Cigar store, done right

 MY NEW FAVORITE small business in Quincy is Luxe Stogie Co. on York Street, across from the Ratskellar and Dick Brothers Brewery buildings. Owner Alex O'Neal is starting small but is already growing and thinking big. I spent a few hours there Saturday during Octoberfest and it was glorious.

Luxe is located inside an old tire and auto repair store. Alex has done a ton of work inside and just hung up a beautiful sign in front of the store. He has a decent sized humidor and his cigar selection is excellent. Most range from $7 to $20, decent prices for a good cigar. There's a nice back room with overstuffed couches for you to enjoy your stogie, or you can sit on the sidewalk by a table and light up.

I'm not a hardcore cigar smoker but in the summer I like to puff on a good one every now and then. That's the great part about Luxe - Alex is extremely knowledgeable and knows his products inside and out. A lot of newcomers to the world of cigars walked into his store Saturday and Alex put them at ease and made them feel welcome. He isn't going to sell you a heavy cigar if you are just starting out or only have one now and then. 

In Holland last August I went to George's Smoke Shop, my go-to during the Michigan trips. I bought a Henry Clay War Hawk cigar and it was one of the best I've ever smoked. So I mentioned it to Alex when I got back to Quincy. Lo and behold, on Saturday Alex had a case of War Hawk cigars in his humidor. And it was just as good Saturday as it was on that Lake Michigan beach in August.

I admire Alex and his wife Jamie (yup, he outkicked the coverage there) for putting in the long hours and learning the ins and outs of owning a small business. Alex's real job is at Gardner-Denver. The cigar thing is now more than just a pipe dream (STOP IT). Among his next goals are to expand the space and offer memberships. Then there's the tricky liquor license thing, which is massively expensive and full of challenges. Good luck with that one, Alex.

Not long ago I was in there on a Saturday afternoon and decided to smoke a good stogie with him. We had a great talk about a lot of things. We have some different ideas and beliefs and you know what? It was all good. I'm thinking more people should get together over a stogie to talk about life. It might make them appreciate things more.

Alex has embarked on a great adventure and I'm wishing him the best of luck. You can be a newcomer or a cigar aficionado, doesn't matter. Smoke em if you got em, and make sure you get em at Luxe!

Proud to play at Pride

 SUNDAY WAS A rainy and overcast day at Clat Adams Park in Quincy. But it was beautiful. It was Pride in the Park. And it was an honor and privilege to be there.

Pride is a celebration of life, NOT just a LGBTQ event. I'm struck every year by the love, respect and inclusiveness on display. People are happy to be there and do nothing but show love. 

I've played at all four Pride events at Clat Adams. This year Cori couldn't make it so I just did it myself, early, as people were filtering in and the rain tapered off to a mist. It was a blast. I got to play a few original songs and make noise and couldn't have had a better time. Many thanks to Chris and Austin for inviting me. I'll do it every year, if asked. Also a big shout out to my Rent partner in crime, Ian Carlstrom, for doing a great job with sound.

I was exhausted from playing an amazing gig with Allison Hutson in Hannibal the night before. Plus we just lost our beloved English Shepherd, Genie. So I went home after playing and did what I do best the rest of the day - nothing.

A got a flurry of messages from people at the event about a caravan of protestors that drove past, honking horns and showing their disdain. "It just made the park louder," one friend said.

Congrats, Caravan of Ignorance! Your attempts at intimidation and showing your side backfired. You just made everybody else prove that love wins, not hate and stupidity.

This next part is going to get me in trouble, but I'm beyond caring. Somebody told me my employer, Blessing Health, was "taking a beating" for being a major sponsor of Pride. Apparently the drag shows at Pride drew the wrath of the web warriors and uninformed.

If you are so upset about drag shows at Pride events, well, the cure is obvious. Don't go. In my opinion, people who froth at the mouth at rallies held by convicted felons telling lies is a far worse thing. And I'm not being specific.

My friend Tony Metz, a former pastor in Quincy, had a FB post today that pretty much summed it up. "I wonder how may folks went to church and 'worshiped Jesus' before they strapped flags to their truck and paraded past Pride in the Park seeking to intimidate and strike fear in our hearts. I bet a lot."

Wouldn't bet against you, Tony. BTW ... I was in church Sunday morning before going to Pride. 

