2022 - Summer of Cigars: July 3rd

Saturday, July 3, 2022

Smoked a Romeo y Julieta this afternoon and although I've smoked a number of these before and like them, this one, for some reason was a little bitter for my taste. It was passable but not my best experience with this brand.

Had a nice Zoom call with Mom, Dale, Sam and his family. We had a really great conversation about some family history that's come out of the genealogy work I've been doing recently. I think it was interesting and meaningful for everyone which completely delights me. I'm hoping knowing and talking about our shared history will bring all of us closer together. 

I'm still reminiscing about cigars during the summer of 1982 and some of the music I was listening to at the time. I remember the first time I heard "Gloria" by Laura Branigan. I had my Sony Walkman (the one Dad had given me about a month earlier during my 10-day stay in the hospital as I recovered from a bicycle accident) radio on as I was finishing mowing the front lawn of the house on Stevens. I remember thinking it was Donna Summer as their voices were rather similar. I loved it and it became something of a summer anthem for me. 

Dale got home from visiting John while I was finishing up my cigar. We went to Lunds on Cedar shortly after his return and picked up dinner makings. We also stopped at Cork Dork so Dale could pick up some wine and also some gin for myself. I made a martini upon our return home and sat out in the backyard for cocktails. 

We listened to a recently released live version of Ella Fitzgerald singing the Irving Berlin songbook. Music-wise, live Ella is another summer must. 

We had salmon and vegetables for dinner and some store bought banana chocolate cake for dessert; all delicious. We watched Grace and Frankie and are almost done with the final season.