Hello WA....

Well here I am in Kent, WA since 6 Jun and I'm not smiling yet. When I was last here for any length of time it was with the military and my battle friends are spread across the US these days; not many familiar faces so strike one. I didn't realize the change in weather would affect me so very much. Since arriving here it's colder and wetter then I recall or expected. For one thing I brought summer clothes and not fall and that's not good because I feel perpetually cold. Shopping is a possibility but not my first choice.

You can't imagine how bummed out I am on two fronts. The first reason is that I got sick shortly after arriving here and I can't seem to shake it off because like I said before I feel so perpetually cold; strike two. The second is that even if I were at a 100% there's nowhere to smoke around here except for the house and casinos. Even the cigar stores are non-smoking...ahggggggg; and strike three.

In spite of all that I'm trying to stay positive. I even joined a Cigar Meetup group in Seattle that's $30 bucks per person to smoke in a private club. Since its inception last year they meet on 5 occasions with the last one in early May. With those prices I can see why they don't get together very often anyway. As I mentioned earlier casinos are an option but you're expected to gamble and I haven't heard or seen any cigar clubs that meet there. I stopped at a Smoke shop down the hill from me and what a bummer/let down it was. I couldn't get a word out of the guy at the counter and their cigars looked pitifully dry.

I placed an order with TexCigars and Famous Smoke Shop; hopefully they'll arrive soon. Next week I'm going to a tiny town called McMinnville, OR. I hope to find a store or lounge there or along the way with a better disposition. I want to stop at Broadway Cigars in Portland and try an Emilio Cigar; hope it's as good as they advertise. I also hope it's warmer there than here.

Long Ashes and Prosper...
E.