Cigar Weekly

How Do I Relax?

It a very good question that people ask themselves everyday, and probably three or four times on the weekends.

So how do I personally relax? It could be anything from a good book, a movie that I have been dying to watch, a good cigar or perhaps a combination of them.

For those people who know me, met me, or heck have even just been in the area when I was around know that I'm an absolute fanatic in regards to hockey. Hockey to me epitomizes what all sports should be, with its flow, style and character. I can, and will if given half a chance, talk hockey with anyone, at anytime, anywhere. Its addicting, and I don't really care.

How, you ponder, does this have anything to do with cigars? Stay tuned and I'll be more than happy to enlighten you. It all started about six months ago, smack dab in the middle of the NHL season. I was watching my team play, itching for a cigar, but not wanting to drive down to the pub to watch a game where I wouldn't be able to hear what was occurring, not be able to see the TV well enough, and generally get some grief from my wife for leaving for the pub. This is a problem as I don't smoke inside my house. It was mostly limited to outside when weather permitted and when we went to bars on the weekends with friends.

What was my solution? It just so happens that we live in a home built in the 1930s, all brick, which has a detached two car garage. If the garage was attached I think the execution of my little plan would have been easier, but the grief with smoking where it could be smelled in the house would have been unbearable. The previous owner expanded the original garage to a two car, and then again to have a third smaller garage on the backside of the two car part to store his boat and trailer in. I have since converted the third car garage area into a workshop, complete with heaters, where I can do all the messy jobs I can't do inside the house, like spray painting, cutting wood, sanding and messing with various solvents, etc. I'd been successful at going out there with a cigar from time to time with no repercussions, so it seemed ideal for a place to smoke when the weather wasn't cooperating.

Problem: How do I get cable out to the garage to be able to smoke and watch hockey at the same time? Solution: I just figured it out. It took some effort and some creative cable running, but I now have 71 channels of cable in my third garage, complete with all of the channels that normally carry hockey broadcasts. What about a TV? I got the TV from my boss who was going to give a 19" TV with remote to Goodwill because the front button broke on it. He just happened to come into our office and ask if anyone would like it before he took it over. The timing was just impeccable. The TV works just fine, you just can't hit the button on the front to turn it on or off. It's got a working remote, so why did I care?

So picture this setup in your head and you can realize why I have an ideal place for me. Hockey on the tube, a cigar in hand, ashtray to my right, remote in my left and a comfy chair to sit in. To me there was no better combination for solitary enjoyment other than maybe a good book. I have spent just a few hours... yeah, right... a few... think a lot, enjoying my tasty treats to myself in comfort in the man zone I created in my garage. It just so happens to combine the two largest vices I have, hockey and cigars.

Jason Rhine (Rhino) is nothing special in the realm of cigars. Just an everyday guy that likes to try a variety of cigars, accessories, and has a voracious appetite for anything cigar related. In addition to his love of the leaf, he is an avid hockey fanatic, which allows him to combine two of his great pleasures smoking a cigar and watching hockey.