Hi from California

[Spy]

Hi Everyone! New member here and relatively new to cigars in general, I've got my wineador all finished up and am hoping to fill it with all the Cuban goodness there is.

Ready to read around and learn a lot, thanks for any of your help in advance! 

[Hotboxx]

Can't tell everyone how happy I am to have found FoH. Started smoking cigars as a young teenager . We thought we were so cool but as athletes we knew cigarettes we're verboten but chewing tobacco or dipping skoal was completely acceptable. First roi tans then swisher sweets. When we started drinking a few beers in high school I always wanted a cigar in hand. By my twenties I would go to cigar shops and buy what looked good , usually robustos and would smoke in bars when I was enjoying a beer and single malt. Then CA came out and I saw those Cuban cigar ratings and I knew. I knew I had to get my hands on those. I was sitting in a local bar/restaurant where there was lots of drinking and cigar smoking going on and I saw a guy (I knew who he was)  nursing a cigar I recognized from the magazine. I couldn't resist, I had to ask. "It's a montecristo 2 , it's really all I smoke.  How do I get me some of those I asked.  He reached into his day planner(remember those lol) and handed me a note. Call Desmond Sautter and tell him you know me, he'll sell you some cigars..... it took me a couple days to muster the courage to make that call. Mr Sautter Mr TF (his real initials) told me to call you, I want to buy some cigars. Your a friend of TF? Yes I am.....  pause, ..ok what would you like?  I'm in!!!  I went for the throat. Montecristo 2...  well we are out of those but Bolivar Belicoso finds are smoking really well right now, they are 7 something a stick.  Ok, I knew he meant pounds which was about 10$ us so I said I'll take 2. He then said monte 1 are good , ok. Gimme 1, Punch Punch ok gimme 1. Partagas 898 are good ok gimme 1... till I thot I spent about $200, I gave him my credit card number and the call ended with a lot of pleasantries......  oooooh I'm gonna get Cuban cigars I'm gonna be the cats ass..... about 30 mins later my phone rings. this is Desmond Sautter, I'm sure it's nothing but your credit card didn't go through.  I said oh there's a mistake I'll call them I'll get right back to you.  So, I call my bank. I just had a credit card transaction denied, I want to straighten it out.   Beep beep beep beep... oh yes sir there are 2 problems. I thought 2, wtf. The first is the transaction was from London England you need to call us first if you going to do an overseas transaction. Ok I'm telling you right now. That's good. What's the other problem I asked. The transaction is for over your limit. I had a zero balance on a 1500$ limit card so I'm thinking what the hell? I asked how much is the transaction for ??? It is $3563.78.    Est of course           A long long silence where I processes everything...  Mr Sautter thinks I'm TF's friend. I must be a player. I just ordered Boxes not sticks.   My heart rate increased. My stomach dropped. I'm am gonna be so humiliated.  Lololol. I said, well , I need my credit limit raised so this charge goes thru. Lemme stop here. In 1992 a twenty something year olds had 1500$ limits not $3500. I know this for a fact. I'm on hold thinking I'll never be able to bullshit them into raising my limit high enough to get this handled.   A good long minute goes by, ............ I know it's gonna be a big fat no, ok we are going to do it. Haaaaa I call Mr Sautter back it's handled sir run it. 4 days exactly later there is this huge box on my doorstep when I get home from work I insta call 3 friends and tell them meet me right now back at the bar where Mr TF (his real initials btw), told me to contact Mr Sautter. The bolivars were oily beyond belief. I had a mountain of cigars in front of me by the time I pulled them all out which duly impressed every mfer who walked in there for the next 6 hours while we drank Black and Tans and smoked cigars. by 2001 i had bought so many cigars I didn't have to buy cigars again for the next 17 years...  I was completely out last year, when I went on a mission to find a new place to get Cuban cigars, the only cigars to buy. So here I am. Hopefully I don't get myself kicked out. 

[TheMonk]

Welcome to FOH!