5/30/07

Pinata goodness

Finally have the PC back online - the router I bought from Ebay failed to work, even with a PWR cord. Not sure why, but it didn't. Ended up buying a D-Link Wireless G from Circuit city over the weekend for $39.99. Very happy with it - everything works, including the PSP (which gets signal in the living room WITHOUT the booster antennas).

Managed to get the 360 back online and claim my Wildcard Kittyfloss on Viva Pinata - oh joy! I have a few pictures already, but as stated in the below posting - my PC isn't playing ncie with the digital camera (yet), so once it does, I can post a picture of it!

Tangier's Kiwi - Fun times *cough*

Well, after searching the HF, I finally got the instructions straight form the horse's mouth (as per say, not calling Tang/Eric a horse) on how to smoke the lovely Tangier shisha properly. There is a fine art to shisha smoking in the first place, but certain shishas require more tweaking than normal to enjoy. Tangiers is one of them - it's an unwashed tobacco, made here in the USA, strong and full of nicotine. It's not a "walk in the park" type of shisha - it makes Nakhla look like candy.

But, it tastes great and gives one hell of a buzz... if you can smoke it.

I sorta can, I get several good minutes of enjoyment before it just becomes too much for my non-smoker body. I get a head rush, my chest will hurt, my throat burns and if I keep pushing it, I start coughing. If I back off at the "headrush" stage and basically "sip" at the smoke, I can nurse it out for 30-45 more mins. I NEVER have smoked a bowl of Tangier's more than a hour, many times never more than 30min. Trance - he doesn't like it at all (and he's the BIG ciggy smoker). He never gets clouds, complains it burns and just generally doesn't like it. :P

But, if you can handle it, I do recommend atleast trying it once or twice. It never hurts to try new things - several companies sell smaller 100g packs to try (instead of poping $12.95 for 250g). Plus, it's almost a given you need to get a Tangier's (or MNHookah) Phunnel to fully enjoy the smoke. It can be done in a standard bowl, but I almost ALWAYS burnt the stuff. But try, you might get it to work great, one never knows :)

Here's the link to Tangier's Home site: www.tangiers.us

And here's the "intro version" of smoking it:

1) Open package, empty into clean container. Squeeze as much juice out of plastic as possible.
2) Let it sit open at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours if you want.
3) Stir it up - mix juice back into shisha.
4) Pack bowl - lay tobacco in bowl WITHOUT "fluffing" it. Take it straight out of the bowl and lay it in the bowl. DON'T pack it too tightly, but fill the bowl. Don't skimp on the amount, too little won't give you a good smoke.

5) Cover with foil/screen. If using foil - put MANY (like as many as the foil can hold and still be 1 piece) holes in the foil. Don't make then too small or too large.

6) Flip over bowl and blow thru the bottom. This makes sure there is good airflow.
7) Assemble hookah - use 1 33m 3-Kings (broken in half or 3rd) or 3-4 Silver tabs. Make sure to rotate the coals often.

8) Enjoy.

If takes time to learn how to pack and smoke Tangier's right - if you get it right the first time, great! If not, give a second or third go. Many people have trouble with it, but if you keep trying you should be able to achieve a very good smoke. Worse come worse, visit the site and get the contact number (should also be on the package) and drop them a call - they should be able to assist you.

5/26/07

Of games...

Resurfaced my Viva Pinata game, hopefully that will fix the "lock-up" issues. AND... got my router today in the mail, but as the auction stated - NO CABLES, not even a freaking POWER CABLE. So I looked up the model on their site, downloaded the manual and both fireware upgrades, and now just need to hit up Radio Shack for a power supply. Once that's done, hopefully *crosses fingers & toes* I will have INTERNET again and be able to claim my WV pinata before it expires!

Nakhla Lemon Review

Nakhla Lemon

Set-up: 27" Egyptian,
Bowl: glass w/ glass screen
Base: iced with water
Coals: 4 silver tab Sultans, 2 at a time
Time: 2 hours

Cut: Med cut, some stems. Semi-sticky, but possibly due to storage (ORG owner zip-locked)

Smell: Faint lemon.

Taste: At first, very faint, then heated up it produced a nice sour lemon taste.

