Happy Father's Day!

He's the best dad ever, and the fact that he has gone 48 1/2 years without murdering me should get him sainted, stat.

 

My dad fell asleep while playing with the dog outside.
I think the wearing-out was supposed to happen the opposite way.

And here's Valentino's dad, who passed away this past November. We miss him terribly.

This past August, I snuck his dad here for Valentino's surprise birthday party!
Yes, the pic is blurry, but it's still one of my favorites. 



The 2 Caballeros ride again--right to the EPC 5th Anniversary! (Or: Pretty close to starting this post in one year and ending it in another)

n.b.*: I started this post in September--September!--and am now just getting back to it. (Yes, I know we're now finishing up December.) Just ignore the references to school starting. Or hop in the time machine and read it in real-time.  Your choice.

Don't you hate it when life gets in the way and there's nothing you can do to move that damn blockade that's keeping you from having fun?

Yeah, that happened. I've been caught up with work** and adjusting to a new schedule. Valentino's been doing his consulting thing, telling people what they need to do.***

Anyway, on Thursday (a million years ago), we threw caution to the wind...

[source]

...and went to our local hangout, Habanos. And! We met up with Caballero #2, who we hadn't seen in ages!

Naturally, when we arrived, the cigar trading began almost instantly. Cabellero #2 had four sticks laid out where we'd sit:

But can we just say, "Dammit! Trumped!" Valentino had already planned his swap, like a kid deciding which Matchbox car to share with a friend. But he didn't realize his well-thought-out decision would be overwhelmed by the sheer number gifted to him.

But we're still proud of his choice!

The other day****, we'd picked up a few EP Carillo 5th Anniversary... at Mr. J's Havana. (You know we walked out with way more than that, right?)

 

Released this past fall--right before we bought them!--remember fall, lo all those months ago?--the cigar does exactly what it says, celebrates five years from when Ernesto Perez-Carillo left General Cigars to start making his own delicious cigars. Remember how much we--I--liked the EPC Cigar Now Known as Chocolate Cake? It was definitely box-worthy!

Well this delight is also fantabulous. It has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Ecuadorian Corojo '99 binder, and Nicaraguan filler and a one-size-fits-all vitola,***** the double robusto at 6 1/2 x 54.

[source]

 

Here's a funny thing: as I said, I'm writing this in the car and our hero just asked, "What are you doing?" 

I had to admit, "Writing a blog post I started in September about the EPC 5th anniversary."

"That was a really good cigar. It was creamy and kind of sweet." Luckily he said nothing about my mad procrastination skills.

I nod, even though he can't see me, and I do remember that cigar and that night at Habanos when both kind gentlemen lit up together, so I got a stereo-sensory blast of the goodness. Let's just be super thankful that on occasion I remember that I'm forgetful and actually type notes and AND put the name of the cigar the notes are about. (Sometimes I don't. This makes me have the sad and the major frustration.)



Sad Panda did not take notes. [source]

But this time, Caballero #2 describes a pepperiness but my sensors are all about picking up the subtle sweet creaminess.  Valentino mentions a hint of coffee. This is what I love about cigars (besides all the other things I love about cigars): we're all sharing the same thing and yet getting a different experience, based on who we are. 

That's why when newcomers to the cigar world ask, "What's the best cigar?" They rarely get a straight, definitive answer. 

Valentino loves (irony--read: hates) when folks respond to a question with another question. And yet that's really the only appropriate response in this situation. "What flavor profile do you like?" "What cigars have you tried and liked? Not liked?" "Do you like strong or milder cigars?"  The questions can go on and on, because there is no one best cigar. Just like not everyone likes the same foods, so too the cigar. Strength, size, shape, ring gauge...all those things make up the answer to what the question should be: "What's the best cigar for me?"

Well, for some of you, the EPC 5th Anniversary, which ranked quite high in all three of our palettes, is the answer to that question. You should give it a try and see if you're one of them!

Look for this band! [source]

*nota bene--Latin for "note well." I love Latin. I know it's a dead language and all, but I would love to resurrect it, a la Frankenstein's monster.

**Actual conversation--Student: Do you have our papers? Me: Shush. You're disturbing class.

***Two things just occurred to me: 1. Our jobs aren't that far apart after all and 2.Urgh. I shouldn't write late at night because I forgot what #2 was going to be.

****Let's do the Time Warp again. You're welcome, by the way...
 

*****You remember that vitola is the fancy way to say size, right? I know, I know. Why not just say what you mean and move on? And generally I'm right there with you, but specialized language within a group gives a shared sense of belonging. Oh crap.  Why am I giving you a rhetoric lesson? I've been done with school three days. Let it go, Penny!******

 

******If you're expecting me to give you a rendition of "Let it Go," you have a long wait. That song goes right through my spine, and not in a good way.

