Coolhand
Resident River Rat
So I trundled on over to the local cigar shop to buy some cigars (that Vault humidor isn't getting any fuller. I keep hoping they'll breed, but I think I'm weeding them out too fast:headroll: ) ... just figuring I'd get a bundle of Cusano MC's or M1's (love them for daily smokes) and a couple singles.
I walk into the humidor and there's 3 Air Force Academy cadets wandering around with a lost look on their faces. If you live in this town long enough you get to where you can pick cadets out at 200 yards. So I say hi, start chatting with them, ask what squadron they're with, etc.
Turns out all three got promoted today, and, as is the custom, they're buying cigars for their squadron mates to celebrate.
There's generally two types of cadets: The ones that had plenty of money to go to college, got the free ride, and thus bought a $50k car, and the ones that got the free ride and roll a Hyundai anyway (not that there's anything wrong there, of course). These were definitely the latter. So they're looking at AVO's and such and doing the math in their heads and freaking out. They don't want to buy some rancid cheap smokes, but don't know anything about cigars and don't want to drop $250 apiece.
So I take them over, show them the Cusanos (same I'm there to buy) and the Perdomo Frescos. Mild, inexpensive, and (I think, at least) pretty good for the money. They each walk out with two bundles and a couple higher-end singles (which I also recommended) for themselves.
I start looking around and discover that the shop's having an inventory reduction sale - 20% off selected sealed boxes, 30% off selected singles. I got all excited, grabbed up a bunch of singles (some old faves, some new recommendations ... hell I bought a few because they looked good), grabbed my bundle of MC's, and headed for the counter.
Reggie looks at my pile and goes "you sold those cadets on those bundles, didn't you?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess, why?"
"No reason."
He rings me up, I do the math, and realize I'm about $55 short of where I ought to be. I look at the ticket, and he didn't ring my bundle.
"Uh, Reg ..."
"You gonna argue, or you gonna take your cigars and get out?"
"... no, I'm gonna go back and have another go at the sales rack."
:stretchgr
So that's friggin' beautiful, but I decide to smoke one of the Partagas I bought, and walk over to their sitting area, and old Jim is sitting there.
Jim's daughter owns the coffee shop next to my business. We've solved all the world's problems a few dozen times over a cigar out front. I knew he was a regular there but never ran into him in there.
Jim is 83. Enlisted in the Army Air Corps at 17, somehow became a bomber pilot. Flew B-17's til the Nazis shot him down and captured him. Escaped, hid out for two weeks, got re-captured, escaped AGAIN, met with and fought with the French Resistance for almost 3 weeks before getting back to the American lines ... took about a week off and went back to flying bomber missions. Got out after the war and was recruited to fly for the CIA. I've seen a picture of him, just before the ouster of Batista, having dinner and Puros with Che Guevarra and the Castro brothers. He's an utterly fascinating guy.
Anyway, Jim smokes rot-gut cigars. He usually smokes "Cuban Rejects," and considers them just fantastic. For Christmas I bought him 10 Cusano (I love the brand, can you tell?) CC Churchills. He decided they were just the best cigars he's ever had.
So I walk into the smoke shop and see him - haven't seen him in a while 'cause he only comes down and smokes in front of the coffee shop when it's warm. I walk up and say hi, and he stands up and introduces me to the crowd, and starts telling them all how I gave him these great cigars.
Now, I dunno any of these folks, but you can just tell that, while they might not sneer at the Cusanos, they probably have other ideas about what a "great" cigar is. But they all think highly of Jim (he's kinda holding court), so I instantly became "A pretty cool kid."
Some of 'em also fly fish, which helps, so we're talking about this and that, and several of them are pawing through my purchases and going, "oh, you got some _________. Have you tried the _________?"
"No, I haven't." (not adding on the "because the _________'s are pretty expensive and I haven't robbed any banks lately.")
"Really? Oh, man, you gotta ... here, just a sec, I have some in my stash in the back ..."