Smoke: Med to Thick

Buzz: Heavy

overall: 8/10 Nakhla is a strong shisha, but if you can handle it, it rocks. This favor is subtle, I highly recommend mixing it with other shisha or maybe adding lemon/lemon juice/lemonaide to the base. Heat management is critical - i did burn it after 1 hour, up I was able to scrape off the burnt stuff, stir up the remaining stuff, and smoke it for another hour. Excellent!

5/24/07

Viva Pinata Swag



In gaming news, I received my Viva Pinata swag from Rare the other day! All I can say is SWEET! Coffee mug, bag, signed mousepad AND print, stickers and notebook w/ Press CD inside. SWEETNESS! And don't forget my Wild Card Pinata (that I can't claim UNTIL I get my new router - grrrr) a Undiscovered Kittyfloss....

All this for a cute little Goldiepop (goldfish) pinata I made... :)

Opal: Mini Junior Purple Hookah (17")


Well, the mini hookah I bought off Ebay showed up last night, UPS by the way (for 3.99 shipping, I was surprised it came by UPS). Well packed, lots of packing peanuts and bubble wrap too. The UPS dude left it with a neighbor, the only downfall - we had to wait for her to get home at 11:30pm to accutally receive the item, but it was worth the wait.

She's Purple, about 16-17" tall (including bowl) and really does smoke like a champ. I lit up some Layalina Coconut last night to see how well she smoked - I was very surprised such a small hookah produced such a nice smoking session - about an hour, give or take 10 mins. The only downside was the auction did state it came with a "briefcase" and it didn't, only the box you see in the background (left), but still - considering I paid $13.98 with shipping for this, you can't complain. Local shops carry the SAME hookah, they sell it for $39.99 to $49.99 (1-hose or 2-hose).
Her name is Opal (according to the box) and the only thing we have to worry about is the cheap plastic hose. The head/tail tips are the same aluminum (purple) as the hookah's stem, but the hose is plastic - I can see the wire core inside. Most definatly NOT WASHABLE. That's ok, the ends look soild, we should be able to make a nice Mod hose at a later date very easily. Overall, I give this hookah a 8.5/9 (out of 10). I wanted a small, portable hookah that I can take with us and now I have it. Not the fanciest, not the largest, but man - she packs a punch!
PS: I think I saw a cosemtic case at Wally World that may work to house/carry her around.

5/22/07

Long Live the Egyptian

Well, on Sat's cleaning, I noticed an alarming thing wrong with our beloved Egyptian stem... it's almost dead (Jim...)

The stem has several small cracks now, one that's leaking sand. One of the larger cracks leaks air when blown thru now as well. It's pitted, corroded, and basically at the end of it's lifespan.

Long Live the Egyptian....

So, this effectively means we now are down to (2) hookahs. Well, I am getting a small Chinese 14-17" hookah (from Ebay - $13.98), but that's not really a true hookah in my eyes. So, we need to seriously start considering a new one.

We want a tall one, 30" plus. I would prefer blue, as we have a red, green and purple one already. I want a dual hose hookah, a auto-seal would be nice, but not 100% necessary. Trance would like a gold stem, I just want a highly decorative one - something that can be a showcase item when not in use. I also want something that will last years, durable, and if possible, break down for storage or transportation.

Picky, aren't I?

Well, after searching various site and even Ebay, I've narrowed it down to 3 choices:

1) Engineer (2 hose) Hookah in Blue/Gold (Hookah-Shisha Central) for $114.95
2) X Large Gold MYA Set (Mya Saray) for $155

MYA's are know as great hookah producers. Although they aren't typical Egyptian designs, they do offer some that are very close. Plus, they are dismantle-able, this model comes with it's own carrying case. They can be easily adapted into 2 hose models and are know to last the long haul. Although pricey, you get for what you pay.

The Engineer, although Syrian not Egyptian, is according to a fellow board member a grand champ. Slightly prone to tarnishing, they are adaptable (stem height) and come in a 2-hose model. Very pleasing to the eye, it most defiantly would make a interesting piece of decor. Plus, the company that offers them is great to work with. Plus, I talked with the company and it IS a auto-seal system! Although now Trance wants silver.

I am leaning toward the Engineer - large, ornate, adaptable. With the HF discount it would run about $119 with shipping. The MYA would run between $175-225, considering we'd have to drive to Northern VA to fetch it (Trip to parent's house on the way).

