Ahhh....I Knew It Wouldn’t Last.

[Mathazar]

Recently,  for those of you who don't know me,  I  quit
smoking the hookah for health reasons.  I was having a lot of
congestion & coughing due to the fact that I was smoking too
much,  up to 15 times a day 

I swore that I would NEVER smoke again........Yeah Right 

I just placed a $300 order with Overnight Shipping over at
Hookah-Shisha.  I got the 36" Super Nova 1 Hose Rotator with Red
Glass & Cobra Hose,  3 Kilos of Nour Coals,  and 7
containers of Ma'assel (2 Double Apple,  2 Lemon, and
Orange,  Peach, & Strawberry).

I also just bought a $2500 treadmill. 

So,  this time around I'm going to have to CONTROL my smoking
habit and not let it spiral out of control like before when I was
smoking 10 to 15 bowls a day.

I knew that if I continued frequenting this forum that I would
eventually get the overwhelming desire to purchase another
hookah.........and I did 

I'm sure all of you knew I wouldn't be gone for long,  that once
you start smoking the hookah you're hooked for life.  Well, 
it's true,  hookah smoking is an addiction to me and I just can't
possibly imagine going my entire life without hookah smoking ever
again.  It's simply not possible.

When I quit smoking the hookah,  I increased my daily cigar and
pipe tobacco habit to out-of-control proportions.  There's got to
be a middle ground,  so my idea is that instead of smoking mass
quantities of the hookah or cigars & pipe tobacco,  I will
instead try to split it up and smoke a little bit of each every
day.  That will keep costs of tobacco at a minimum and keep myself
in rather good health.

How many of you think I can accomplish that goal? 

Well,  I guess I can only strive to do so, because actually
achieving those goals are going to be more difficult than one might
think.  I LOVE hookah smoking,  and if I practice no
restraint,  then I will be smoking several bowls a day,  and
my hobby will quickly turn into an unhealthy habit 

To all of you new to hookah smoking who think it's healthy,  well,  IT'S NOT!!!

That's why you have to smoke in moderation,  as most of you do anyways.

So,  everybody wish me luck in my endeavors to be a responsible
smoker and to not let it get out of control like before

I will say one thing though,  it's good to be back smoking with all of you again!

Cheers 

[Esoj]

CHEERS! And the best of luck! 

[John Deere]

I'm sad that you threw away your old stuff for no reason, but welcome
back and be carefull. Maybe set a specific Hookah day every week?

[Mathazar]

Yep,  throwing all that ma'assel away was a mistake.  If for
no other reason than to get rid of it,  rather than throwing it
out,  I should have just given it away to you guys.  There
was MORE than enough of the HookahHookah Orange to go around, 
considering I had a 1 Kilo tub of it 

[Mathazar]

What's bothering me the MOST is not the fact that I threw-out all that
stuff,  or even the fact that I have to restrain myself from
smoking too much.

I have to WAIT until Tuesday morning for my new stuff to arrive 

I HATE waiting,  I don't know what I'm going to do between now and then to occupy my time.

.....Mathazar SCREAMS in torment!!!.....

[Soup]

It's good to hear you're back, Mathazar.  Definitly the best thing to do is to keep it in moderation.  Best of luck.

[brother812]

welcome back Mathazar and thanks for the advice in the other post. (got a bag of nour coals otw) i myself have smoked everything that is smokable. i enjoy a good briar filled with Penzance from time to time, a half or so pack of camels a day and now a hookah whenever i can make time for it. one thing i have learned in my years of smoking, boozing and doing many other things that make doctors cringe is that everything is good in moderation but doing nothing bad for you makes for a long boring life. 

[Mathazar]

I'll second that,  brother!  I've got seven high-grade pipes
( Ardor,  Peterson,  Ser Jacapo),  and I smoke them a
few times every day.  My tobaccanist didn't have any Penzance when
I asked the other day,  funny you should mention it now. 
But,  I've got a GREAT Balkan Sobranie clone from Peter
Stokkebye,  it's the BEST Latakia mixture I've ever smoked. 

