Sunday Morning Smoke

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined Feb 2004
3K Posts | 42+
159 Knobvue Drive Freedom Pa 15042

BURRRRRRRR , good morning it is Sunday 1/7/18 a C O L D day here in da Burgh , last night when I went to bed I asked google what the temp was , EIGHT BELOW zero , with 12 MPH winds , wind chill or the feels like temp was -20. not a good day to go outside for anything , BUT I did make a quick run to the store to get a powerball ticket , and some ASSHOLE was in there with shorts and flip flops and a T shirt , he couldnt say he was cold but his nipples were poking out like ice picks .
we have a few inches of frozen snow on the ground , and for the past week we have been below zero at night and not above ten in the Day .

the hunk O beef is in , but today its a hunk of sirloin not chuck.
my grandson just got here so I need to go , maybe more later Enjoy, Vince



 
good afternoon it is Sunday 1/14/18 a COLD snow covered day here in da burgh we dropped to minus 10 last night with a light wind making it cold enough to freeze you spit before it hit the ground . a great day for Oatmeal . last weeks hunk of beef was a little stringy , so today i cut it in cubes , added bacon ,onion, garlic celery and yukon Gold spuds a little stock a shot of tabasco and into the oven . should be time to eat about 4 .
Last week i had to cut it short as my grandson dropped in , he hung around most of the day , it was a nice day with him, and this Sunday is the younger grandsons 20th Birthday , seams like yesterday he was in diapers hahahaha , I wonder how old his mother is feeling hahahaha , her baby is 20 hahahaha
winter is kicking my ass , we have had enough of the Plant getting warm , we went 2 weeks never getting over 32F below zero every night ,,, according to Al Gore it is so cold because it is so warm.... bullshit I had 2 days over 90 last summer thats it , NO extream heat just a regular summer ...


I have moved a TON of snow , I am sore and tired , not a good day for us OLD FARTS , glad i have a remote starter on my car , hit the button let it run, toasty warm when I get out to the car, , No q deck today its to dammmm cold to heat it , just checked weather app , 13 F .... no fun , I think I might go for a nap , ,,,, I could just start the car , and sit in the driveway with the don Carlos #3 and coffee ...... Hummm tuff choice , .... to the car hahaha Enjoy, Vince



 
Good morning , it is Sunday 1/21/18 a cool foggy day here in Da BURGH .After a long spell of SUB ZERO nights we are above 32F and the snow and ice are melting we did have some flooding along the local streams , and little brooks in the area , nothing major like the rivers NE of Da Burgh, my wife Bless her , went out and cleared all the snow from the downspouts and the snowpack on the roof is melting and running down the gutters and downspouts , making a wonderful sound , the ice at the end of my driveway is still 2 inches thick and hard as a brick, the temp is supposed to go to the mid 40s today so I might be able to chip it up a bit .
I had a great nights sleep didnt wake up till 10:30 this morning , my wife had all ready had her breakfast , I didnt want to mess up the kitchen so I grabbed some left over potato dumplings and zapped them in the micro wave , and a pot of Peaberry and that was breakfast, I have CHICKEN defrosting , NO HUNK O BEEF AMEN the chicken will be done in the cast iron dutch oven with Bacon , , I will make some egg noodles or spezel to go on the side , maybe a cheese sauce if I feel up to it when its time to cook . I am looking fwd. to spending the afternoon in the Qtr.deck with a BIG Monte Churchill and a pot of coffee , , dont think I will be making the kona today i need a BOLD DARK roast of some sort I will check and see what is available , might need to go to Charbucks and get a pot of espresso , my espresso pot is out of action , needs replaced , just never got arround to getting a new one . , with 2 drip pots , a press pot and a keurig on the counter , I just keep putting it off .. well I have no news on the grandsons , and work is the same , as always , I better get the chicken started , get the Qtr.deck warmed up and start the Music with the cigar, Enjoy, Vince
 
????? I see the computer is having trouble NO GREEN
 
HUMMMM now its working , I dont know
 
Hello B/S OTL it is Sunday 1/28/18 a cold sunny day here in Da Burgh, all of the snow is gone thanks to a few days of 50+ weather , and some what warmer nights staying above freezing , the piles of snow are siting all along the side of the drive way where they were shoveled , bit the size has shrunk to almost nothing and should be gone today .
A roasted red pepper and Jarlsberg Cheese omelet with a side of extra thick bacon was breakfast this morning , the coffee was a great Indian monsoon , just roasted thursday morning to the fist crack then cooled , a snifter of peach brandy helped keep me warm when I was roasting the coffee , a bit on the sweet side , but had a wonderful aroma , with the coffee filling the area with its bouquet , ( I roast outside on the gas grill ) I did have a few people stop and ask when it would be ready to drink , , ( I think they were talking about the coffee) but I held up the snifter and said RIGHT NOW , no takers , it was just after 9 AM , nothing like a morning buzz hahahaha

Today's hunk O beef is in the oven with a roasted red pepper added to the mix today .
happy wife , happy life ,,, so we eat beef.

