Anyone enjoy fine cigars?

Arturo Fuente Opus X 20th anniversary Father & Son

In college, my Panamanian roommate gave me a Christmas present of three panatelas with a band emblazoned with "MAN" in a spiffy leather case. He and I and another guy smoked them in our Jackson MS dorm room while we played cards. Later that year, just before the US invaded Panama, Newsweek ran a story on Manuel Noriega's tradition of breaking up his annual shipment of available-nowhere-else Trinidades shipped to him by Fidel Castro, adding a band with his own initials on it, and handing them out as Christmas gifts to prominent Panamanians.

I lost the band at some point—I think I had stuck it in my copy of Newsweek—and later lost the case. Trinidades went on sale in the early 2000s, if I remember correctly. The whole thing is a now a story I have no one to tell.

I had worked in Aviation for some time, on the Corporate side of things.
Occasionally I have gotten to enjoy samples of various cigars. Cubans
Are Cubans. It’s the soil. One D.R. I liked I think was the Opus X. Wonderful
Smoke.
But One day, up here in the wilds Of Vancouver we had a Special VIP Client.
A certain Cuban IL 62A was inbound from Asia making a Tech Stop. We have serviced everything From Airforce 1&2. Marine 1. Other European VIP
And military...over the years.
This time it was Fidel Castro. Yep. No kidding.
My Manager And Iwere in the process of serving the aircraft and liaison with the crew and security personnel. It was interesting as the Cuban Accents were heavy
And the English spotty.
We were discussing some security related point with a Cuban Agent when the
President Himself descended the air stairs to stretch his legs. We both noticed this and needless to say somewhat spellbound. There was History within
20 yards distant. Good or bad.
We respectfully gave a polite bow to which he nodded and said a Hello.
He then after a few minutes returned to the cabin. What he did do...was motion
His Security Team Leader Over...And in a very quick burst of Spanish gave an
Instruction. About 5 minutes later He returned from the cabin and the agent
Presented us Each with a Autographed packaged Cuban Cohiba.
The ink was still wet. I still have that petrified cigar in my deposit box with a
Signature from History.

Needless to say...I bought another identical cigar. Slowly enjoyed it over
A decent sized class of Cubana Club Havana Rum in a splash of ice.

Sometimes you just Never Know what’s in store.

Love that Cigar. Need to get a few more.

You should auction it off...better to enjoy the money while you're still alive.

Be interesting to see what it would get...hmmm.
It was a cool moment of History. In my time I have met both GwBush and Bill Clinton quite a few times. In fact Pres. Clinton has signed a number of books for me including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. John Major
British Pm once and Prince Charles And both boys when they were younger.
And oh ya ...the Rolling Stones. I have a Great Job. The Best was Robin Williams Who I got to know personally. The Worst... Bill Cosby hands down.

Most cool is I talk to Justin Trudeau almost every time He is in Vancouver. We take care of the Aircraft.
He is as laid back as He looks. Very chill.
Now time to find a cigar. Perfect day for it....

My Medieval Cigarr lounge I'm currently working on.
Entrance is done, working on the interior as we speak.
I'm doing everything except the drywall.

Ventilation system I installed will turn the room over once every 1.5 min.

Close to what it will look like when done, created in Chat with my existing furniture. I've actually purchased all my furnishings. Drywall going up Tuesday.

It'll be sooner than I thought, my drywall was hung today and will be taped and bedded Tuesday!
I'm in GA and you're certainly welcome.

I have been known to enjoy the occasional cigar. I like quite a few from Flores y Rodriguez maduro with its leathery tones to a daily burner in a perdomo lot 23 Connecticut good with a coffee. Going to start buying a few more sticks and a few less watches now that I have a decent collection.

This is just purey cool. I’m over with a box of sticks soon.

Drywall up, bedding next, but it's on...