"But whenever Monday comes, you can find me crying all of the time" (until the semester is over, and then...wheeee!)

It's a darned good thing I like the Monday night class I teach (Hi all of you!), and the students keep me entertained and happy.* And sometimes bring me Diet Coke.**

I know you're going to email me and say I shouldn't drink this
because I'll grow another head on my shoulders or whatever,
but without the sweet brown poison,
I'd totally fall asleep in front of the class. In front of every class.
No one wants that.

If I didn't like them so much, I'd be all BOO! and DAMMIT! and CRAP! because most of the fun cigar things seem to be happening on Mondays this semester. So Valentino goes to the fun things and sends me texts and pictures, and generally recounts that fantastic fun-ness he's having.

I try to share the fun I'm having too. For realz. He's not, however, buying that my two-and-a-half hours talking about writing and reading is more fun than hanging out with cool cigar folks, eating and drinking, and smoking.  In my defense, and to keep the playing field level, I had malted milk balls with the Diet Coke.

Oh, malted milk balls, why must you be so delicious?
And so small? And come in packages of five?
Do you have any idea how many little packages must be opened
and consumed in order to remain happy during the whole class?***

So during my repetitive sojourns**** over the course of the semester, he's had these adventures, of which I am mucho jealous. In no particular order, other than this is how they popped into my head:*****

Hanging with Island Jim, he of Leaf by Oscar, at Churchill's (Hi Bryan--even though I've technically never met you in person. And do you know why? Yep. Work. Boo. Soon we'll remedy that. I hear you have MBombays? We have been dying to get our hands--and taste buds--on those!)

Honestly, how can you not want to own some of these darlings?
As soon as the man returns from Man Camp, we are so there!

An Eiroa/CLE dinner with the Mr. J's Havana gang (at that seekrit location). Hi Paul! Hi Tom! Hi Mark! Hi Lauren! Hi people who were there and who I should give a shout out to, but since I wasn't there, I don't know who that might be!)

"Are you ready for some football?"
Definitely. Especially if there's delicious food!

Some fun nights at Broadway Cigar for Monday Night Football. (Although he does get credit for bringing me dinner home from those festivities! Thank you!) Each week, the awesomely cool Bobby and the gang (which would actually make them Cool and the Gang) feature a different cigar to accompany that night's noshing.  So it's win-win. I just wish I could have also been a winner. I have to go sulk now.

This is representative of Man Camp.
By the way, have you liked Will the Travelling Owl yet?
You totally should. And you'll be glad you did.

There's another dinner from the fabulous folks at Mr. J's this coming Monday, which, in Valentino's defense, he will also miss because he'll be at Man Camp. (Hi Jerry! Hi Will! Hi Marlin! Hi Billy! Hi Jerry! Hi Tom! Hi Billy! Missing you, Valentino the Elder!) I can't decide whether to be happy (Man Camp!) or sad (not Penny Camp!) at this time of year. Missing festivities doesn't help. I can't even live vicariously. Unlessssss... Unless you go and tell me all about it.  Take pictures! Send me random texts throughout the course of the night! Just call Mr. J's to chat with him about tickets!!

You should get yourself some of this! And you can--and much more! at the Roma dinner!
Call Broadway Cigars for more info!

The following week, on Monday the 8th, a big shindig is happening at Roma on Federal Hill in Providence. The dinner will feature the cigars of J Grotto, good old Mr. J, Paul Joyal, himself! So two of our favorite people are getting together and having a party. Again, you should go; I'm going to need to get to the store before then so I can drown my sorrows in whatever malted milk is.

Then, we found out that on Monday, December 15, Jim Robinson is going to be in town again. Let me stress the Monday in the previous sentence.

Why does everything have to happen on a Monday? And then I remembered...

This is the point in the story where the angels sing with joy.

 ...I remembered school will be over by then! I can join the festivities!! So come to Broadway Cigars in Providence, RI and we can party like rock stars!******

Lots more things are on our calendar for December. Stay tuned for updates!!



*What? that's not supposed to be what's happening?

**It's not really a bribe; more a way to keep me awake and off-kilter.

***In case you were wondering, it takes seventy umpity thousand tiny packages of malted milk balls for one long class.

****And I say this ironically

*****The ideas don't just pop into my head. In fact, it's more like this:

Very painful indeed!

******Aging, tired, end-of-the-semester melt-down rock stars. But rock stars nonetheless.