H1gh above Lijnbaansgracht ~ Nevermore

[ftcarer]

Nice to have met you mate

[hasj]

Till next time man

[Nimrod]

and the nightmare continues...

14Apr 2013
After arriving at terminal A at Dulles, I stop for a FG burger near gate A3, thinking I had enough time to have some proper fare before boarding. Slight line and wait, then a quick throw down, and I'm off to board. Turns out that I'm one of the last to board , as no one seems to be in the aisle behind me.
Almost entirely sleepless and restless, time passes slowly as an infant cries in the distance...typical eastward crossing.
United has lessened my transatlantic experience with a dumber personal entertainment center. No longer able to stock my own playlist with song favorites (Bowie's I'm Afraid of Americans and Heroes really fucking rocked me at 35,000 feet) blows. Might be time to find another way.

15Apr
Phone (Apartment) Paul from Schiphol, then catch the next bus 197 for a relaxing ride to the Marnixstraat depot. From there, it's a very short walk to Eerste (1e) Hulp, where I'm greeted by a somewhat stunned budtender, Oliver. He seems surprised, but friendly and ready to set me up with something to burn. He initially confuses me with Smirks, being of somewhat general appearance. When I mention the cylinder stack, he darts out to his vehicle to retrieve the one Smirks left with him last year. We have a laugh about it all, and I sit down with a gratis chilly Coke to roll a joint of Casey Jones, and literally burn about thirty minutes. Also purchased some Zero Zero, some of which is still at H1 waiting for someone, heh heh.

Made my way down the straat to H1, where I rang the buzzer a little early, just in case. I get a return BZZZZ...YES, he's already there and I'm in. A quick exchange of € for goods and services, and Paul's off. It's about 8:45, and Ron's supposed to arrive around 9:30. Already with some bud, I can stay and wait, or dash to AH for some immediate provisions. Hungry, I choose to throw down the half of a tuna salad sammich that I grabbed at the last second before leaving the house. Some chili cheese Fritos go with that. That sammich was from days before, and had been sitting at my feet the whole flight, well unrefrigerated. Urp.
Enjoying the relative warm morning temps on the terrace, I bounce around unpacking, munching, and smoking.
At around 9:45, and with no apparent contact from Ron, I set off for AH, only to find the hoodied, looming figure outside the door to be him. Apparently, miscommunication between meeting someone outside a building and ringing an apartment buzzer will set an ominous tone (no pun intended) for things to come.

More to follow

[geekymonkey]

Fun to hear about the trip in more detail! Thanks for sharing.

[toker31]

Thanks for the intro-logue, simply wonderful.

What a nice guy you are, leaving hash for a random strange person...

[Nimrod]

...leaving hash for a random strange person...

Not-so-random perhaps, but definitely strange.
With compliments...

[toker31]

...leaving hash for a random strange person...

Not-so-random perhaps, but definitely strange.
With compliments...

Taken as such!

Nobody usually remembers your name, when your strange. Stranger the better in my book.

So many Lemmings nowadays, no offense of course, Lemming....

[stints]

looking forward to read more about high above

[Nimrod]

15Apr cont.

After his arrival, Ron and I took a stroll to AH to get some basics before being beckoned by an online Gapie to join him and others at Eerste Hulp. Caffienated and restless, I'm ready to drop Stan's sweets on him. Ron decides to join me meeting up with those guys just down the tracks. We meet Trad, Big guy, and DRA along with Gapie upstairs. On the way up (no hurry, mates), I stop and get another two grams of the Casey Jones.
Knew all but DRA, so we meet and share smokes. Nice guy that DRA.
Stan, not in possession of MY bowl , produces a choice of two glass pipes for me to choose and use until mine can be secured. Thanks, Stan
I think we smoke some of Big guy's Canadian stash, which is very nice. Apologies if I have that incorrect, but I KNOW I smoked some of that, maybe even more than once. Just a little bewildered about exactly WHEN it happened.
Larby, 1eH Jefe, may have even stopped up to say hello to all.

