The Base Camp

Charlie Brumbaugh

03:39

I just hit 600k people reached :)

That's an average of 690 people per day since I started and I am sure the rate is only going up

More like 1,540 per day for the last 100k reached

Ricketyship

05:57

Don't know what to do with this answer. Too hilarious to edit or delete :D outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/19824/2066

@CharlieBrumbaugh Wohoooo congrats Charlie!

FreezePhoenix

06:09

Hi

TelKitty

07:15

Swans are gorgeous creatures ... when they are in the water.

Once they start walking on the land ... well ... they are still cool animals. But it's just a bit weird for an animal to have a neck twice the length of their legs.

If humans have a neck twice the length as their legs, we will be having 1.5m+ necks, or 10cm legs. Neither is very ideal. Just saying. :x

Rory Alsop

12:01

@TestingChatbot that's funny

@TelKitty and when flying they are beautiful

TelKitty

13:02

yeah, as long as they hide those short little legs

StrongBad

15:13

@TelKitty I don't know, I think a brontosaurus is pretty cool looking and would probably look pretty silly if its legs were as long as its neck.

Willeke

16:09

That is better, thanks. (I was just going to ask you to remove the thing.)

Ricketyship

Hiya @Willeke sorry yesterday I went off. So cold is ok, as long as it doesn't get depressingly cold or gloomy weather-wise.

also, what was that that the chatbot put?

TestingChatbot

@Ricketyship I thought about making a joke and then thought better of it

Willeke

A repeating bit of video, not bad in itself but moving too fast for me.

Ricketyship

ah okays

hiya @StrongBad!

Willeke

Hi @Ricketyship

And Hi Everybody

Ricketyship

16:12

How's it going today @Willeke, the travel mod ;)

Willeke

I did a bit of outdoor traveling, had a short ride in the dunes after work.

No modding needed, so learning is not advancing.

I learned today that one of the long time users of Travel has passed away. (He left the site a while ago but I hoped he would return.)

TestingChatbot

it is really smokey today

I keep forgetting the stored procedures need to be recompiled after I change them :(

Ricketyship

@Willeke oh... that's sad. Surprising how we interact nowadays. I bet the same could happen to us and we wouldn't know for long.

Willeke

I have lost internet friends where we (a group) had alternative methods of contact and had friend or relatives send a message. But we (that same group) has lost many members where we do not know anything what happened.

StrongBad

@Willeke Sorry for the loss. If you learned that info as a mod, it may be best not to tell others about it ;)

Willeke

16:27

It is in the chat to the site, (not mod only knowledge)

What is more, it is also in the Meta for the travel site.

Ricketyship

16:42

I tried elbow lever yesterday. What a success!

Willeke

Elbow lever?

Ricketyship

yeah wait lemme show you a pic

Ricketyship

17:14

Willeke

Oops, that looks very hard.

Ricketyship

hehe it's kinda fun.

it's more about balance than strength

Willeke

When I saw this site yesterday I could understand why you have so much rain and cold in this time of the year.

earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/…

Ricketyship

well because you can see how the winds are blowing towards the southern peninsula

they bring a lot of rain

Willeke

I like that site.

@Ricketyship, when you trek, do you meet up with the same group of people or do you find groups whenever you have time to do a trek?

Ricketyship

17:41

@Willeke It's usually 1-2 same faces. We trek together a lot. Some others join us

sometimes I know all of them, sometimes it's just few

Willeke

Good to have friends you can trek with. I know there are walking groups here but after one try I decided I rather not commit myself.

StrongBad

I am not sure how I never new about this and have just been assuming I have sucky cell coverage en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Radio_Quiet_Zone

Willeke

@StrongBad, there is a question about that in Travel, I do not remember details but I do remember the map.

My boyfriend works on a former air base in the UK (and did work on two others in the past,) he never bothers to turn his phone on at work.

No cell phone works on those bases.

Ricketyship

I think a lot of defence establishments have network jammers. Where I stay, if you work at one of the defence orgs, you have to keep your cellphone in a locker before you even enter the workplace

also, the network coverage around those areas sucks.

