Happy New Year from the Cigar Guys.

We hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday. We got some neat gifts, which you might want to put on your list for next year.

Joe got The Quintessential Cigar Calendar. Each month of this calendar offers a beautiful close-up of a Cuban Cigar and a brief description of the featured brand. Replace that old pet calendar with one of these. It will make a handsome addition to your den or office.

Joe also received a Pocket Traveldor. This pocket humidor is made of matte-finished plastic and is equipped with a cedar lining and humidification device. It does not have the cachet of a fine leather case or a silver-plated tube but it is durable, relatively inexpensive (about $35) and does an acceptable job of keeping your cigars fresh.

We both received personal cigar journals. The journal allows you to record your cigar experiences in an organized and uniform manner. A separate page is used for each cigar you sample. You paste the band on the top of the page, fill in some standard information in the middle (country, price, etc.) and then enter your general impressions at the bottom. If you like to sample a lot of different brands, one of these journals will help you assemble a handy reference.

The best gifts of all were the fur felt, Stetson hats we got from our wives. These rugged-looking, western hats belong in every cigar smoker's wardrobe. Light up a cheroot and people will mistake you for Clint Eastwood.

We'd like to close with a brief holiday story. Remember our friend, Rick, the guy who ran for sheriff and lost by 400 votes? ( See Entry No. 19 ) He was on a train to New York City during the holidays and found a stranger staring at him.

"Can I help you?" Rick said to the stranger. Rick is a private investigator and is ever observant.

"I know you, " the stranger replied. " You're the fellow from The Cigar Guys. "

Rick couldn't believe his ears. "I guess so," he replied cautiously. He had hoped that no more than a dozen people or so had read that column.

"You look just like the guy on the campaign poster in the story!" the stranger exclaimed.

"Yes, it's my picture on the poster," Rick said dryly. "That's why it looks just like me." Rick recognized immediately that his 15 minutes of fame were going to require a lot of patience.

"You really know them? The Cigar Guys I mean."

"Yes," Rick responded. "Would you like to meet them?"

"Oh no. I couldn't impose. They must be terribly busy."

Yeah, that's close, Rick thought. They're both fat and spend the bulk of their time planning their next vacation. Nonetheless, Rick replied, "Yes, I suppose they are."

The stranger was really excited. "I loved how you left town to go on a cruise with them right before the election."

"It was more complicated than that," Rick tried to explain. "I was with my in-laws who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The arrangements were made prior to my candidacy. It was a coincidence that my friends had scheduled the same cruise. They put a little spin on the story to .. "

The stranger wasn't really listening. "That's great," he interrupted. "They must have been a lot of fun."

"No, they just smoked a lot of cigars."

The stranger's enthusiasm was undampened. "Do you think I could email them?"

Rick still couldn't believe it. These knuckleheads actually had a fan. "Yes, they enjoy email about cigars." Rick suggested. "Do you enjoy cigars? "

"No, I hardly smoke at all," the stranger replied. "I just think they're funny. "

Rick shook his head and thought to himself, "God bless us, everyone."

It just doesn't get any better than this!

The Cigar Guys

P.S. You'll be seeing less of the Cigar Guys in 1999. We'll still be writing a monthly column but we've resolved to go on diets. We'll keep you apprised of our progress. Also the Cigars Guys will be in Las Vegas in early February. If you live there let us know and we can get together for a smoke.

You can The Cigar Guys at: tbill@enter.net for any comments or questions.

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