Judgement Day

[cypress]

Mathazar, whats the verdict. Can you quit? Can you live in moderation? Can you continue @ 10 bowls a day?

[Mathazar]

Well,  I had 3 bowls this morning,  and on the 3rd bowl I said to myself: 

"Why Am I Doing This?  What Am I Achieving?"

Then I got up and started packing the hookah,  coal,  and tobacco to send to wyteboy.  Then I thought to myself:

"Well,  maybe I'll just smoke over the weekend,  and then send it."

I repeated this process 4 times,  and then realised that I was
just too lazy to do anything about it right now.  I didn't feel
like packing this stuff up,  showering, brushing my teeth, 
and driving down to The UPS Store and doing the paperwork.

But,  I do have some errands to run either today or
tomorrow,  so one way or the other,  I'm confident that
either before the weekend or on Monday I'll have this stuff shipped-off
to wyteboy.

I AM a very spontaneous person most of the time,  but today I'm
feeling unusually lazy and lethargic.  It could be due to all the
maassel I've been smoking because it has a very calming effect on
me,  and I find that quite often after several bowls I'll feel
quite tired.

Don't worry,  wyteboy,  you're gonna get this stuff very
soon.  Though,  I haven't decided on whether or not to send
you the blow-torch yet,  I've formed somewhat of an emotional bond
with it......lol.  It's great for lighting cigars outside on windy
days.  Another vice I need to quit.  I probably will send you
the torch, also.

Thanks for everyone's support,  you guys & Nathalie have been GREAT!!! 

[cypress]

Mathazar, I support what ever you decide. Just remember 1 thing, you control the hookah and not the other way around. 

[Nathalie]

Good luck man....honestly when it loses it's hobby value hookah has failed its purpose...I smoked 4 bowls yesterday and then had such an extreme migraine that I also came to the verdict that too much of anything is a bad thing....just make sure you find another hobby to replace it with...maybe something sporty...with all the moeny you spent on hookah i'm sure within a few weeks you could safe up the money for some cool hobby (buy a kayak....i've been saving for one forever and it's equally calming and tranquil a hobby as hookah smoking and healthy:)) If you just quit though and don't replace it with something positive chances are you'll really be missing it.......I'll be keeping my finegrs crossed for you
P.S.: Oh and if by any chance you find an extra bit of premium massel lying around like even a bowlsize sample of anything and want to get rid of it by sending it to the neighbour to the north so I can try premium for the first time let me know

[wyteboy]

math, I hope this decision will have a positive affect on you!  We are all here for you!  Keep hte blowtorch, I think you need it more than me!
Thanks again man, if you do indeed decide to send it then just let me know when, and if you decide to keep all the stuff, maybe all of us on here can help you moderate how much you smoke...
Take care, I gotta go back to work!

[Mathazar]

Thanks Everyone for the positive support.  I'll let you know what I've decided in the next few days.

Once again,  I got up from a smoking session and said to myself:

"I CAN DO IT!!!  I CAN QUIT SMOKING THE HOOKAH!!!"

I started to pack everything up to send to wyteboy,  and then
reality set in,  and I realised that this is my 8th hookah. 
I've tried quitting 8 times in the past and it didn't work,  I
always went out and bought new stuff.  The reality that I foresee
is that after giving all this stuff away,  I'm going to repeat the
same behavior as before and go out and get ALL NEW STUFF.

Perhaps simply cutting back on my smoking habit would be a better
idea.  And, yes Nathalie,  I'm going to start Mountain Biking
this Summer.

But,  I'll let you all know on Monday for sure whether or not I'm
quitting.  And wyteboy,  I'll PM you and give you the UPS
Tracking Information if/when I decide to send this stuff to you.

You guys are GREAT!!!

CHEERS 

[NERV]

If you're that badly addicted than quitting would be for the best. If
you do cut back you might eventually start doing it more often, and
without even realizing it your back up to 10 bowls a day. Either quit
or cut back onto some very strict guidelines that you know you can
follow.