StrongBad

@Willeke that surprises me. Do they block it, or is it a dead zone

Willeke

17:50

They never allowed antenna (cells?) to be placed in the area, so now there is still no reception even though the base is not an airfield anymore.

There are also rules about where and when you can use your phone, but to do that you need to be lucky enough to get any signal.

Willeke

19:54

Hi @Sue

Sue

@Willeke Hi! Nice to see you!

How are you?

Willeke

I am fine, lovely weather and I took the option of doing a bit of a bike ride in nature instead of going straight home after work.

Sue

@Willeke Sounds like a great day. Nature's a great way to de-stress after work.

How are things at travel? Are they making you feel welcome?

Willeke

It is the most 'hilly' bit in this area, the highest 'hill' I had to climb on my bike is all of 28 meters. (And I had to walk the last bit, it is nasty steep.)

Sue

(I don't know the community, so I'm not insinuating that they wouldn't.)

Willeke

19:58

Yes, all people are nice about it and all the other mods said 'welcome'.

It mostly is a great bunch of people. A few that clash with one of two others and the odd one that does not fit in and clashes with almost everybody, (but he has been quiet lately.)

Not many women, not like here.

Maybe you should search through the questions and see if there is something you can answer. Local knowledge can be essential.

Sue

@Willeke I think I may have read some contentious stuff on their site a while ago. I have no idea who or why, but I stood back from posting. Maybe now's a good time.

I'll look more closely. It would feel good to contribute.

I've been told some of my sight-seeing type questions would be welcome there.

Willeke

If they do fit the site, yes please.

Do not worry about votes to close, it seems tradition to cast a few of those on all Q, certainly the good ones. We are also good in re-opening Q.

We get so many Q about visa, and I do not know enough (and do not care enough to learn) that I do not answer them, usually.

Sue

@Willeke I didn't realize you had a quick vote-to-close, because I don't have enough rep to see them in the process. But it's nice to know that once they're closed, they're easy to open.

Willeke

I have done a few simple visa Q.

Sue

Visa is definitely your #1 tag!

I think it's also among the first things listed in your scope of what questions to ask, if I'm not mistaken.

Willeke

20:09

Which is likely written that way because we got questions on the topic from the very start.

Sue

I've never needed a visa. The only times I've been out of the USA were to go to St. Lucia in the caribbean, and Bermuda on my honeymoon. Back in those days a birth certificate was plenty.

Willeke

I have been in Poland when it was still communist, that was get a visa before travel for Poland and get a visa stamped in your passport on the way into and out of Eastern Germany (which was still a separate country, of course)

Not sure about Japan, but I have had Esta (USA) and an electronic visa for Australia.

Sue

@Willeke Do you have a picture of the hills where you ride, or a link to the area? I can't picture what type of slope that is, especially since I don't know metric!!

Willeke

But as a Western European, getting visa is mostly not a problem.

30 meter would be 100 feet, so you can see they are very low to be called hills.

Sue

@Willeke I thought you didn't need to worry much about visas, according to what I've read on your site.

But many people do!

Willeke

20:14

True, Western Europeans, not a problem in most of the world.

If you are from a poor country and want to visit a rich one, problem. Even more when you want to move there.

Sue

@Willeke I find it really sad that poor people can't get to places where they could live better, and improve lives for others who live there at the same time. In the US, obviously that's hugely political. I just looked at your front page and did see a lot of questions on hold.

I like to read metas at sites where I haven't been.

Willeke

The site is rather strict on duplicates and off topic posts, as it should be on Stack Exchange.

Sue

@Willeke I agree that it should be. I think this community genuinely wants a better handle on what's on/off topic.

Dupes don't seem to be as much of a problem.

Although they do exist, and stay open.

Willeke

The problem with allowing poor people in to get a better living is that they come in such numbers that everybody will get in problems (Not my view but that is the common view.)

Sue

@Willeke Yes, that is the common view.