I'm just a straight man in a screwed up world trying to figure it out. Pride is a great example of figuring it out. And I'm way better off for participating.

 

 

 

.

Last live music push

WE ARE  GEARING up for a busy couple of weeks to end a hectic season of live shows. This Saturday at the Great River Brewery in Hannibal, Allison Hutson and I are playing from 7 to 9 p.m. This is an acoustic Whatevers show and it will be the last public gig for Allison and me for a while.

Allison is getting married at the end of the year and we've decided to take a break. It's been quite a ride for the past two-plus years and I wish Allison and Ryan the best. I'm sure we'll be back in 2025 but we are putting the Whatevers into hibernation, for now.

That's followed next weekend by a fun Saturday morning into afternoon show with Prospect Road. In two weeks, Cori is back and HartLess hits Tipsy Bricks in Hannibal once again for another fun night on the porch!

Then ... quiet. I'm sure shows will pop up here and there but nothing is planned. Coco and I are ready for quieter weekends and yelling at the TV watching the Lions and college football. Ahhh ... peace and quiet and normality! It's not overrated.

Thank you to everyone who came out this past summer to see us play, Whatever band or duo it was. 

Saturday Sept. 21 - The Whatevers (Allison and Rodney), Great River Brewing Company, Hannibal, 7-9 p.m.

Sunday Sept. 22 - Rodney solo, Pride In The Park, Clat Adams Park, Quincy, 12:15 p.m.

Saturday Sept. 28 - Prospect Road, Hy-Vee at Harrison fall parking lot party, 10 a.m. 

Saturday Oct. 5 - HartLess at Tipsy Bricks, Hannibal, 7-10 p.m.

Spinal Tap moment going to see Spinal Tap

 LAST WEEK THE Ratskellar in Quincy showed "This Is Spinal Tap" as part of a year-long film series. Spinal Tap is my favorite band and favorite movie. Ever. I was very excited and even though I've seen it a hundred times, I was looking forward to it.

Friday night I headed to Lux, the fabulous new cigar place across the street from the Ratskellar. After a nice stogie and chat with Alex, the owner, I went into the bar and was all fired up.

"Where are they showing the movie?" I asked the bartender.

"Over there," she said, pointing to a side room. "But it was last night."

Heavy sigh ....

Look. Not getting dates right and forgetting stuff is par for the course. I am not making fun of memory loss or dementia - it's an issue that's hitting home right now for a couple of reasons. But I'm very good at simply being a dumb-ass and forgetting, or not looking closely enough at the actual date of the actual event.

I blame my late sweet mother, God bless her soul. She was always forgetting things and getting us lost on road trips. Or, as my father likes to say, "I have a good memory. It's just short."

Last week I was chatting with a guy I play in a band with, Adam Yates of Prospect Road. I said, "I'm really looking forward to having this Saturday off." He said, "Yeah, but we have a gig Saturday. Remember?" 

Of course I remember! Not. It's on my calendar, of course. But why should I bother looking at the calendar every time?

Because it's saved my life more than once.

I'm very sorry about missing Spinal Tap. It's about an English heavy metal band that goes on tour and everything that could possibly go wrong goes wrong. The first few times I saw it, including 40 years ago in a Grand Rapids theater, I fell out of my chair laughing. But now I tend to cry because it's all so true, even though it's meant to be a farce.

I've gotten lost trying to find the gig or even the room we are playing. I've lost bandmates over dumb arguments. I've had drummers spontaneously combust on stage or die in bizarre gardening accidents. Hey. It happens. 

Earlier this summer Prospect Road played in Quincy. We were doing the song "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac, all two chords (F to G). But our bass player, Filbert Sievert, had his low E string knocked out of tune. So he played it lower. I was in one key, our poor singer was in another, and Justin was wondering what the fuss was all about. Three different keys all at once! It's not easy to do,  you know.

I have a million other Spinal Tap stories, but I'd have to remember them. And there isn't enough room here to tell them all. 

 

The water crisis

THERE WAS A significant water main break yesterday in Quincy. We are expecting a boil order today. It prompted a run on buying bottled water and highlights yet again our old and antiquated our water delivery system.

I'm not blaming our current city leaders. They've inherited many years of neglect and ignorance when it comes to water. They are trying to fix it. Our water bills are going to go up again, by a lot, soon. 

