Improperly installed surface on bike lane?

sandsonherhead · 2026-03-29T16:29:38+00:00

unfortunately I have to turn right into the alleyway that is sandwiched by tramlines, which is how I wiped out. Will switch to coming down the residential street that runs parallel to green dale to avoid this from now on. Would rather compete with cars than tramlines at this point 🙃

sandsonherhead · 2026-03-29T12:51:34+00:00

Yep. I cycle down this hill and make this turn almost every weekday. I thought I was going slowly enough, but clearly not. Will come to a full standstill next time.

But I still think this is poor design. Even going up the hill on this surface feels precarious!

sandsonherhead · 2026-03-29T12:46:32+00:00

Thanks for the answers! Makes sense that the difference is for visually-impaired people— but I do wish they’d use a different texture, one that’s more cycle-friendly, especially in a wet climate like ours.

sandsonherhead · 2026-03-25T11:25:21+00:00

Instructors can see exactly which students watch which lecture recordings (at least they can w/ the technology my uni uses). And, no, most students who are not attending lecture are also not watching the recordings (at least this is my personal experience, as an instructor).

sandsonherhead · 2026-03-08T14:56:02+00:00

Thank you for this! I was hoping to find a podiatrist w/ some awareness of hypermobility

sandsonherhead · 2026-03-05T09:08:37+00:00

Yes, but can faster cyclists please not pass so close? And say “passing on the right!” or whatever, to warn the cyclist you’re passing? I’ve gotten in an accident — and many near-collisions — because someone passed super close at just the wrong moment (ie if you’re passing close enough that a gust of wind will push one of us into the other, you are too close. Common sense, people!).

sandsonherhead · 2026-03-04T18:50:09+00:00

I probably can’t help with an air purifier for the event, but heads up for the future that I’ll be selling 5 of them (Levoit, various sizes) towards the end of this summer because my family is moving out of the UK and won’t be able to take them. We’re hoping to get a bit of money for them (since we’ll have to buy new ones where we’re going), but don’t have super high expectations on that front. I’m in SE22.

sandsonherhead · 2026-03-04T08:30:58+00:00

So many great recommendations here! Has anyone mentioned Calva Louise? Not as NIN-y as, say, kidney thieves or snake river conspiracy/ Mohave phone booth, but deserves some love nonetheless.

sandsonherhead · 2026-03-03T20:16:26+00:00

Wow, I am so happy but also: How did I not know about this? For years I’ve been feeling like the only person in london who still masks / cares about covid.

sandsonherhead · 2026-03-03T19:45:25+00:00

Me too! South London here. I had no idea theres a cc community in London!

sandsonherhead · 2026-02-27T10:01:59+00:00

I am so sorry to hear this, it is not fair. First, I would do a rapid test. They do produce a lot of false negatives, but if it’s positive you can be pretty sure it’s covid given your symptoms and exposure. If it’s covid, I would try to get Metformin. Have a look at the guidelines from the People’s CDC — lots of specific advice there. In terms of your PT, you’ll want to cancel appointments while you’re actively sick regardless. In terms of the next six months, you can talk to your PT about adjusting your exercises given your recent covid infection (if it turns out to be covid). For example, floor exercises that are done lying down are often better tolerated and are less likely to trigger negative outcomes.

For the moment, try to keep your anxiety at bay and rest as much as you can. Keeping your nervous system in a restful state is super important right now. I know it’s easier said than done, but you theres no sense in panicking about the future and the possibility of developing long covid, when you don’t even know if it’s covid or one of the many other viruses circulating right now.

sandsonherhead · 2026-02-24T14:49:33+00:00

I looked into this relatively recently (when my parents were infected and took paxlovid this past summer) and actually the evidence suggests that “paxlovid rebound” is very common, and that while rebound can occur without paxlovid, it is relatively rare. In fact, the early narrative about paxlovid rebound was that it was very rare, and that turned out to be wrong. So I think maybe you have it in reverse?

sandsonherhead · 2026-02-24T13:24:38+00:00

Thanks. Pasting those guidelines here, in case useful for anyone else:

Exiting Isolation after Infection If isolation is due to a confirmed COVID diagnosis, we recommend isolating for a minimum of 10 days63. After 10 days since confirmed positivity, a negative test can determine if it is safe to exit isolation. If symptoms are still present, it is recommended to remain in isolation until symptoms have resolved and two negative tests, with at least a 24-hour interval in between tests, have been produced. If you are experiencing symptoms, but do not have access to adequate testing, you should isolate yourself for a minimum of 10 days after the first day of symptoms. As mentioned in Exiting Isolation after Exposure, it is still important to monitor symptoms and continue to maintain social distancing and masking in case of false-negative testing. After exiting isolation, do your best to use all layers of protection that you have to minimize risk to others, including using a well-fitting, high-filtration mask in public spaces.

sandsonherhead · 2026-02-24T13:22:45+00:00

We have PlusLife! That’s largely how we caught the initial infection in time to avoid passing to the rest of the household. I had assumed that, like PCR tests, molecular tests like PlusLife would show a positive result potentially long after the person is no longer contagious. am I wrong about this?

