u/geecol

Only ever been away with family or friends, after a recent trip with a cousin and me doing nearly the whole trip alone as we wanted to do different things, it’s made me think I should just do a solo trip. I really want to see the fjords so I’m considering a weekend in Bergen. I’m 36, from the UK. I do genuinely like cold wet weather so that doesn’t bother me, considering going in November. Would this be a good call for a solo trip? How difficult is transport whilst there etc?

I got HEAVILY mocked a few nights ago by friends, one is 28 the rest 30-35, I’m 36.

The reason being is, after a recent trip with two of the 30 year olds, they found things I do weird.

I used packing cubes on holiday, and had a small bag thing for my USB-C cables, travel adapter and phone charger. They found this super weird as they just throw everything in their bag. This is something I’ve always done but now wondering if it is odd for a 30+ year old to do.

Then food. I’d been speaking to my friend on text about food and I’d said how I’m leaning towards a whole food style diet, this was noticed and brought up and I was basically looked at like a freak, I was being told it’s not a flex and it’s weird I’m talking about and eating like that.

Then even getting ready, apparently it’s now weird for someone to take longer than 5-10mins of a morning getting up and ready? This goes back to the holiday, hot country, I put SPF on and I wear contact lenses so that naturally slowed me down, but I don’t know if my habits are weird or if they’re still acting / living like they’re 20.

They ended up spreading shit about me anyway, bringing up personal details of my life to strangers so I’ve not bothered with them since, but it’s got in my head whether my habits are a bit too much.

The place I work, my cousin works there. She basically got me the job, then there was a big family fallout over inheritance money and she cut me, my parents and brother out of her life. Well that side of the family did. They also cut out the other side of the family who we speak to. Over 5 years our two families became okay, partly because I work with her.

Last year I arranged a surprise 40th party for her, invited out work and her friends.

One of her friends takes a shine to me, makes moves but I decline. She then proceeds to keep asking me, I wasn’t comfortable because it’s my cousins best friend and I knew if there was a falling out there’d be issues.

I told two friends of mine who know my cousin, but no longer work with her. I’d asked them not to tell people but wanted their advice - terrible advice, told me to sleep with the woman then cut ties.

Anyway I let it die, and stopped engaging with the girl.

I didn’t want my cousin knowing because she is volatile, loves drama and gossip and it would also make things awkward between us. Also the fact she loves to make fun of me in work anyway due to my complexion, fair and pale.

We are out for my birthday last night. As soon as I got there they were picking holes in everything I do. This was with a group of people, some current and ex work colleagues, but I see them outside of work all the time so class them as friends rather than colleagues.

Firstly I wore Hoka’s, apparently they shouldn’t be worn with jeans. They mocked me for, after a recent holiday with them, being the last one getting ready (apparently overly clean and groomed), and using packing cubes / organisers for my cables and chargers. They mocked me for trying to eat clean. I’d been speaking to a friend about moving to a whole food diet, as best as I can, and one saw the message and brought it up saying it’s not a flex and that I should eat normal.

Later on, one of the two people who I’d shared the info with regarding my cousins friend, asked me when the last time I’d had sex and that I should just sleep with this girl to get it out my system. I said no, it’s too messy and didn’t want it getting back my cousin. They then decide to tell the entire group, I’m visibly annoyed but they continue, and they just say “don’t tell his cousin!” - one of the girls there - my cousin is her manager. She is then offended that I hadn’t told her saying that my cousin wouldn’t care and she wouldn’t tell her anyway.

I don’t get annoyed often, but I was last night, but they all made out I ruined the night and had made things awkward, and one of the two who said it, the woman, started saying I was being “sensitive” and hugging me, then getting annoyed I was still annoyed and told me to stop going on and asked if she should leave. I said I was annoyed because I’d specifically asked them not to say anything and they each did - they gave me an “oh sorry”, then called it a night soon after.

Not heard from them since, and I don’t intend to reach out.

My question is was ITAH last night? They made me feel like I was in the wrong because apparently the whole thing being spread “wasn’t a big deal”.

I fell asleep last night with it on. Unplugged. I usually turn if off when finished, but reading online it seems I can just treat it like an iPad? Unplugged, standby, charge, still on, and then just turn off if it will be off for long periods, or do the odd restart?

Would I be wasting my money here?

So I have the AWU3. I like it but on hikes the battery isn’t amazing. It’s fine, but I’ve considered a Fenix 8 for hikes for a while but can’t justify the cost.

Step in the 44m Trex 3 Pro.

How much of a step down is it from a Fenix and would it be a waste of money if I got one solely for hikes, when I have the AWU?

