XXX, yes I mean YOU X you nasty boy!!! You better behave!!! Oh, and BTW, I've been de-flowering for nearly 20 years - hehe! I've spread pollen all over San Diego County, LOL! My flower shops are driving me crazy though now and I really want to sell, sell, sell...Hubby is a commercial refrigeration contractor and it's much more lucrative with less stress...Okay and STEVES, I originally started posting in '99? or '00? when I returned from a trip with a box of cigars...some for my brother in law and some to sell for a few bucks (Cohiba Esplendidos)...never happened, ended up consuming them myself. My brother in law said they were good cigars and me, being the computer geek freak that I am, decided to 'research' my gars since I knew absolutely zip about them...only which end to light! Google is my fav search engine and this site happened to be one of the first to pop up...I got hook lurking for a day or so and had to JUMP right in with the rest of the characters here. Somehow it works! I also searched about 10 other sites and I believe Slimboli turned me on to Nexis (sp?) or something like that. They have a authenticity site that I was able to compare my cigar's size, color, caps, and the box, labels, stamps, construction and so on. It was amazing. I either had the real deal or an unbelievably good counterfeit. My inlaw knows his gars too and he believes they were authentic ISOMs. I mean, gosh, there obviously HAS to be SOME sort of authenic ones being made regardless of how you obtain them. Even if 98% or whatever are fake, someone-somewhere has the other 2%! I think I had beginners luck although Slimboli begs to differ. Nah, Slim just begs! JK! Since my hubby and I aren't smokers, I would never smoke in the house either. I meant that I had to SNEAK it outside when he wasn't looking and hopefully upwind!!! And as far as the research thing goes, I'm relentless. I searched 3 months for my $54+K dream car and bought it for just over $38K. Hey, do I know how to do it or what! The moral of the story is that I believe that you should love what you do (thus the looming sale of my flower shops) and if it happens to be cigars...so be it and do it wholeheartedly. I would rather have one of the best cigars ONCE in my life than to fiddlefart around with this cheapie one and that questionable one...get the picture? You sound like a great guy and if you and your wife/family ever come this way email me and heck yeah, we'll get together...my husband is still getting over the shock that we actually met one of you guys! ps, You'll have to ask me what I drive just so I know you read this novel. LOL! E-Chick