Sometime after 2pm, we all leave and head toward H1. Ron and I head for the Uke Boutique, to see if I can get my pipe. Trad, big guy, DRA, and Gapie head off for de pijp, I think.

We say hello to Tuttiflutes and ohm sweet ohm at their shop, and I swap 340g of Goetze's caramel creams for my small glass friend. Tutti immediately refills the shop's snoep bowl.

Back to H1 to smoke some more, and I'll bet that Ron busted out some of that cowbell, now that we have glass to smoke it in. Not that it wrecked me or anything, but the rest of arrival day seems jumbled. All I know is that we hit Utopia and 't Nes later in the evening.

At 8:42 p.m., stopped at the GVB office to put €39.50 on my chipkaart. I attempted to recharge it myself at an underground machine, but the combination of fatigue, English language option fail on the machine, a pocket full of cash, and unsavory characters behind me, had me bailing on the scene. Fortunately there was no line at the GVB office, but I detest paying the €0.50 charge. I'm better than that.

Walked by Voyagers without stopping in (the horror!!), likely on the way to 't Nes.
Had dinner at the apartment...smeer kaas, baguette, York ham.

Receipts are wonderful for helping reconstruct some activities.
Too bad all coffeeshops don't provide one. It would help ME out, for certain.

Not sure if it's a good or bad thing that my time in A'dam is so forgettable. I mean, it's difficult to recall exactly what was done on various (most) days. Need to keep a daily journal if I expect to report on activities, not that what I do is all that interesting.
Even though I'm on holiday in A'dam, I find passing time in comfy H1 to be quite pleasant. A nice southerly terrace allows an eye to be kept on busy Marnixstraat and the sloopwerk (demolition) finishing up across the street. No reason for me to be hanging out in CS after CS when I can buy, fly, and get H1gh above L'gracht. Lone wolves don't need or want to be seen all the time, and this visit was all about Lone Wolf Enterprises, LLC.

FFS, I have to re-read my posted reporting to remember exactly what happened post-arrival.

Edited, with additional content.

[Nimrod]

Some April observations...

The Chocomel tastes a little different to me. Could it be the revised packaging? Only had two liters in ten days. Might be an all-time low.

However, Spa blauw consumption was up to more than eight liters, which has to be an all-time high. Mine kidneys were loving it.

On the windiest day of the stay, I actually saw whitecaps on Lijnbaansgracht.
No foolin'. Should have taken some photos.
Must have been h1gh.

If you don't get (at least) gravy on your Pieminister entree, I want to have a peek inside your noggin to inspect for defects. There was a couple nearby, choking down their orders without a drop of gravy in sight. WHAT BACKWARDS TUNDRA DO YOU PEOPLE COME FROM?!?!? IT'S ONLY ONE FUCKING €!!!

That royal-themed tram is bad-ass, and I want to race it thru the straats of A'dam.

Utopia. Better than ever. Hoping for the best, there.

Bought zero cannabis at Voyagers (again, THE HORROR ), but a few cherry cokes and some hash. Should have at least snagged some of that lemon gear.
Then again, I just like pulling het fanboy's lanyards.
One of the top shops, run by top folks.
Mesmerizing window action there.
Blazing new signage.
Viva V'gers!!

[Quazer]

--> howls at lone wolf remark.

No weed bought at Voyagers? I dare you to openly admit such a sin. Oh shit, I'm here since last Thursday and haven't bought any smoke at Voyagers either (just some juices)...

[Nimrod]

More April observations...

I actually saw (and not imagined) one of the green parrots of Amsterdam from the apartment terrace. Kinda cool.

't Nes » Spui » 9 Straatjes » Looiersgracht » H1
An incredibly quick way to walk home.