Willeke

20:21

I think personally that closing very fast is not very friendly for new users.

Sue

@Willeke Me too, I'm very sensitive to giving new users a break.

It doesn't mean everything they do is fine, but it's our responsibility to take people from Forums and teach them the difference.

It can take time and patience, but those people are the next generation of responsible users.

Willeke

Sue

@Willeke That's cool! What does it say?

It's a very pretty spot.

Willeke

That says 'greetings from the dunes' as in the standard post card text

Sue

I thought it was greetings for something. What's on the bottom?

Willeke

20:24

And the bottom line is the url of the water company that uses the dunes to filter the water we use here.

We must both have great minds ;-)

Sue

@Willeke That's cute! I know you do!

When someone like you agrees with me, I feel honored and validated.

Willeke

Sue, could one of your 'travel' Q be about traveling with restrictions because of health or hearing (or whatever)?

Sue

@Willeke That must be our great minds again! I've been wanting to ask something like that!

I asked something on the previous Accessibility proposal which died before the current Accessibility Proposal which sadly will probably die too.

Willeke

I remember an Yahoo Answers question where someone wanted to know how a deaf person could buy a ticket for a flight normally only sold when you make a phone call to the company.

Sue

@Willeke That's a great question.

Willeke

20:29

My answer is that almost all companies will make allowances and will have alternatives, but that the best way to handle it might be given by your national (or local) organization that helps people with hearing difficulties.

Sue

More and more companies here have chat features which are really helpful to people like me.

Willeke

The Q as written was very poor, but it gave a good handle to answer. (And as a world wide site I could write a general answer. Although the Q was about one particular airline.

Sue

@Willeke Oh, I didn't realize you actually had a question. I was referring to your idea of writing a question like that.

It would be right on target for someone like me.

Willeke

I think you could always contact companies by mail, (later e-mail) and arrange a text based exchange.

It was a question on Yahoo answers, not here.

Sue

@Willeke Oh. A similar one on travel could be helpful.

Willeke

20:33

I am trying to find it but Yahoo is useless for searching one particular question.

Sue

I have a current question on the Accessibility proposal asking if all restaurants in Massachusetts have to allow service dogs.

That proposal's messy though, because it seems to be tech-oriented.

area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/118101/accessibility. I think the wording has people confused.

@James Jenkins has very specific concerns about visually challenged people. I wonder if he contributes at Travel. I'd have to look...

It seems that travel allows for legal-type questions, so my dog question might be on-topic.

Do you think?

I know there are rules for hotels in the US under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is very strict.

Willeke

2 Q, 2 A, not a lot.

Sue

I don't know if other countries have good protection in place for deaf or blind people.

Willeke

Yes, your questions about dogs should be on topic.

Sue

@Willeke Cool! I'll ask it! I thought about asking it here, but didn't think it was on-topic.

Willeke

20:40

In the Netherlands you will not find 'guide dogs to the blind are admitted' messages, because those dogs are ALWAYS welcome, even in shops where no dogs are allowed.

TGO, no. Travel, should be yes, but it will work best if you can include a travel bit to it.

And do ask a like question about a country or even city in Europe.

Sue

By including a travel bit, do you mean like choosing where I'm going and seeing if my service dog would have to be allowed?

Willeke

Official guide dogs (and guide dogs in training) are not there, they are a part of the person, in my country.

Sue

@Willeke I like that they're considered part of a person, because that's really what they are.

Especially for people who live alone or with others who have the same disabilities.

People don't realize that dogs are helpful for deaf people, which makes sense. The norm is for blind people.

Willeke

It is a bit harder now, as there are so many 'helping' animals, emotional, ears, and even guide ponies to the blind. There are rules which dogs/animals are acceptable, but I do not know them.

Sue

@Willeke It is harder now. I think the ADA might exclude emotional.

Willeke

20:45

And helping those people who can not reach and do things for themselves.

Sue

@Willeke Yes, those are sometimes known as wheelchair dogs.

If the person is wheelchair bound.