Yesterday I went to the annual NOG And Grog at Allegheny Smokeworks In Blawnox Pa. about 10 miles North of Pittsburgh , right on the Allegheny River , it is a trip that is about 40/45 minutes from my home but with the weather, construction , AND Traffic it took me about 90 minutes to get there , I came home a different way, stopped and got sushi take out for the wife and myself , it was great, but the selection at the bar was CRAP , not one single malt just bar scotch, Grants blended , or J&B, not my choice in scotches , yes I have drank them in my troubled youth , but now I have a more refined taste in my whisky , why drink if you dont like the taste, so I had a Padron Reprasato , waiting for the food , for an upscale place the Bar tender didnt have any idea when I ordered a single malt , she said we dont have scotch just whiskey, I had to explain to her the difference between bourbon , scotch , and blended Canadian , American , and straight rye whiskys , I was the only person at the bar , the resturaunt was almost empty , it was between the lunch rush and the supper hour , she was doing nothing but playing with her phone and acted like I was intruding when I came in to get a drink and a take out , she was intent on playing with her phone I was thursty , and I was PAYING for her to pour me a drink of my choice , , it took a few seconds for her to notice the C note on the bar , that got her attention, a place like that should have some great whiskys from Japan , it is a Sushi shop , NO Saki , WTF , the tea is served with a tea bag , not a pot , just a cup of hot water and a bag .... the sushi is Verrrrrry good but the rest of the place is poor at best ( I will be kind and not mention the name of the place but the chef is from Florida and he isn't Asian ) . I go for the food , thats why I get take out , they need a better management system ,,, all the computers in the world cant help if your staff is not educated in the way any food service runs , the Play book at Micky D will not work here , with out some major revisions to the basic program . Most of the staff are young , loaded with ink on the arms necks and God knows where else , I understand that I was in the food industry over 40 years , I worked with a lot of young people , I was a young person at one time , but the disregard for customers is so way out of line , had the food not been as good as it is I would never go there , the local super market has great sushi , made fresh every morning , but if your not there by 9 AM it is picked over and the chef will make you what you want , but he is out of the shop by noon every day and at 4 PM nothing great will be on the shelf , & who wants old sushi ????

I have a Don Carlos III calling to me , the second pot of Monsoon is ready so I need to Go . Enjoy, Vince


 

Good morning it is Sunday 2/4/18 Super Bowl Sunday , a snow covered day here in da Burgh . I plan on watching the puppy bowl today , NO NFL till they all stand . Protest all you want off the field , I support protesting some thing you think is not correct, BUT your paid to do a JOB, , if I protested at work I would not have a job, if you want to work for me , I will protest with you , OFF THE CLOCK , but come work time , do what your paid to do to the best of your ability . .... End of Rant....
Breakfast was a Jarlseberg cheese and roasted red pepper scrambled egg with flax seed toast a pot of Indian monsoon Coffee ... TODAY I will be making a meat loaf ,,,, the ground beef is in the sink with the ground pork and ground veal , and a few links of sausage flavored with Italian seasonings , almost all defrosted , and will be ready to go when I am done here .
I have a monte Classic churchill pulled out for the start of the day cigar , since its a chilly day I don't want to be coming back into the house to get an other cigar to soon .No KONA , NO Don Carlos #3 NO Hunk O Beef ... what is happening ???? I have a pot of Santos brewing right now , it should go well with the monte .....


No news from the grandsons , , nothing of note happening at work , no accidents to report, nothing going on but snow ,wind and removing the dammm snow from the walk ways and drive way .
I dont plan on doing much of anything as the snow is comming down , we might make a charbucks run later today , but right now I an heading toi the Qtr.deck and fire up a cigar , put on some music and look at the inside of my eye lids ,
GO EAGLES , my pick for the Stupid Bowl Winner , Enjoy, Vince


 
Good morning it is Sunday 2/11/18 a cool FOGGY day here in da Burgh , the fog is so thick I cant see the highway ( Pa Route 989 ) from my back deck and it only a chip shot away , a small gas/grocery store is on the corner & I cant make out the outline of the building , Glad I have no place I must be going to any time soon, I have the heat turned on in the qtr. deck it was 40 according to accuweather , but the weather channel said it was 42 , still to chilly not to turn on the heat, I will be heading out with the sunday don Carlos #3 and a mug of kona soon.
The wife hasent been feeling well , and didnt want anything big for the meal today , so it will be a Take out quart of chicken noodle from the local to lazy to cook dept at the grocery store , soup for her , sushi for me or maybe a crab salad depends on who is working the sushi bar .....

