Lighting that Motherfucker

You can get cigar-lighting how-tos all over the mighty internets—some concisely right-on and some…not so much. Watch video after video and you’ll find each subtly different.

Nuances abound in the cigar world, but don’t worry about the “right way.”

Fuck the nuances. At this point, you just want that sucker

1. On fire and

2. To remain lit.

 

Your spokesmodel for the evening:
Caballero #3

Lighting the cigar with no fanfare:

1. Cut about a 1/16th off the end. (This is a post for another day.)

2. “Toast” the end that doesn’t go in your mouth.* Blow it out if it keeps flaming as you pull the lighter away.

What that means: hold it above the flame and spin it a bit—just like you’re toasting a marshmallow.** You’re warming up the wrapper.

Not so much for demonstration purposes,
but to show my mad photography skills.
And by "mad," I mean "bad."

3. Put the stick in your mouth*** and hold the flame about an inch from the foot. You’re lighting the filler.

4. Puff a couple of times.

4.5 Dear god, don’t inhale.

5. Hand the house lighter back to the cigartender.****

 

6. Repeat 3-5 as necessary if the cigar goes out.

Fire! Fire! Fire!

 

*This shouldn’t have to be said, and yet…

**If you’re one of those assholes that burns the marshmallow, stay the fuck away from cigars.

***Heh heh heh.

****Don’t even think about pocketing it. Yes, it’s nice, but it’s not yours.

And then there was...

a Love of the Leaf website.

The website is designed by our awesome SuperFriend Deep Dish Dave.
Then I work on it and mess it up.
Then he goes back and fixes it because he's nice like that.
He doesn't even get mad when I break the mighty internets.

Please hold your applause until the end of the show. Go check it out.

We'll wait, because we're suckers for applause.

Especially applause from penguins.

But we'll be grateful for yours too.

You need to know about the Julia Cekala Charitable Foundation

Recently, we got to do something fun and nice and helpful and fun.*

Was it cigar-related? In a roundabout way, yes. But this story isn't so much about the cigars themselves as it is about the cigar culture, the community of cigar smokers. 

So for those people with pinched faces who look at cigar smokers with disdain and superiority, this one's for you.

You know (if you lived in Penny World for any amount of time) that our home-base is Habanos Lounge in Pawtucket RI. We've made some super fun friends there--including Caballero #2--folks we are proud to call our friends.**

Chris and Will the Travelling Owl

Our friend Chris, who we met at Habanos, and his family created and run The Julia Cekala Charitable Foundation, in honor of Chris' sister Julia, who on May 23, 2003 "passed away at Boston's Children's Hospital. Julia bravely fought every health obstacle put in her way. Julia battled autism, renal failure, and a seizure disorder just to name a few, and finally Julia succumbed to hemorrhagic pancreatitis after celebrating her 9th birthday in the ICU at Children's Hospital. It had been our home for the last 9 months of her life."

On March 27 we--Valentino and me, as well as a stable of our Habanos friends--attended the Julia's Garden Charity Wine Gala, held at the Mansfield Holiday Inn in Mansfield, MA.

Julia

From the Julia's Garden website, which you must check out: "Julia loved playing outside in nature, visiting playgrounds and zoos.  We often visited the North Attleboro Zoo at World War I Memorial Park.  It is the perfect community park – it has a quiet location that has lots of rocks to climb on and many trees to hide behind and sit under. There are many quaint picnic spots and multiple little zoo animal friends to visit and to feed apples and carrots.   So, when we had made the decision to build a memorial garden and park for Julia, the World War I Memorial Park was the perfect and most natural choice." 

"Julia brought great love to our family and she inspired us in so many ways. Thank you for lettings us celebrate Julia with our community."
 

Lynda and Wally Cekala, most awesome people.
With Will. Who thinks he's awesome.

Please visit the Julia Cekala Charitable Foundation website, learn more about the foundation, and sign up for the Butterfly 5K, happening on Sunday, August 23. See you there--with all our cigar-smoking friends!
 

*Valentino would like to point out that I'm being repetitive. I like to call it unnecessary wordiness. Or liking the sound of my own voice. Er, typing. 

**And the court said we can call them that. As long as we keep a distance of 500 feet away from them.