Frequently Asked Questions

1.  Is this an official club? What do I have to do to join? No, this is not official in any way. There is no membership, no official way to join, just show up at events (although, RSVPing is polite, just so I know we should wait for you.)
2. Are you a fitnes guru? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. No. Not in any way, shape or form. I am just a fat chick looking for other fat, old out of shape people to do non-sedentary stuff with.
3. Is this a diet club? Will I lose weight if I join? No. This is just for fun, my attempt to get myself off my ass. If you want to lose weight, see a doctor for professional advice. Don't expect diet/exercise advice from me.
4. So, what is the purpose of this? To reiterate question 2: I am just a fat chick looking for other fat, old out of shape people to do non-sedentary stuff with.
5. I know everything about dieting and exercise. Can I share my extensive knowledge of the [insert latest stupid fad diet here] diet? No. This is not a weight loss/diet group. We are just here to get out and do active stuff.
6. I think the terminology you use is really offensive. I am not a "fat chick", I am a "differently sized woman". Uh, yeah, that's great for you. There are approximately 10,000,000,000,000 other web sites and groups out there that you can go to. I am a fat chick. This is my web site. Deal with it or go elsewhere.
7. I notice that you don't have any events scheduled for [dance, sailing, gardening, rock collecting etc.] How come? Right now, I am only suggesting outings for things I know how to do and can lead (birding, artsy stuff, etc) I love to learn though, and I would love other people to select/lead outings. We can all learn from each other. It's the spice of life! Send me an email and let me know what you know how to do that you can show other people!
8. Who are you? What are your qualifications for running this kinda thing?  I am Dee Fairbanks Simpson. I have no qualifications whatsoever, other than knowing how to create a web site. Basically, I started this web site to hook up with other people who know that just because we are old, fat, and slow it does not mean we want to spend our weekends sitting on our asses
9. If you are so into fitness, why did I see you eating a Milkyway? This is not a diet web site, I am not a fitness guru, I am not going to claim that I live on sprouts and grilled chicken. I'm in this for fun. Period.
10. Can I bring junk food to events? We live in Florida, so I HIGHLY recomend that you bring water to all events. However, it's entirely up to you to bring whatever else you need to power yourself appropriately. Note however, that if you choose to bring coffee or soda and candy instead of say, water and a granola bar, for a trip to a wilderness area, you will most likely get dehydrated/bloated and feel really terrible by the end of the event. [Not that I know this from experience or anything.] But that's just me. It's up to you to provide what you need to keep yourself going, and other than suggesting water, I'm not going to give you advice. 
11. I'd like to come, but I don't know how to do [activity] Please come anyway, we will teach you what you need to know. Any event that I schedule will have at least one person who knows what they are doing. I will not, for example, schedule a kayak trip without having at least one leader who knows what they are doing. As mentioned in question 7, if you have a suggestion for an event that you would like to lead, let me know!
12. So... are you trying to sell me something? Nope. I do not accept advertising, and I won't give your name/email to anyone. I'm just trying to get people off their rockers and out of the house!
13. I'm not a fat chick. Can I still come out to play with you? Absolutley! The more the merrier. You can be an Honorary Fat Chick (HFC).
14. What are SOS walks? SOS stands for Six (miles) on Sunday. These are longer walks, usually in wilderness areas. We go at a fairly leisurely pace, taking pictures of the cool critters and stuff as we go. It is a work out though as it is 6 miles.
15. Can I participate if I live in Japan (or Colorado, Virginia, or Philly*)? Absolutley! You can GOYA no matter where you are.  If you live somewhere else and want to set up an event where you are, send me mail about it and I will post it here. Please remember:
1. Send me complete details for your event, including your contact information.
2. Try to keep events free or as low cost as possible. For example, most county and city parks in the US are free; US state parks usually cost a nominal fee to get in ($1-2 dollars per person); US National Parks are usually a bit more expensive ($3-10 dollars/car), and theme parks are out of most sane people's price range.
3. For safety purposes, if you are not familiar with an activity or area, do NOT set up an event unless you arrange for an expert to join you. For example, don't arrange a lava collecting trip down an active volcano unless you can find a lava collecting expert to lead the group.

*Not that I know people in these areas who should start their own enents or anything :-)