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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Me Day
I had a pretty stressful week the week before last. I decided to take a me day. I reaggravated an old rowing injury, and had a sore back, so I decided to pop a few muscle relaxers and advil, and start my day at NMTI right down the road from me in Falls Church City. NMTI is a massage school that offers massages from current students for $35 an hour. Its a great deal, and the worst massage I’ve ever had there was still good. More often than not, the massage is excellent. Its very easy to schedule your massage online.
After the massage, I stopped in palm beach tan to get some color.
After tanning, I swung by my parents house for a soak. I poured a little Talisker Storm, and put some jazz on my portable speakers.
After the hot tub, I quickly got into the sauna to dry off and stay warm (notice the snow on the ground).
In the evening, I took the metro in DC to meet a friend at Old Ebbit Grill for the orca platter (half off during happy hour). We also got a bottle of rose bubbly. A couple at the next table asked what we were celebrating (assuming we were together).
We ended the evening at Shelly’s Back Room. Had some nice cigars, and a few glasses of Blanton’s (only 9 bucks a glass, about the cheapest place to have Blantons out).
What a great day. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to top it.
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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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Interior Design, VA (&WV) Getaways
Two of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been are right here in the VA, WV area, The Homestead, and The Greenbrier. Since its the week of VDAY, and this isn’t intended to be a full blown review or comparison, I’ll keep mostly to the aesthetics.
(Credit, this interior design blog, how apropos (more beautiful pics after the jump))
(photo credit, and more great style) Next, how do you even pick just one photo of The Greenbrier?
For more information on The Greenbrier’s original interior designer, Dorothy Draper, check out the Greenbrier’s take, and grab the coffee table book we have (authored by the The Greenbrier’s current designer).
So how much do my wife and I love America’s great resorts? We got married at The Homestead, and The Greenbrier inspired the design of our own home.
My wife picked the colors, and chose wallpaper made by Carleton Varney. Shes also responsible for the built-ins, dental, chair rails, decorations, plants, and all the Mackenzie-Childs. However, I will admit that the smaller flower arrangements were done by yours truly. The best part? I spray painted the mason jars, bought the flowers, and added the quail and pheasant feathers my buddies and I brought back from a hunting trip, and gave each of my fellow hunters their own arrangement for VDay last year. They were as embarrassed as I was, so it was a great success.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/travel/graphics/resortschart.pdf
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Valentine’s Day
VDay is only a week away. If you haven’t already, its time to make some reservations, and buy a gift. I recommend an etsy shop with Appalachian inspired jewelry, run by a Virginia Tech grad:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/12POLE
I’d imagine the ladies already have things handled, but just in case, for a last minute gift hit the ABC store and grab a bottle of Elmer T Lee (bourbon), or Laphroaig (scotch). I, personally, always like more brown sauce, ammo, cigars, etc. If you hit the cigar store, but don’t know what to buy, my first recommendation is to ask his buddies what he likes, but my second is something by Arturo Fuente. If the shopkeeper has anything in the Hemingway line, you’re golden.
Y’all have a good one.
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Golf trip
I just signed up for an annual golf trip one of my Dad’s grade school buddies organizes (talk about an old friend). I’m quite excited to get out to Myrtle with some of my friends, and a bunch of my Dad’s. I also saw an interesting article about golf today. First link is for credit to the article, second is the actual article. Looks like the same author wrote both.
http://www.ivy-style.com/are-we-having-fun-yet-chens-on-golf-for-wsj.html
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304632204579339231167199684
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Sweet Rice
Two Falls Church City restaurant reviews on my blog in one day?
Sweet Rice is one of two Thai restaurants in FCC. I also like the other option (Pilin Thai), and when they do restaurant week, the deals are incredible. Both Thai restaurants’ weak point used to be their wine lists. I’ve had some OK wines at Pilin Thai, but never a good bottle. I’m no wine snob, especially when the price is $20-30, so when I say the wine lists were weak, I mean the wine was pretty much undrinkable. Sweet Rice has updated their wine list, and now there are a couple pretty good options. My favorite is the Riesling (dry, creamy, great value). Sweet Rice has plenty to choose from on the menu, but the Kapow chicken (or seafood) is my favorite. If you haven’t been, definitely check it out.
I found another review here.