Or they're even more helpful if someone is totally bed bound, which I was for a while, but I had/have an awesome husband!

Willeke

They did follow a few dog and their owners on the BBC, one of them was to become 'hands'.

Sue

@Willeke There are a lot of animals like that for paralyzed people. There's a big push here for dogs for Veterans.

Both for physical and emotional issues.

Dogs are therapeutic. When I was in rehab for a while, dogs were encouraged. And my hubby was allowed to bring our cat. And our bunny!

Willeke

I give up on finding that Yahoo question. With almost 15000 answers, and their system not allowing to search within your own answers, finding anything is impossible.

Sue

@Willeke Oh-I didn't realize I sent you on a goose chase for it. Sorry about that!

Willeke

20:50

That is good.

Sue

Are you still active on Yahoo Answers?

Willeke

Not you, I wanted to find that old question and its answer, but not today.

If I find it soon, I will ping you with a link.

Sue

@Willeke Fine, but only if it's no trouble! Being unable to search your own posts must be crazy!

Just curious, are you guys allowed to take bikes on your public transportation?

Not that I know what your public transportation is!

Here there are some subway systems that allow it, others don't.

Willeke

Not in buses, folding bikes only there. In trains folding bikes are allowed all day and without cost, but normal bikes have to pay and are not allowed on during peak times.

Subways yes, but with restrictions.

Sue

@Willeke I figured.

It's nice to be able to bike partway and use other methods of transportation partway.

Willeke

20:54

We have a very busy train network, think about a system like in and around the bigger cities in the US, but then connected to the international networks of the counties around us.

We usually cycle to the station, park our bike in a bike park, these days an covered underground free to use one, and go on by train. If you go to the same station every day, you might have your second bike there.

Or like my friend who lives near a station, she walk near home but has a bike at the other end.

Sue

@Willeke Are your bikes safe from theft?

Willeke

No.

A station bike mostly has a set of locks as expensive as the bike itself.

(Cheap bike, good locks.)

Sue

I was afraid of that, but hoped that in an area where it's so common, it would be better. When I was young and we rode around on our bikes for fun, a bully came from down the street, knocked my sister off her bike, took it, and we never saw it again!

Bullies like that were very rare in my neighborhood, though.

Willeke

A cousin of mine lost three bikes in his first three weeks studying in one of the Dutch cities. The third one, he got off, turned to lock it and someone walked away with it while his hands were almost on the lock.

That one he recovered. But lost it within days.

Students will not ride expensive bikes.

I have heard stories like that, (bullies) but those are rare here.

Sue

@Willeke Your cousin's one was a bold thief!

Willeke

20:59

Many bikes are stolen so the thief can go where he needs to go. Have better locks than the rest and hope they take an other bike.

Sue

@Willeke So it's communal bike theft!

Willeke

The other problem with those bikes is that they end up in station parking lots, getting damaged and forgotten.

Sue

That's too bad. Obviously people could be making good use of them.

My dad liked to bike everywhere. Nothing fancy, he just did it because it's healthy.

He was like that with walking too. He never used the car if he could walk or bike to where he was going.

Willeke

I do it because I want to get to places. Never got driving lessons.

Sue

@Willeke Why didn't you get driving lessons?

Willeke

21:03

But I never got driving lessons (and you need lessons here) because I could get everywhere I needed by bike, bus or train.

Sue

@Willeke I'm not allowed to drive anymore because of my handicaps, but where I live a car is really necessary.

Willeke

Driving lessons are expensive, getting a license would cost as much as a 6 week holiday from Europe to the USA and Canada, so I did not go for lessons, I went across the big pond.

Sue

My son lived in New York City for a while where he didn't need a car for years.

@Willeke Why are licenses so expensive???

Oh you mean, including the cost of lessons?

Willeke

It is a 15 minutes walk/5 minutes cycling to the railway/bus station. Work is 20 minutes cycling from home.

Sue

That's the way it was for my son in New York. Plus there's really no parking and you have to pay a fortune for a spot in a parking garage.