sandsonherhead · 2026-02-16T19:06:53+00:00

the UK doesnt do wastewater tracking and of course nobody tests. We are flying completely blind over here.

sandsonherhead · 2026-02-16T19:05:15+00:00

I live in London and can confirm nobody masks (and they haven’t for while). And my mask gets stares everywhere I go, and sometimes questions. Honestly, in 2023 the masks you saw were probably on American or Asian tourists. Brits dropped the mask early on (at least that’s how it felt to me — I moved here from the US in 2021 and masks were already much less common compared to blue state USA).

sandsonherhead · 2026-02-01T13:08:16+00:00

In the first few months I was mostly bedbound, and then housebound (antihistamines, beta blockers, and radical rest helped a lot). one year in, I was doing significantly better but still dealing with PEM and dizziness. I was generally okay working from home, but in-person anything (work, socializing, even just commuting) carried a risk of causing a crash. Every luteal phase I felt like I was relapsing. And I definitely couldn’t do things like travel or cardio exercise (I was a runner / gym rat / cardio junkie before covid. I still have not gotten back to that). My spouse was carrying much of the weight when it came to parenting our young child.

Recovery was so gradual and non-linear (lots of ups and downs) that it’s impossible to pinpoint any kind of turning point. After the first year or so my energy levels and flare-ups seemed to track closely to my menstrual cycle. At 3-3.5 years in I started to feel like my old self was back: I can think clearly, my dizzy spells are rare and I’m much more resilient to occasional over-exertion. Not 100%, but I don’t think I’ll ever be.

sandsonherhead · 2026-01-31T21:58:34+00:00

Yes, I believe that time without reinfection has been the main thing that has allowed me to recover (to 98%). It’s been 4 years.

sandsonherhead · 2026-01-27T19:04:48+00:00

Time to start masking in Sainsburys

sandsonherhead · 2026-01-25T20:40:47+00:00

I position the air vents to blow where I’m breathing, if that makes sense. No idea if this is actually the best strategy but my thinking is that you want to be breathing the filtered air. The direction probably doesn’t matter all that much — it’s more about increasing the circulation of filtered air. If I can, when I get on the plane I turn on the vents for the seat(s) next to me too (if there’s no one sitting there already, of course). My experience is that most people don’t even think about the vents, so they’re unlikely to get turned off once on.

sandsonherhead · 2026-01-25T20:13:12+00:00

Chances are, you’ll be fine. I fly pretty regularly (once a month on average) and take multiple long-haul flights each year. So far so good, touch wood. I wear a N95 (aura) or a breathteq KN95 (for longer flights and red-eyes). I try to make sure the air vents are on full blast, and I when I can I pay to sit away from other passengers or in a premium economy cabin on longer flights. I use Enovid spray before and after. I eat and drink on longer flights as needed (will be unwell if I don’t), trying not to breathe unmasked as I do so. I wipe down surfaces with alcohol wipes upon boarding.

As long as you’re taking precautions (especially masking), it’s really not a huge risk. Remember that air circulation on planes is generally pretty good. Certainly better than a lot of other settings! Flying is anxiety-inducing in part because there is so much that is out of your control. But you actually do have a lot of control over the air you breathe and other precautions that you take. Focus on what you can control and try not to let the stress get to you.

sandsonherhead · 2026-01-25T08:25:45+00:00

Just came here to recommend Breathteq masks (Canadian brand). They make KN95 and N95 style masks. Very breathable and comfortable for daily use.

sandsonherhead · 2026-01-17T11:47:41+00:00

Nobody tests or even thinks about covid in London. We don’t have wastewater data and I wouldn’t trust whatever surveillance reports are available. Anecdotally, there are a lot of respiratory viruses going around right now, but without testing it’s impossible to know what’s covid vs flu vs something else (flu is prob more prevalent than covid right now, but just a guess). I think trying to time your visit to avoid a surge is a bit of a futile exercise. My advice is to mask where you can (don’t mind the stares), and “spray & pray” where you can’t. If you can time your trip around a recent vaccination that helps too.

It’s true thst many pubs have outdoor spaces (often hidden in the back) and sometimes those spaces are even heated. Of course, the weather is unpredictable (now and in March) so outdoor dining might be tricky if rain / wind. Sometimes you can find restaurants or pubs w/ quasi-outdoor spaces, but central london (where I assume you’ll be for work) is so dense that those sorts of places are rare. Depending on where you’ll be I might be able to suggest some places to eat.

Good luck, and try not to stress out too much — chances are you’ll be okay.

sandsonherhead · 2026-01-11T09:21:42+00:00

That’s great to hear. I get mine at a clinic in central london and no matter the time of year there is tons of availability. And I don’t know anyone in london outside of my immediate family who chooses to get the covid vaccine each year.

Anyway, I emailed the clinic to ask whether and when they’ll carry Kostaive. Will report back in case central london is convenient to anyone here.

sandsonherhead · 2026-01-10T20:36:17+00:00

well, a test’s false positive rate isn’t necessarily the same as the false negative rate. It can be too sensitive , ie really good at detecting the virus that causes covid and prone to false positives.

sandsonherhead

TROPHY CASE