I think the Engineer may have won the race....

5/18/07

Musings of Bowls

Well, now since I own 3 different types of bowls, I do see a remarkable difference in smoking experiences with them. Not just do simple things such as size and depth matter, but also the material of construction and shape.

(the following will cover the 4 types of bowls I have owned and used. There are many more types available that I will not cover as I haven't used them)

Clay Bowl: Mostly hand-made, can be cheaply made or nicely thrown. Normally uncolored brown or red clay, sometimes glazed. Holes range in number from 3-5, normally on the larger side. I've seen them in small sizes for about 10-15g of shisha all the way up to X-large bowls great for large groups that can hold 100g of shisha. Can have a tendency to shatter after long term use (I broke mine putting it on the stem one day - sliced my hand too). Most Egyptian or lower end Hookahs come standard with these bowls.

Standard White Clay (also known as Modern or MYA): Can be hand made, mostly machine made. Normally made from white clay or porcelain. Typically color glazed, although glaze can be complete, partial or just outside only. Tend to be shallower and have a larger diameter than typical clay bowls. Holes range in number from 5-10, tending to be medium in size. Most Mod/MYA bowls can hold up to 25-35g of shisha, due to the shallowness. They also come in a style with an attached metal windscreen. Typically seen on Modern or MYA hookahs.

White Clay Dual/Tri/Quad Head Bowls: These bowls share many characteristics of standard white clay (Mod/MYA) bowl, but for one major different - they have either 2, 3, or 4 individual smaller heads for holding about 5-15gs of shisha. These bowls also come in a newer version which has 1 bowl, but is compartmentalized to hold 2-4 different types of shisha, without the need for multiple coals (which can be dangerous).

Glass bowls: I've only seen 2 major types - Pyrex and Smiley's. Typically made of glass (either clear or colored) and mouth-blown. Pryex appear to be two piece bowls, while Smiley's are 1 solid piece. This can be helpful, as due to the nature of the item, it may crack or break along the stress point (the joint) after long term use (heat expansion), but if your careful it should never happen. Smiley's come in 2 sizes and I've only seen Pyrex bowls in 1 size. Typically glass bowls have 3-4 holes, ranging in size. They are often slightly taller that normal clay bowls. The amount of shisha they can hold depends of size and packing, ranging from 15g to 40g. Smiley's glass bowls often come with a glass screen for use, but foil can be used as well.

Phunnel: Phunnels are a modified bowl. Instead of being a typical bowl shape with several small holes, they are almost cupped shaped with a single central hole. The cup shape allows the shisha to rest in it's own juices, allowing for a longer smoke and more flavor. Another benefit from Phunnels are they help prevent the juice from dripping down inside the stem. Most phunnels are slightly taller than standard clay bowls. Tangier makes Phunnels out of white clay/ porcelain in 3 sizes, glazed in various colors. Small (20-25g), Medium (40-50g) and Large (65-75g). MNHookah makes 2 piece glass phunnels in 2 (Small & Large) different sizes, in various colors. Other than shape, they are very similar to other glass bowls.

Scalli Mod: A clear glass insert used with both Tangier and MNH Phunnels. It fits over the center hole, with shisha packed around it. It serves several purposes: 1) prevent the foil from being dragged on the hole, 2) cuts back on the amount of shisha needed, 3) draws air thru shisha, then down hole to increase the flavor. MNHookah sells them (I believe Tangier's may as well).

Now that I've explained an bit about various types of bowls, allow me to make what few observations I have figured out:
  • Smiley's (Pyrex too) heat faster. Use cheaper shisha until you have learned how to manage the heat.
  • Glass screens can and will burn the shisha. You can put a few drops of water in the shisha to cool it down. Certain types of shisha do better with glass (drier types).
  • Tangier's (MNH dependant on size) will hold ALOT of shisha. I highly suggest investing in a Scalli Mod.
  • Tangier's does better with wet shisha (drippy juicy types).
  • LEARN HEAT MANAGEMENT before investing in fancy bowls and pricey shisha. You'll saved your self a good bit of money and frustration in the long run.
  • If your shisha is burning to the underside of the foil, reduce the amount you put in the bowl.
  • Always WASH your bowls. Try to scrub off the blackened stuff, it can alter the flavor after time.
  • Remember - ANY BOWL CAN BREAK. Take care, don't drop them, and NEVER force them down on the stem. It may not break in your hand, but shatter while using (skattering hot coals and shisha everywhere). Keep a couple back-up bowls.

