Smoking Parlor
I’d been thinking about having a smoking room in my house for years. A search on the internet would have you believe you need a fancy hepa filtration system, strong exhaust fan, or some other complex system that bipasses air ducts and reheats or cools your home. Intimidated by others’ smoking rooms, I put my idea on the back burner, thinking I’d wait until I could afford to have a high CFM exhaust fan installed. Then one day I decided to just try smoking in my office, and seeing how bad it was. As it turns out, it was fairly bad. I removed all textiles (that would hold the smell of smoke), but even so, the smoke smell lingered and even went beyond the room. As bad as it was, the smell went away in about a week, and I thought it was a problem I could solve. My current solution contains smoke to my office pretty well, and the smell only lasts a day or so. If for some reason I need the smell gone immediately, I have a backup plan for that too.
I started with Fans. I have two windows in my office, so I got a small air circulator fan for the intake, and a larger vornado for the exhaust. I didn’t buy fancy fans, or even window fans, just small cheap fans to handle a room of about 10×20. Since its winter, I bought a small ceramic heater on amazon. Its very small, very quiet, and often gets the job done on low. This was very surprising, but its really all I need to be comfortable in a tee shirt when its less than 30 degrees outside. With both fans and the heater running, its whisper quiet.
I was worried about my door so I bought weatherstripping, and went all the way around the frame. Then I bought a piece of foam to block the bottom of the door, but honestly I don’t always use it. Since I don’t have any air ducts in my office, and I’m exhausting most air out than I’m drawing in, I don’t expect much smoke to escape until I turn the fans off.
When I leave the fans running for about an hour after I’m finished, most smell is gone. If I just shut the windows and leave the room, a small amount of smell remains. If I’m having company over soon after smoking, I’ll leave the fans going, and run a small air purifier. This type of air purifier has its drawbacks, but it completely eliminates the smoke odor. For just over $100, I have a very functional smoke management system.
Despite very cold temperatures this weekend, I was able to enjoy a cigar. My wife went to brunch with some friends, so I grabbed my kindle, some bourbon, and a nice stick.
I’ll do a full review of the bourbon later. The Cabaiguan was great as always, though I did experience a slight run problem. It came out of my travel humidor, so it was probably my fault. The book I’ reading is excellent, but not well paired to Tennessee bourbon and a cigar from Ecuador and Nicaragua. I’ll try to enjoy a more authentic Cuban experience, and write it up soon.
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Fire in the hole
I just finished Fire in the hole on my new kindle paperwhite (with the blacklit screen, awesome). If you don’t know, Elmore Leonard wrote the books that inspired the TV show Justified (also highly recommended). Fire in the hole is a collection of some of his short stories. I like this book because it gives you a taste of each of Leonard’s genres and styles. I liked the title story, but I think I liked the western short stories the best. I already purchased his complete collection of westerns on my kindle, but next up on my queue is a book about the Bacardi family and the history of Cuba, which I want to get read before an upcoming trip…
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Don’t just stare at it…
One of the best fiction (not really my cup of tea as I prefer non-fiction generally) books I ever read, was American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis. I read it when I was 27, and getting my MBA. The protagonist (Patrick Bateman) is a 27 year old investment banker. If you’re not already aware, the plot is essentially that Patrick is obsessed with superficial things, loses touch with humanity, is prone to murderous drug-fueled rampages, and may or may not be real. Its quite complex, but I don’t want to give anything away or color your perceptions. The book is sick, sadistic, psychotic, and extremely interesting. The style in which the book is written really allows you to experience the obsessive and crazy life of the main character. The book makes one think about the state of Capitalism, conformity, the American dream, and US culture in the late 80s. What is also interesting, is that the real Wall Street guys this book was inspired by, grew up to cause the subprime mortgage crisis, bailouts, Madoff, Enron, etc. This book is definitely worth your time, even if you’ve already seen the movie. The movie only begins to hit on the best parts of the book. If you haven’t seen the movie, its on Netflix and Amazon instant video.
An interesting parallel between American Psycho and the book I’m currently reading, A Man in Full, is the idea that the boardroom is a modern incarnation of the battlefield. This sentiment is made explicitly in A Man in Full, but really only alluded to in American Psycho though competition (in reservations, business cards, suits, tans, really everything), and physical violence. I believe both books were published within a few years of each other.
To get in the mood, enjoy a playlist inspired by the novel:
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Cafe Du Monde and Sally Lunn bread
I generally only read one book at a time. When I read a book I really like, I like to try to experience the book. For instance, if I’m going to Breckenridge, I might read a Bond book such as, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which based on the cover (but not my memory), involves skiing and perhaps, a ski town. In an earlier post, I suggested reading a Louis L’Amour book while in the desert. When I read The Right Stuff, I had several conversations with my father about what the space race was like (as I was not yet born). I also like to try things that are mentioned in the books. Bond books provide a wealth of items such as champagne, clothes, destinations, food (full english breakfast for instance), activities, cars, watches, etc. In the book I’m currently reading, A Man in Full, a character enjoys a breakfast of Cafe Du Monde chicory coffee, and Sally Lunn bread.