[ZooJohnnyZETA]

Wow... can't believe I didnt look at this thread earlier.

 So Mathazar, you feel your that badly addicted that you need to
quit smoking the hookah but have failed every time you tried in the
past? My best suggestion (although it may not be a very healthy one) is
to get a pack of American Spirit natural chemical free cigarettes and
whenever you feel the desperate need for nicotine to just have a
cigarette.

  When you want somthing tasty and relaxing thats when you reach
for the hookah, not when you need a nic. fix. It may not be the best
option but at least you would still get to enjoy the hookah for what it
should be, not because you want the nicotine from it.
With that method you could easily cut back to 1 or 2 bowls
a day and just smoke a few cigarettes throughout the day when you feel
the desperate need for nicotine. It would be a great shame to lose such
a fine hookah smoker as yourself because your cravings for nicotine
drove you to lose the true pleasure of hookah smoking.



 That may not be the best option for you, but it is an option.
Also, if you ultimately decide to quit and would like to unload some of
your HookaH HookaH massell I would be more than happy to take it off
your hands. I still very much need to try that stuff...


But anyway, best of luck with whatever you decide Mathazar. We're with you.

[Mathazar]

Well,  I'm definitely not a cigarette smoker,  whether
they're natural or not.  I just can't inhale that stuff without
coughing my brains out.

As far as the nicotine is concerned,  that's not why I'm
quitting.  I'm quitting,  because my hobby has turned into a
habit,  my habit is out of control,  and I'm waking-up every
morning with scratchy throat and raspy feeling in my lungs.  I
can't just cut back,  I love the hookah far too much to just smoke
1 or 2 bowls a day.  And to fulfill my nicotine withdrawls, 
I've got cigars and pipe tobacco,  and I can always take the
suggestion that was given to me by someone (I don't remember who) to
get a doctor's appt,  get on Welbutrin and Nic Patches.  And
I could always attend smokers anonymous meetings.

In anycase,  I've got everything wrapped-up in plastic bags and
ready to go to UPS. I just want to take the weekend and see if I can
actually go 3 or 4 days without hookah smoking.  If I can do
that,  then I believe I can successfully quit. 

I'm not going to quit the forum because I've learned so much
here,  and made some great acquaintences.  Plus,  I
believe I have enough knowledge about the hookah to pass on information
to newbies as they come along.

Since cypress is sending wyteboy some Hookah-Hookah samples,  then
I believe I can send wyteboy my Romman supply along with the Sultan
Hookah,  and I'll send ZooJohnnyZeta my Hookah-Hookah supply.

Nathalie,  I'm sorry,  but I can't send you any samples
because the last batch of maassel I sent to Canada got stopped at
Customs.  It was a huge waste of money trying to get past
Customs.  You're just going to have to do what all my other
Canadian friends do and order from the US.  I REALLY am
sorry,  you've been very helpful to me in my attempts to quit and
I sincerely appreciate your concern.

So anyway,  I'm not going to immediately stop smoking cigars and
pipe tobacco because I really do love it,  and I have that hobby
under control.  I smoke maybe 3 cigars a week and 1 to 2
bowls of pipe tobacco a day.  I could probably cut back on that at
some point,  I suppose.

If I get thru the weekend without any upsets,  then I'll send this
stuff out on Monday.  ZooJohnnyZeta......PM me with your mailing
address.

I'm not going to be sending out samples to anymore people, 
because I don't want to be stuck in The UPS Store filling-out forms for
an hour 

So,  there you have it,  you have all been very instrumental
in helping me quit.  I just hope that this is the last hookah I
buy and that I don't get any WILD cravings in the near future that
causes me to panic and go buy a hookah.

Cheers Everyone!!! 