Willeke

21:06

Yes, including the cost of the lessons and you can only learn from qualified instructors, as a not so handy person I expect to need weekly lessons for a year, but I know several people who had lessons for 4 years or so.

Sue

@Willeke Wow-the requirement here is much shorter! Do you guys drive on the "other side of the road" from us? When we went to Bermuda it was that way. We rented scooters, but even then it was hard to get used to.

Willeke

Parking is still free here and while it is full, there are enough spaces. But owning a car for a year would cost me as much as I spend on all travel and fun things like books.

Continental Europe, like the USA, on the right.

Sue

@Willeke Hmmm, I didn't realize that. Somehow I thought Europe was primarily all on the left.

Willeke

The minimum is about 20 lessons, but as I said, I know people who went well over 200.

That is because you do not get to see a lot of Europe, mostly you see the UK and Ireland on TV.

Sue

@Willeke Right you are.

So what counts as Continental Europe?

(My lack of remembering geography class is showing!!!)

Europe is huge.

Willeke

21:12

All of Europe apart from the UK and Ireland, Iceland and the small islands in the mediteranian. (I go not get that right. I hope you understand.)

Sue

@Willeke Yes, I understood!

No need to fix spelling for me!

Willeke

Too many to name.

Sue

@Willeke No need, I was just curious about the general areal.

Willeke

But France, Germany, Spain but also Russia are part of it.

Sue

I think I didn't realize the UK was considered separate. Although I should because I know the list of countries included in the UK.

Willeke

21:14

I am not so sure about Norway and Sweden, as they can be reached by land but are mostly separated by sea.

UK is part of Europe but as an island nation, they are different.

And they are proud to be different.

Sue

@Willeke Are Continental Europeans proud to be different from the UK?

Willeke

We do not mind either way.

Sue

The person with the highest rep on Gardening:SE is from England and that's where I began to learn the difference. But it wasn't until coming here that I began to understand that the UK is more than just England and Ireland.

That shows my narrow focus, and lack of understanding of the world, which I'm kind of ashamed of!

Willeke

Ah, the famous American lack of Geography lessons.

Sue

@Willeke So we're famous for that??? I even went to a fancy prep school, and should know better.

Willeke

21:20

Not just you. (And I must say that a lot of people in Europe are no way near as good as they think they are.)

Sue

@Willeke I've learned a lot about other countries in this chat room too, like India.

Willeke

You learn what you need for the tests and then forget, and later only pick up what is relevant for you. I love to travel, been over quite a bit of Europe by train, went to the USA/Canada and wanted to know more.

That is the best way to learn, getting the information from someone who just tells about their normal life.

Sue

@Willeke I love what you said that we learn for tests and forget unless we use it later. That's so true!

Willeke

google.nl/…

Sue

And once we become fascinated by a place, we always want to learn more. But I think that's about anything really.

Willeke

21:22

That is a search for images in the nature area I was today.

Sue

@Willeke Cool, let me check it out...

Wow, I want to go there!!!!

I've been wondering about something...

As an international user of these sites, how do you feel about Wikipedia? I don't really like it but have been told it's the best because it has so many languages?

Willeke

I am always on an other chat, which started out of a group of Yahoo Answers users, and one guy who is there is working very hard on Wikipedia, (about 10 hours each day) mostly repairing things gone wrong.

I take it as first source of information usually and mostly go to the English version, as that is often better.

I do help him sometimes with Dutch translations, both from Dutch into English and from English into Dutch, where I do the Dutch bit to go online and he does make the English up to standards.

Sue

So you trust it pretty much? I do notice that a lot of editing is being done, so people like your guy might be making improvements.

I use it sometimes, but often check the source references.

Willeke

Years ago they tested wikipedia against three main printer encyclopedias, the main US and UK ones. Each of them contained the same percentage of errors.

But (this is me, not that test) those mistakes in the printed books are still there, those in Wikipedia have been repaired.

