Just a quick thanks to everyone who came out this afternoon, (on a school day, no less!) and stood in line for two hours at Drug City to shake hands, say hello, and pick up a bottle of my grandfather’s whiskey. knobelspirits.com
It always warms my cockles to meet the good folks from my hometown and triangulate the circumstances by which our paths crossed years before. Today, there were former teachers, former girlfriends, and some old pals I used to sing with, once upon a time. There were retired cops, volunteer firemen, electricians and longshoremen, along with a few new parents who wanted me to kiss their new babies. Which I was happy to do.
Many came bearing gifts. Missy brought me some lovely artwork depicting the formation of the Mason-Dixon Line. Bill – a self-proclaimed dyslexic airplane pilot – presented me with a fascinating magazine and a long letter I’ll read later. There were half-a-dozen challenge coins, multiple pieces of artwork, and countless inappropriate jokes that made me snort. 
Lauren, an environmental engineer and Dirty Jobs fan, wanted to show me a photo of what happened when some sort of hose blew up in 
her face. I felt her pain.
And then there was Kirsten.
I had a nice chat with Kirsten and her husband and thanked them for waiting in line. Then, as they was walking away, Kirsten said, “Tell your dad I said hello.”
“Sure,” I said. “How do you know him?”
“I was the nurse who worked on him over Christmas, when he had his heart attack.”
Had I known, I’d have given her a case on the house. But she left too fast. Next time, Kirsten. And 
thank you.
PS. Speaking of next time, I’m doing this again tomorrow. This time at The Frederick Winehouse in 
Frederick Maryland. I’ll be there from 12:30 to 1:30, shaking hands, taking photos, and signing bottles. And kissing babies, probably. Hope to see you there.