Cigars and Beer at Stogie's Place

I really felt sorry for making my cat, Inky, pose in that picture with Michelle Obama. As soon as I snapped the photo for Newsweak magazine, Michelle climbed on her broom and flew off into the night sky, cackling loudly. I knew I had better mollify my cat before he decided to shred my shins again.

So I invited him over for beer and cigars. He asked if he could bring a friend, and said he was bringing a little kitty -- at least that's what I thought he said. In any case, that's her enjoying a cigar on the other side of the table.

Inky is enjoying his beer while his cigar burns in the ash tray. He still looks mighty pissed off, but he was purring loudly when I snapped this photo. A good cigar will do that for you.

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Good thing Mrs. Chomper was out of town. She gets upset when we don't use coasters. 

A Fact Finding Mission to Belgium

I love that poem "In Flander's Fields" and reposted it last Memorial Day. Until recently I didn't really know what "Flanders" was. We never covered it in any of my high school or college courses. However, when in Amsterdam, we took a day tour of Brussels, Belgium and there I learned what it is. Flanders is the region of Northern Belgium; the Ardennes is the Southern region.

Canadian troops fought in Flanders during World War I, and that's the origin of the famous poem "In Flanders Fields" by Lt. Col. John McCrae, M.D.

The Ardennes is where the Battle of the Bulge was fought in Word War II.

Brussells was lovely. They are very proud of their statue of "Mannequin Piss," a young boy urinating in the center of town. After hoisting a few excellent Belgian beers in the local Brasserie, I could appreciate the feeling.

We enjoyed local brews at the Brasserie and the stoic young bartender, Jerome, warmed to us slowly. We eventually won him over with sincere appreciation of his beer and by including him in our conversation. I told him he spoke excellent English. He proudly replied that he had perfected his English by watching the O.J. Simpson trial on television every day. I told him, "You must have learned a lot of bad words" and we both laughed.

He then grabbed a beer glass with the bar's logo and gave it to me as a memento. "Quick, put it in your pocket!" he whispered. I did. It survived the trip home and now serves as a Badge of Beer and Brotherhood and Brussels and Belgium and Brasseries. (Burp.)