I will do what I have done the past couple of years with this contest.  Here is what you need to answer:

How many people will attend the herf?
How many cigars will be smoked during the herf?
What percentage of our main ashtray will be filled with ash by the end of the herf?
How many cigars will be gifted between the attendees during the herf?
How many combined runs will be scored between the Tacoma Rainiers and the Fresno Grizzlies at the baseball game we go to on July 12th?

That’s it.  The last couple years I have sent the same gift pack I have given to the guys at the herf to the winner.  I might do that.  No guarantee.  Whatever the prize it will be worth taking the time to make a submission.

If you are attending the herf or are one of the past two year’s winners, feel free to guess, but you are not eligible to win (you are already a winner).  Everyone else, you have one guess.  All guesses must be posted or modified no later than the end of the day July 9th.

Hello all.  Welcome to everyone who has joined the site in the past 11 months.  I hope you have all been well since we last “saw” each other.  With the Northwest Geeks Herf a little over 2 weeks away I am finally getting on the site.

I did not intend to take a long break from the site, but many things came together to distract me from spending time online and I just hadn’t gotten around to getting back into it.

Shortly after last year’s Cigar Geeks Northwest Herf my computer stopped working.  We didn’t save up for a replacement until just a couple months ago.  Hard to get online without a computer.

I was supposed to have some minor nasal surgery a couple weeks after the herf.  During my pre-op process it became apparent that my diabetes has gotten worse, and I was failing to control it through diet and exercise.  The medications I have been trying have had some unpleasant side effects; mainly that I am tired quite a lot despite the fact that I now sleep about 3 hours more a night than I did before starting the medication.  The surgery was postponed until last fall and achieved one of the two things we were hoping for.

My wife is doing well.  We had one big scare, but fortunately after a couple tense days of waiting for test results, it ended up being nothing of concern.  She had some residual problems with infection that responded well to treatment.

As most of you know I’m a stay at home dad.  My sister used to take my kids some, but, good for her, she got a job last July and is no longer able to take my kids.  My mom used to take the kids on Fridays during holidays and summer, but she’s not up to full days most of the time anymore.  I thinks she will probably be moving to a retirement community in the next year.  She’s put money down on a place, but is not doing much to prepare to move.  She is starting to have memory issues.  I don’t think she wants to move, but thinks she should.  I spend a lot of my free time trying to assist her.

I have been getting occasional work on the weekends doing insulation removal.  Mainly under houses.  I don’t like it, but it’s work.  My kids will both be in full day school starting next year, so I have been applying for jobs that I can do during the hours they are at school.  Mainly, jobs at the schools in the area.

So that’s some of what I’ve been up to.  I doubt I will get back to my previous level of participation on the site, but I hope to get back to some regular presence.  Smoke on.

In conjunction with Cigar Geeks Northwest Herf III we are going to have a related contest. I will ask 5 questions about the Herf. The member who has the least total variation will win.

1. How many people will attend the NW Geeks Herf?
2. How many cigars will be smoked from Friday through Sunday, Jul 12-14?
3. What percentage of the ashtray I am bringing to the Herf will be full by the time I clean up on Sunday?
4. How many combined runs will the Tacoma Rainiers and the Reno Aces score at the baseball game we may attend on July 13th?
5. How many total cigars will be gifted among geeks that attend the Herf?

The winner will get part if not all of the gift pack I have for the Herf attendees.

One guess per member. Members attending the Herf are not eligible. Cut off to make a guess or edit your guess is the end of the day Jun 30th. Give me a couple days after the Herf to figure out who won.

We are now almost 3 weeks post surgery.  My wife is progressing along about as well as could be expected.  Her pain level is still higher than hoped, but we are told in the normal range.  She did have a couple set backs, but we are beyond those now.

I am a little worn down from the whole experince, but I think that will start to get better.  She is due to be back at work before we have the NW Geeks Herf.  Her father is going to come stay with her that weekend.  She should be at or near 100% by then, but it will make me feel better knowing she will have someone with her that weekend.

Mark and I have exchanged many, many cigars.  I'll get him back at the NW Herf in a couple months.  He is one of the two Geeks I have had the opportunity to spend the most time with.  We're about 90 minutes apart and end up getting together every 3 months or so.  His was the first of this massive bombing that I received and opened.  I wish you all lived as close as he does and we cold all get together and herf.  In it is a BOTL. Mark is a true BOTL and a true friend that I would not have probably ever met if it wasn't for this site.

Drew Estate BOTL 2012 Limited Edition
Don Lino Africa Duma
Gran Habano Habano #3
Padilla Miami
La Flor Dominicana Ligero Cabinet Oscuro Natural L-250

Nice shooting, Don.  I have had the pleasure of 4 of these.  The Maduro is my favorite 601.  I am intrigued by the regional cigar that you put in.  It's cool getting a cigar you couldn't pick up yourself.  Thanks again.

Rocky Patel Decade
Best of Tampa Cigars
Padron No. 3000 Maduro
601 Serie Blue BP Maduro
Man O' War Puro Authentico

When Dirty Harry asked "did you hear 5 shots or 6?", Wes answered 7, and I do feel lucky.  I think I have seen that Tat before, but I need help figuring out which one it is.  I have tried and like the Virtuoso, but I have never had the torpedo.  The LFD Oscuro is tasty, and I think that Viaje will not be in the humidor long.

Padilla Habano
Carlos Torano Virtuoso Crescendo
Vengeance Maduro Ligero
Tatuaje
Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Epicure
Ramon Bueso Genesis The Project
La Flor Dominicana Colorado Oscuro No.3
Viaje Oro La Pequeña