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To you as well, Michael. I'm just glad you're doing so well. I have no doubt that the Thai food was like mana from heaven after so long without!

Hehe... a lot can be said about hospital/institutional food - not much of it positive though
Spices appear to something completely missing in their dictionary.
THe thai was very good, but 'Schweinsbraten mit Kartoffelknödel' has a very special place in my heart (and stomach )

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so it's 2 left for 1 right to keep a straight line....

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so it's 2 left for 1 right to keep a straight line....

That sounds an awful lot like my kayaking. :-P

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Schweinsbraten mit Kartoffelknödel

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Now I just need a big aliminum wing

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though the chair did come stock with wheelie bars!

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Now I just need a big aliminum wing

Michael, that is great.... and any chance of a fake nitrous bottle? (Hmmm, heck a *real* nitrous bottle could be good for a laugh...)

grooaann...
Ah I knew it was something I forgot to steal from the hospital...

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I think the psych people would say great things.

[q

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]though the chair did come stock with wheelie bars!

WTF? I thought you didn't have any lawyers in Sweden!


If we did, I'd sue the gym and quit work forever...

But we do have a nanny state

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You need to let us know when the wheelie bars come off. Sounds like upper body strength/asymmetry is an issue right now, but we look forward to your first wheelie

YUp - I've just started using the left arm along with the right for propulsion at all - used to initailly use right arm+leg then, both legs mainly w some right arm assist... THey're no-tools foldable/removable, so whenever I want (and there are no nurses (or mom) around ).Haven't been licensed for sidewalk climbing or stairs yet so officially they stay on and down...

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It looks difficult, but after the obligatory two or three ass-over-teakettle backflips, wheelies in the traditional wheelchair are as easy as can be (evidence: even Jim can do it). Great party trick.

Might drag it along to Amersfoort, if I still have it then, for parkinglot shenanigans...

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Hehe... Thanks for the reminder - some (flatwater) kayaking might be good training/exercise for the arm come spring (not that an attractive form right now with hard gusty winds, around 35F and rain[ie typical winter weather in Gothenburg])

OK, after/before next Amersfoort you have to drop in - we can go night kayaking through the Amsterdam Red Light District... Or stop by the pizza takeaway that has a service counter down by the canal side for boats as well...

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Hehe... Thanks for the reminder - some (flatwater) kayaking might be good training/exercise for the arm come spring (not that an attractive form right now with hard gusty winds, around 35F and rain[ie typical winter weather in Gothenburg])

OK, after/before next Amersfoort you have to drop in - we can go night kayaking through the Amsterdam Red Light District... Or stop by the pizza takeaway that has a service counter down by the canal side for boats as well...

Sounds fun - cool with the canal-service pizza joint The "other" services might get too close to american (sorry guys - I do know that there exists good microbreweries in the land of the [insert modifier of choice] free) beer ... What type of canoe are you using on the canals?- hopefully I'll be checked out for canoeing by then! Do you have a spare or should I arrange a roof rack for the Pug - and drive somewhat slower than last year

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What type of canoe are you using on the canals?- hopefully I'll be checked out for canoeing by then. Do you have a spare or should I arrange a roof rack for the Pug

I have the heavy-duty folding (as in good old canvas-and-wood) expedition Kleppers. One of them full NATO military spec , very stable but *heavy*, a bit like paddling an aircraft carrier . I have one 1-seater, one 2-seater and one 3-seater, so no need for you to bring anything!

And in case we feel lazy, I have both a sailing rig and a small electric outboard

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Sounds fun - cool with the canal-service pizza joint The "other" services might get too close to american (sorry guys - I do know that there exists good microbreweries in the land of the [insert modifier of choice] free) beer ...

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I choose "payment" as my modifier. Where can I get some such beer?

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I can tell you that in 2000, my first trip over the Atlantic, I visited Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the thing which disappointed me at first was seeing McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut and 7-Eleven. Damn cultural exports. 7-Eleven seems to be at least forgivable.