But,  not to get too far off topic,  I agree with you, 
life would be no fun whatsoever if you didn't do SOME things that were
bad for your health.  I don't have the kind of money to go out and
see the world,  travel, and be an international playboy. 
So,  I find simple things to do locally,  like hanging-out in
the tobacco shop,  buying pipes and cigars,  and smoking in
the lounge with the other gents.  Granted,  now that I've got
this AWESOME new rotator hookah and ma'assel coming,  I won't be
spending as much time with the cigars and pipe.  But that's
alright,  I'll give my pipes a well deserved rest 

Hey,  brother812,  if you're looking for a great pipemaker to
custom-make you some pipes,  then check-out Michael Parks
at:  www.ParksPipes.com

I'm gonna have this guy sculpt me a luxurious Giant Apple Pipe. 
Though, I can't decide what extras to go with.  Such as Silver or
Gold rings,  Horn or Antler stem extensions,  straight or
bent,  etc....

I want the biggest Apple-Shaped bowl that he can find a piece of briar
for,  and I want the widest cylindrical diameter so that I can fit
in LOTS of tobacco 

Right now I'm busy paying-off installments on a new treadmill I just
bought and the $300 I spent at Hookah-Shisha for the new rotator, 
tobacco,  and coals.  So, money-wise I'm kinda tied-up for
awhile.  But as soon as I get this treadmill paid for,  I'm
going to start having this guy custom-make me some new pipes. 
Check-out his website,  some of his pipes are really cool.

If you know of anyone better,  let me know 

[SMOKE~N~BUBBLZ]

Hey welcome back....
And just when you think you are out it pulls you back in....
Just remeber to smoke in moderation.....i used to smoke 3 x 2 hour bowls a day and thought that was a lot.......15 bowls= mad man

[Mathazar]

I agree,  15 bowls was INSANE!!! 

I'm not going to do that anymore.  It's hard enough to go
completely without a hookah for an extended period of time,  but
it's going to be equally as hard to not smoke several bowls a day which
is what I've grown accustomed to over the last year. 
Actually,  I wasn't smoking 15 bowls a day for a year,  it
was more like 5 to 10 bowls a day,  but my frequency added-up and
after not very long I was up to 15 bowls by the last month when I
decided to quit.  That was just I think about a month or two ago
that I quit.  Or perhaps I should say........attempted to quit.

Even IF I get out of control again,  there is NO WAY that I'm
throwing my hookah out again.  This is my 10th hookah.  The
first 9 hookahs I either gave away,  sold,  or threw
away.  This will be my second rotator,  and probably the most
beautiful hookah I've owned.  Although,  I must say, 
the 3 hosed gold on green Syrian Glyph with Auto-Seal that I bought at
Hookah-Shisha was quite simply...AMAZING! Though,  I'm very much
looking forward to my new rotator and it'll be nice to get away from
the Golden Coals and move-on over to the Nour Coals.  I haven't
used Nour in awhile,  because it was kind of a pain in the ass
heating them up on the stove.  But as a matter of fact,  the
Golden Coals were a BIGGER pain in the ass, because the black sparkly
stuff stained my floor,  along with blasting coals that probably
would have taken out an eye had I not been wearing glasses....No Lie

So,  to be absolutely honest,  I think it was a mistake for
me to buy this hookah,  because my past experience with hookah
smoking has proven to be hazardous to my health,  and smoking
frequently seems to be a pattern with me.  I'm going to try very
hard to smoke in moderation,  but frankly,  I don't think I
have the willpower to pull it off.  Though this time if I
quit,  I won't be throwing my hookah in the trash.  In the
closet it will go,  until the next time I get an overwhelming urge
to smoke some ma'assel.

[brother812]

boy your going to wear that closet door out

[cypress]

Welcome back man. For a little you were MIA and I thought we were going
to loose a very valuable member. Good luck with control this
time.  Make sure you limit yourself as to how much you smoke. Try
to do other things than just sit at home staring at the hookah. Take
care man.

