Many thanks for the replies and advice people! I shall rely on and trust in growing a set.

Phew, got through it. After four days on my own, speaking to and seeing no-one, getting deeper and deeper into depression (last night was VERY tough), no amount of CBT thoughts or meditation apps were getting through, I do feel better this morning. Actually got up and ate and showered and dressed and went to the shop, which isn’t much but it’s more than I have been.

Have been on Sertraline since May for depression and anxiety. Was back at the doctor last week to ask if I could come off them as I just cannot get a handle on the anxiety. It feels like I have high base level of ‘nervousness’ so that any little thing can kick it off. Wondered if it might actually be a side-effect from the Sertraline rather than it helping. Hmmm, said the doctor, I think we should increase the dose again and see what happens. Cue more headaches, dizziness, nausea, dark and confused thoughts and barely able to convince myself to get out of bed.

I know I need to get out and try to lose a bit of Winter fat but need can celebrate this mornings small win first.

I’d have to say no. Too tall, too skinny and too dorky-looking. I look like Tintin with glasses. On a good day with a fitted suit and the right amount of facial hair for the judge, I’d maybe get 5 and a half. Most days I’d be lucky to get a 4.

But I have pulled a truly gorgeous ‘everyday 8, 9-and-a-bit when trying’ late-40s hotty so can only imagine she likes my, err, big feet.

I got on the bike to commute in this morning too. It was much brighter this morning than I remember it being lately, so much so I didn’t even need lights! It was brilliant!

Many thanks for the feedback chaps. I do understand why doctors and surgeries are less willing to sign the forms in this litigious world.

I’m thinking this year I will go to the Hampden folk as I do quite like the idea of having the proper full-over physical check-up they do before signing. When I paid £100+ last year to have my pulse, blood pressure and breathing checked (and have the form stamped) I did think it could be a nice little side earner for any Dr Nick Riviera types.

<thread hijack>
Realise it’s early days for you Mr Burton, but how loud/vibrate-y is the turbo? Am tempted to get one myself. But as I live in a 2nd floor flat if I do ever buy a turbo then silence/smoothness is rather important. Thanks very much.
</as you were>

Nice, sunny day.
Commute to work.
Used posh bike.

Thanks for the reply Andy. Hadn’t thought of the unrecalibrated bit. Oh well, I’ll just keep doing it for the fun instead then.

The cute blonde curly hair is a disguise, I was actually the antichrist.

From a rather personal perspective, I did not enjoy the excitement in the latter half of that race. I was on for a stupendous amount of points from my Fantasy F1 team as I have Lewis, Vettel, Massa, Perez and Ocon in it.

Got to watch each one of them crash, retire, have dodgy headrest and get penaltied out of their winningsome places.

Oh jolly good, I have been waiting for a ‘random questions’ thread to come up.

We have “Victorian” to describe stuff when Victoria was about, “Georgian” for George times, and then “Elizabethan” for the Elizabeths. What will it be when Charles takes over, will we use Charlesian or Charlsan or Charlean or something else?

There are machine guns and there are sub-machine guns. In what way are the latter sub? Are they just inferior machines?

Good work on going to the doc. It was something I only just plucked up the courage to do last week. Also prescribed sertaline. Since then I’ve also sorted going along for some CBT next month.

Is early days, already have a few of the common side effects of the medication, but we’ve got to try everything, don’t we?

I confess, I have been a random strange kudos-giver in the past. Was using the phone and scrolling through recent stuff in one of the groups I’m in. Due to shoddy scrolling technique I accidentally kudos’d something on the way past.

Tried to take it back. Did you know you can’t un-kudos? I didn’t. Considered messaging the kudosee to say “Didn’t mean that.” But thought that’d be crueller than letting them think they’d managed to impress a random stranger.

Yeah, I had this. Got circumcised. A couple of nights being woken up with the pain from ‘swelling’ while asleep stretching the stitches. I recommend practising thinking of things to take your mind off it. For example I used mental arithmetic, such as trying to multiply 277 by 36. Then a couple of weeks of discomfort wearing anything below the waist. Luckily for everyone I was able to work from home during this time. Then the sensitivity eased and all good. Job jobbed.

After that, maybe due to swelling inside, don’t know for sure, when peeing I used to spray all over the place. I would pee in the pan, down my leg and up the wall simultaneously. That also eased off eventually.

If you need it done, do it. It’s no biggie.

Used to be very good at 1990s European Public Procurement directives. Could quote articles and paragraphs all day long.

These days my expert, but useless, insights seem to be limited to Star Wars episode 4.

For a quid I picked up a resin block with the first drip of crude oil from a cable tensioned oil rig in in the north sea. Found out its worth about 100 quid and is not stuck in a display case.
Just using a stone as paperweight now.