My car is heading to the body shop tonight so I can sleep in on Monday , it will be there about a week, the sheet metal on the drivers side is being fixed , nothing structural just a big crease from the front bumper to the back bumper .... I will be driving the Bosses car this week since I cant smoke in a rented unit , and my insurance only pays 80% why have a car from them when the one in the drive way will just be sitting in the driveway all day . Not allowed to smoke in her car, so I will save the money for the rented unit .
Dont for get it is just a few days till Valintines day , so get the cards, candy and flowers ready or be ready to sleep on the couch. hahahah
Since I am not cooking today , what are you having ?????
Enjoy, Vince




 
Good morning it is Sunday 2/18/18 a cool wet day here in da Burgh , the temp is over 32F and the snow we got last night is melting , I have all ready been to the Qtr.deck and have the heat on , it was just over 40F inside about 20 minutes ago , so it will be a quick post and the coffee and cigars will start asap, the HUNK O BEEF is in the oven , , a small hunk o chuck , seasoned with just salt and pepper , dusted with flour, Browned in bacon renderings with a stick of celery , an onion , garlic and a few carrots , a little beef stock from the freezer and into a SLOW oven , the spuds will go in about 2 and we eat at 4 , should make the boss happy .... but at this point I will be happy if she is some what pleased, God knows that is my mission , to keep her happy , and if I can make myself happy , so be it . we got about 2 inches of snow last night , and with my car still in the shop I have been using her car all week , but no cigars in her car , and with the snow last night , no ride listening to the radio, I was "forced" to sit in the qtr.deck , and force down a mug of espresso and a monte churchill listening to Dave Brubeck and friends , after a quick run to the local Charbucks drive through , and the Management at charbucks raised the price of some of the drinks , so now instead of our nightly $8.06 it is now $8.37 , I dont give a rats ass, but the wife was up in arms , she is going to stop getting an extra shot of espresso in her drinks , its just 31 cents different , who cares , we are OLD , we dont go anyplace but out for coffee, we havent been to a movie in years , I have , but it is for a star wars or star trec , movie or a 007 thriller , she didnt want to go to any of them so i went with a bunch of my OLD TIRED friends , seeing who fell asleep first hahahaha

Breakfast was a THICK slice of bacon , just over a half inch thick , , it ate like a pork steak, , it gave up a lot of fat and that is what I cooked the hunk o chuck in , I steamed a few eggs , I like them better than poached , the toast was Flax seed whole grain bread with farm fresh butter made yesterday , NO salt added , just creamy butter made in an old wood churn, $4.00 a pound made in small batches , rolled in paper ... GOOD stuff.

I started out the cigar selection for today with a Don Carlos #3 , what else would I get? I almost picked up a a ISOM Upman corona , La Travitia maduro corona was in my hand , but the DC# 3 is always at the top of my list , cant say why , it just is what it is , I think I would rather have that than just about anything else, , I dont want it all day , I love the different sized, different wrappers, makers, country , and the same with coffee , and single malt scotches , DIVERICITY , shake things up , my life is so set in stone with the wife , I need the change to keep from falling asleep , keep my taste bud happy and keeping her happy is a TUFF job , but I think I am up to the challenge hahahaha , comming up on 48 years this August 15..... if she lets me live that long hahahaha
I hope to get my car back some time Monday , cant wait to go for a cigar ride !!! , I will be working on Tuesday and the Goof on the roof ( outr local weather man ) is calling for MID 70'S .... time to open the roof , and go down the highway with a BIG cigar . I just might celebrate with a Padron "A" size that has been in the humidor a few years , , But I only have one , so it might be a Masterpiece , I do have a few of them , but since i will be working and cant smoke in the company car, I might just settle for a ISOM Monte #2 after work. , and it might be on the back deck watching the sun set , not even in the car , ... who knows it will be played by ear and hope for the best.


I keep hoping that some one will get involved and add some thing to my ranting and general BULLSHIT , , what are you cooking , drinking and smoking ?????


Enjoy, Vince

 
Good afternoon it is Sunday the 25th of Feb. 2018 a cool wet day here in da Burgh . Rain is the word of the week , the yard is a swamp the creeks are over the banks and the rivers are on the roadway, Mud slides are common, a lot of homes are sliding down the hills , so far there are six in Pittsburgh and a few more here in the suburbs . I have a small pond in my side yard about 2 inches deep and 15 feet long and 3 feet wide , wish I had a fishing rod hahahahah . I found a lot of relaxing time fishing as a kid , havent been out for many years , maybe this summer I might start again. I can smoke and drink when the line is in the water, just watch the bobber and wait.
I started the day with a Ashton Churchill and a drive to my grandsons, he hit a pothole and has a flat tire , i took my compressor but it is not string enough to deal the bead , so he will need road service, his car didnt come with a spare tire, a Fiat 500 . i guess no place to put one , it is a tiny car, but he likes it and it gets great gas milage . so its going to the shop in the morning .

Breakfast was a quick easy plate of bacon and eggs with a slice of toast and a pot of Eathopian estate , right now I have a mug of Dark roast from Charbucks that I picked up on my way home from the grandsons . the Kona got a bypass today , maybe next sunday with a don carlos #3 .