[Mathazar]

Yeah,  well,  I also ordered a treadmill.  So,  I
definitely won't be wanting to smoke too much while using that. 
My goal over the next year is to lose 130 lbs.  And,  I don't
think my lungs will be able to stand-up to the pressure of those
treadmill work-outs AND massive amounts of smoking.

Thanks all you guys for the well-wishes and enthusiasm 

[mushrat]

Sorry to see you back on the Hose. I hate to say it, but with your lack of control I expect to see you back to your old smoking habits rather quickly and the treadmill as a $2400 towel rack.
This is not to be disrespectful or unfriendly, because you seem like a real nice guy, but if you are 130 lbs overweight, don't go out even to shop for food, and smoke pipes,cigars, and a hookah almost constantly, a treadmill isn't going to be the answer. 130 lbs in a year is over 10 pounds a month, thats a large bowling ball. I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully between the cigar, pipe and hookah smoking each day you'll have time to exercise, eat right, and still work for a living.
Your statement that you knew if you kept on the forum you'd eventually go back to the hookah is a cop out and coming back to the "welcome backs" "good to see you smoking agains" and "it's OKs" is merely trying to convince yourself that you can't quit something that is going to kill you far faster than necessary. And that others affirm your decision.
If living for the moment with no reguard for what the future holds is ok with you, then dive into that sultan.
As for the rest of you teens and 20 somethings, for most of you who are relitivly healthy and fit (as many of your pictures indicate) smoking the hookah a few times a week isn't going to make that great an impact on your health and lives. To someone like Math, who is 40 something I believe, needs to lose 130 pounds, smokes cigars and pipes as well as the hookah, apparently doesn't leave his apartment much, and has readily admitted he has little to no self control, starting on the hookah again is NOT something to celebrate. (And you'll notice some of the older, agewise, forum members have NOT spoken up.)
Sorry man, just couldn't sit here and blow sunshine up your arse.
(I have now donned the asbestos suit.)

[Mathazar]

Actually,  I just turned 42 in June.  And you're right, 
mushrat,  on all points.  You have read me like an open book
with pictures. 

But,  I'm pretty set and determined to not fall back into my old
habits.  I'm on the Atkins Diet right now,  and losing 10 lbs
a month should be a breeze.  I was on this diet 4 years ago when I
lost 110 lbs in just 10 months.  I was dedicated then,  and
I'm dedicated now to losing this weight.

But,  I agree with you wholeheartedly on the fact that I should
not have started hookah smoking again.  Funny you brought that up
now,  because earlier today I was contemplating that same
thought.  I admit,  it was an impulsive decision to start
again.  I've just been SO bored lately,  and have been getting
tired of smoking cigars and pipes that I needed an alternative. 
But,  once again,  you may be right about my smoking habits
and falling back into bad habits.  Just today,  in the last
few hours I've smoked 4 bowls.  I'm smoking Romman Double Apple
now....my favorite flavor, and something tells me it's not going to be
my last bowl of the evening.  But,  I'm going to try in the
next week to only smoke 3 to 4 bowls a day.

I appreciate your honesty and wisdom,  mushrat.  I respect you
for speaking your mind.  And I'm going to try to use your insight
to control my smoking habit.  Easier said than done,  but I
know it's within me to smoke less.

Thanks again for speaking the truth and being so insightful.

You Da Man, mush 

[Mathazar]

I know this is going to sound totally rediculous and absurd, 
considering how much money I just spent to buy all this hookah
stuff,  but I took what mushrat said and put it to good use. 
You really got me thinking about my health and life,  and you're
absolutely right,  I should never have started smoking the hookah
again.

I just called a friend and asked him if he'd come over and pick-up all
this stuff.  He and his girlfriend are really into the
hookah,  and he said he'd be glad to take it off my hands.

I also just threw-out all my cigars.  After reading mushrat's
rant,  I kept looking at the treadmill and wondering how I was
going to be able to work-out and do all this smoking at the same
time. 