But ... I just paid two large property tax bills. I mean ... large. We expect more. 

Sheryl is a manager at a local grocery store. A city worker came in yesterday and loaded up a cart with water, and warned them the boil order was coming. Guess what? They were insanely busy the rest of the day and night until they closed at 11, and they ran out of water. If you go out this morning looking for water, well ... good luck. Sheryl smartly bought herself several cases before the mass of humanity descended.

I don't drink city water. Call me paranoid, but there's too much concern over lead pipes and other chemicals. I go to Ecowater and buy a 3-gallon jug of water for my coffee, which tastes 1,000 times better than made with city water.

We are spoiled when it comes to water because we have this big ditch called the Mississippi running past us. I wouldn't dare stick a toe in its polluted stream, but it's enough to supply us with water and we'll never run out. At least, I hope we never run out. Quincy has plenty of water in reserve but the city has asked us to refrain from watering lawns and doing dishes and laundry until the water main is fixed. Fair enough.

I have siblings in Colorado and Arizona where the water that falls on their lawns isn't theirs. In other words, rain barrels are highly regulated. I'm not making it up. My brother lives in Phoenix and he casually talks about water shortages and issues like construction projects halting like we talk the weather. 

Be smart about your water choices and put your laundry off for a day or two. We'll be just fine. And don't take for granted our water, wherever we get it from.

Mohs and waiting rooms

 I HAD Mohs surgery to remove skin cancer Monday. Normally my face hurts people. Now my face hurts. I wore a big scary looking bandage over 10 forehead stitches all day yesterday. But the cancer is gone.

A few months ago I went to a free skin cancer screening offered to Blessing Hospital employees. It was at Dr. Elise Scoggin's office at 12th and Broadway. She came in and looked at my face and said, "Uh oh." Turns out there were two spots that looked suspicious and several other "pre-cancerous" spots. 

All those years in the sun being dumb undoubtedly contributed. Now I wear a hat and use sunscreen liberally. But you can't undo being a beach bum and wanting a sunburn. I should have had this checked out a long time ago.

I came back a few months later to have biopsies done on the two spots, and to have the dreaded liquid nitrogen sprayed on the others. One of the biopsies on my forehead came back positive for skin cancer, one of the common types. So I showed up Monday morning and prayed it wouldn't take all day.

Mohs involves using a local anesthesia, removing the piece of skin and then analyzing it on a slide for skin cancer and to see if they got everything. I was warned it could take all day. Sure enough, it took two tries to get everything out of there and five hours overall.

First of all, Dr. Scoggin and her staff were tremendous. While she was mining for treasure on my head, I greatly appreciated them breaking down the best rides at amusement parks and the horror stories of rides failing and people getting hurt. Educational! They were talking about risks involved and I told them I drive to Hannibal twice a day for work and defy death on a weekly basis. They faked being impressed and resumed talking about all the ways you can die on a roller coaster. My kind of peeps!

Apparently Mondays are Mohs days for Dr. Scoggin. There were seven or eight patients in the small waiting room, most of them older men and almost all of them with spouses. It was fairly quiet but of course there was the one guy a little louder than most. We all had to hear many times about how he had no idea he was going to be there all day. It was clearly explained to him, I'm sure.

I'm going to give Nancy at the front desk a lot of credit. She deals with crabby people on the phone all day. She had to explain many times about getting a physician referral before making an appointment, etc. Also she brought out cookies, really good cookies, and kept the coffee pot brewing. You can have all the highly-trained medical people you want in a doctor's office, but people like her are the glue and she's pretty awesome.

I got done and Dr. Scoggin stitched me up and they put the big bandage on my face and I went home and took a nap. About 5 p.m., the anesthesia wore off, and .... well. Ouch. They suggested ice and Tylenol (no blood thinners). I've thought about taking something stronger but I didn't want to miss work Tuesday, so I sucked it up. And it sucks.

But ... Mohs has a 98 percent success rate in removing skin cancer. So I'm good.Until I get the bill.

I took the bandage off this morning and really, it's not  .... horrendous. Below is the pic, if you dare look. My brothers says floppy hats on the golf course and just tell people I was in a hockey fight. 

Take care of yourselves, people. Even if it's one Mohs stitch at a time.