I met Uncle Ron last year, and (even this year) found him to be a great guy.
Finally met Zippy this year, and...not so much.

Love running into friendly faces all over town. It's what an April visit is all about.
That, and getting sick.
And the bloemen.
And the tourist hordes, moving slower than evolution.
And the glorious spring days.

Not sure what young, broke tourists would do if there wasn't the Albert Heijn on NZV, near the Dam, to help feed them cheaply.

[StonedSince67]

I actually saw (and not imagined) one of the green parrots of Amsterdam from the apartment terrace. Kinda cool.

there is a bunch that live in the trees at the far northwestern corner of vondelpark, stand there and wait, i used to see them all the time a couple of years ago

[Drugsbunny]

Good to see you again Nimrod,

Hope to see you next year buddy



Db

[Nimrod]

16Apr - previously documented, but here's more.

Thanks to Ron for some hits on that cowbell bowl.
I accompany Ron on his mini-mission to buy and compare the Girl Scout Cookie examples available.
Wth, I gots nothin' else to do..
We BnF at both Funky Munkey and Grey Area, then stop at Utopia.

Grey Area used to be my top shop, and now I barely look at the menu. What happened?
Who knows and who cares. Guess I'm too busy getting h1gh and not giving a fuck.


17Apr
Began the day by slipping on the (since-removed) mat in the shower and bashing my head and elbow, taking down the shower curtain and rod.
Invectives flow.
Ron apparently hears nothing, as he doesn't respond. Another sign of things to come.
Injuries minor.
Fook me.

Maybe the head trauma has something to do with feeble memories moving forward, but it's likely from the smoking.
Then again, not much worth remembering, post-crash.


18 Apr
Had a day about, with a stop at de Graal, until around 4, when I make my way over to Eerste Hulp for AzLaker's 5 p.m. smoke.
Lots of heads show up. I count at least 18 at one point. Impressive showing by ACD.
Larby is dabbing everyone in sight, and keeping track, because he knows back2thedam and I are the only holdouts.
Finally relent and have my first dab. Not something I'll be making a habit of.

Unsure what happened after all that. Probably went to AH, then dinner at H1.
Later, showings at Utopia and 't Nes, natuurlijk. Pretty much every night at some point.


19 Apr
Covered live here... https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/viewt ... &start=180


20 Apr
Took it easy at the apartment, enjoying the fine day on the terrace. None of the scheduled smoking activities for me.
Ended up at 't Nes around 5 or so. Gave up my ballot (Utopia/de Graal/1e Hulp) and received a muffin.
Thanks, DC.
My ballot is returned to me, indicating casual errors of my stoner ways.
I make the necessary adjustments and resubmit.

I understand from DC, that if someone had filled out their ballot like they intended to, that Eerste Hulp would have won top prize. Unknown who that stoner is.

The rest of the evening is lost. Adhering like smoke to the walls of 't Nes, perhaps.


21 Apr
Another fine day in Mokum, that I can remember.
After the spidergawd debacle washed away in sunshine and breezes, the day was all mine. Fook if I can recall what was done.


22 Apr
Showed up at Voyagers early to see if the boat excursion was on, but apparently not. It all seemed a big mystery as to why it didn't happen.
From what I saw, the numbers were there and ready to go. Any further comments would be foolish speculation on my part.

Met Big C there, and was presented with a four star Chicago city flag button. Thanks for that.
I understand that Big C got the ink pen that I asked Gapie to relay, but doesn't think it's special, since he heard that I was giving them away to everyone, thereby diminishing the perceived special-ness.
Well...maybe on other visits, but I believe only two or three were presented this trip. You can determine how special that is.
Blow Me.

If this was the day that most everyone from Voyagers ended up at Batavia across the Kolk, then I didn't join them.
Went direct to Utopia.
Possibly mixed this day up with the 19th.

This was the day I first remember feeling the infection that had me visiting a doctor's office for a much-needed Rx.
More on that later.