What really caught me is that they say its a Virginia recipe, yet I had not heard of it. I ordered some Cafe Du Monde on amazon prime, and asked the wife to whip up some bread. She found a recipe for Old Virginia Sally Lunn:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/old-virginia-sally-lunn-10000001962845/
It was delicious. I fixed it up with butter and blackberry jam (I believe they used plum in the book).
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Louis L’Amour
Ralph Stanley got me thinking about my Papaw. He was never without a pistol and a Louis L’Amour book on his nightstand. After he passed, I got his copy of Hondo, well used, but still with the Hills department store sticker on it. Like Bond books, its a great vacation read. Especially if your vacation is out west. Load up some L’Amour on your kindle, book a golf trip in Arizona (I like the Westin La Paloma in Tucson), and thank me later.
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The Virginia Sportsman
Before I forget, I’ll talk about my other favorite magazine, The Virginia Sportsman (also available on Amazon). Virginia Sportsman is a lot like G&G, but more Virginia Specific. However, it is not limited to VA; the current issue has an article all about Georgetown, DC (**UPDATE – just got the new issue, which is about Georgetown SC, cheeky). If you’re a Virginian and a sportsman, definitely check it out.
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G&G Magazine
Pictured above is the current issue of one of my two favorite magazines, Garden & Gun (also available on amazon). I’ve only read the article on drinks so far, but as always, its a great issue. I’m a huge mint julep fan (I’m sure I’ll do a whole mint julep post when it starts to warm up). I bought some sorghum syrup a while back to try in cocktails in place of sweetener. In the drinks article, a sorghum sweetened julep is suggested:
http://gardenandgun.com/article/antebellum-julep
I’ve had a brandy julep, and a julep made with white dog whiskey, but never one made with rum. After reading the article, I think I’ll try a more traditional recipe, but substitute sorghum syrup or simple syrup.
I also like G&G’s sporting life coverage. They review hunting lodges and vacation spots I’d love to visit.
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Bourbon, Straight – Very Old Barton drops age statement – Magruders
I started a book club a year or so ago. The first book we read, which was instrumental in getting all parties to agree to join the club, was Bourbon, Straight: The Uncut and Unfiltered Story of American Whiskey by Charles K. Cowdery. If you’re a fan of bourbon, its a must read. I’d describe the book as a history of bourbon and the bourbon industry. It also includes instructions on how to taste bourbon, and reviews of specific bourbons at the end. Mr. Cowdery also has a blog, and a documentary. He also puts out a newsletter, “The Bourbon County Reader”, which I get sent to the house. I highly recommend the book. I’ve been thinking about taking a road trip to bourbon country. If I do, I’ll be sure to reread Bourbon, Straight so I can ask the right questions, and get the most out of the trip.
If you’re looking for some more bourbon resources, I like the forum http://www.straightbourbon.com/, and the blog, http://bourbondork.blogspot.com/
On the latter, I recently found out that my go-to value bourbon, Very Old Barton, is dropping their age statement. However, some folks on straight bourbon had some and didn’t realize it had changed. I haven’t had the new kind yet, but I’m hoping it hasn’t changed too much. My bottle, with the age statement, looks like this:
And while we’re on the topic, I do a lot of my alcohol shopping at Magruders. In Virginia, we have state run ABC stores, so a quick run into DC can yield me much better prices, and a different selection. Blantons is usually a few bucks cheaper than in VA, and VOB, which is unavailable in VA, is about $19 for a handle.
***Update on VOB age statement here.
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And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails
Its been a good while since I’ve read And a Bottle of Rum. I read it before the kindle, or at least, before I had a kindle. As much as I like a good James Bond book on a vacation, I think this may be the ultimate vacation read. Each chapter is named for a cocktail, so it makes your next drink order much easier while sitting at the beach. This is a book about the history of the United States, so if you’re not into history, this book may not be for you. I found the book fascinating, but of particular interest to me, was that rum, not bourbon, was America’s first favorite brown sauce.
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The well-read Virginian
I’m currently reading A Man in Full by Richmond’s own Tom Wolfe.
I’m about halfway though the book. I’m quite absorbed in Charlie Croker’s story, but I have a feeling things may not work out well for him. Even if you can’t identify with a charismatic good ‘ol boy turned business mogul who entertains his associates by taking them quail hunting at his plantation, this book is still worth a read. If you haven’t read any Tom Wolfe before, I’d start with The Bonfire of the Vanities or The Right Stuff.
The Right Stuff is quite possibly the best book I’ve ever read. Its a non-fiction account of the Mercury 7, centering around the space race. Wolfe illustrates the mens’ incredible risks and spectacular achievements, while also describing a a frat house atmosphere in which the astronauts constantly tried to one up each other, played pranks, pulled cookies (read it to find out), street raced, etc. I can’t do the book justice in this brief review, but if you want to read about men who are the epitome of the manly American male who made this country great, this is a book for you.
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