reminiscing
 

I was sitting here at work an hour or so ago and thinking about old times and people.

Most of you know that my wife had family in Massachusetts and we used to travel up there at least once a year. Her Dad passed away in 2006, and her step mom passed in December 2009, and that's the last time we have been up there. We were just talking yesterday about how I would like to go back to visit someday. Sadly two of her step siblings died in the last several years, and she only had a half sister and step sister that still lives in Gardner. One is strung out on dope and the other is just hard to be around so I doubt we will make it up there anytime soon.

Wasn't trying to make this about them though, just that it all got me to thinking about the old days of the heyday of Masshole Banter and the people that used to be on the thread almost 24/7. I sent Vin a message a little while ago and asked about Bao. I still message Greg (Dunng) every now and again. Al fell off the face of the earth way back. and Paul (Taltos) was who got me started thinking about all this in the first place. Charlie (Alleyoop) passed too I think. Whatever happened to Moe? Tim (14holestogie) still posts once in a blue moon. Ryan (mediccook) Powers became a college professor I think, Shvictor I am friends with on facebook, Brent (smokingator) I haven't talked to in several years or seen him on here for that matter. Tim Ricker was a regular too, and Yazzie I haven't seen here in ages either.

Just a little walk down memory lane and I know all of our lives have changed and some of ours have changed a lot over the years, just thinking back to when life seemed simpler and normal back in the days that Masshole Banter was a mile a minute.:)

Re: reminiscing
 

My wife and I were recently talking along the same lines. We both grew up in California, and I have one living brother there. If I don't reach out to him, I won't hear from him.

My wife still has high school friends down there, but people and life move on.

CA has a life and is evolving all the time. I like to think for the better :)

We all miss people from our past, and have some good (and bad) memeories of those times.

I am trying to focus on making more memories with the people in my life now, and reconnecting with people from my past and my family as time and opportunity permit.

Good luck, Greg! I'm glad to know you.

Re: reminiscing
 

Hey Michael, thanks for replying. I think CA is great, just as it was way back when. Every once and again I do get lost in my mind of old times with all the loss my family (as I am sure everyone has had) has had over the last decade. I only allow myself to stay there for short periods. Definitely look forward to all we have left brother. Take the trip to Cali my friend, as I don't think you will regret it. It's why I go to Maggie Valley twice a year now to spend time with my Dad, he will be 74 this coming August and even though he only lives about 20 minutes from me, I still enjoy being in the mountains with him.

Re: reminiscing
 

Thems was the days, Greg.

It's become harder to stay connected in a world where it's increasingly easy to disconnect. My experience over the years has been that this hobby brings us together and binds us for a time, but as people's lives move on, sometimes their interest in the cigar world wanes. When that happens, there's a natural drift that takes place. I've been fortunate to meet a number of guys through these forums whom I can truly call a friend -- irrespective of whether or not we share a cigar ever again. But when I take an honest look, there's a lot less of those guys than I would have said five or six years ago; not because I've lost friends, but because my definition of a friend changed. There's a whole host of guys I consider to be cigar buddies, but just a handful I would count as true friends.

There's one guy I think about a lot, and that's Al. We used to talk a few times a week, and I did truly consider him a friend. I miss having that guy around the boards and as someone to just shoot the sh!t with. Others have drifted in and out of my orbit over the years, but if I'm honest, most were pleasant acquaintances rather than real friends. They'd drop off the board for a bit (or longer than a bit), and my interactions with them would drop off as well.

Those MassHole banter days were fun times. I must still have a couple hundred of those MassHole stickers dunng made up for us. I hope my cigar buddies from those days are doing well - or resting peacefully. I'd still happily share a smoke with them all.