Interesting, 7-11 would probably be on top of a"dislike most of the above" list.
True. From what I've heard, the situation in Stockholm is rather silly, with in some crossings a7/-11 on each of the 4 corners... but very few survive w/o bancrupcy longer than a 9-12 months, despite the owners putting in insane hours... while the franchise owner gets their money each month anyway. And totally killed off the "Pressbyrå" kiosks and independent small stores.
Gothenburg hasn't "evolved" quite that far - yet. nd I've found the McD salads to be quite OK! No Big Macs, fries etc since early april - been to McD once though: El Maco, carrots and Sprite light.:) But generally I used to prefer BK burgers but McD fries No fan of thick bottomed pizza - want it thin... Have cut back seriously on the pizza intake as as well, upped the thai intake though
In sddition to the 40 kg Ilost according to plan - had just stabilized at the target weight when this crap happened , I lLost another 10kg during the first 3 weeks in hospital - probably some muscle but also a fair bit of water due to the medication (diuretics ?). I've always held a fair bit of water - always had quite low impedance readings on the scale at the gym. visited th girls at the gym last Sunday - first time ever I've had a "normal" impedance reading according to them.
75.5 kg, 12.something% fat - is somewhat on the low side, for the first time in maaannyy years...
Might pick up some of it again over the holidays, but I'll try to keep most of any gain to be muscle

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El Maco

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I have the heavy-duty folding (as in good old canvas-and-wood) expedition Kleppers. One of them full NATO military spec , very stable but *heavy*, a bit like paddling an aircraft carrier .

That might be an experience my last canoe (slalom kayak) grew a bit small on me (or was it the other way around ) and took on an appearance more like a submarine at the slightest provocation - a little water inside, leaning far forward etc, which made for some fun behaviour if you first brought it up to speed then leaned forward with a bit of water inside... Going down! and then popping back up - unless you forgotto close the sprayskirt

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I have one 1-seater, one 2-seater and one 3-seater, so no need for you to bring anything!

What's the whitewater situation like in Holland? - I could imagine it to be somewhat meagre

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And
in case we feel lazy, I have both a sailing rig and a small electric outboard

Never tried sailing - except as a passive passenger on Nicorettte (currently taking part in thr Sidney-Hobart race -nutters! I say...but it looks like they did real well apart from staying alive and keeping the boat in one piece, which in this race is "doing well" )

Isn't it tricky with the winds dowb in the canals?

But an outboarder is more my style... add some cold cathode lights and we can cruise in pimpin' style

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El Maco

What's on that that's special? What's the red powder under the fries? Spicy stuff?

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I choose "payment" as my modifier. Where can I get some such beer?

There is a brewery in NJ where you can just walk in and start drinking for free. It's kind-of like Fight Club (first rule, don't talk about free beer, second rule...), so I don't want to give too much away. Maybe I should hold a meet there...

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And totally killed off the "Pressbyrå" kiosks and independent small stores.

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Gothenburg hasn't "evolved" quite that far - yet.

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No fan of thick bottomed pizza - want it thin... Have cut back seriously on the pizza intake as as well, upped the thai intake though

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El Maco

What's on that that's special? What's the red powder under the fries? Spicy stuff?

Can't you read? It's obviously het salsasås, härlig sour cream och gräslök, ost, sallad och tomat (hot salsa, sour cream and green onions, cheese, lettuce, and tomato, I think). And the fries stuff is obviously krydda i en påse (spice in a bag).

Duh.

gräslök apparently translates to chives (to eliminate doubt, latin name: Allium schoenoprasum Liliaceae) otherwise right on!
THe spices is a mainly pepper mix and you put it and the fries in the bag and give it a shake...

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Actually I still happened on a decent number of Pressbyrån around Stockholm, but I was probably in the right places for it. I didn't see that many 7-Elevens, but there is one prominently just outside the subway by KTH which I pass multiple times on every trip.

Noy having been in our beloved capital for many years, I went with the impression I got from one of the TV shows - shoulda learned by now not to do that Probably overemphasized / generalized a small corner of reality to make it more sensational...

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Indeed, I remember more kiosks and less of the foreignish food there.