Sue

@Willeke That's fascinating! I notice more pages now that have disclaimers on the top saying more references are needed, etc.

Willeke

21:29

When done right, the sources on the pages are great.

Sue

@Willeke I've definitely noticed that, when I look through the sources.

It can be hard here when large sections of quotes from it are used, but that's true of large sections of anything really.

Willeke

My friend is often sorting out 20+ sources in 5+ languages to make sure he has the right details.

Sue

@Willeke Good for him. He sounds like you, wanting to improve the information on the internet.

Willeke

He is now looking for the date of birth where some sources give february for the month and others November.

Sue

@Willeke That's dedication. People like me appreciate that.

Willeke

21:32

He is the one that wants to improve what is there, I want people to behave like they would when meeting face to face.

Sue

@Willeke Ah, the best advice at all. Don't write something you wouldn't say to my face.

You're younger than I am, but I think we come from a generation where that was more important.

Willeke

I am Dutch, we are known to be very outspoken to the point of being seen as rude. ;-)

Sue

@Willeke I didn't know that. I don't have any Dutch friends.

Well, now I do :))

Willeke

It is true to a point, but we also make use of it when we want to shock people (say innocently: "But I am Dutch, we always make remarks like that."

Sue

@Willeke Ha, Ha, disclaimers are cool! I think there's a difference between men and women in some places. Not that men are less friendly, but sometimes the tendency is to use fewer words, which can come off as brusque. But that's a huge generalization. It's just true with some of our friends.

Willeke

21:38

Have you ever studied or worked in a girls/woman only environment? Nasty. Worse than a men only one.

Sue

@Willeke Yes. And you're right. It's sad.

Willeke

Men are often less polite but more honest,

Best is a mix where everybody is aware that both genders are around.

Sue

I think you're right about all of what you just said.

@Willeke My son is a man of few words, and especially during text, etc. it's hard to know if he's being impatient or not.

That's the same in this type of atmosphere, which is why I liked that suggestion in the SE post about comments to take the time to write a few extra words to users.

Willeke

My boyfriend is like that, hard to get talking at the best of times.

Sue

@Willeke Most of the men we know are like that.

With my hubby, I talk so much I overwhelm him.

Especially during a disagreement.

Willeke

21:45

Not in my family, all talk easily (if not always about what bothers us, but there again the same for men and women.)

I have not accepted invitations for dates (and follow up relationships) from a few guys who thought I was sweet. But whom I would have overpowered if in a relationship.

Recipe for disaster.

Sue

I'm glad you've been strict about that. In counseling, our pastor admonishes us women to be more sensitive.

He gives us a good book called something like "Women are Spaghetti and Men are Waffles." It's basically showing that we can fly from subject to subject where men need to stay on topic, like in a box.

It's important for people like me to learn that.

Willeke

One of the guys had been in therapy (for quite a while and that is rare here) because his parents and his sister were much higher educated than he. With me going full force against him he would need more than just therapy.

Sue

@Willeke I doubt you're as difficult as you say you are!

But it's nice that you care enough to be aware.

Willeke

My father is often wondering what is happening when my mother and I are talking, when there are more women he is completely lost. But both my brothers can handle it very well.

I am mostly nice, but when I get angry I will not be gentle as this guy needed.

He needed to feel at least equal but better the MAN in the house. I would not respect that.

It is not me, it is the guy that was special.

Sue

@Willeke You wouldn't respect a dominant man, is that what you mean?

And I know you're not insulting him specifically. You're being very sweet about him. He just wasn't the guy for you.

Willeke

21:53

That is it, I knew in a fight I would fight dirty and he would be hurt.

Sue

@Willeke I can get that way. Or I go the other way and clam up and that's not nice either because my hubby doesn't know what to do. I also hold a grudge longer than he does, I'm embarrassed to say.

He's the only man I've ever met who's quick to say he's sorry.

Willeke

I still hold grudges from primary school, (not acting upon them but still....) but mostly I am not that bad.

It helps that boyfriend and I live in different countries, not as many options to get cross.