My dad brought a load of those (or something similar) home when he worked at BP Exploration.

So did my dad, from when he worked for Conoco. I remember one from the Hutton and one from the Murchison. Wonder if he’s still got them.

I have it and am barely affected by it. It got spotted in a general blood test years ago when trying to diagnose why I was fainting. I just take my 150 micrograms (never realised that was a rarely high level) every morning and carry on with my day. If I forget to take them one morning, meh, no ill-effects.

Very occasionally, i.e. two or three time a year, I begin to realise my levels have gone a wee bit skewy because I am showing all the signs of being hypo- or hyper-. The most noticeable sign is to do with sleep. All I have ever had to do is wait a couple of days and everything’s back to normal.

But really, although I’m not affected by it I can use it as an excuse for everything! Can’t be bothered doing something? Forgot something? Put on a bit of weight? Sleepy? Grumpy? “Yeah, feels like my levels are maybe a bit low.” NEEDING to go out for a ride as you’re getting antsy sitting in the house? I can also blame that on my thyroid! It’s brilliant.

It’s much tougher on others. Both my sisters also have it, one of them has levels that are constantly fluctuating so she is, genuinely, always suffering the symptoms one way or another.

Woo hoo, I’m second! Rather surprising considering I haven’t got Vettel and Kevin crashed then failed to finish.

Ride to shop
Six Strava PRs
Thanks to tailwind

Oi, what happened to the Reg fact on Day 25, eh?

Hilly road ride.
Headwind and rain.
I gave up.

I have nothing insightful or new to add to what’s been said on this thread already, but you keep fighting and everyone else will keep supporting you.

If ever you feel you need to talk, complain or even cry, we’ll all listen, give you manhugs and cry along with you.

All the best of wishes.

Brilliant, thank you very much Mr Tea!

Weirdishly, the ride I uploaded to Garmin Connect last night still hasn’t appeared on Strava, but this mornings commute synch’d immediately across.

Scotroutes’s comment above is now giving me a bit of existential angst. Maybe I didn’t actually go out on the bike last night. Maybe I don’t even exist.

Teasel, if it’s a photo of the exercises rather than your groin then yes indeed I will be very grateful to see it. Much appreciated, thank you.

And thank you too DrP for putting that image of something else to watch for in my head. As wonderful as these human bodies are, they can sometimes feel quite fragile machines.

I did have another “I wonder” moment, this time about that kinesio tape stuff. Was wondering if maybe there is a way to strap myself up with some of that to try to help hold bits in (the doctor couldn’t find any tears or holes). But can’t quite think of how it could be done other than going right around the leg/hip.

Thanks for the replies everyone! Much appreciated.

Soulrider, I haven’t heard of glass pedalling. I’m guessing this is putting as little pressure through the pedals as possible to maintain speed?

Back in the day it was the way he could finish broadsheet paper cryptic crosswords when I felt accomplished if I ever managed to get three answers.

These days it’s the way I can hear his tuts of disapproval and disappointment (in my head) at everything I do and think about doing.

<late to the party and immediately goes off-topic>

maccruiskeen – Member
My ex- flatmate used to come up with similar well thought through ideas.
He proposed a really tall tower – tall enough to make it easy to launch into orbit from the top with much reduced power / fuel requirements.

Space elevator will be cheaper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

</as you were>

Haven’t seen The Big Lebowski but it’s on the telly tomorrow so this might soon be an out of date statement. Also haven’t seen any of the Godfathers. Or Casablanca or Gone With The Wind.

We’re all old here, we all think you’re caf, ergo you are.

You keep kicking butt and we’ll all keep sending the healing vibes.

Long before faxing by computer became a thing I was a fax machine operator, using a fax machine that would jam with anything more than a single page at a time. Endless faxes being sent, me standing there feeding them in page… by page… by page… by page… I used to look over at the rows of people answering phones all day with jealousy as they at least had people to talk to.

Three months I lasted at that.

Have trust in your own opinion, and speak up.

Like Ol’ Blue Eyes, I used to have this when I started running. Could only go a mile before having to have a pit stop. But that passed and it’s no longer an issue.

Now, irrespective of the time or distance I run, as soon as I stop I urgently need to pee. There’s something to look forward to.

“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”
Probably attributed to Mark Twain or Winston Churchill.

That bit in the Wargames film when he makes the computer talk back to him.

On the topic of adverts but just not the quorn one, does anyone else find they can’t pause the Epic TV ad? Pressing pause only pauses it for a moment before it carries on playing.

After many years of freeloading, at Christmastime I decided to become a new me.

So I bought a P, ditched the pseudonym I had been using, and switched to using my real name.

Oh yes, should’ve said for Android. Thanks Big Yim, will try it out!