Hollywood Cemetery Spring 2025
Author: Chris ODonnell From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Apr 11th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
The trees were coming back to life at Hollywood Cemetery. Thankfully, the residents were not.
Archives for the ‘Blog Entries.Local’ Category
Category: Blog Entries.Local
Five O’Clock Friday: Scarpetta
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Apr 11th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
I never knew it had a name. Leave it to the Italians!
*randomly collected internet image -- credit will be given upon request
Back in the Lounge: A Quiet Hour with the Killer Bee
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Apr 11th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
It’s hard to believe it’s already been six weeks since my back surgery and lumbar fusion. The recovery journey continues—slowly but surely. I often find myself needing gentle reminders to stay patient, stay mindful, and not rush the process. There are occasional bouts of boredom, especially on those days when the ebb and flow of post-op pain settles on the lower end. Short errands, daily walks, attending Mass, and even getting a haircut help break up the monotony of pacing around the house.
One pleasure I’d been especially looking forward to was getting back to the cigar lounge — seeing friends, sinking into a big leather chair, and enjoying a relaxing smoke indoors.
After a few days of noticeably reduced pain, I did just that. After lunch mid-week, I jumped—or rather, carefully slid — into the car and headed over to the Hogshead Cigar Lounge. I spent a little time browsing the walk-in humidor, selecting a few cigars to add to my home humidor, along with one to enjoy on the spot.
Hogshead features a wide selection of cigars from Black Label Trading Company, one of my favorite brands, especially when I’m in the mood for something flavorful and full-bodied. I’ve smoked most of their line over the years, in nearly every vitola. These cigars pair exceptionally well with a strong bourbon — though that was moot for this outing. I opted for a smaller vitola than usual for lounging: the Black Label Killer Bee in Robusto.
The Black Works Studio Killer Bee Robusto is a 5 x 50 stick featuring an Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper, accented with linear strips of lighter tobacco around the cap to give it a decorative bee-like striped appearance. The foot is neatly closed with the same wrapper leaf. Inside, aged Nicaraguan tobaccos make up the binder and filler.
The Killer Bee launches straight into the medium-to-full-bodied range. Right out of the gate, notes of white pepper, dark roasted coffee, and cedar spice coat the palate. The strength builds steadily throughout the smoke, settling firmly into full-bodied territory by the second half. Despite the boldness of the profile, the cigar never turns harsh. A subtle, creamy sweetness lingers in the background, tempering the spice nicely. The burn is razor-sharp and consistent, with heavy smoke output that adds to the richness of the experience.
The lounge was quiet that afternoon. I stayed for about an hour, enjoying the cigar and some light conversation — a refreshing diversion from the repetitive rhythm of recent days. I did have to remain conscious of my posture in the comfortable chairs, making sure not to slouch and aggravate my healing back.
After a tease of warm weather last week, it looks like colder temperatures are returning for a while. I may find myself back at the lounge again soon for another cozy indoor smoke.
A Fire Pit Evening: Cigar, Stout, and Spring’s Edge
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Apr 9th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
After a wonderful meal out on Saturday afternoon, I was eager to enjoy a fire in the backyard that evening. Our time around the fire pit has been severely limited over the past year. Although the temperature lingered around 80° even as the sun set, my enthusiasm was undiminished. The forecast for the following week called for a return to daytime temperatures in the 30s with plenty of rain, so this was likely one of the last good opportunities before the truly hot days of spring and summer arrived.
I had a Quesada Oktoberfest Das Boot from the 2024 release resting in my humidor since it arrived from Luxury Cigar Club last August. I last smoked cigars from this line in 2021, pairing them variously with coffee, an Oktoberfest beer, and whiskey. After selecting the cigar for the evening, I rummaged through the downstairs beer fridge for a suitable companion and settled on an older bottle of Bourbon County Stout — specifically, one from the 2022 bottling.
