A-2-Z

There's a theatrical supply around the corner from where I work. Walking distance, even by modern standards. As in closer than the average parking space.

And though I've worked where I work for a year and a half, and we do printing for this joint, I'd never gone in.

I heard my boss talking to a customer about his various trials at quitting smoking. A stage cigarette was key for me when I quit.



I'd tried a bunch of things, but besides needing the resolve to really to it, what I needed was something to do with my hands and lips that felt like what I really wanted to be doing with my hands and lips, which is smoking a lot of cigarettes.




A stage cigarette had everything but that delightful feel of smoke filling my lungs.

So I decided to make a gift of them. 85¢, I'm a big spender.

I bought a pair for myself, as well as the cigar version, just to mess with my children. A tattoo sleeve, too. And I scoped out the Halloween costume I've wanted to try for a few years and haven't. Renting it isn't free, but it's not as bad as I'd feared.



All of which comes from A-2-Z Theatrical Supply. Good people, very helpful. They have everything from latex appliances and the material to make latex appliances to costumes to umpteen colors of tape for marking spots on a stage.

This stage cigarette had some powder in it so when you exhaled it looked like smoke. In addition to the orange foil tip that makes it look lit. Wow.






So if you're a stage manager or actor, or if you're just a little too Guy Grand for the welfare of those you know, A-2-Z is where to go. Entertaining or just making things hot for people, they'll fix your wagon.



I woke Em up this morning with my fake cigar in my mouth and my fake tattoo sleeve on my arm. She's the house DARE officer, the one who tried to bust me for chocolate cigarettes, so I figured it'd get a rise out of her.

She just rubbed her eyes and said, 'Nice sleeve, Dad.'

Then I walked Mo to her first class with the cigar in hand, and while a few kids gawked at it, nobody told me to put it out. Drats.