So, this past weekend was my first ever 'Sip Herf and it exceeded expectations. Everyone kept asking if they were scaring me off, not the case at all. Below is a rundown of some interesting points...
Woke up Thursday morning at 4am and slept drove 3.5 hours to Cincy to meet up with Tucker (tbone33). My biggest worry was if he was going to be a tool/idiot/douche but that was not the case at all. Tucker is an awesome dude and we got along great (at least I think we did..haha).
Get to his house and he immediately smacks me with a box of Cain Maduro. Geez, getting beat up before we even hit the road. Then he hit me crazy hard with some awesome Opus X and Liga cigars when we got back. Not to mention the great cigars he gave me in the car. Made me realize how many cigars I haven't tried yet. Tucker is one generous dude, blasting people with fantastic cigars all weekend.
The drive down was great. Good conversation, no worries of crappy music (he doesn't like country music), plus we were able to smoke cigars in his car, so that was fantastic.
10.5 hours later, we arrive to the herf, in BFE Mississippi. As soon as we pull in, Tucker is greeted with an uproar of "It's Erv, beeech". Funny stuff...luckily he told me the back story as we were pulling in.
I was a bit nervous at first, but the guys and gals were very welcoming and Todd the General hands me a nice AF cigar to kick things off. I felt right at home very quickly. Great group of people down there.
I was surprised to figure out at the end of the trip that I only had 18 cigars in 4 days. Not terrible I guess. So much other stuff going on that I didn't have time to smoke as much as I thought I would. Also enjoyed some great beers, scotch/bourbon and other assorted adult beverages.
Had an instant Herf Classic Moment while we were there. Ray was "drunk" dialing a bunch of guys that didn't show up. He is trying to call Mikey to give him crap for not coming. He couldn't get ahold of him but then he gets a call back and he THINKS it is Mikey. It was actually Blu on Tuck's phone and they *67 called him so it said no caller ID. Ray had no clue it was Blu, even though he was looking directly at him most of the time. Conversation went on for a long time. All the other guys were cracking up because they knew what was going on and Ray just thought we were laughing at the ridiculous conversation going on in weird voices. You probably had to be there, but it was hilarious. It even had Tuck crying.
Ray - Thanks for hosting this. It was an amazing weekend. You should be named "King Herf". Loved the cabin, the land and good times. Hoping I can make it for years to come.
Tucker - Thanks for allowing me to come down with you and thank you for driving. Great time all around. I appreciate you making me feel so welcome. Felt like we have been friends forever. Thanks for all the amazing cigars too! I am blown away by your generosity.
Blu - The cooking was amazing. Guarantee I gained about 10 lbs down there. Loaded potato soup, BBQ chicken, crawfish, sausage, corn, Jambalaya with white beans and the list goes on and on. Thank you for all the time and effort this past weekend, it was SO appreciated. Great meeting you as well. If anyone wonders, blu is a good dude.
Todd/Paul/Chief - Thanks so much for letting me shoot those fantastic guns. I have never got to shoot anything like that before. Great time, even though Robert kind of scared me when he started shooting off the hip and looked like a crazy person. Shot an AR10, AR15, Vector and a bunch of handguns.
Todd/The General/whatever your name was on here - Thanks for making me feel so welcome and thanks for the cigar! Had some great conversations and laughs with you.
Weepy and Princess - I mean Cindy and Jules - It was GREAT meeting you ladies. Enjoyed our conversations and laughs. For those that don't know, they were the HERF HIT this year and they got smacked pretty good and it made them BOTH cry. hahahaha Awesome moment. Jules' reaction to the princess tiara was fantastic.
Robert, you are one chill dude and quiet as heck. Ha. You DID kind of scare me when you were shooting from the waste. Looked like you were thinking about walking into a courtroom and shooting everything up. haha. It was great meeting you.
Chris/Ewok - So glad you could make it, great putting a face to the name. Chris was another guy that was really quiet. Wouldn't know based on how he posts here. Another great guy! Couldn't believe Shewok stayed on Saturday...also don't know how she puts up with you. bahahaha
Don (Mandobro) - Looking forward to seeing YOU there next year (not just Joan and Dave). ha
Dave/Mandoman - It is so awesome that you can still make this thing, given your situation. Great to meet you!
Big Bear/Adriene - Dude....you are one crazy snoring guy. At one point I think you were shaking the whole cabin. haha. Really though, it was a pleasure meeting you. Love the mustache! Also, dude has some serious dance moves! LoL
Mattie - Dude, your wife makes a mean banana pudding and bread pudding. Tell her thanks for me, it was amazing.
And to all the others...Paul, Chief, Joan, Anthony, Mattie, Hunter, Shewok, Cindy (Anthony's wife) and anyone else I am missing (sorry), it was great to meet all of you and hope to see you guys/gals again!
If you haven't been to this herf, or haven't been there in a while...be sure to find a way to make it next year...you won't regret it. Looking like the dates next year are the last weekend of March.
Time to get ready for the Moose Manor Herf in September!