With Colleen’s help, I gathered some wood and built a small fire in the pit. Once everything was ready, I settled in with my cigar and beer, watching the sun begin its slow descent below the horizon.
The 2024 Quesada Oktoberfest Das Boot is a 6 x 52 Torpedo with a sharply pointed cap. I made several cuts to open up the draw. Made entirely of Dominican tobaccos, the cigar features a shiny maduro wrapper. Medium-bodied, its flavor profile offers notes of dry wood, sweet bread, and nuts. A hint of cinnamon emerges later in the smoke, but otherwise the flavors remain consistent throughout.
While the burn was strong with a straight char line, the smoke output was a bit on the lighter side. The Quesada Oktoberfest is designed to pair with an Oktoberfest beer — a style known for low ABV, sweet malt, and minimal hop bitterness — and in that regard, my experience is the cigar delivers on its intent.
The Bourbon County Stout I chose for the pairing, however, offers a bolder profile than a traditional Oktoberfest. This bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout from Goose Island Brewing clocks in at 14.7% ABV. Its flavor is rich and complex, yet surprisingly approachable. Deep notes of dark caramel, coffee, chocolate, and molasses delight the palate. A pronounced sweetness borders on cloying but stays just under the threshold of overwhelming. A subtle boozy edge complements the richness, and the mouthfeel is viscous and indulgent.
The pairing between the Quesada Oktoberfest and the Bourbon County Stout was generally harmonious. I think a cigar with a fuller smoke output might have stood up to the stout even better, but overall, they worked well together.
As the cigar came to an end, I sipped the last of my beer in the dark, gazing into the glowing embers of the fire. It was a deeply relaxing end to the day — a moment in which, if only briefly, the aches of post-surgery recovery could be forgotten.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Climate Change in One Sentence
Author: Chris ODonnell From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Apr 8th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
Just leaving this here because I'm sure I'll be referring to it regulalry.
Finally Tried FoodE and We Can’t Wait to Go Back
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Apr 7th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
We decided to have lunch out on Saturday and wanted to try someplace new. There’s a long list of food and drink establishments in the area that we’re always talking about checking out. However, when it comes down to it, we usually end up at one of our regular spots. This weekend, we held firm and finally ventured into something new to us — FoodE in downtown Fredericksburg.
FoodE is a well-acclaimed local restaurant we’ve long meant to try but just never got around to, even though they’ve been around since 2011. Technically, we’ve eaten from a FoodE menu before, as they also run the kitchen at 6 Bears & A Goat Brewery. Still, we were excited to experience the main restaurant’s menu firsthand.
Founding Chef Joy Crump has an impressive résumé — she’s appeared on Top Chef and has cooked at the James Beard House in both 2016 and 2017. Along with running the 6 Bears & A Goat kitchen, she also co-owns two restaurants in Fredericksburg. FoodE is located in a former bank building, complete with the old walk-in safe still intact.
After navigating the usual Saturday afternoon traffic, we spotted an empty parking spot right in front of the restaurant — a small miracle that made for a very short walk to the door. At the hostess stand, we were told there was about a 1.5-hour wait for a table (we really should’ve made a reservation). But our good luck continued! Two seats opened at the bar just as we were debating our options, and we happily took them. Bar seating is our go-to for casual dining anyway.
We ordered beers to sip while looking over the menu. Colleen chose a Rogue Honey Kölsch, and I went with the Fresh Nectar Hazy IPA from Peak Organic Brewing. The beers were poured from cans into glasses — glasses thankfully not frosted over with ice.
The bright orange, hazy IPA had a lovely citrus aroma. The flavor delivered ripe citrus notes with a crisp, juicy finish — not too tart. A touch of resinous sharpness lingered, but overall, the Fresh Nectar was refreshing and flavorful. I limited myself to just one beer with lunch.