[Mathazar]

Btw,  wyteboy says he doesn't like Licorice flavors,  so
ZooJohnny.......do you want me to send you my supply of Romman Double
Apple and Licorice.  I have to be honest, the Licorice really
SUCKS!  It's not that it tastes bad,  it that it just doesn't
really taste like anything.........flavorless.....only a faint hint of
Licorice....but the Double Apple is pretty good 

[ZooJohnnyZETA]

Whew.... well if your still going to quit I am VERY happy that you will
remain a member of this board. The both of us have been here for quite
somtime and it would be a tragic shame to see you leave.

I must say that I am overwhelmed at your level of generosity, but I
would be honored and incredibly happy to receive your HookaH HookaH
tobacco and the Licorice & Double Apple flavored Romman.

I very much love Romman Double Apple but have a really
hard time buying it do to the price!  Even if the Licorice isnt
fantastic it is still a long lasting and well crafted Romman flavor
that I would really like to try. If nothing else it would make a
wonderful mixer.

  I have been really wanting to try HookaH HookaH as well, so you
can rest assured that all your massell from both brands will be
extremely enjoyed and fully reviewed on this forum.


Thank you again Mathazar, I will PM you with my mailing adress tonight.
I wish you the best of luck in the trials of quitting that await you.
And all of us will be here for you if you need any support through the
process.

[wyteboy]

good luck Math with everything!! and yeah, that is totally fine, sharing is CARING right?!   SEnd zoojohnny the HH you have and the ROmman to me if you decide to send. I would be happy for you if you quit for your health but I am very exicted that you would stay on! I think this forum would lose a very valuable member if you left.
After first coming on here and reading all the reviews,  iwas DYING to try some AF, HH, Romman and now I am going to get to thanks to the generosity and selflessness of cypress and (possibly) you.  Thanks so much, even for the offer if you decide to keep it all - that alone says a lot about you! I would certainly give the Romman flavors a "Math"-worthy review!
The hookah came today but I was not here so now I will be picking it up tomorrow on my lunch break, but I am working til 1:30 am, ugh. Meaning I will light up 2 bowls on Saturday!  Aren't you guys proud of me? Already on a 3-day break

[Mathazar]

Alright guys,  I've made-up my mind and this stuff is going out on
Tuesday.  I've got to wait til then because that's when my money
comes in.  It probably won't cost much to send this stuff to both
of you,  and I'll likely send it the quickest way possible, 
because I know what it's like waiting for stuff to arrive,  it
sucks.  I always order my purchase via Overnight delivery. 
Though,  I'll probably send this stuff via 2nd Day Delivery so
that you get it sooner than later.

Anyway,  thanks to everyone for the motivation to quit.  It
wasn't an easy decision to make.  Though,  now I fear that I
will probably increase my cigar & pipe use.  But, as my doctor
told me,  at least I won't be inhaling. 

And to answer NERV's question about why I SO suddenly decided to quit:

1.  HookahCulture's remarks about when you burn sugar
(honey/molasses) it creates sucrose.  And by inhaling, 
you're building-up sucrose in your lungs.  That one remark scared
the HELL out of me.  I don't want to have lung problems from a
MASSIVE amount of sucrose build-up in my lungs,  as a result of my
10 bowls a day habit.

2.  I've been waking-up every morning for the past couple weeks with a scratchy throat and pain in my lungs.

3.  This hobby/habit is costing me upwards of $300 to $400 a
month.  Think of all the cash I'll be saving by quitting.  Of
course,  there's always my cigar & pipe hobby,  and I
don't want that to turn into a habit again.  In the past, 
when I first started smoking cigars,  for a month I was smoking 10
to 15 cigars a day.  Not a good idea.  My hookah habit was
out of control,  just like the cigars.  So when something
gets out of control,  it's time to quit.

4.  Well,  I guess that's pretty much the reasons.  I
just don't want to get sick from lung cancer or some disruptive lung
disease,  like that sucrose thing.  Who knows how much damage
that could cause over time.