I have some cod ready to get wrapped in a crust with spinich and feta cheese. , it will go in the oven about 2:30 or 3 , depends on when I get off my ass. NO BEEF today ..... AMEN .

as soon as we get a few days with out rain I will be cleaning out the Qtr.deck and running the vac on the floor and the furniture , wipping off the stands and cleaning the ashtrays , you will not be able to reconize the place hahahaha. if i get to it


time for me to get going , enjoy Vince





 

Good morning it is Sunday 3/4/18 a cool sunny but windy day here in da Burgh , with all the rain we have been having and I thank GOD it was rain and not snow , my yard is a swamp , we took a short ride to Brush Creek Park yesterday and the benches around the lake are in the water , there are signs of the road being washed out but it was all ready fixed , so much water in the ball fields you might be able to fish in them hahahaha . It is Great cigar smoking weather , but the county has posted signs that the park is a smoke free campus ,,,,, BULLSHIT , you can have a camp fire not a cigar , POLITICS ,,,, but with out police to enforce it , how will anyone one know , so i drove my car through the park with a HUGE Hemingway Maduro masterpiece clamped in my jaw with the sun roof open and I puffed away , i didnt see more than 5 cars in the entire park , no one complained that i know of , if one of them got my plate number and turned me in I will deal with it if it happens right now I dont care for the new notice , , I see the same notice at the Court house , but the President judge is a cigar smoker and enjoys a smoke in his chambers , if he can smoke so can I .

I got a weee bit hungry this morning and went all out on a mixed grill kitchen sink batch of scrambled eggs , onions bacon roasted red peppers, garlic celery , smoked gouda cheese, provelone, Romano , and pepper jack cheese all covered with beaten eggs and tossed around the heat till the eggs were set , a little more tabasco on mine and dry Pumpernickel toast to suck it all up with , a pot of Tanzanian Peaberry to wash it down with ..... smooth , flavorful and a great feel in the mouth , a nice breakfast and the BOSS liked it . after we ate I retreated to the Qtr.Deck , put on the heat , it was a cool 42 F inside , so back in the kitchen and get today's HUNK O BEEF in the oven .... what can I say , happy wife happy life , so she gets her Beef fix I get piece and quiet , fair trade IMHO .
I have been looking at the new Ford Ecosport mini SUV , not ready to pull the trigger as an option I want ( Leather seats ) is not avaiable on the SE model , need to move up to the platnum to get leather , or the SES , I had to move up to the SE to get the sunroof as the S cant get a hole in the roof, just an other way to bump up the price , with 155,000 + miles on my Escape its time to start looking for a new car, , I want to get my wife a new one and I take her Mercury Milan it is older than my car but she only has 65,000 miles on her car , it has all the toys I want , heated leather seats , sunroof , ..... what more do i need , OH yes A/C in the summer ..... She wants a new Subaru forester, I am OK with that but she wants to keep her car, the forester is a nice car , but more that I want to pay for a new unit, , I saw a Chrysler Ragtop with 116000 miles , a solid body , no rust , a few rips in the roof repaired with tape but the guys wants ONLY 1500 bucks , great car for the summer ..... but i dont know , I love the ride I have now , I want to keep it till it will not go anymore , BUT the call of new wheels is strong, , with all the cars i drive at work I thought that might temper my desire for a new ride , , last week i did drive a Lincoln Navagator , a Battleship sized LUX SUV, , and i did drive a BMW 3 series SUV , the BMW was LOUD with the sun roof open , had to jack up the radio at 70 MPH on the highway , the lincoln was fine at 70 .... , size wise not in the same ball park , but close in price . Do I want a Used Jag or a new small SUV, ????? the age old question getting the bang for your buck.

the youngest grandson got a new job , since his dream job at Kmart went south when the store closed , he is now at Best Buy and will be a member of the geek squad , going to classes working and a dating life leaves him little time to hang out with the grandparents like when he was a KID, still a kid but has a chin full of hair hahahaha . and one of the Nephews found a new job that he has been trying to get for the past 10 years , he is a Member of the CENTER TWP road dept , and being the Asst. Fire Chief in Center Twp it will place his work right at home he has been on the road crew for the city of Aliquippa the past few years , but was not able to cover fire calls in center twp , now he can . Good luck to both of them on the new jobs

I got a real suprize in the mail last week the wife went on line and picked up some cigars for me , a Bundle of Bahia Brazil and 2 five packs of Bahia Gold box pressed Torp , a real happy camper an I . hahaha , I dont know what it is about the Bahia brand that i like so much , the old answer is the bang for the buck , I enjoy the taste , and the price , Given my choice I would smoke monte #2 isom all the time , but then it would be the same old same old, so I smoke a lot of cheep cigars , and a lot of pricey ones , cant say if one is better than the other , the Don Carlos #3 is a cigar I dont care what it costs , I like it a lot, but the Maria Mancini Magic Mountain Maduro torp is in my top 5 a 2 buck smoke like the Bahia , ... different tastes , but I like them all, in fact i have the Kona in the press pot and the DC3 ready to go when i get done posting and get some pants on , heading to the Qtr.deck till its time to add the potatoes to the big ass hunk o beef . I have been cleaning out a few humidors to make room for the 20th cigar crawl this summer , I have been stashing cash away for the trip and plan on a restocking of a few of the soon to be empty humidors ..... 20 years , and it has been a BLAST a lot of cigars were consumed as well as a lot of BOOZE drank a few GREAT moments in the life of a cigar smoker .... cant wait for this one , as I am the OLDEST guy on the bus I hope to get a seat upfront so i dont need to walk as dammm far hahaha , the early crawls wer great , not as many people , I had a double seat all to my self a few years, , but now its a sell out with a waiting list , so all i want is an isle seat under the roof vent hahahaha
the timer just went off time to press the Kona and get moving , so what are you smoking , drinking and cooking today ????
Enjoy , Vince

 
Good morning it is Sunday 3/11/18 a cold but sunny day here in da Burgh , blue sky, white puffy clouds with a slight wind out of the north keeping the temp in the 30's . As the weather breaks so do the roads , with the freezing and thawing of the roads , the water getting into the tiny cracks , making the tiny ones bigger and the big ones super sized , we end up with pot holes big enough to destroy a tire and the rim , breaking suspention part s, and putting the alignment on its ear, an expensive time of year to be driving !

