Pipe Dream

I have always liked black licorice.   Well I cannot lie.  I love black licorice.  Especially the licorice from a long time ago.  The licorice taste was dark and intense, you could smell and taste the flavor at the same time.. they were unwrapped in a box, free from plastic wrap, they were shaped just like a small pipe, their luscious pipe bowls had little red candies on the top of the pipe bowl to simulate a flame. You reached right into the box and grabbed how many you wanted and plopped them down on the counter..where the clerk counted them again.  Then someone apparently got sick or something and rigorous candy handling standards were implemented.  For years we found them in Canada.  Then they disappeared completely until someone reinvented them and wrapped them in plastic. They were almost the same..very close to the original.

My Uncle knew of my passion for licorice.. He was a traveler, during his many travels he would look for licorice pipes. He would tuck them into the side pockets of his suitcase..then he would dole them out throughout the year..he knew that a licorice pipe would get him a big old hug.

During one of these trips, he died.   My Aunt found licorice tucked into a side pocket of his suitcase.  She called and said “Otto bought you some licorice, I found it in his suitcase, it must have been for your birthday.” 

I had one six year old licorice pipe left from Lake Tahoe, in a Christmas tin upstairs.  Hard as a rock, from my Uncle’s suitcase back in 2004.

  Then my daughter Jen gave me a package for my birthday.

I am good to go. 

Happy Birthday to me!  Thanks Jen, Andy, Noah and Adam!

Yes, today is that dreaded day I turn one year older or perhaps it is just that I am ageing to perfection:)