And remember, experiment - What works for me may not work for you. Take this knowledge and run with it, don't use it as a bible but rather a building block.

(Ok, zen stuff over now - go smoke people).

5/17/07

Al Waha Bounty Review

Al Waha Bounty (Coconut Chocolate)

Set-up: 27" Syrian
Bowl: tang med phunnel w/ foil
Base: Iced base and cold water
Hose: mod hose
Coal: 1 large chunk coco coal

Cut: med cut, dark brown. Drippy. Some stems.

Smell: Reminds me of a Mounds candy bar. Coconut yummieness.

Taste: First hit, coconut. Second hit I picked up the undercurrent of chocolate. Had very slight hint of vanilla. Very good, mellow. Not overly sweet.

Smoke: Medium - thick
Buzz: slight – less than normal for Al Waha
Time: 2 hours

Score: 9/10 – Most definitely loving this! May become one of my regulars. Took some carefull heat management, but could be due to new phunnel (1st time using it), so I’m not worried. Very good shisha.

5/16/07

Orders coming in!

Oh happy day! I got BOTH of my orders in last night! The shisha, coals, and phunnel w/ mod! What glorious day! I set-up the phunnel w/ some of the Bounty shisha - devine! The cocoshell coals are great too. The phunnel I need pratice with, but I'll get it.


After I smoked some of the Bounty, I tried to set-up a bowl of Tangier's Kiwi - but happie little boy Trance wanted PIZZA and since I'm the one with alittle of money... quess who had to come... crap! Wasted a whole bowl of shisha on his worthless bum!

Oh and he's complaining about the Tangier's. He can't smoke it - he can smoke Zag, but not Tang? WTHeck? I can smoke Tangier's and I don't ciggy smoke! He's the biggest puss at times.

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Have a LARGE shisha order planned in the future. I know now some of the flavors I like, so I need to buy them in larger sizes (mostly because I'm almost out on some). Trance likes non-sweet flavors, so I have to get him something he'd use too.

250g Havana or Al Fak Cappacino
250g Layalina Peach
250g Tangier's Kasmir Peach
250g Pharo's French Vallina
150g Smiley's Sexy Horshca

Hookah-Shisha.com has Al Fak, Tangiers and Layalina, but MNHookah.com has everything (although they have Havana no Al Fak). It will run about $60 +/- for that order, but it will be worth it in the long run. Fine premuim shisha to sit back and enjoy... Laz will be a happy gurl.

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And let's not forget the gaming front: Just got a PM from BigSheep that the WC should be sitting in my "mailbox" when I log in next! How freaking sweet is this!

But it never fails... our internet has been out since Sunday.... and now I think the router is dead as well. Crap (on a stick)! Cable provider told me to leave the modem upplugged till tomorrow... so we'll see if everything is working then.

5/15/07

Hookah-Hookah Lemonaide Review

Hookah-Hookah Lemonaide

Set-up: 27" Syrian

Bowl: standard w/ foil
Base: Iced base and cold water
Hose: mya hose
Coal: 1 (33m) 3 King broken in half

Cut: Fine cut, brown tobacco. Semi dry and fluffy.
Smell: Just like lemonaide. Slightly tart smelling (sour).

Taste: At first, strange lemony taste, but then picked up and really tasted like lemonaide. Slightly sweet and tart all at the same time. Could be strong at times.
Smoke: Medium to Heavy
Buzz: none
Time: 50 min

Score: 8/10 – Although a short smoke, it was a good smoke. One of the better HH shishas I’ve smoked. Very surprised at the strength of the taste – great! Should mix well with other flavors (grape, mint, peach, strawberry, ect) TIP: Clean your stem & hose before smoking ANYTHING else, otherwise it will taste like Lemonaide :)

5/10/07

Happy Birthday to me...

Found out my MNHookah order has been processed. According to the email, it should be shipped today! Alittle late for my B-day, but better than nothing, you know?

Got my Hookah-Hookah order yesterday. All items accounted for and intact. Loving the lime green hose - matches Trance's green frosted base perfectly! The Coconut Layalina smells lovely - the Hookah-Hookah shisha smelt good too.

