahahaha

well it is time for the next pot of coffee, the Kona is now making way for the Kenya AA , or maybe the Columbian supremo , well I have a Casa Fuente this morning so I might just fire up a pot of Brazillian Santos or a New Orleans Community coffee ................... well maybe a second pot of KONA , YEA KONA !! A G A I N !!!!

Enjoy, Vince