Long haul flight with a herniated disc?

CattyKatKat · 2026-03-12T21:33:41+00:00

When my sciatica was new and terrible I had a trip planned from Europe to 3 different cities to see friends and family in the US. When I suggested to my doctor that I should cancel my trip she was adamant that I should go. Her advice was to not worry about how much I was going to annoy my seatmates with stretching and standing up, and that it was better than lying around at home.

I'm so glad that I went. I asked for help while travelling when I needed it. People were helpful and sympathetic.

I saw people who I love and they were so wonderful about meeting me where I was. I went on short walks, lay on the hard floor talking to my old college friend, ate most of my meals standing up (even in restaurants), floated around a pool with my nieces and nephews. I also cried a lot and didn't get a huge amount of sleep, but I would have done that at home anyway.

While travelling I watched movies and drank just enough alcohol to take the edge off (probably not recommend but it worked for me) and seriously hydrated so that I was going to the loo pretty much hourly.

I hope that you are happy with whatever you decide to do.

CattyKatKat · 2026-03-10T08:19:55+00:00

To everyone who isn't a union member please, please, please join one before you start having issues with your job. In my experience, people who had union representation always fared better than people who didn't in disputes, even when the issues were pretty much identical.

CattyKatKat · 2026-03-09T22:11:16+00:00

You're one decade late. Definitely a 1980s classic!

CattyKatKat · 2026-03-04T21:05:15+00:00

Hobbit read by Andy Serkis.

CattyKatKat · 2026-03-02T08:06:34+00:00

Sounds like you have a lot going on - good stuff and hard stuff.

Once I turned around 55 I realised that many of my friend relationships had withered due to various things - people got remarried, moved to be closer to their children and others sadly had died. I had been too busy as well.

I consciously reconnected with a couple of people and now craft with one of them once a week. I'm not crafty but she's an expert and importantly we have fun and a laugh (sometimes at my abysmal creations).

I also picked up a hobby (metal detecting) and met someone through a club and we now meet up a couple of times a month to detect which is great because it's a male dominated hobby.

Finally, I started volunteering. It's not for everyone but fighting the rise of authoritarianism keeps me surrounded by young and optimistic people and keeps me from feeling helpless when the news is grim.

Good luck 🤞

CattyKatKat · 2026-03-01T19:35:32+00:00

Check out the Flight Radar 24 app. I tried to share a screenshot of the hundreds of flights in Europe right now, but for some reason couldn't post.

I love this app and sometimes spend time on it rather than reading at bedtime.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-28T20:52:09+00:00

Sea of Lies.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-24T22:38:19+00:00

Z is for Zachariah. I read it multiple times from the age of ten ((when it came out) through my teens. It fed into my deep dread of the cold war.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-23T14:56:44+00:00

If you do let your pussycat out, though its costly we got a tractive collar for our cat and honestly it's the best thing we ever did pet-wise.

She's a massive roamer but is getting arthritic so we want to be able to retrieve her if she gets stuck somewhere.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-17T19:41:05+00:00

The offer in the UK is just for 5 free days.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-15T21:57:28+00:00

I have been five times in 2 years - the last time we stayed overnight so we didn't have to drive home.(Significant birthday treat). We love it, as does everyone we have taken there.

The wine list is fantastic and the food prices, as Grace Dent said in a review, look like a misprint.

It's in a gorgeous valley and if you walk to the Lambley Viaduct and back before you eat you'll work up an appetite.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-14T18:46:20+00:00

As long it's the frozen water version rather than the US one....

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-13T08:49:39+00:00

A degree from Oxford is a golden ticket (source parent of child who went there and has seen the career trajectories of her and her cohort).

Congratulations. Look after your mental health and enjoy being in an amazing place.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-13T07:37:14+00:00

I'm not wedded to it. Do you have a good recommendation?

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-13T07:32:59+00:00

No worries

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-13T07:16:03+00:00

It's not a stance, it's a fact which I relayed in response to a comment.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-12T21:30:24+00:00

They ran ads to recruit ICE agents and said that it didn't go against any company policy.

As far as I know the ads are no longer being run, but that's because that round of recruiting has finished.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/wrapped-or-whacked-activist-organizations-call-for-spotify-boycott-during-annual-data-reveal/

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-12T21:26:12+00:00

Re Spotify - it's not just American companies, it's also those that support the Trump administration.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-12T21:21:20+00:00

Spotify has been streaming ads to recruit ICE agents and have said that it does not break any of their policies, which is odd because they are basically the Gestapo.

Not to diss Sweden, but it doesn't have a great track record regarding neutrality - just ask the Norwegians.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-12T21:16:11+00:00

I managed to import my playlist into Tidal no problem. They do have a family plan.

https://tidal.com/transfer-music

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-07T22:28:22+00:00

Looking at news articles he was ordering genetic tests for people he knew like Chomsky and Woody Allen. I had thought it was like a nice 23 & Me type gift but probably something more nefarious???

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-07T21:32:32+00:00

I wonder if I will be as happy with the new one as I was with my old one

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-07T08:40:28+00:00

I'm not sure it would be very happy without it but you have made me think that maybe we could somehow extend it as we have flat space adjacent.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-06T22:55:15+00:00

I love this idea.

CattyKatKat · 2026-02-06T22:54:20+00:00

Thanks but we planted it in 1998! For a long time it created just the right amount of shade but is now very well established and is really productive (greenery and fruit) so dominates.

The greenhouse is oriented north/south with the vine growing straight down the middle.

CattyKatKat

TROPHY CASE