My Fellow Native American Arrives

Today I celebrate my reunion with Cochise, my favorite cigar lighter of all time. He just arrived, by Priority Mail. I feel like emailing Ward Churchill.

I wrote about this a few days ago. When I was in law school, I bought a brass Zippo with a cigar store Indian on the front, and it was stolen by some little snot who worked at the Rathskellar at U.M. I tracked down a new one and ordered it at an exorbitant price. It just arrived, simultaneously with my Z-Plus butane torch insert. I am beside myself with glee.

The damn thing had a stubborn red sticker on the back, but I got that off with a judicious application of WD-40, followed by a wonderful product called Un-Du Decal Remover. I filled the insert with butane, and now I am, almost literally, cooking with gas.

I would take a photo, but I can't figure out how to focus on something that small. Not without reading the camera manual. I think you know how likely that is to happen.

Oh, I could have lived with my cruddy old brass Zippo Venetian. I could have gotten by with a CHROME cigar store Indian Zippo. But sometimes you got to have what you got to have.

Now I have to go get a fresh can of butane.

I almost feel like smoking a cigar just for the fun of giving Cochise some exercise.

But I am busy watching my black beans and ham hocks cook.