Breakfast this morning was a stuffed bagel , it had eggs, cheese, left over hash browns and pork sausage . I mixed up some mayo, tabasco, green onions and fine diced roasted red peppers and crushed garlic for a dipping sauce ,could have used a little brown mustard , but I was to lazy to get up from the table to add it. . all complemented with a rich pot of Eathopian medium dark roast coffee , right now I am sipping the end of the sumatra I made in a pour over , just enough to make 10 ounces of coffee , I was going to save it for a catch all blend but it never made it to the canister , I have a pot of Santos waiting for a cigar as soon as the Qtr.Deck is warm , it was 38 inside when the wife turned on the heat. ...... Thank you dear .... I am still in my robe and slippers , having to adjust my internal clock to the loss of an hours sleep ..... I heard a good story about daylight savings time and the AMERICAN Indian , Only a white man will think cutting of the top of a blanket and sticking it back on the bottom will give you a longer blanket ..... I do like the modern conviences , but the American Indian had the right idea, , Squaws did all the work the men hunted and fished , .... how can you beat that ???

I plan on starting the day with a Monte Churchill if I ever get out to the Qtr.Deck , and the WIFE is cooking today ...... Crock pot Pork chops and noodles ,,,,, should be ready about 4 ,,,,, NO BEEF and i dont have to cook ..... AMEN


well what are you cooking, smoking and drinking today ?????
Enjoy, Vince



 

2/22/04 thats when this thread started ,,,, a lot of BULLSHIT has been printed , debated , laughed AT , and been BORED out of me mind by it , a lot is repetative, miss spelled , and passed over by some and never replyed to , its Friday Night , Not Sunday morning , and I need a break , I have consumed 3 pots of coffee and one half of a robusto , didnt finish it , I have been feeling a bit down, BP is good sugar is ok , joints are a bit stiff but I just feel OLD, I guess the cold is getting to me ..... work is ok , a real killer hahaha 2 days a week drive the shuttle van , pick up parts and stay out of the sight of the brass , put in the 8 hours and go home ..... In the car , I listen to classical music, do a bit of conducting when I dont have a passenger hahahah But still I feel down , I have been cooking , that keeps me happy at times but it isnt working I think I need to sit in front of a nice bright light get some sun , forget about all the snow and wind and MOVE on to spring , but I just dont know when it will get here ... Enjoy, Vince



 

good after noon it is Sunday 18 mach 2018 a cool bright sunny day here in da Burgh , looking for a high of 50 today, its 45 now.

the inside of the house and the out side have been transformed from Saint Patricks day to easter , all decorations are changed, the door mats, the door hangers, the place mats and dish washer cover, all proclaiming spring and Easter. the shamrocks are gone replace with pastel colored eggs and bunnys , the small colored tree by the front door will be changed form green to pastels tonight when it comes on , just a touch of the remote , DONE.

breakfast was a cheese filled scrambled egg , bacon and toast . the coffee was a estate coffee from Zimbobway , or how ever you spell it . the hunk o beef is in the oven should be ready about 4 ,,,, back to the standard, last weeks pork chops were good for me but she was not impressed so keep the tradition and braise the beef.
I have a Monte churchill jammed in my jaw. and a pocket keeper with what ever I had in it yesterday , didnt open it , just felt it had a few sticks , so i jammed it in my pocket.
I have looked in the humidors a few days ago and see I am low on the Don Calrlos #3 just 5 left so I need to get a new box ,,,, dont want to run out


well I have no incites and comments this afternoon so I will get on with the cigars , music and coffee....


what are you drinking smoking and cooking ?????

enjoy, Vince





 
Good morning /afternoon , it is Sunday 3/25/18 a chilly bright sunny day here in da Burgh , I got a late start on the day , still in my robe and slippers but the heat is on in the Qtr.Deck and the coffee is brewing for an afternoon of cigars and coffee with some music to pass the time .
I had a left over baked potato and it was cut up and grilled with the bacon and eggs and we finished the tomato that was cut for last nights supper and didnt get finished , so breakfast this morning was a few of last nights leftovers and so is the coffee a mix of african, and american coffees with some Indian monsoon as the major player in the pot , some were light roast , some dark , all ground together and brewed in the drip pot

I was digging around in the freezer making room for the pot stickers , and found a set of t bones that have been in the freezer since November , they are now in a marinade and will be center plate about 4 PM .I think we will be having some yams with them , along with grilled onions and garlic toast ,,, try to stay up wind hahahahah yep no hunk o beef in the oven , a slice of beef on the grill.