So, long story short, I walked out with what you see below:
As well as a bundle of Cusano MC's and a bag of about 9 cigars of various, but expensive, lineage, that I didn't have to pay for.
All in all? A very good day.:eyequiver
I walk into the humidor and there's 3 Air Force Academy cadets wandering around with a lost look on their faces. If you live in this town long enough you get to where you can pick cadets out at 200 yards. So I say hi, start chatting with them, ask what squadron they're with, etc.
Turns out all three got promoted today, and, as is the custom, they're buying cigars for their squadron mates to celebrate.
There's generally two types of cadets: The ones that had plenty of money to go to college, got the free ride, and thus bought a $50k car, and the ones that got the free ride and roll a Hyundai anyway (not that there's anything wrong there, of course). These were definitely the latter. So they're looking at AVO's and such and doing the math in their heads and freaking out. They don't want to buy some rancid cheap smokes, but don't know anything about cigars and don't want to drop $250 apiece.
So I take them over, show them the Cusanos (same I'm there to buy) and the Perdomo Frescos. Mild, inexpensive, and (I think, at least) pretty good for the money. They each walk out with two bundles and a couple higher-end singles (which I also recommended) for themselves.
I start looking around and discover that the shop's having an inventory reduction sale - 20% off selected sealed boxes, 30% off selected singles. I got all excited, grabbed up a bunch of singles (some old faves, some new recommendations ... hell I bought a few because they looked good), grabbed my bundle of MC's, and headed for the counter.
Reggie looks at my pile and goes "you sold those cadets on those bundles, didn't you?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess, why?"
"No reason."
He rings me up, I do the math, and realize I'm about $55 short of where I ought to be. I look at the ticket, and he didn't ring my bundle.
"Uh, Reg ..."
"You gonna argue, or you gonna take your cigars and get out?"
"... no, I'm gonna go back and have another go at the sales rack."
:stretchgr
So that's friggin' beautiful, but I decide to smoke one of the Partagas I bought, and walk over to their sitting area, and old Jim is sitting there.
Jim's daughter owns the coffee shop next to my business. We've solved all the world's problems a few dozen times over a cigar out front. I knew he was a regular there but never ran into him in there.
Jim is 83. Enlisted in the Army Air Corps at 17, somehow became a bomber pilot. Flew B-17's til the Nazis shot him down and captured him. Escaped, hid out for two weeks, got re-captured, escaped AGAIN, met with and fought with the French Resistance for almost 3 weeks before getting back to the American lines ... took about a week off and went back to flying bomber missions. Got out after the war and was recruited to fly for the CIA. I've seen a picture of him, just before the ouster of Batista, having dinner and Puros with Che Guevarra and the Castro brothers. He's an utterly fascinating guy.
Anyway, Jim smokes rot-gut cigars. He usually smokes "Cuban Rejects," and considers them just fantastic. For Christmas I bought him 10 Cusano (I love the brand, can you tell?) CC Churchills. He decided they were just the best cigars he's ever had.
So I walk into the smoke shop and see him - haven't seen him in a while 'cause he only comes down and smokes in front of the coffee shop when it's warm. I walk up and say hi, and he stands up and introduces me to the crowd, and starts telling them all how I gave him these great cigars.
Now, I dunno any of these folks, but you can just tell that, while they might not sneer at the Cusanos, they probably have other ideas about what a "great" cigar is. But they all think highly of Jim (he's kinda holding court), so I instantly became "A pretty cool kid."
Some of 'em also fly fish, which helps, so we're talking about this and that, and several of them are pawing through my purchases and going, "oh, you got some _________. Have you tried the _________?"
"No, I haven't." (not adding on the "because the _________'s are pretty expensive and I haven't robbed any banks lately.")
"Really? Oh, man, you gotta ... here, just a sec, I have some in my stash in the back ..."
So, long story short, I walked out with what you see below:
As well as a bundle of Cusano MC's and a bag of about 9 cigars of various, but expensive, lineage, that I didn't have to pay for.
All in all? A very good day.:eyequiver