Visited the best tobacco store in town yesterday. They are the only place in town that carries Nakhla, Al Waha, and descent hookahs. Asked if he could get in some Al Waha After Nine and Bounty, since Trance figured "Orange Dream - Orange/Vanilla" may not taste great. He said he was placing an order that day - SWEET! Hopefully he'll be able to get some nice shisha and I won't have to spend so much ordering online. He has some nice little hookahs - showed them to Trance and explained these where the ones from the site (www.buildahooka.com) - same price, but he had them THERE so no shipping. Much better in my view!

He also told me that Croc's (local place that allows hookahs) was supposedly still doing their Hookahs - I told him the had just checked their website and it said that on May 1st, 2007 they were becoming a "smoke free" place, with a small outdoor patio for smokers. He said he talked to a customer who was there a few days ago... Hum, I may have to call them and see what's up.


But, back to the reason for visiting the shop - Trance wanted some Nakhla Zaguoul (250g for $6.99) *shutter*. He's a big ciggy smoker and really doesn't like typical shisha. Never enough smoke or nicotine for his tastes, he'll light up a ciggy while hitting a hookah! We got home and I set him a up a bowl (after I washed everything and set up my hookah - OH HELL NO, I ain't smoking that stuff!)

He puffed it and coughed... COUGHED! LOL! He said it was't too strong, tasted like cigars and left his throat burning alittle. I smiled at him and said, "Told you so" - he must like it. After I went to bed, he rest up another bowl and smoked while watching movies. Hey, each to their own - I "tasted" it, nope - not my cup of tea. He likes it, ok.

This morning, since I want some of the After Nine & Bounty now, plus need some more coals, I ordered some stuff from Hookah Company. Hopefully everything will go fine, just like all my other orders.

  1. 250g Al Waha After Nine - $8.95

  2. 250g Al Waha Bounty - $8.95

  3. Smiley's Coconut Coals - $6.95 (1.5 pound bag)

With discount and shipping, everything came up just under $29 US, not too shabby.

And just so you know... After Nine is a minty chocolate shisha, Bounty is Coconut Chocolate, and Smiley's coals are great for various reasons: they burn HOT, they last a long time, and to put them out, dunk in water - dry out - AND REUSE! Can't beat that!

Hookah-Hookah Acci Berry & Chocolate Reviews

Acci Berry

Set-up: 27" Syrian
Bowl: smiley w/ foil
Base: Iced base and cold water
Hose: MYA
Coal: 1 3 Kings (33m)
Cut: Fine cut, light & fluffy looking. Light brown and wet feeling (not juicy).
Smell: Slightly blueberry smelling. Definitely berry something.
Taste: For the most part, all I could taste was blueberry-ish berry.
Smoke: Medium
Buzz: none
Time: 35-40 min

Score: 6/10 – I gave it a 6 for the taste, but not for the shisha itself. Took 5-10 mins to heat up and produce any taste or smoke. Taste was great for about 25-30 mins, then it started to get a burnt undertone and a slightly chemical taste. Not bad, just not very long lasting.

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Chocolate

Set-up: 27" Syrian
Bowl: standard w/ foil
Base: Iced base and cold water
Hose: MYA
Coal: 1 (40m) Golden, 1 mostly burnt out 3 King
Cut: Fine cut, light & fluffy looking. Brown and wet feeling (not juicy).
Smell: Chocolate! It’s CHOCOLATE shisha! Was almost good enough to want to eat.
Taste: Shockingly, it was chocolate tasting!
Smoke: Medium
Buzz: none
Time: 35-40 min

Score: 6/10 – I gave it a 6 for the taste, but again, not for the shisha itself. Took 5 mins to heat up and produce taste and smoke. Taste was great for about 30 mins, then it started to get a burnt undertone. After moving the coal, it quickly went from Chocolate goodness, to burnt yuck. TIP: Don’t move the coal!