I am still alive in the basket ball pool , Loyola of Chicago got me to the Eleate 8 and 40 bucks so far , it was a 20 buck pool ,names drawn out of a hat with the sweet 16 , everyone got 2 teams , one from each side of the bracket some of the guys were out in the first round , I have no idea who is rated and who isnt , ,,, with this system everyone has an equal shot , its all the luck of the draw, so far I got lucky .
one year I filled out my bracket , by taking the team on the top of all the games on the left side and all the bottom of each matchup on the tight side , I have no idea who won , but I got my money back and then some I did have a team in the final 4 , so with out any Idea what I was doing I made my investment back as I did this year pulling the names out of the hat. ......


Well I have cigars to smoke and music to listen to , coffee to drink and a life off the computer ,
what are you cooking drinking and smoking today ? Enjoy Vince


 

Good afternoon , it is EASTER Sunday the first of April 2018 a chilly but bright and sunny day here in da Burgh . 37 F at 11:30 am but with the sun being out and the sky light in the Qtr.Deck it was almost 50 F inside when I went out to turn on the heat . I have a problem deciding what to smoke today , I just dont know if I should celebrate my winning 40 bucks in the basket ball pool or just having a Don Carlos #3 with my Kona ..... got to think on it a bit more .

I put the dry cured ham in the oven last night at midnight , after a 5 day soak in water , changing it every 8 hours, , for 3 days, one day in ginger ale and the last day in a bit of Prosecco , , the cheapest I could get since I will not be drinking it just going for the flavor of the grapes to give the fat , yams and green beans with a pasta salad will be on the menu also .
Breakfast was scrambled eggs with peppers onions and cheese the coffee was a medium roast columbian that was stored in an old wine cask before roasting ... jury is still out on the flavor VS cost. need an other cup or two to decide , and right now cost VS taste the cost is out weighing the taste ,,,, dont think I will buy it again .

Both grandsons are working today , lucky them ,they will be missed but escape the traditional arguments over all holiday meals hahahaha

we are expecting SNOW again with a prediction of 1 to 2 inches of heavy wet snow tonight , I have a blood test in the morning , I hope the roads are cleared by then.

we are in the expanding BOOM in the gas industry here , new wells are being drilled , pipelines are being laid and a prossissing plant is under construction, hotels are going up all over the place for the construction workers , things are looking up since the steel industry fell on its ass , things are looking up and then the ATOMIC power plant in Shippingport Pa , the sight of the very first commercial Atomic plant in the world , will be closing in the nest few years , about 1000 jobs will be going , not to mention the taxes they pay to the county and local government . one step back , none forward unless the company sells the 2 units to some one and they keep it running .....

I have been cutting back on the cigars this week down to 3 a day or LESS , I just find my self Busy doing nothing and havent taken the time for a smoke , its been cold and wet so no cigars outside at work, and the parking lot is to far to pop in the car to get out ot the weather when you need a good 5 minutes to walk out and back , that cuts the 10 minute break in half , not enough time for a smoke , it will get better as the days get warmer , I will sit outside all day if I can Hahahaha
The Easter Bunny must have got lost on his way here, NO CHOCOLATE EGGS ,,,, he must have got a note from Santa to skip us this year hahahaha
well I need to get started on the Yams , and maybe a quick trip to the Qtr.deck for a smoke .
so what do you have in the oven on the stove and in the humidor, tell us all what your cooking drinking and smoking , dont just read this BULLSHIT , add you voice to the party


Enjoy , Vince

 
Good morning it is Sunday 4/8/18 a chilly some what over cast day here in da Burgh , 34F and still a spot or two of yesterdays snow , we got just under 2 inches . The robins in the yard are realllllly pissed , if they didnt shit all over my back deck I might go back to feeding the ungrateful little bastards , I was going through 40 pounds of seed a week we had great sightings of a lot of birds , but they grew bold and started to land on the chairs churpping when the feeder went empty and shitting all over the place so I removed the feeder and the shit stopped.
the Hunk O beef is in the oven and a POT of ham soup is on the stove, we had a nice bone in the ham from last Sunday , and it went in the freezer till last night , this morning it was introduced to the celery, carrots, onions peppers , yams and cabbage , the green beans will go in later , I like a little snap in the green beans but everything else will be well cooked .

Breakfast was a toasted English muffin with an egg , sliced ham and swiss cheese , a few sliced of tomato on the side , ,,, breakfast on a bun. . the coffee was an estate coffee from Nicaragua, medium light roast , I did some to the first crack and a few more to the second crack , mixed them before grinding , and i have a second pot ready to brew and start the day with a ISOM monte corona .
DAMMM i just looked out the window its snowing again WTF , enough all ready ... time to toss in the towel , I have had enough

work has been quiet , nothing out of the ordinary , show up 2 days a week and drive the shuttle , take people home, to work pick them up go to the parts store and tire shop , sit arround , sip coffee , its been to dammm windy and cold to grab a cigar at work. to cold for a short story , just cant get a break , but soon I will be sitting outside as much as I can , filling the sky with cigar smoke .

