[jevex]

I've been puffing for 35 years, now - though I blushingly admit to having started with El Cheapo's (Swishers) until a customer converted me to the good sticks.

At first, the Mrs. objected - couldn't deal with the 'stench' from them, so I had to take them outdoors. Bit of a problem, as I live in PA, where it DOES get a mite cold in winter. Fortunately, that banishment ended when her employer's office complex went smoke-free and SHE had to step out for a cigarette.
Though I was now allowed a cigar (once weekly) indoors, during inclement months, she never tried one - no matter how many times I offered.

Then, in 1998, we "won" this free Florida/Bahamas vacation trip. Had to look at time-shares, and wound up buying one in Kissimmee that backs onto Disney property. But, then we went to Freeport. Checked into our hotel and wandered next door to a big collection of shops, amongst which I found a cigar shop. Having never had a Cuban cigar, I grabbed a small handful to last the 3 days we were to be there. I guess the 'novelty' of smoking a Cuban got to the Mrs., as she cadged a few puffs off of my after-dinner RyJ that night, and (catch me, I'm fainting!) commented that the taste and the aroma weren't bad, at all!

Next morning, though, we discovered that Hurricane Georges (which they had expected to cruise into the Gulf) had taken a northerly turn and was barreling down on the Bahamas. Needless to say, the cruise ships were full to capacity that afternoon, heading back to Ft. Lauderdale - and me with 4 Cubans left to deal with. We managed to find a table on the fantail (for those of you who don't know, it's as far 'downwind' as one can get, on a ship, which is where they typically put the "smoking" tables) and sat down, each of us lighting an RyJ corona. (I sold the other two, at slight profit, to another couple, at the next table over.) The Mrs. puffed hers until it was only about a 1.5 inch stub, and then tossed it overboard. And then, as she was looking a little pensive, I asked her what she was thinking. She told me that she was looking back over all those times I'd invited her to smoke with me, and she'd turned me down.

That apparently broke the ice, for her. I tend to smoke 3 or 4 a week, and she's not quite at that point, yet. But on Friday or Saturday night she'll join me for one. I'll make lattes, and we sit and unwind and chat about our weeks. In the summers, that usually takes place in the hot-tub end of our pool. And, on our annual trip to Florida, we always stop at JR's and browse the humidor. Last time, we each walked out of there with a couple boxes apiece of our favorite smokes.

This past April, for my 60th birthday, she surprised me with a 3500-stick capacity tower humidor from an online discounter (Cheap Humidors) to replace a home-built unit that was beginning to fail. We also went out to dinner at Leaf Cigar Bar & Restaurant in Exton, PA. It was a 2-hour drive, but the meal and atmosphere was worth it. We invited my guitar teacher (a fellow aficionado) and his wife to go along. And it was MY wife who persuaded HIS wife to try HER first cigar. (A mocha "Flavours" from CAO.
And, yes, she loved it.)

Just last weekend, we had that couple over for swimming and a cook-out, and then broke out the cigars as twilight descended. Mid-way through the chatting in the hot-tub, the ladies started asking when we were going to take another trip to Leaf.

I'll sort of apologize for such a lengthy post, but a wife like mine is worth bragging on, at least in my opinion!