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Ireland’s 4Ps
Ireland’s Four Provinces is one of my favorite spots in FCC. Irish restaurants/bars are ubiquitous in this area (and most areas). What makes the 4p’s different is authenticity. I’ve been to bars in Limerick, Galway, Cork, Killarney, Feakle, etc, and I’m not saying the 4p’s is the same as being in Ireland. I’m saying that when you go to the 4p’s, more often than not, your server has an Irish accent, and you can get a proper pint with good fish and chips (see pic above). There are plenty of Americanized items on the menu too (I had she crab soup (amazing) and a caesar salad for lunch today), but as an overall experience, you’ll be hard pressed to find another Irish place thats more authentic (maybe try the Dubliner in DC). One of my favorite parts about the 4p’s is the music. On Tuesday nights (sometimes Monday), you can find a large group gathered round a large table in the main room, playing traditional Irish music. They don’t get paid, and don’t perform, but if you’re there, you can enjoy their music. For a low quality video of a vine, but a taste of the music none the less:
The 4p’s has a decent St. Paddy’s Day party, but if you’re looking for a crazy time, you’re better off at Murphy’s in Alexandria. The best Irish musician I’ve ever heard live was at the 4p’s one night. I requested the song found below, and it did not disappoint.
If you’re looking for more info on the 4p’s, or FCC restaurants in general, check out this blog I just came across:
http://www.littlecitylegend.com/2014/01/exploring-happy-hour-2-part-i-irelands.html#more
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EDC
At work, I have to go through security on occasion, so I don’t literally carry any knives daily (save for my swiss army knife on my keyring). If I did, it would be one of these:
Sanrenmu LB-763
I think I heard about this knife on a blade forum a while back. Not sure how I even came across that. Its got a bottle opener and has been very durable. The best part about this knife though, is that its practically disposable despite being just about as good as knives 10 times the price. I use this knife when tubing (because I need a knife for the cordage that keeps me tethered to the beer cooler). I use it when I travel (because its replaceable if lost, stolen, or traded). I’ve used it camping, hunting, tailgating, and just to open amazon boxes around the house. It even has a bottle opener built in. I highly recommend it. For more details, go here, but know that I’ve only ordered them though ebay. There are also tons of youtube reviews of the LB-763 out there. I tried to find a pic of one of mine, but all I could find is another sanrenmu I’ve been carrying:
If you want something a little nicer, I recommend a Benchmade Griptilian. I’ve owned the mini and the original (models 556 and 551 respectively). I gave the original to my sister after an incident in Africa. We were in Kenya, on Lake Naivasha in a thin little canoe shaped boat, with a guide at the rear working a small propeller. We were watching some hippos (the animal responsible for more human deaths than any other large African animal), when our guide ran us though a submerged fishing net, tangling the propeller and leaving us floating towards the increasingly perturbed hippos. I was in the front of the boat, but I threw my griptilian to my sister in the stern, who put half her body underwater to cut out the net. The hippos submerged, the guide banged on the side of the boat like crazy (he didn’t speak english, but we later found out it was to try to scare the hippos away), and we were waiting to be capsized and chomped. My sister freed the propeller, and we sped away, perhaps, just in the nick of time. I’d recommend either I’ve owned. Ultra high quality, lifetime sharpening, and American made.
If you don’t know which blade to pick, I’d go with drop point over tanto. The half serrated gives you a bit more functionality, but its harder to sharpen yourself. Google those points to make a more informed decision.
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The Winter Olympics
http://gearpatrol.com/2014/01/30/ode-winter-pentathlon/
The above link describes the winter pentathlon, a one time event held in 1948. The event is described thusly:
“A winter pentathlete in 1948 did the following in rapid succession: cross country skiing, shooting, downhill skiing, horse riding and…fencing.” ”
When the pentathlon was reintroduced in 1912, it was said that it:
“tested a man’s moral qualities as much as his physical resources and skills, producing thereby the ideal, complete athlete”
The modern pentathlon as explained by wikipedia:
“The modern pentathlon is an Olympic sport that comprises five events: fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a final combined event of pistol shooting, and a 3200 m cross-country run.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_pentathlon
I enjoy downhill skiing, shooting, and horseback riding, but I’ve never competed as a skier. I’d love to try cross country skiing and fencing. The only competitive shooting I’ve done is with shotguns (and 22s as a boy scout), but I do know my way around a pistol. I’ve also done some show jumping as a young man. My point is that I’d love to see the winter pentathlon reintroduced. That would definitely be my favorite sport to watch. As it stands how, I’ll probably only watch ice hockey and maybe some biathlon.
The Olympics start on the 6th, but most coverage starts on the 8th.
http://www.sochi2014.com/en/schedule-and-results
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