The Daily Chronicle

Sounds wonderful Maggie. I'm taking notes. 

My wife does something similar, but with pork chops in the mix with caraway seeds. No zucchini, i hate it, it's a weed!

thanks, gentlemen! I bought too many zucchini, I'm running out of room in the crockpot, so I just threw in one. Just means I can make hubby's favorite side: sliced zucchini tossed in balsamic vinegar and pepper then sauteed that will be on Wednesday. Just about ready to work on the sausage....

They say that the problem drinking with the Irish is the good-bye.

i found a photo of David during his modeling career that is appropriate for the upcoming holiday....

Yes, but this is what I looked like when it counted

BTW, I used to wear a hat like that. Pissed all the people off at the same Blackjack table in Tunica

Yes we did, Mark... and I am quite content

It may not have been the hat that peed them off. I was smoking a black, stinky cigar... and winning. I was in the number one chair, so all the card counters (guessing) were expecting me to follow logic. Logic has always been elusive to me. I might hit on a twelve one time and stand on it the next, never thinking about cards played. I never thought about it that night, but I must have messed up their rhythm. Xuan kept coming up to me telling me she lost all her money on the slots. I kept saying, "That's okay honey (in my best cowpoke voice). Here's another twenty." I was the only one at the table winning.

Shame was the drinking and smoking got their revenge. I had to drive back to Saint Louis with four hours sleep and a massive hangover. Our friends from Germany knew something was wrong as I tried to decode their speaking in a foreign tongue. "Vas ist lose mit dat stinker?" I didn't drink for another ten years after that and only drink a couple very rarely now.

Election day today. I've been voting now for 16 years and my candidates have yet to win for anything other than local counciler. Here's hoping my record improves!

If the leading candidate wins, it will be historic, and will bring interesting times. You guys don't usually have much choice. I hope that the best man wins.

Mmmmmm ... butter and sausage!  

Irish cheese is nice, too, and there is a brand called Kerrygold that can be found here in the states.

  sorry, all gone! hubby was a very happy fellow.

The Iwan Reis Report
Required Reading: www.worth.com/inside-americas-oldest-tobacco-shop/
Decoder Rings may be necessary

Summary so far, the Skinny, the Gist, the Upshot, the Lowdown, Bottom Line:

Private Blend - Nothingness epitomized 
Ko-Ko - All Burley with a tad of Lat. Toasted Bread flavor. Smokey. Thick flavor
Dr. Bradley's - Exceptional Quality in the vein of a mild English. This is where the parts of the blend are more important             than its whole.
International Blend: Totally great. Mild English. This is where the whole is more important than the parts.
Three Star Dutch: Licorice in the Secret Sauce. Iwan seems to use this sauce or variation in giving all of his blends a twist. This is like a mild Velvet that will not rip your throat apart.
Old Colonial: An enjoyable smoke that may be worth repeat purchases.
Affinity: A harmless blend that seems a little sweet in a good way. Pleasant overall smoke. Would buy again if they were out of what I wanted.

Now for the newest part:

Three Star Ebony: This is supposed to be strictly Black Cavendish with Vanilla. I could swear there is a Secret Sauce Component here, as the Vanilla flavor is altered into some hybrid flavor. I bought a pouch and a day later ordered 2 7 Ounce Tins. That should speak of how I feel. Could be an all day smoke if you want Black Cav all day.
I was not sure how the tins would be when opened. The pouch came drenching wet to the point that I think I got screwed out of a half an ounce. I smoked for small bowls and had a small portion left in the pouch.
However, the tins arrived and the  insides were moist, but not overly so.
NOTE: This tobacco needs to be smoked a little moist. Drying it out as much as others makes you lose the flavor.
Even though I have no clue as to all the components this will be a pleasant variation over a couple of my other BC loves. In other words, more to choose from.

Back on Ko-Ko for a moment: I smoked some Sutliff Model Match yesterday. It was very close to Ko-Ko in the toasty dept. but the little bit of Lat in the Ko-Ko makes a pleasant difference.

The Collective Wants You:

You all know how much I love Distinguished Gentleman. I could not tell who made it, but I noticed the blend has been around for the exact same years as IR has been. The article I linked says it all. E.Hoffman, maker of Distinguished Gentleman, opened IRC and brought his nephew, Iwan, on later.
Imagine a world before the Internet. In Tobacco Heaven you could walk into a Kramer's or an Iwan Reis. You would need go no further, as the variety of home blends could keep you happy from 1857 to 1900. I am not sure about Kramer's, but Iwan has all the blends I mentioned, more in this section, yet also has a section on his English Blends. Were I to choose a tobacconist forever, IR gets my business. I will enter the collective and share my brain with others who share theirs, never to leave this wonderful Hotel California. I can imagine going into Kramer's and being in a Danny Kaye mood, or "Mr. Kramer, a little House Blend is in order today." Only to choose Cary Grant the next day.
Obviously I am not going to give up my other blends, but the joy of going into a small shop knowing they can please every taste bud transports me into smokey worlds of decades past.

Side Note: Sutiff CD Private Stock Blend 8 ounce tins are still in stock. Out of production, so it already has a few years age on it.

Now you all know this has to be kept Hush Hush, Definitely Down Low, on the QT, and Strictly Confidential