So that's it,  I have quit smoking forever.  Although, 
this is going to sound like a major contradiction,  but I spent a
TON of money on my pipe collection,  and I somewhat enjoy
smoking the pipe,  so I'm not going to quit doing that.  But
cigars and hookahs are out of my life forever.........hopefully  

Just kidding 

Thanks for setting me straight mushrat 

[mushrat]

Damn son...
Well done.
And here i was thinking i may have been WAY out of line...
Besides, pipes are works of art. You throw those away and you WILL be sorry.
I look foreward to hearing about your progress and conversations for years to come.

[Mathazar]

You weren't way out of line,  mush,  actually you hit the
nail right on the head.  You helped me to see the
light, and I greatly appreciate that

[cypress]

Wow. How do you do it. Spend a buch of money then give it away. Good luck this time.  I hope you achieve your goals. 

[cypress]

Oh an post your pic on the thread of "post your favorite pic". Its just
to get in idea of what you look like. I always wonder what people look
like when I become friends with them. I have to say i never get even a
close picture.  Later. 

[Mathazar]

I AM ABSOLUTELY DYING FOR A SMOKE!!! 

Perhaps giving my 2500 grams of ma'assel away was NOT such a good
idea.  Originally I said that is was 1500grams,  but that was
just the H-H stuff.  I wasn't counting all the Romman from H-S.

I feel like a blithering idiot for having spent all that money, 
knowing that it was an impulse buy,  and that I couldn't financially
afford to be wasting all that money.  And now I've given it
away.  Asking for it back would make me feel like an indian giver.
I know I could just go over there for a smoke,  but I just don't
feel like leaving my apartment.

I'd probably order more Romman and a new hookah if I had any cash left
in the bank,  but I'm overdrawn right now and won't have any cash
to spend for awhile.

I do appreciate what mushrat said to me,  and I know that he's
right,  but that still doesn't erase my nicotine addiction and the
addiction to smoking the hookah.  I just REALLY enjoyed relaxing
with the hookah.  God,  I feel like selling things that I own
at a pawn shop just so I can get a new hookah and some ma'assel. 
I'm not going to do that,  but the thought has crossed my mind
quite a bit in the last few days.

Ughhh.......The misery,  pain,  and suffering of
quitting!  Don't know if it's worth it. Yeah,  I guess it
probably is,  but right now I'm thinking that it's not.

Ohhhh.......the pain,  the pain 

[mushrat]

GET OUT AND WALK AROUND.
IF YOUR TREAD MILL HAS ARRIVED, GET ON IT AND GO!
It's the sitting in your Apt. bored thats making it worse..
No need to wait starting the healthier happier lifestyle until the treadmill arrives when you have a perfectly good OUTSIDE to walk in.
HANG IN THERE!

[Mathazar]

Thanks mushrat!

Actually,  the treadmill did arrive,  but I've got a
technician coming over tomorrow morning to install everything. 
The Nordic Track Salesman lied to me,  saying that all I had to do
was install the console with a couple screws.  WHAT A CROCK OF
SH*T. There's at least a half a dozen parts,  and a dozen
different sized screws that need installing.  I had to pay the
installation company $119 to have this thing put together.

Oh well,  I guess you're right again mush,  there is always
the outside to walk in. There's a cheese festival going-on down the
street,  with a live band,  and BBQ.  Maybe I'll head on
over there..........after I smoke my pipe on the patio . 
I'm running out of pipe tobacco as we speak.  I've got $25 in my
wallet,  and tomorrow, after the treadmill is installed,  I'm
heading on over to the pipe shop to buy some more tobacco.  It's
not like I'm inhaling the stuff,  though I do get a little second
hand smoke from my pipe,  I don't think that it will effect my
treadmill workouts.  I won't be running on it because I have a bad
back.  So,  my treadmill work-outs will be strictly walking
at a moderate pace.  The thing I hate about exercising outside is
that it's always so hot & humid.  But the treadmill has two
huge fans built into the console,  along with a 10.2" tv screen
that I can plug into my cable box and watch cable tv while I
work-out.  Pretty cool,  ha?

mush,  thanks for the enthusiasm pal 

[RoDenT]

that is one bitchin treadmill  hehe. Keep it up math. 