A quick side note on the “Hazy” or “New England” IPA trend: I’ve noticed that many restaurant beer lists are dominated by this style. There’s a serious lack of clear IPAs and Pale Ales these days. It makes me wonder — are craft beer fans truly that enamored with hazies, or are brewers just taking the easy route? Maybe the beer buyers are stuck in a rut. In any case, the monotony has pushed me to explore more pilsners and kölsches lately. Still, I enjoyed the Peak Fresh Nectar, even if it’s a bit redundant.
With food ordered, we turned our attention to the impressive bottle selection behind the bar. FoodE boasts an extensive array of bourbons and whiskeys, including a number of allocated and lottery-only bottles. Since I wasn’t planning to sip whiskey in the afternoon, I didn’t dive deeper — but we definitely made a mental note to come back soon for a proper tasting.
Before long, my All American Smash Burger arrived, paired with Old Bay Fries. The burger was stacked with American cheese, burger sauce, and red onion, served on a sesame bun. The patties were juicy with a flavorful char. Despite the simplicity of the ingredients, the burger was bursting with flavor and deliciously messy. The fries were golden and crisp, generously seasoned with Old Bay and salt. Frankly, I couldn’t have been more pleased.
Colleen ordered a Frittata with a side of greens and a Buttermilk Biscuit served with butter and jam. I didn’t sneak a bite from her plate, but she assured me it was all delicious.
With our plates cleared, we decided to end the meal with cappuccinos. We had been sitting right by the espresso station, and I’d been eyeing a coffee since we arrived. Sure, ordering a cappuccino after 11:00 a.m. is a faux pas in Italy — but hey, we’re not in Italy. The cappuccinos were spot-on and a great way to wrap up an excellent lunch.
It took us a long time to finally visit FoodE, but I can already tell it won’t take us long to return. There are plenty more tempting dishes on the menu — and let’s not forget that bourbon list.
Cheers!
 |
| Picture from the FoodE Facebook Page |
Facebook Killed My Marriage
Author: Chris ODonnell From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Apr 6th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
I deactivated my Facebook account on Saturday. Things I expected from doing that included not missing it all, and exactly zero Facebook friends noticing and reaching out via other channels, like email. I've owned this domain since 1998. Anybody that knows me knows how to find me.
What I did not expect was Facebook changing my wife's status to single, because if she is not married to an active FB user, she is not married. I heard from a Mastodon user that she had the same issue years ago when she quit FB and they made her husband single, so this is not an unknown bug. I'm guessing it's a feature. Forcing her to single status opens up a whole range of new ads to serve her.
So, I guess if you've been lusting after my wife on Facebook, now is your time to take your shot.
Good luck with that. /s
Weekend Update #13
Author: Chris ODonnell From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Apr 5th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
Based on the amount of pollen on my car windshield, I'd say that Spring has sprung in RVA. It's that lovely time of year when everything is covered in yellow dust. Everything includes my home office, as I've had the window open and now everything in here is covered in a layer of yellow dust. Ugh. I guess I'll be vacuuming today.
I spent most of yesterday prepping the camper for camping season. I drained all the antifreeze from the plumbing system, then sanitized it with bleach water for a couple of hours while I was doing other stuff. I gave the camper a nice hand wash, and also cleaned out the gray water tank and the hot water tank. After the pipes soaked in bleach water for a couple of hours I drained and rinsed everything really well. Then we went through our camping checklist and moved all the stuff we moved to garage for the winter back into the camper, and made a shopping list of supplies we need to buy. The systems test was 100% good, with the AC, heat, and stove all working properly. So we are ready to go camping.
Saturday night we went out to our favorite club for jazz. I know nothing about jazz. Perusing the artists Wikipedia page between sets told me we were listening to bebop, or maybe post-bop or hard-bop.Every song was about 12 minutes long and was structured as a serious of solos. I never want to hear anybody complain about indulgent solos in metal again! It was really cool though and I enjoyed being exposed to a genre of music that I had absolutely no familiarity with. And of course, it's always fun to get dressed up (for very liberal definitions of dressed up) and go out with my lovely wife.
On to the links.