Pros for the Amazfit;

Fully offline maps
Torch
Battery

Pros for AWU3;

iOS integration
Satellite
Faster (I assume)
Payments (I know Amazfit uses Curve but hear it’s difficult to sign up to / not as good)

Thanks!

I ordered my food, driver arrived advising the restaurant had ran out of food so I’d receive a refund due to partial delivery.

Contact uber via their chat and X, they each refuse to refund me. I have showed them the receipt, they say that that shows all items listed. I have said I have doorbell footage of their driver saying they ran out of food, they won’t accept it, closed all chats and have said they are not refunding me.

I’m like £30 short here.

What can I do?

My dad and I have the same issue.

I have an iPhone 17 Pro, and a third party CarPlay device, but Bluetooth audio is routed through the car stereo. TomTom Go will not work unless I have music playing on the Bluetooth output channel - every other mapping app will allow me to have it over Bluetooth with the radio on or just the “aux” setting. Works as a phone call.

My dad has the same set up only with an iPhone 17e. Only difference is, his will not work at all. Doesn’t output to the car stereo whatsoever, even on Bluetooth. TomTom (Amigo) works fine.

He had the same issue on Android - he’s only recently moved to iOS. He did have an option to output over the phone speakers but it’s not an option on iOS, nor is it really practical when connected to CarPlay.

Any fixes? Have been speaking to TomTom trying to get a refund but they’re saying it’s with their technical support team to offer a fix.

If TomTom (Amigo) had offline maps for iOS then we’d just switch to that but it’s still online only, for now.

He’s 75 in September and only had Android. My mum, me and my brother are on iOS, all in the ecosystem. Dad has always refused Apple “I’ll never get an Apple device” but never really gave a reason why. Stubbornness I guess.

He’s had for the last 4 years a Xiaomi Poco F3.

He’s been using Android Auto (third party headset, same as one I own) but the satnav app he uses keeps freezing. He admitted he needed a new phone and it came down to Pixel 10a vs iPhone 17e.

He agreed to the iPhone 17e.

He actually really likes it. He’s been liking Apple Maps on his CarPlay etc, camera is 100x better than the Poco. It’s just smaller and no 120hz refresh rate like the Poco.

Now, just wondering whether we got him the right device vs a normal 17.

He uses his phone for the following

Calls
Texts
WhatsApp
Satnav
Payments (cards)
Camera when on holiday

Then like thermometer, checking Sky bills, what’s on the TV etc.

The 17 is £200 more. He’d get the slightly bigger, brighter screen and higher refresh rate and the ultra wide lens, UWB chip. For him is the extra worth it?

Alternatively was the Pixel but it was basically the same price and yeah the camera gets him the ultra wide lens, brighter larger faster display, but no FindMy, Android Auto over CarPlay, and the Tensor G4. Same RAM either way - I figured a better CPU made more sense over a faster display.

Dipping my toes back into reps again. Got a couple a decade ago, then bought gens. I have a 2500d Seamaster 300m but like the new design, but I can’t justify buying another gen of the same watch I already have.

Looking at reps. Come down to a few options, but I’m hesitant.

VSF and ZF factory I believe are the go to. Correct me if I’m wrong but the ZF factory is aesthetically more accurate but the VS factory ones are overall better but have issues with crown threading - also if the 8800 movt goes you’re stuck - though I’m seeing people suggest a 2824 can be slotted in?

ZF has a noisy rotor but also an easier fix movement wise as it’s not an 8800 close just a decorated Asian 2824?

Also the NTTD, I like that but again believe it has crown issues and then it’s the 8800 clone which means if it breaks it’s broken as it’s difficult to service?

I have OCD - its not too bad. I mean it’s there, I wash my hands a lot, but they’re quick washes, I won’t touch certain things, some mild checking and I do have ‘just right’ OCD with perfectionism, and some other things, but they don’t get in the way of things. Nothing I had a busy mind, so went to the docs and I suggested meds just to try - I had been given fluoxetine and later citalopram in 2006 and 2007 when i was 16/17 but never stuck with them and haven’t had anything since.

Anyway have been prescribed sertraline. I started reading about side effects and it put me off a little, so looked into alternatives.

Apparently 30mg of Saffron in studies is equivalent to a low dose SSRI - I’ve been prescribed 50mg - and NAC can help with ruminating and compulsions.

I realise they may not work nor may not be equivalent to sertraline and I am well aware sertraline needs higher doses for OCD, but I just asked for something to take the edge off as I’ve been managing this for 20 years nearly without anything.

So what’s concerned me is NAC and alcohol.

