Being born, raised, and spending my first 26 years in the mountains of East Tennessee, I once had ways of coping with cold weather. However, I’ve spent the past twelve years in Florida and I find myself very put-out by the cold this week. Tonight is forecast to be the coldest in a very long time in these parts, and it’s just too friggin’ cold to be out – even for a cigar. Normally, our winters are fairly mild and even on the coldest nights my garage provides a suitable respite. But…19°F? That should never happen. Not here. I feel like Al Gore owes me a personal apology. I would prefer to run out to a nice, toasty cigar shop for a smoke – I am near Tampa after all, with any number of great shops within an hour or so. Problem is, most of them are on the far end of that 60 minute range, which makes for a late night preceding an early morning during the week. Workable, I suppose, but not optimal. The only shops that are in the immediate area close early. So, it looks as if I’ll just sit here, indoors, and vent to you fine folks tonight. But next time, I must be prepared. Fire pit off the patio? Heater in the garage? Put on every shred of clothing I own until I look like the kid from A Christmas Story? There’s little chance of ever actually smoking indoors while maintaining any marital harmony whatsoever. My wife is favorable to cigars, and will even partake herself on rare occasions – but smoke residue in the house ain’t happening. It’s probably not feasible to move even further south, either. I assume some of you, especially in the northern climes, are finding yourself cigarless tonight also…what do you do? Do you just (horror of horrors) abstain? Do you have a segregated area to smoke in? Igloo? Tepee? What’s your plan for the rest of the winter?
Whaddya gonna do?
♪ Here I sit broken hearted ♫ ♫ moved to Florida and it’s still too dang cold to smoke a cigar tonight. ♪
Kip… the patio heater in the garage trick works for me up in Chicago!!!
I feel ya bro. Marriage would take a clean shot if I ever lit up indoors. I live in Portland and I am just happy when it’s dry. I can count the smoking establishments on my fingers. Only way is to hunker down and go for it. I smoke some four kicks last month in 12 degree weather. Not ideal, but what can you do?
Paul
It’s the second (and hopefully final) night of outlandish cold. By the weekend we should be back to normal, with highs in the mid-70s, and lows in the 50s. That’s more like it…
I live in PA where we can have 3 months of freezing temps. I take walks in the winter which serves two purposes: gets me some exercise and lets me have a smoke. Short cigars that are full flavored work best for me, as milder cigars tend to get lost in the cold air. I can’t wait for spring!
Thankfully, we have returned to normal temps – highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. All is right with the world…until February.