5/8/07

Smiley's Sexy Shisha: Naughty Cow & Wedding Cake Reviews

Smiley’s Sexy Shisha: Naughty Cow

Set-up: 27" Syrian
Bowl: Clear smiley w/ foil
Base: Iced water
Hose: new MYA washable
Coal: (2) 40mm Golden broken in quarters - 2 to 3 pieces @ a time
Cut: Fine cut, some stems. ULTRA drippy!
Smell: Strange, couldn't quite put a finger on what it was trying to smell like. Picked up some berry-fruity sweet smell and a candy caramel like smell.
Taste: Weird. No clear-cut anything. I'm not sure if it had too many flavors going on, or not enough of anything. Sickly sweet at times, other times almost nothing. Once got a grape flavor, then nothing.
Smoke: Thick
Buzz: Slight - probably due to me not hitting it hard or often
Time: about an hour +/- 10 min

Score: 5/10 - kinda disappointed. The other reviews listed it as being a mix-up of different flavors, almost like having a different taste each hit. I couldn't tell a difference bwt one hit and the next, except that it had the same strange taste. Not sure if I didn't clean something well enough or maybe burnt it, will have to try a 3rd bowl in a different set-up to see.
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Smiley’s Sexy Shisha: Wedding Cake

Set-up: 27" Syrian, 33" Egyptian
Bowl: Clear smiley w/ foil
Base: Iced water (1 version see Alternate Base Mix)
Hose: MYA washable
Coal: (2) 40mm Golden broken in quarters - 2 to 3 pieces @ a time
Cut: Fine cut, some stems. ULTRA drippy!
Smell: Oh my Gods! So yummie - I wanted to eat it!
Taste: (re-vamped after 3rd bowl) At very first it was delightful - semi-sweet frosting flavor. I can taste a definite caramel flavor going on, but it was missing something. Too much heat quickly kills the taste to "burnt sugar". It's good, but not sweet enough for my liking. I expected more vanilla undertones like standard cake/frosting.
Smoke: Thick, strong but good amount!
Buzz: Can go from being nothing to floor slamming. I think it depends on the person smoking (I always got at least a slight buzz to my BF who got no buzz).
Time: between 55 mins to 1hr 40min

Score: 7/10 - it was sweet and tasty, just not quite "frosting" like to my tastes. Very good in of itself, but not my piece of cake (*snicker* couldn't help myself). Even with 1 shot of Butterscotch Snaps and 1 shot of Vanilla Vodka, it still was lacking that something.

Alternate Base Mix:
  • Candy Coating: 1 oz Butterscotch Snaps, 1 oz Vanilla Vodka. Chill in freezer for 30 min (in base) then add water. Will add a buzz to the smoke, but didn’t increase the taste much – was aiming for more “frosting” flavor.

5/7/07

Havana Cappuccino Review

Havana Cappuccino

Set-up: 33" Egyptian
Bowl: Clear smiley w/ foil
Base: Iced water
Hose: new MYA washable
Coal: (3) 40mm Golden broken in quarters - 2 to 3 pieces @ a time

Cut: Med cut, dark brown in color, decent juice.
Smell: Coffee. You can’t mistake it, Coffee.
Taste: Like you are smoking some coffee. At times it can be too strong, adjust the heat (remove coals or move them around) and it will back down to normal coffee again. Taste lasted whole time, with no burnt taste/smell.
Smoke: Med to thick.
Buzz: Slight. I got a buzz, BF didn’t (he’s a ciggy smoker)
Time: 1hr 30min

Score: 7/10 – If you like coffee, it’s great. For me, it’s too strong. I enjoy fruity flavors better, but my BF absolutely loves it. I would recommend to at least try it, it’s worth the search & money.

Alternate Shisha Mix:
Add some mint or chocolate shisha for a dessert-like shisha. Great for after dinner smoking.

Alternate Base Mix:
White Russian: 4 oz milk, 2 oz Kailua, 1 oz vodka – Chill in freezer or add ice.Will add some creamy taste and some buzz to the taste. Evens the taste out to something more like a iced latte.

Decent Weekend...

Got some MAJOR Viva Pinata time in this weekend! 5 new levels and 4 new achivements! Super happy am I! Started a new garden, working on aquatic pinatas as I need some of them to get the Sours tame (name: Lazria's Sour Garden).

Did hookah everyday this weekend... Friday, Sat, and Sunday! BF accutally wanted to smoke last night - WOW, it's been ages since he wanted to. Did two bowls with him, some Havana Cappuccino and then alittle Tangier's Juicy Peach. Nice... yummie, watched some movies - all in all, a good night!