I understand you need to split the doses, so if I go to work, have taken the first dose, then end up on a night out - its okay if i took it in the morning, but I can’t take it when I get home or the next morning - and if it was a heavy-ish night I couldn’t till that night or the day after? What if some alcohol remains in your system?

And I assume Saffron is fine regardless?

To add; this is to be in conjunction with ERP, not just relying on the supplements.

My OCD is under control but there’s still things going on in the background. Still hand washing, some checking, rumination etc, but I function and I lead you knew you wouldn’t necessarily know I had it.

Now hair loss is a big thing of mine. For nearly 20 years I’ve been checking my crown, taking pictures, overly sensitive if someone comments etc.

I’m 36 and I have a full head of hair - but I still check.

I spoke to my doc and said that although I don’t need them as such I just wonder how well I’d do on meds and did more ERP myself. She agreed and said I could come off whenever (obviously not cold turkey), just to see if it quietens my mind.

I’ve been prescribed Zoloft (sertraline).

I’ve been reading about the side effects and one of the rare ones is hair loss - and now I don’t to attempt the meds.

I don’t know what to do now. I’m not asking for reassurance, I want to know how common it is and how bad it gets, or is it as rare as the internet is suggesting.

I have diagnosed OCD, diagnosed at 16 and I’m 36 in a couple of months.

Now it was contamination based, checking and thoughts of death etc. I was placed on meds and didn’t really stick with them and kind of just managed myself. I’m 90% better than I was. I still wash my hands more than others and if I get something on my that I deem dirty I need to wash and I do still check things, but through sheer force I pull myself away and it’s been working, however after a recent holiday I’m considering meds, as I’m attempting ERP myself - have done a couple things recently I’ve not done in years, or ever.

Anyway I do have a poor attention span, and teachers as a child said I was “away with the fairies”. When I put these things into ChatGPT or Gemini it comes back saying combined ADHD and OCD - but I keep going into detail and it removes the ADHD element and says it’s strictly OCD, but then it flips back. So I don’t think they’re reliable.

Basically I have a clogged feeling mind, I get bored doing my job and would rather do something else but my work is admin based and repetitive, I focus more so when there’s a deadline due, and in conversations I don’t take in things all the time because I’m conscious what people think of me and I’m analysing them and then try to compensate listening to them but then I wonder if I look weird making eye contact with them and then I suddenly realise I’ve only taken in half of what they said.

I also am very conscious what people thing of me so I’m on edge when I’m being discussed or if I’m the centre of conversation.

Can this be explained by OCD?

Was diagnosed at 16, I’m now 36. I’m not on any meds, I can be particular but after a holiday abroad with friends I’m starting to wonder if my OCD is too much - though I genuinely thought it was controlled and didn’t particularly bother people.

I used to have thoughts and nonstop hand washing. Now literally all I mainly do is micro hand washes.

Example - and this is where my morning routine slowed me down annoying people.

Wake up, shower. Get out brush teeth. Apply hair product - I have very fluffy hair so need something to control it otherwise it’s a brush. Open the bathroom door and wash my hands, head to my bedroom and wait for my hands to dry fully before inserting contact lenses. Then I get dressed, apply SPF and if I need it a touch more hair product, aftershave, put shoes on. Now I’ve streamlined this, I am back and forth out the bathroom and I do sometimes wash more than this.

I seem to wash more when I’m at home, such as when cooking or just generally. I reckon wash 30 times a day - other than the contact lenses all quick washes.

But it’s been playing on my mind. I know my OCD is NOT like it was, but now I’m worried because I worry if I got married would I annoy them?

Another aspect of it is this, if touch someone and deem them unclean, I’m generally fine but in the back of my mind I’ll wanna wash.

Anything new I get - if it’s expensive like a MacBook or iPhone, for the unboxing and first few times I use it I’ll wash my hands - I’ll also inspect it thoroughly to ensure it’s perfect. I’ve done that since a kid.

That’s literally all I do nowadays. At one point I couldn’t leave the house. I don’t live alone - I can’t afford it - but I have a job, I drive (though I’m anxious and want to drive perfectly and get annoyed if I don’t), but now this “routine” and hand washing is bothering me.

So for years I’ve been putting lenses in, in my bedroom, but it can be slow as I’m back and forth to the bathroom. So I shower, brush teeth etc then unlock the door. Wash my hands and dry them then go to my bedroom to put lenses in, but I put moisturiser on so then need to go back the bathroom to wash that off my hands. Recently been away and it showed me how slow I am getting ready vs others due to my lenses.

I don’t put them on in the bathroom because of the risk with water getting near them, and especially whilst away as there was nowhere to put them on other than the sink.

Just wondering if I’m being over the top here doing what I do?