the wife has a pinched nerve in her neck , she had a x ray, cat scan and/or an MRI and will be going back to Phy.Thearpy 3 times a week starting Monday ..... free time for me hahahaha


.not much going on in my life other than cigars, scotch , coffee and BS , a little music and thats my life , so whats going on in your world, what are you smoking , drinking and cooking ???
Enjoy, Vince



 
Good morning it is Sunday 4/15/18 a some what warm Sunday morning here in da Burgh. After 2 days of 80+ F we are looking at a nice 74/5 for today , with a strong wind and SNOW showers later ,,, winter will not give up with out a fight .
We started the morning with a Gautamalan Antiquia coffee with french toast and sliced peaches , a nice way to start the day , I have a pot of Columbian AA in the drip machine and will be getting it going soon.
The weather has been so nice the past few days I have not spent any time in the Qtr.Deck , I have been on the back deck enjoying the warm SW winds and sending cigar smoke on the winds to piss off the drivers on the highway a few hundred yards to my east , a BIG cloud of smoke when it leaves here , but just the fine aroma of a cigar when it gets there hahahaha .
Thursday was the wifes birthday , dammm we are getting OLD , one grandson was able to pull him self away for supper with us , the other one had to work as did our daughter , we had a nice meal of Tex Mex from a local Take out , and had a nice evening with coffee and cake after the fire from the HOT Tacos , medium hot burrettos , the some what cooler enchaladas , I washed mine down with a Lime flavored Iced tea , but no lime for the rest of them.

As we age our bodys are becoming a bit less healthy , we eat well , walk here and there , but age has a way of catching up , she has a pinched nerve in her neck , going to Phy.therapy 3 times a week ... after an X ray and MRI the doc said you have a lot of arthritus ,,,, no shit , dont need a test that is 1800 bucks to tell us that , glad the insurance picks it up, but dammmmm 1800 for a 25 minute test , sure the machine cost in in the millions and it needs to be paid for , , I dont know how long the machine will last but the dammmm thing runs 24/7 , her appointment was set at 9:30 PM , and we were back home before 11 PM , bing bang boom , in and out , next person is ready , , I sat outside in front of the no smoking sign , with a cigar and coffee, Hospital securty did stop as he drove by so I thought OK and Poof she was finished before they got back... into the car and we were on our way home.
we did go for a ride last night with a char bucks frap for her and a Dbl. Espresso and a ISOM monte corona for me . , it was a nice evening , moon roof open and just a slight amount of heat from the vents as the temp dropped into the low 60's last night as we were driving. , we didnt got far as gas prices are closing in on $3.00 a gallon, just wait till the summer blended gas shows up , the price will jump over the $3.00 line , I am sure some of you are paying that all ready , it all depends on where you are . , with the highest gas TAX in the country, per gallon, the retailers are getting the ass kicked from out under them , BUt if you need gas ,,,, you pay.

I have some BBQ baby back ribs all ready on , and will be making cabbage and noodles for todays side dish, , with the windows open and no hunk O beef in the oven its hard to tell what the day will bring.
I have a few cigars picked out for the day , starting with the BEST a Don Carlos #3 , then a grab bag with an Upman banker toro , a Camacho toro, and a brick house toro, , just reach in and pull one out , no rhyme or reason , and as soon as I get dressed I will be taking my buddy Don Carlos for a walk and a mug of coffee before setting my TIRED OLD ass on the back deck in the rocking chair and checking on the ribs , hahaha I dont even open the lid I can tell by the Aroma , and looking at the temp and my wrist watch , , should be ready just before 4 PM

What are you cooking , smoking and drinking today ????
enjoy, Vince



 
Good after noon a wonderful day here in DA Burgh , Sunny warm with a cool wind , a great day for a walk and a cigar , just to piss off the people sitting on the porches as I puff a BIG FAT CIGAR as I walk , they start to cough before I get there , That cigar stinks ... So , your ass stinks .
Dammm I started out in the best mood I have had in weeks , but if I want to get bitched at I can just sit on the couch , hahahaha . the Unofficial grass cutting started yesterday a guy across the pasture was out with his tractor , dethaching , and later cutting , my yard is a few weeks away , as soon as the wife is up to it hahahaha , she is having the cateracts removed in the left eye this Thursday and the right eye is the next week , she is going to the same doc that did mine . , I go to the retina specialist on Monday , time for a shot in the eye ball again , not looking forward to it , but it keeps me being able to see . , It was a lot of fun getting old but no fun being old .

we had a nice breakfast , bacon and eggs , flax seed toast and a pot of Columbian AA medium dark roast , I have a pot of Margoheppie in the drip maker and a Don Carlos #3 ready to go , a nice walk and a way to kill some time untill its time to cook, we are going Greek today Fish , feta , and spinich all wrapped in fphllo dough , covered in olive oil and baked till golden brown . I reallllly wanted to grill a porterhouse , but I was over rulled and instructed to make the fish, , , she was thinking way ahead of me , it was defrosting when I got up .

