Hi! ::waves::

I've missed you!! Sorry to have deserted you! My computer deserted me, and the blogger app won't do things the way I like, so my words have remained tucked away in my noggin.

But they will soon be free! Soonish, anyway. 

A new top for my lap.

But don't think I've been resting on my laurels, whatever that means. Because quite the opposite! We have lots of fun things coming up--things you can be part of! Things you'll want to be part of!! 

Stay tuned! 

A hint: 

Still love this logo!

Words of Wisdom #100: Mel Brooks because...Mel-freakin'-Brooks!

If you don't adore Mel Brooks and every word he's ever written and/or spoken, we can't be friends anymore. Sorry, not sorry.

 

He directed three of American Film Institute's 100 Funniest Movies: Blazing Saddles (1974) at #6, The Producers (1967) at #11 and Young Frankenstein (1974) at #13.

 

Go watch all his works and then report back.

If you still don't agree with me, we're breaking up for realz.

 

 

 

 

Happy birthday, Valentino!

Today is our hero's birthday!

 

 

 

 

 

Words of Wisdom #99: Thomas Mann

"I never can understand how anyone can not smoke.

It deprives a man of the best part of life.

With a good cigar in his mouth a man is perfectly safe,

nothing can touch him, literally."

-- Thomas Mann

5 Things* about...Why you should like the Love of the Leaf Facebook page

 If you don't like Love of the Leaf on Facebook, you've made us have the sad. You're missing out on so...much...awesome! Keep reading (if you need convincing) and then join us there, at the cool kids hangout! (They let me go there too, so if you're uber-uncool like me, they'll still like you!)

5. Exclusive giveaways
You know we're not above bribery! For example, when we reach 200 likes/followers/stalkers, one lucky subscriber gets this (chosen completely randomly because, if nothing else, we're obsessively fair):

Instagram photo by @jerseyjay. Swiped from here.
(Too lazy to get up and take my own photo.)

Yep. One of you will receive two Drew Estate Undercrown Shade cigars! Like the page and you're in the running! (Chat with previous winners and they'll tell you we have difficulty with directions, always sending more than promised. Damn us!)

4.5. Sales and auctions
Sometimes we manage to lay our hands on cigars and swag that might make some of you swoon. You know. This kind of stuff:

Auction coming soon! For realz!

or this:

Just the hat, ma'am. Or sir.
[Source]

...or who knows what else.  As we've told you before, one of us is known as the Cigar Hunter, able to find and trap even the most elusive of sticks. We want to share the awesomeness with you by offering the stuff for sale or auction. (We're nice like that! But not nice enough to just give it to you!)

4. Your sales and auctions! Yes--your very own!
List cigars you want to sell or auction! Check out the pinned post on the Love of the Leaf Facebook page for guidelines. Keep in mind--this page is for kindness only, so please don't gripe or bitch about prices or anything else.  If you have a problem, please direct your comments towards the person privately or send me or Valentino a message. We'll help resolve any problem! And if we can't, we'll send out the Goon Squad.**

3. Blog posts, which as you know, are always good for a laugh or five. 
No need to track down that day's blog posts or new info on the Love of the Leaf website. The Facebook page will bring it all to you in one shot. Lucky you!

2. Instagram photos documenting cigar shenanigans, featuring all the crazy one picture can hold.
Like this one, a personal fave:

1. Additional bouts of craziness I can't put into words or even anticipate!
Who knows what we're going to get into next! (Although if you want to know where we'll be, in hopes of catching us mid-shenanigan, check out these events...more added frequently!)


*6 really, but we're pretending 5.
**Zillion trillion bonus points plus my undying friendship for getting the reference.

Words of Wisdom #98: Charles Dickens

"Ah, if only I had brought a cigar with me!

This would have established my identity."

-- Charles Dickens

Cigar Lounge Manners: No Trash Talking

"Dude. Really? A _____ [cigar brand]*?"

The smoker at the bar looks at his premium cigar as if for the first time, and finally says, "I really like these. It has good flavor. Have you had it?"

The instigator, rather than looking sheepish, gives the cigar another blast of Stinkeye. "No, but it's a _____. How good can it possibly be?"

The smoker takes a thoughtful puff, blows smoke out his nose like a cartoon bull, smiles like the Cheshire Cat...

...and says, "Pretty fucking good."

Unvocalized questions rattled around my noggin all night: Why? Why do people (a very small contingent, but still, enough to make a difference) do that, dissing each others' cigars?

Do you do that?

Don't do that. Please don't ever ever do that. Please.

Just because you don't like something--or it's less expensive than what you usually smoke--doesn't mean it's bad. It means it doesn't fit your flavor profile. Don't be a douchebag snob.

If you were to blind smoke a few cigars, could you even name the group's brands? Probably not. Don't make that face at us. A well-established rep we know did a blind taste test and didn't know he was smoking his own newly-released cigar (which he's smoked several times before ).

*Mad Libs? Nope--although that's a really really fun game. Because we're super duper nice here, we're never going to say anything negative about any cigar brand. Fill in the blank at your own whim.

**Not even kidding. We don't say anything negative on the blog, but if you're an asshat and steal from us and our sponsor [to be announced soon], your douchebaggery will be publically proclaimed.