“Hot Mike Neon” it says on his business card. Around Borrego Springs he is known as “mad Mike,” the neon guy. That’s because he is a true artist whose medium is neon. But Mike is also known as a great storyteller.
A bunch of us were sitting around ArtPark Gardens the other day exchanging local news and gossip. Charlie drove up and was smoking a cigar. “It’s Nicaraguan,” he told us.
“Oh, that brings to mind an excellent memory,” said Mike, “and a good story. It’s about the time I smoked my last cigar.”
“I used to love smoking cigars. One fine day in Santa Cruz I rolled my recliner chair out onto a little point to sit and watch the waves and sunset. There was a cigar in my hand and a bottle of Irish whiskey between my legs. I also had a bottle a ginger ale and a lemon so I could make a high ball.”
“As the sun got closer to the horizon I lit up my cigar and started to puff. A few minutes later I heard voices behind me. I turned around and two gorgeous Hollywood beauties were walking toward me.”
“May we have a puff of your cigar?” one of them asked.
“Why sure,” I said. “And the one sat on one side of my chair and the other sat on the other side. We chatted about the view and life in general and before you knew it we had finished off the whiskey. And the cigar!”
“Then each one got up, kissed me on the cheek, and they left. I sat there thinking ‘there’s nothing that can ever top this’ and that was my last cigar.”
Thanks for the great article!