My modem has been going on a little trip of its own , not working half the time , only 12MBPS them jumping to 135 , then nothing again , I had comcast replace it , , and it worked great for a day , now I cant get my phone to hook up, no problem with the lap top s or the hard wired computer , just my phone, it was OK one day , it sees the new modum but will not hook up , , I checked the pass word , and its correct , the tablets and laptop hooked right up , time to call the I.T. grandson hahahaha

oVER THE WINTER THE STATE PLOWED UP THE EDGE OF MY YARD AND WERE OUT THERE fRIDAY IN THE RAIN AND SNOW FIXING IT !!!! damm nice job , planted some grass and covered it with straw , cleaned up the edge and removed the dead groundhog
and moved on , now as long as they dont send me a bill .... the HIGHEST per gallon tax on gas in the country , we are living with some of the worst roads in the country, , with Major land slides all over the area, 2 Highways are shut down , for the next few months and many smaller side roads and lanes are closed and with a MAJOR rebuild on the Parkway into Pittsburgh from the north , it makes getting some place a tuff row to hoe , from my home to downtown was only 20/25 minutes . last time I went into town took an hour and 40 minutes .... no fun at all.on top of all the landslides and rebuilding of the highways there is so much NEW construction going on , the Bently / Masaratti dealership is almost finished on RT 19 , across the road from the Tesla dealer , New town homes & apartments and strip malls are going up all over , and a few miles away the old shopping centers are being torn down... go figure, cheaper to build new than to rentavate ????
I have lived her over 40 years when I moved in there was NO ONE near me, an active cow pasture to on e side , and a fields to the other , a one lane bridge and 2 stop signs between me and the Pa turnpike exit #3 , Now its a four lane bridge and 13 traffic light , and just ONE stop sign. now its a 4 way stop , before the state rt 989 didnt have a stop , just Lovi road , well Crider road is under construction and Lovi is the detour , so much traffic you were not able to get out , so the 4 way stopped , gave us a break, but the BIG truck traffic has tripppled , and with all the gas wells being drilled in the area , the noise at night is BAD , there are 3 crews, and the drilling is a 24/7 operation , all are deep wells so the equipment is heavy duty , its not like a 50 or 60 foot water well , we are talking miles deep into the Marlisis shale and the deeper Utica shale where the shale if full of natual gas , when the well is finished there will be just a fence and a few tanks and a small compressor station filling the pipe line , and all the wells are conected to the line it is heading to Monaca Pa to the under construction Shell oil , Cracking plant , where it will be convered to plastic and other BS , Shell is spending a BILLION Bucks or more on all the stuff going on , hotels ,pipe lines , Bridges, and all the other stuff that will support the new plant, they took out a Zinc smelter , removing about 1000 jobs, but it will be years in the building and require 10,000 workers to build it but 750/1000 to run it , a BOOM now but how long till its a BUST.
time for me to get off the computer and get on with my day , Enjoy, Vince


 

Good morning it is Sunday 4/29/18 a chilly overcast day here in da Burgh right now its a chilly 37F with a high of only 52 F , the heat is on in the Qtr.Deck and I will be heading out soon, the Hunk O beef is in the oven and the pot of kona is almost ready and don Carlos #3 is on stand by ,
we had french toast again this morning , the wife is enjoying it so I make it , Oatmeal bread for her and flax seed for me , fresh ground nutmeg and cinnamon with a spoon full of sugar added to the eggs and cream , soak the bread , in the egg mix , drop it into a well buttered pan and brown on both sides , what ever butter is left in the pan gets poured on the bread , a little maple syrup and we have breakfast .
Friday I stopped at a local tavern to get fish for supper , now that Lent is over the churches are not having fish frys , so I stopped and ordered a fish dinner , along with a Laphroaig qtr cask , the bar tender must have got the orders mixed up and I got a dinner and a sandwich , with all the side dishes for both , glad I gave her a great tip .... I thought the bag seamed a bit on the heavy side , but I didnt check till I got home , , there is still Mac and cheese and fish in the fridge , maybe a lunch for us on Monday.

Barb had the first Cateract removed Thursday , and the next eye will be this coming Thursday , she slept most of thursday when we got home , & I havent smoked a cigar in the car with her all weekend , even on our saturday drive with coffee , No Cigar , dammmm it was hard , but I dont want her to get smoke in the eye or complain about it so NO CIGAR , when she is in the car ,for a few more weeks , then it will be a cloud of cigar smoke coming out the sun roof .
My cell phone died last week at work , it just refused to hook up to the internet and the phone didn't recieve calls , tryed to restart it a few times but I was not able to get it to shut down , like it was stuck in gear, so I ordered a new phone on line , got 1500 minutes of talk time free, it was 10 bucks more than the same phone at a local retail store but No time came with it , I will take the talk time for the 10 bucks , the phone should be here Tuesday , then to get the Grandson to save all the BS on the old phone if he can , if not , I will just start all over again . I have a couple of golf outings this coming month and a wedding in August to do I will be making a lot of cigars this summer , hope the arthritus lets me do it hahahaha
The Qtr.deck heat has been on almost an hour now , the Kona needs pressed and Don Carlos is calling , Enjoy, Vince

what are you drinking and smoking ???

 
Status
Not open for further replies.