I wrote about the realization that I've been a baseball and Red Sox fan for 51 years.
I also wrote about not letting the walk-on actors in the play of your life linger.
How to make a one-page mini-zine seems like a useful life skill.
This Wikipedia page of unusual articles provides unlimited options for reading stuff on your phone instead of doomscrolling.
Owls in Towels delivers exactly what the title advertises.
An unknown photographer took thousands of amazing photos documenting the anti-war protests in San Francisco in the late 1960s. Maybe you can help figure out who took this amazing collection of photos?
If you struggle with the amount of time you spend staring at your phone this guide to giving your smart phone a lobotomy may be useful.
This fascinating article reviews some studies of urban animals that are determining how living in close proximity to humans is changing coyotes, raccoons, etc. Spoiler alert, it makes them bolder and smarter.
This article argues that olds can expand their minds by listening to new music, but we need to know where to draw the line, because a 50-something listening to whatever is popular today is fine, but recognize that you'll never be of the current generation. You are still an old and should behave like one.
The protesters guide to phone security. Just posting this due to academic interest. I am absolutely not the type of person that that would protest the current regime in the US. I'm a loyal subject.
Are they gone? Good.
Fuck Trump, and every single person that supports him.
That's all for this week. In a world where you can choose to be anything, choose to be kind.
Tatujae and Redwood Empire: Notes from the Healing Journey
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Apr 5th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
I decided to celebrate a good checkin with the surgeon with a quick smoke and sip. (It's my logic, don't judge.) Friday was a delightfully warm day, even if a bit cloudy most of the afternoon. But as luck would have it, the clouds gave way to sunshine before sunset. Even more reason to head out and soak up some Vitamin D3 for my healing bones.
From the humidor, I selected the Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles that came as part of the December Luxury Cigar Club package. It is a cigar I have not smoked in several years but remembered it fondly. After perusing the bottles on the shelves, I grabbed a pour of Redwood Empire Lost Monarch — a Bourbon and Rye blend, also known as a “Bourye.”
Redwood Empire Lost Monarch blends 60% rye (aged 3 to 5 years) with 40% bourbon (aged 4 to 12 years). The result marries the sweetness of bourbon with the spice of rye. On the nose, there are notes of vanilla, cinnamon, and a hint of citrus zest. The palate opens with vanilla and caramel, followed by a lingering peppery finish.
It’s difficult to pick out distinct bourbon or rye flavors — the blend is neither one nor the other, yet somehow both. On the long finish, the rye component seems to take the lead. The overall profile is unique and thoroughly enjoyable. At 90 proof and priced under $35, Redwood Empire Lost Monarch is an easy pick for an everyday sipper.
Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles is a 5 x 50 Robusto wrapped in an oily, reddish-brown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos complete the blend. Thanks to the rolling and blending techniques employed in production, the Havana VI line is often compared to classic Cuban cigars of the past.
It had been a while since I last smoked one, though I remembered enjoying it. Checks notes… yep, confirmed. Back then, I paired it with a delightful Porter, and I approached the current whiskey pairing with high expectations.
The cigar opens with sweet molasses, caramel, and nutty notes. As it burns, earthy tones, cedar spice, and creamy coffee come into play. The medium-bodied smoke is well-balanced. While it didn’t overpower the spice of the “bourye,” it held its own nicely. I did alternate the whiskey with sips of water before puffing, which helped keep the flavors distinct. Altogether, it made for a flavorful and satisfying pairing.
The Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles comes at a reasonable price, especially in today’s world of ever-rising cigar costs. Like the Redwood Empire Lost Monarch, it’s a strong contender for a regular rotation. Honestly, it’s as if the two were made for each other.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Five O’Clock Friday: Irish Chili
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Apr 4th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
Alright, I’ll admit it—I let the Five O’Clock Friday humor posts slip through the cracks. But they’re making a comeback! I’ll try to keep the laughs to start the weekend coming from here on out.
What better way to start than with a bit of Irish humor?
