Cigars

[MOturkey]

Originally Posted by hi_speedreed

That guy was me. It seems everyone that answered was very defensive. I know it is difficult to have a conversation on a message board because people take things the wrong way but I wasn't trying to get a rise out of anyone, I really wanted to know. I have tried tobacco both smoke and chew. The smoke I never got past the first puff. The chew I liked but I quit. I used to chew while hunting but a job that did not permit it lead me to quit. Then I dipped snuff when I started this venture but I knew it was unhealthy so I gave up all tobacco June 2011.

To answer every person who asked me if I want to live forever, it's not about living forever. I know everyone will die eventually. Some drift off peacefully in their sleep. Some have accidents. Some have life taken from them by others. Some die relatively young from diseases that are preventable but have no cure. The local paper's obit section is full of people in their 40s and 50s who died from diseases linked to tobacco. I don't think someone who makes the statement they would rather die young feels the same way when death comes knocking.

To me it is about having a quality life in my later years. There is no activity I enjoy more than having my health. We will all get older. I want to spend my time playing golf, working in my garden, playing with the dog, hunting and fishing instead of laying in a bed hooked up to oxygen or worse. There is worse and I witnessed it.

I watched a family member who smoked die of esophageal cancer. His throat closed up and he had to eat through a port in his abdominal wall. He would get nauseous and vomit only he could not expel his stomach contents because it was blocked so he would lay in the bathroom and his stomach would convulse until it wore itself out. He was so thirsty but he could not swallow water, he could just roll it around in his mouth and then spit it out. He wasted away to a mere 93 lbs when he died.

I have no illusions of living forever but I am doing whatever I can to prevent dying like that. It was a horrible way to die and directly attributable to smoking.

Life is a risk, of course, but there are those who insist on tempting fate. I've known heavy smokers that seemingly are not adversely effected by the smoking. Our next door neighbor is a perfect example. He was a captain in the Army during WWII, so you can guess how old he is, and smokes like a chimney. However, it is much like jumping out of an airplane. Many do it repeatedly with no problems, but, occasionally, the chute doesn't open, and, well, I've often wondered what those people's last thoughts are on the way down. Perhaps something along the lines of "gee, I wish I hadn't jumped from that perfectly good airplane!"

Seriously, though. My Dad was a heavy smoker who died from a heart attack at 56. One of my wife's brothers died a few years ago from lung cancer at the age of 59. A lifelong smoker, he retired from a federal job with a good pension at 57, with dreams of spending his retirement fishing and going to NASCAR races. Instead, he died two years later, with the final year of his life being a living hell with chemotherapy and radiation treatments. I doubt seriously that having an occasional cigar, or even a couple of cigarettes a day is likely to do enough harm to shorten one's life, but honestly, with all the information out there today about the harmful effects of tobacco, smokeless or otherwise, I, for the life of me, just can't understand why anyone would start smoking or chewing.

[yardguy28]

well it's like I said before. to some its an enjoyable thing. harmful or not. the enjoyment out weighs the negative effects.

my pipe smoking for example. I'm willing to risk getting mouth or lung cancer for the flavor of the tobacco. to me that flavor is worth it.

for others it's chew, alcohol, food or something else. the enjoyment, thrill, high you get makes it worth the risk.

[zechstoker]

Originally Posted by yardguy28

well it's like I said before. to some its an enjoyable thing. harmful or not. the enjoyment out weighs the negative effects.

my pipe smoking for example. I'm willing to risk getting mouth or lung cancer for the flavor of the tobacco. to me that flavor is worth it.

for others it's chew, alcohol, food or something else. the enjoyment, thrill, high you get makes it worth the risk.

What flavor(s) of tobacco do you prefer?

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by zechstoker

What flavor(s) of tobacco do you prefer?

when I first started I enjoyed the mocha flavored tobacco. but I've found the cherries to be extremely strong in flavor.

that's all I know about the tobacco I smoke. I couldn't name, names like some people do because I still don't know that stuff. I get my tobacco from a pipe/cigar shop and its there own blends.

lately I've been smoking a blend of cherry and vanilla. but I think I might go back to the 3 cherry blend he has.

how about you?

[zechstoker]

I've always been partial to the black cherry blends. There use to be a shop here that had a strawberry daiquiri blend that was phenomenal, but they closed down a number of years ago, and now I can't find that flavor anywhere.

[yardguy28]

here's a link to a tobacco shop I have yet to try maybe you've seen it already.

http://www.boswellpipes.com/index.html

I use to be on the search for a good chocolate flavored tobacco but I ordered one from somewhere and it wasn't even a good tobacco and most tell me it's hard to get the chocolate flavor with tobacco.

so for now I stick with the cherry blends.

[zechstoker]

Hadn't seen that site before, but they seem to have a nice variety. Looking at the list of tobacco blends, there's one on there I forgot about. Peaches & Cream was good too. I've never ordered tobacco online, but I might try it later. I think we're down to one smoke shop that carries pipe tobacco around here, and I know it's only a matter of time until that one closes too.

[yardguy28]

yeah I only have one tobacco shop where I am but they have 3 locations.

I ordered a chocolate blend from another place I found online. that was a mistake. no chocolate taste and if wasn't even a good smoke otherwise. that has been my only online experience so far. I keep thinking about ordering something from the site I gave you. I'd get a smaller amount from what I did before though if I could.

personally I'd like to visit that place in person if work ever allowed me some vacation time.

[zechstoker]

Vacation sounds good. I'd like to take one of those myself

[Dugann]

No cigars or ciggies on customers property IMO. Not an anti smoker, my crew members seem to all smoke but I think in today PC world most customers (especially high end) find it unacceptable and unprofessional so to avoid issue I don't allow it. Me personally and like RussellB said a good cigar on a golf course with a cold brew.... just don't get much better then that. Just my 2 cents.