ZooJohnny..........I HIGHLY-RECCOMMEND that with the Hookah-Hookah
maassel you use ice in the water.  Hookah-Hookah doesn't smoke
well when it's luke warm. It needs to be cold to be fully enjoyed.

I would say that with Romman it probably doesn't matter.  Of
course, in my humble opinion,  all maassel is better when the
smoke has been cooled rather than smoking it warm.

Time for bed......Adios Amigos 

[Daleth]

Hey Math, I wish you the best of luck. I know what it's like to quit something like this. I am a recovering cigarette smoker and now instead smoke 2 or 3 bowls of massell a week. I feel so much better since giving up an unenjoyable habit, and I'm sure you will too.
Good luck and glad to hear you'll still be here to impart knowledge.
Doug

[cypress]

[quote name='Mathazar'] 

ZooJohnny..........I HIGHLY-RECCOMMEND that with the Hookah-Hookah
maassel you use ice in the water.  Hookah-Hookah doesn't smoke
well when it's luke warm. It needs to be cold to be fully enjoyed.

I would say that with Romman it probably doesn't matter.  Of
course, in my humble opinion,  all maassel is better when the
smoke has been cooled rather than smoking it warm.

Time for bed......Adios Amigos [/quote]

It has been my experience as well that the flavor is more enjoyable
with ice watter.  Plus if you do actually start to burn the
ma'assell then it wont taste as bad. This is only the case for slight
burning. If you have way too much heat you might as well try another
bowl

[Mathazar]

To: wyteboy and ZooJohnnyZeta,

I've decided to continue smoking the hookah and simply cut-back in the amount of sessions I do per day. 

So I hate to be an Indian-Giver,  but I'll be keeping the stuff I
said I was going to send to you.  I'm DEEPLY sorry for having
gotten your hopes up and then dropping this BOMB on you,  but
since I made my last post on the subject,  I've continued smoking
the hookah,  but have not smoked it as much as I was before. 
You see, this is my 8th hookah,  and all the others I had I got
rid of in an attempt to quit.  Though I have not been successful
in quitting in the past and I just fear that once I send all this stuff
to you guys that I'm just going to go out and buy it all again. 
Perhaps quitting cold-turkey is NOT the best approach to
quitting.  And to tell you the truth, I'm really not too fond of
the idea of quitting right now.

I hope you'll both forgive me and perhaps in the future I'll be able to
send you some samples.  But,  everything that I have
now,  I've decided to keep.

Again,  I'm truly sorry for offering it and then taking it back.  And I will be continuing to use this forum.

As cypress would say,  "Water Under The Bridge?"  I hope so 

[jhegro]

best of luck, mathazar, in quitting. the nicotine drug habit isnt easy
to break, but through moderation, it gets easier. what i might
recommend in helping quit is to perhaps buy a (or a few) 500g carton of
your absolute favorite massall and deem it as your FINAL purchase. then
start cutting down from there. pretty soon u'll see the decrease in
your massall supply and hopefully try to prolong the sweet tastes of it
by having fewer sessions a day. and then hopefully by the end, u'll be
going a few days with only 1 bowl, then none.  not sure how you
smoke, but if you inhale, try not to inhale the smoke? puff it like a
cigar. i've seen alot of ppl use that techniuqe while smoking hookah.

anyhow, best of luck. and if my idea doesnt work, there is always the patch!

[wyteboy]

Not a problem at all Math, I completely understand!  Just do us all a favor and work on cutting back, we can help you!  Like I said, I will be smoking several times a week for the next few weeks as I go through Cypresss' samples to try them all, but after that I do plan to cut back.
If you ever samples of Romman Strawberry or Peach that you want to send my way, I would gratefull accept!  Glad to see you'll stay on board!  When you get a sec take a min and review my reviews, just trying to learn from the best

[cypress]

Good luck Mathazar. Just remember that you are in control.

[Mathazar]

Thanks Guys!