Re: reminiscing
 

That makes a lot of sense Vin. I can only add that although I never met Al in person, he is the first person that reached out to me when my wife and I were up in Gardner for what was to be a three week stay (and I was going to get to go to your HERF) but got cut short after only a few days when my wife's mother tragically died in a house fire back home. So we had to saddle up and head back home. Al called me on the phone and when I answered he said hey man I don't even know what to say, and I told him he didn't have to say anything, the act of calling was enough to let me know how he felt. Al spent a lot of time trying to make people think he was a tough guy (and maybe he was) but he also had a golden heart inside his chest too!!!!

Re: reminiscing
 

It's also hard to believe for me that I joined Club Stogie in 2006, and joined here as soon as it started. Wow that's been 11 years.

Re: reminiscing
 

Greg-A lot of folks have passed through Club Stogie, Cigar Asylum, and a bunch of other boards. Some became our friends. Some even had their families connect. The eye-opening part for me is finding out some have passed.

I stay in touch with many I've met over the years. Some have drifted away. But it is the brotherhood and humanity we share that reminds me why I put so much of myself into Club Stogie and CA. Those communities contributed so much to my life (and hopefully mine to theirs). If my contributions to CA can provide that kind of platform for others, then it is worth every search, PM, and post.

Re: reminiscing
 

Lots of good people in that first post, Greg. I've been lucky enough to see Bao and Moe every summer at Vin's herf, but I haven't been as fortunate with some of the others.

Re: reminiscing
 

Greg, now there's a great reason to visit Mass! Herf!:2

Re: reminiscing
 

That's true Uncle Cat!!!!

Re: reminiscing
 

You're a good man, Greg. You are one of the folks who makes CA feel like family. I know I am not around like I used to be... but I still appreciate the folks on this board and all of the camaraderie. Blessings on you all.

Re: reminiscing
 

I know that I am one who has been around since the inception here. In fact, I told Tim (14holestogie) about this place. I was never into the banter stuff much. I do think of a few people here as friends who I would definitely look up if I got into their area.

I am one who has been around, then been gone, then back, then gone, then... you get the idea.

Both my boys are members, but neither posts much.

I do miss the days when this board was more active.

It is good to see the old familiar faces here in this thread.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Re: reminiscing
 

This is a tough one to respond to. It's hard to watch things change and see people come and go, but it's a reality. I remember spending hours every single day on the old chat room, with the main screen up and 5 other mini windows with private conversations, people I spoke to every day. The conversations usually started as "what have you been smoking recently" and went in any possible direction from there. I miss those days, but am very thankful. It's been close to 10 years since I went to Google and searched "best cigar forum" and joined up on CS, I thought I had found a hidden world full of people who were of a different breed than the normal. Never would I have thought that a decade later I'd still feel the same way. Thank you everybody who was there then, and who has come and/or gone since then. I have come and gone during different time periods in there as well, but it always feels good when I come home :)

Re: reminiscing
 

:l

Re: reminiscing
 

Joe, thanks my friend. I am not as active as I used to be either but I do check in almost daily. I believe you are one of the good men too brother.

Well said my friend.

I agree with the hard to see things change Ben, but as you already stated change is gonna come whether we accept it or kick and scream all the way through it. I like what you say and agree about the hidden world full of people who were/are of a different breed than the normal. This is one of the only places I have ever been a part of that I could meet face to face with after only "knowing" them on the forum, and would feel totally at ease with when actually meeting them. There are people that I have met and spent some time with that I will always count as friends whether it's been a week or ten years since I saw them or talked to them last. This really is a special place with a special bunch of people for sure.

Re: reminiscing
 

Wow! This thread needs a box of Kleenex:banger

:D...He's still a post whore Joe;)

Re: reminiscing
 

Shut up or I will have to bomb you some lilac vegetal aftershave!

Re: reminiscing
 

That'd probably give you a woody huh?!?

Re: reminiscing
 

You are a cruel mean man Mark!!!!!:sl

Re: reminiscing
 

I was thinking the other day about some of the classic bombs of the past. One of the best was a group bomb that GG organized and he had everyone bombing the heck out of each other. Classic!