Well, would you believe the meals I had in Stockholm this time were Chinese, Thai, Korean, Indian, Mongolian BBQ, and finally I said, "can we have something not east Asian?" to my local friends.

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my last canoe (slalom kayak) grew a bit small on me (or was it the other way around ) and took on an appearance more like a submarine at the slightest provocation - a little water inside, leaning far forward etc, which made for some fun behaviour if you first brought it up to speed then leaned forward with a bit of water inside... Going down! and then popping back up - unless you forgotto close the sprayskirt

Definitely sounds like fun - but not something you want to do in Amsterdam. The water in the canals is something you prefer to keep outside...

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What's the whitewater situation like in Holland? - I could imagine it to be somewhat meagre

Well, you can always surf the wake of the (hundreds of) sightseeing tourist boats

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Never tried sailing - except as a passive passenger on Nicorettte (currently taking part in thr Sidney-Hobart race -nutters! I say...but it looks like they did real well apart from staying alive and keeping the boat in one piece, which in this race is "doing well" )

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Isn't it tricky with the winds dowb in the canals?

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But an outboarder is more my style... add some cold cathode lights and we can cruise in pimpin' style

Ahh, yes. Especially through the Red Light District in the evening. Now I just have to find a waterproof case (and amp) fro the empeg

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not something you want to do in Amsterdam. The water in the canals is something you prefer to keep outside...

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Well you can always surf the wake of the (hundreds of) sightseeing tourist boats

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an outboarder is more my style... add some cold cathode lights and we can cruise in pimpin' style

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Ahh, yes. Especially through the Red Light District in the evening. Now I just have to find a waterproof case (and amp) fro the empeg

If 40isg watts/channel is enough and you don't insist on audiophile quality, I have a Pyramid amp that is expendable... and a Karma might be an easier object to waterproof than an empeg...

Beats an old workmate -he, his brother and a crate of beer drifted ca 3km down Mölndalsån in an inflatable dinghy - on a stretch that widens from a glorified ditch to maybe 6-7 neters through parts of the Liseberg amusement park here in Gothenburg into the centre of town. Crate now empty, they let the air out and took a tram home

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The water in the canals is something you prefer to keep outside...

I hear you - I'm now well below the weight where I stopped using it

Well, ingesting some of that canal water might cause some additional weight loss

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Pretty much what I figured... or maybe plaing in the surf on the Atlantic coast...

Unfortunately the coastline is pretty boring (as in straight, manmade)

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If 40isg watts/channel is enough and you don't insist on audiophile quality, I have a Pyramid amp that is expendable... and a Karma might be an easier object to waterproof than an empeg...

slightly easier, yes

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Beats an old workmate -he, his brother and a crate of beer drifted ca 3km down Mölndalsån in an inflatable dinghy - on a stretch that widens from a glorified ditch to maybe 6-7 neters through parts of the Liseberg amusement park here in Gothenburg into the centre of town. Crate now empty, they let the air out and took a tram home

Not bad
I also have a pair of ex-military 1-person dinghies - they fit in a normal supermarket shopping bag when empty...

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Well, ingesting some of that canal water might cause some additional weight loss

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Unfortunately the coastline is pretty boring (as in straight, manmade)

Hmmm, yeah... but open one of the sluices and we can get some whitewater - might upset the natives though

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Unfortunately the coastline is pretty boring (as in straight, manmade)

Hmmm, yeah... but open one of the sluices and we can get some whitewater - might upset the natives though

LOL. Those dams are worth a visit - they are rather impressive.

For those who don't know;

About half of the Netherlands is below sea level. Historically flooding has always been a hazard. In 1956 a big storm surge flooded much of the country, killing 1800 people and ruining crops and farmland.
The Delta Project was completed in 1986 and shortened the coastline by 700km to about 430km. It comprises a series of very impressive dams and dykes.
The closed off inlets are now effectively lakes. Although most of the dams allow some water to flow except during periods of danger, the flow is so limited that the salinity of these lakes is dropping - the water is known as "sweet water" and is causing a problem for the fisheries within these lakes.

The beaches are wonderful with golden sand and lovely eye candy.