The Cigar Life

 Sunday, April 13, 2025 Drove over to Saint Paul to Stogies on Grand to get together with Steve for a cigar. He's kept a really low profile over the past 4 years or so. I've seen him a few times over the last year although he hasn't had a cigar in that time and I haven't had a cigar with him in the last 5. I think the last time was February of 2020 at Anthony's Cigar Lounge in Minneapolis, just before the pandemic. Anyway, it was good to see him and light up. I forgot my wallet so I had him buy me a stogie. He asked me what kind I wanted and I told him to get me whatever he was having which turned out to be a La Gloria Cubana.

Mike was over recently. We sat out back after dark and smoked cigars. He told me he loved sitting in my back yard. I love sitting in my backyard too. We sat facing north looking into Josh and Breanna's yard and beyond the other side of the street. With all the lights it really did look rather magical. We looked at the stars too and found the Big Dipper. At this time of year the Big Dipper is easily seen if you look up just past the north of our roof line.

 Sunday,  August 18, 2024 Gorgeous day.  Perfect for a cigar.  I lit up an Oliva while Dale was taking a walk.  Mike texted me earlier that he was on Sanibel Island. I texted him back.  Reading up on Paris as Dale and I are hoping to go there next year. 

Saturday, May 4, 2024 Mike and Charisse had Dale and I over for dinner tonight. We all sat out on their back porch which faces east and wasn't getting the sun however it was still nice enough to sit outside with a jacket or sweater. Earlier today Mike texted and said that if Dale wanted wine he should bring some but that he thought he should have enough gin for a couple of stiff martinis. He had some Bombay Sapphire left over from the last time they had us over on New Year's Eve. And yes, it was just enough to make a couple of stiff martinis.  Mike and I lit up cigars to go with our cocktails.  Mike had an NA beer while Dale and Charisse had some wine. I of course had my martini.  For dinner they ordered Bill's Chinese. We ate inside. It was delicious.  After dinner we played Yahtzee which I don't think I've played since I was a kid. Same for Dale and Mike. Charisse says she plays online. Anyway it all came back to us quickly and was really rather fun. Pictured abov...

Saturday, January 27, 2024 Had Mike over tonight. We smoked cigars upstairs and then ordered Chinese for dinner. It was good to catch up.  Photo by Mike

Saturday, September 9, 2023 We had Mike and Charisse over for dinner tonight. We all sat outside before dinner. Charisse had a beer, Mike had an NA beer, Dale had wine, and I had an Old Fashioned. Mike and I smoked cigars. I had an Oliva and Mike had a Romeo y Julieta. A friend of his gave him a whole box. Ordered Chinese for dinner from Bill's and watched the IT Crowd. 

Saturday, April 8, 2023 Had Mike over this afternoon for cigars. I met Mike way back in junior high school. I think it was in Spanish class. We were friendly acquaintances but not chummy. We reconnected on Facebook back in the late aughts when people our age were getting on Facebook. I invited him and his wife over for dinner and we've been hanging out ever since.  I had an Oliva on hand. We lit up in the garage and them smoked the cigars in the yard.  We listened to Oscar Peterson.  It's good to be outside again. It was good to see Mike and I let him know it. It had been since New Year's Eve.  Dale ordered Chinese for us and we watched Johnny Guitar. It's a camp classic and I think Mike quite liked it.  And Mike brought over some seltzer. 

Saturday, October 8, 2022 Mike and Charisse had us over to their place for dinner tonight. I brought over and Oliva cigar for Mike.  Mike and I knew each other back in Jr. High and High School but we became friends that actually hang out together about 12 years ago. Mike and I are Facebook friends and he saw a picture of Dale on my page. Mike introduced himself to Dale when he recognized him at a spin class the both took back in about 2010. When Dale told me about it I told him that Mike would actually be fun to have over for dinner. Dale worked it out and the rest is history. We've been cigar buddies ever since. Used the second of my 4 1-day drinking passes for semi-sober October. I had a couple of Beefeater gin martinis.  After a very nice cocktail hour we had burritos for dinner. They were delicious and I should have asked Charisse for the recipe.