[Mathazar]

Thanks RoDenT.....I will 

I'm also on the Atkins Diet and I'm doing well on that.  The diet
consists of 2 food groups........protein & fat.  So my typical
breakfast consists of either a bacon & cheese omelet fried in lots
of butter, or egg salad with coffee, Splenda for sweetening, and Heavy
Cream.  Infact, you're not really suppose to drink coffee, 
but I do it anyway.  Lunch is either tuna or chicken salad. 
And dinner is a frozen meat entree,  consisting of either turkey
& gravy,  roast beef & gravy, or pot roast &
gravy........No extras, such as potatos or rice.  I could do my
own cooking,  but I loathe having to clean-up all that grease from
the bacon & meat.  The goal of the diet is to get your body
into a state called Ketosis.  That is when your body is no longer
burning carbohydrates,  it's burning only PURE fat.  When
you're in Ketosis,  your body becomes a FAT BURNING MACHINE!!!  
How do I know when I'm in Ketosis?  I have to pee on these little
Keto Strips,  and then the end of the strip turns a different
color.  When the Keto Strip is pink,  it means your body is
still burning carbohydrates.  When the Keto Strip turns dark
purple,  it means you're in Ketosis and your body is burning only
pure fat.  It means that there is no longer any carbohydrates in
your body.  That's the purpose of eating only protein & fat.
Once you rob your body of ALL carbohydrates,  such as from fruit,
vegies, potatos & rice,  milk, grains,  all the GOOD
stuff your body needs,  then you know your in Ketosis,  when
that Keto Strip you pee'd on turns dark purple,  you know you're
gonna start losing TONS of fat,  which equates into losing TONS of
weight,  because your body is now a FAT BURNING MACHINE. 
Sorry to be so repetetive,  but a lot of people have trouble
understanding the basic principles of the diet. It's not an easy diet
to be on,  because I love fruit,  and pasta,  and
potatos, peas & corn,  etc....  But it IS a rewarding
diet.  The last time I was on this diet,  around 6 years
ago,  I lost 110 pounds in just 10 short months.  Right now I
need to lose 130 pounds,  and with the new treadmill and my
commitment of sticking to the diet,  I know I'll lose the weight
even faster this time around.  Last time on the diet I wasn't
doing any exercise at all.  But this time around,  I'm going
to be getting LOTS of exercise.  And having stopped smoking the
hookah is going to play a MAJOR role in my success,  because I was
smoking between 10 & 15 bowls a day when I was smoking in the
past.  But,  I do still smoke a pipe.  Actually,  I
should say pipe"S"/plural,  because I've got 7 of them.  I
think everything will go well though,  even though I smoke a
pipe.  It's not like I'm inhaling the tobacco.  Yeah
sure,  there's a little second hand smoke,  but overall I
doubt it will negatively effect my workouts.  The only problem
with smoking a pipe that you need to be concerned about is
Cancer.  Lip,  tongue, or gum cancer.  My father had a
friend who contracted tongue cancer,  and it was NO picnic. 
Here's a guy who LOVED life. He was a well-known and
respected News Sports Announcer,  and EVERYBODY loved the
guy.  He was the Mayor's BEST friend,  and he grew-up with as
best friend to the sons of Frank Balistreri......Godfather of
Milwaukee....lol.  I swear to God,  The Don....The
Godfather.......Don Balistreri lived just 3 blocks away from me. 
Milwaukee is a VERY Italian town.  You just don't walk into a bar
and flip some Italian guy the BIRD,  because you're SURE to get
taken out in the alley to get your ASS KICKED!

Anyway,  I'm getting off-topic here.  I could go on about Don
Balistreri for awhile,  but what would be the point?  The guy
was convicted with his two sons and spent the rest of his life in
prison. 

So anyway,  that's my story for now.

Cheers!