Sue

@Willeke Where does he live?

Willeke

England.

He also is English.

Sue

So how often do you see eachother?

I wouldn't be good in a long distance relationship.

Willeke

21:57

4 to 6 times per year.

We do a lot of our traveling together.

Sue

Wow, that's not many at all! Do you spend a lot of time online, or phone, etc?

You must be more independent than I am, by a lot!! I could never date someone I saw so infrequently.

Willeke

This year we started together over NY, met in France, met in England, he will be here for a weekend, two weeks in Italy together, weekend in England and likely I will be there again for christmas and NY.

We do talk weekly and the odd text or mail.

Sue

@Willeke Is a relationship like that common where you live, or is it more your personal style?

Willeke

I lived alone for at least 20 years before we started something

Very uncommon.

Most people live together, either married or not.

Sue

I lived alone for about 10 years before meeting D (his first initial), but I had been married before and my son had moved away.

Willeke

22:01

He has had a family but got kicked out by his wife, moved back in with his parents for the divorce period, then his mother died before he could move out and he stayed with his dad for the next 12 years.

Sue

@Willeke He sounds like he's been through a lot. How kind of him to stay with his dad. A lot of people wouldn't do that.

Most people around here live together too. Dating periods tend to be very short.

Willeke

I moved from my parents home to a flat a few minutes walking away, and from that one to the one I am now. Never really lived with someone after moving out of my parents place. You get used to it and I do like it.

Sue

I didn't think I liked living alone, but was surprised that living together (which we didn't until after marriage) with someone would be such a big adjustment.

I wanted to be married again, but thought it would be easy!!!

Do you still live near your parents?

Willeke

Yes, a few minutes walking still but in a slightly different direction.

Sue

@Willeke Are they both healthy and doing well?

Willeke

22:09

They are 83 and 84 and for their age pretty well. My mother has given up cycling and now walks with a rolling frame. (Like walking with one stick but much more reliable.) My father is pretty healthy after a 5 bypass hart operation 8 years ago.

He still cycles, swims and does whatever he wants.

But he is getting more tired, more easily.

Sue

I'm glad they're doing pretty well. I know a lot about medicine but a 5 bypass heart operation's a new one on me. Usually they only go up to 4!

Willeke

I think in theory they can do 8 but will not do more than 6.

Sue

@Willeke I was just researching the science of it. One of my uncles was a cardiologist, and the other a thoracic surgeon (took part in one of the early heart transplants in the US) so I should know that stuff.

It's really good that your dad is able to exercise.

Willeke

I am not in the know, apart from hearing the stories of too many people who had to have operations.

Sue

@Willeke My dad was a vascular surgeon, so he was almost always operating!

Willeke

22:18

He does not 'exercise', he is going place and doing things. Swimming for him is relaxing, not getting fit.

Sue

@Willeke By exercise I meant the ability to get around. It's what keeps him healthy and fit.

Daddy was the same.

Even in his 80s he was walking miles a day and swimming and cycling too.

He used to make house calls to get his patients up and out of their bed and make them walk, in order that they might heal more quickly.

Willeke

I think there is a real difference. People who work in offices, drive to gyms to exercise. People like my dad and I cycle to get places and swim to relax, enough moving in my work.

Sue, it is nice chatting with you but I really have to stop. I was about to go to bed when you came in....hours ago.

Sue

@Willeke Wow, I'm so sorry to have kept you up. I figured we must be passed your bedtime by now but I didn't realize it was so long ago! Thanks so much for your time, it was really fun to hang out!

Willeke

Indeed, fun. (No worries, I have the weekend off.)

Have a good evening and night

Sue

I have to go anyway. It's time to feed the cat, and then myself! You have a great evening and night and weekend too!

@RoryAlsop or @Kevin, there's an answer here, outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/19837/5547, that looks like it would make a comment. Willeke suggested it and the OP said he would very much appreciate it. It's a new OP who you can already tell is studying the rules! I don't know if either of you are around, but if so, might you take a look at it? Thanks!

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