The Tool Guys Chronicles

In this series of tales, I chronicle some of the adventures that I experienced when I hustled tools in my youth. Not all of the them occurred while selling tools. But what my wildest experiences all had in common was that I was in the company of some of the other guys I hustled tools with: the Tool Guys. In chronological order, these are our stories…

  • The mushroom hunt and bagging the biggest catch
    In the first installment of the Chronicles, I recount my first psilocybin mushroom experience the day after moving to Miami. It started out as a hunt and turned into a psychedelic journey filled with euphoria and ego death. The experience highlighted the novelty of my new life in Florida.
  • The day I sold an entire truckload of product to Scarface
    This is a recounting of a memorable business encounter I had in Key West 45 years ago, where my partner Joe and I sold an entire truckload of tools to a man I refer to as “Tony.” Despite a sketchy atmosphere due to nearby drug activity, we negotiated a successful deal, marking a milestone in the early years of our entrepreneurial journey.
  • The wild ride: a Cadillac, The Police, and a bonfire 🔥
    In 1981, some Tool Guys and I went to see a concert in Florida. On the drive there, flames flared up inside my Cadillac, becoming a bonfire on the side of the turnpike. This installment of the Chronicles relates how, after encountering The Police, the night turned out to be an unforgettable concert experience that was truly “FIRE!”
  • My 1982 US Festival trip
    The first US Festival was bigger than Coachella and better than Woodstock. With three-day tickets, a group of my friends (including tool partner Scott) prepared thoroughly for the event of a lifetime. Despite the sweltering heat and exhaustion, the weekend was unforgettable. Marked by music, mind expansion, and memories, it ultimately ranks as my best concert experience.
  • Hanging with Humboldt hippies
    The Humboldt hippies were marijuana farmers in 1980s Humboldt County who cultivated high-quality marijuana in the rural woods of California. As a tool vendor in California, my partner and I visited every corner of the state. In this tale, I recount visiting Humboldt and breaking bread with the hippies. trading tools for private reserve buds. It was an insider introduction to a tight-knit community living sustainably amid illegal activities.