Figured out HOW to use the Smiley bowl. I gave up on the glass screen, it just kept burning the shisha and I couldn't get the heat right no matter what I tried (either too much or not enough!), so I gave up on the glass screen. The bowl works fine with standard hookah foil (or normal foil).

But, our old washable hose finally bit the big one. On Saturday I noticed ALOT of suff coming from the hose, I gave up and got my new MYA... BF tried it last night (it's his hose) and got the same thing. Gave up - tossed it aside. Tonight I'll work on tearing it apart for the handle and then on Payday hit the store for some new tuning. BUT... as new needed a new hose, I used a Discount code for a new vendor (to me atleast, been around for a bit) Hookah-hookah.com. Got me free shipping, so I ordered:
  • Lime Green Washable hose = $10
  • (5) 50g jars of Hookah-hookah brand shisha in Lemonaide, Mocha, Chocolate, Mango and Aci Berry (supposed to taste like blueberry pie) = $12.95
  • (1) 50g package of Layalina Coconut = $2.95

Total = $25.70 (saved about $8 in shipping)

Not bad, not bad at all. Let's see if it will get here this week - it would be nice, but hey - beggars can't be picky. It would nice to have it by Thursday... as that is my B-day, but I can wait. :)

I was hoping my MNHookah order would come thru this week, I ordered it on the 25th of last month, so they should be getting in my Phunnel shortly - I hope so.... I need it for the Tangiers badly!

5/3/07

Strawberry kiwi mix

Shisha: 70% Al Waha Kiwi and 30% Layalina Strawberry; layered not mixed, kiwi on bottom.
Bowl: Smiley glass bowl
Coals: (2.5) 33mm 3 Kings
Base: Chilled water
Hookah: 33" Egyptian w/ washable hose

Taste: A+ - once I got the shisha to heat, it was wonderful. I layered the shisha instead of mixing it, Kiwi on the bottom. Yummie - every once and awhile, you got a strong hit of strawberry.

Smoke: Med

Duration: 55min before my stupid butt knocked the hookah over and burnt me, the sofa and the carpet.

Lesson Learned: Don't put the damn hookah on the FLOOR near the sofa!

Shisha Score: 9/10 - good, with slight buzz. Excellent taste.

5/2/07

Tip of the Day

When trying out new bowl heads, always use "cheaper" brands of shisha.

I just got my Smiley bowl yesterday. I did everything I had read about setting it up and everything! And low and behold.... I still burnt the shisha! BLARG! Nasty.... oh well, you have to learn the hard way sometimes. I really do love the bowl, the way the smoke moves thru it as you draw is sweet, but I'm thinking the phunnel w/ mod may be better in the long run.

I think I might try some Al Waha tonight, if my head will behave itself. I've been sick and smoking isn't something that will spead up my recovery. The BF thinks it might be making me sick - BS, but it probably ain't helping - see kids, not being a real smoker can hurt at times (And no, that doesn't mean go out and BECOME one either)

Neither is video games... I only got less than 1 hour on Viva Pinata last night - the ULTRA bright colors was killing my head and I just couldn't stare at them any longer. Hopefull it will ease off tonight becasue I really do want to get some game time in... hell, I really want to play OKAMI - I still haven't finished it!

5/1/07

Nargile Club package!

Today my package from Smiley's came - a whole freaking day early! How freaking sweet! I ripped it open and checked, everything is fine. The Smiley bowl is kick-a$$, the MYA hose, although has a smaller head than I like, is still rocking! And the shisha - smells divine!

According to what I've read on the HF, I need to "freeze the shisha for 1-3 hours, then allow it to accumulate before smoking" - not sure, what hey, what harm can it do? *crosses fingers*

So I need to go to the Post for the rent MO's, so I'll drop it in there (the freezer) before I go, that way by the time I'm back, it should be ready to come out and chill.
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Update:
Got back, packed everything up and smoked it. I think I had too much heat - it was good, but could have been better. I love the bowl! You can watch the smoke getting drawn thru it - how freaking sweet! I have to learn how to manage the heat better w/ the glass - I burnt it.

I also love the hose - so easy to drawn thru, I would like a longer handle, but it works. :)

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PS: Bullet Witch kicks a$$. Traded in Lost Planet for it. Happy GamerChik!