Aww you guys i wish i had family and trees for the festive season :( :(

Thanks all for the wishes about the dinner-with-ex bit! Things may just get interesting!

having a lovely day with ex and 2teens. been good. he's done all the cooking and washing up (up) im now relaxing on the computer. will go home to a quiet house and my 2are staying with him. merry xmas everyone xxx

Back working today. I've written 700 words!! I am a GODESS:-x

Wow, I am seriously impressed!!!! I have done sweet FA and am unlikely to do anything astounding until after the weekend, although now I feel guilty and that I should be reading. My problem is that my motivation has just gone completely for some reason and I must try and psyche myself up to work again!

Smilodon, well, you've put me to shame, I'm impressed! I'm officially back working today too, but am having trouble getting into it :-s yeah and that's an understatement btw. Ah well, I'll ease myself into it slowly... it is that Xmas/New Year limbo period, after all :-)

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I am trying to get done to work, I have a brand new laptop ( toy!!!!) to use, I plan to get through the handwritten edits I made to a chapter today--will be a bit mindless, which is about all I am up for at the moment. Its completely iced in where I am in the US, no getting to the library to work, and on the other hand, no getting anywhere else either, so with cabin fever, well, hope I can get something done!



Belated wishes to everyone for a great holiday and holiday break, and all the best to everyone for the New Years.


edit: on the note of ex's--sadly I had to put my beloved dog to sleep last night, but my ex came and sat with the dog and I through the whole thing. We had it done at home so the dog would be more comfortable at the end. It was a dog we had during the marriage, so it was a sad sad loss for both. Ex was a star, not sure how I could have gone through it without him. Some times exs arent evil, sometimes they can be like a very best friend.



I think I have become impervious to pressure--or there is so much that it is starting to de motivate?!

Stressed, me too! I don't know where my motivation has slipped off to, but it's definitely not here at the moment. I'm in that 'oh well, there's LOADS of time yet' mindset and that's a bit dodgy in my current deadline situation. It's nice knowing I'm not the only one though!!

Olivia, I'm sorry to hear about your dog. It's better that it happened while you were there though and not here in England, and that your ex was there too (small crumbs of comfort in the circumstances I guess, but maybe better than nothing.)

Thanks, Ruby, that is very nice of you for the words of sympathy. Yes, I would much rather I could have been here and have had my goodbyes than have it happen when I was in England, and ex was a good comfort, actually ( we always said we made better ex-es than married couple!) so in the sadness there are some things to be glad for. Its been a bit of a bad time at home actually with things, a dear friend's mother is in hospital very ill from a brain aneurism....its like life decided to smack me full in the face as soon as I got home, and its a big shift from the nice cozy bubble I was in in England. Needless to say, focus on the PhD has been tough, and I have given myself some days off, plus permission to just do as much as I can, and not stress out about what isn't getting done...

Hi all,

just back from spending some gr8 moments with an ex bf! Turned out gr8...

got some v bad news abt my dogs back at home....2 of them suddenly turned manic, started attacking each other, my mum has decided she might have to put them to sleep...

I cant write much sense right now...i am an only child, the dogs are like my siblings...

Olivia, my feelings are with you. I cannot imagine something like this may happen...my B'day is Tuesday and I just cancelled all plans, because I have no clue what news may come from home..

Oh Olivia that is really sad about your dog.

When I first sat down to work today I really felt like I had no idea what I should be doing. Then I got a folder of papers out and just started reading though and writing into a chapter and a notes file. My aim is to get 1000 words out per session but I downed tools after 950. I need 20,000 more words by end Jan plus some tables and revisions. I think the break was good for me.

My husband and I are taking turns going to the cinema. He went to 'The day the earth stood still' last night so now it's my turn (no chance of a baby sitter at this time of year). Can't decide if I want to go to the same one or something else. Anyone else going to the cinema?

Thanks Smilodon *hugs*

1,000 words a session is good! Good for you for doing that.

I am thinking of going to see Twilight, if it stops icing outside--might be just the sort of distraction that is good. If you go to the theatre, what are you thinking of seeing?

In the meantime, am enjoying American Pandora.com, which is great for online tunes, unfortunately can't get it in the UK...great sad tunes to meet my mood...now listening to Rusty Old Red River by Toni Price--never heard of her or the song....but its beautiful.

So sorry for that sad news PhDbug, I can imagine how gutted you feel...my dogs were all like family members, and its very sad to lose them. Maybe something can be done to find out why they attacked each other-- a consultation with a vet? there might be something that can be done to help the situation? its unusual for dogs to turn on each other like that, so maybe there is something that can be done so it can get sorted??! hopefully!

Well let me know what happens ....will be thinking of you..


I am starting to think I hate the month of December, every year horrible things happen!!!!!!!!!! I am always relieved when its New Years...not to be bah humbug its not that, just that every December seem to be dealing with a lot of death,illness, etc...roll on New Years.

thanks olivia!

Its strange, actually there are 3 dogs...the older two are crazily attached to my mum. Now, its like she has become a bone of contention between them. One cant stand her being even in the same room as the other. It all started when she returned from work on Xmas eve, and they pounced on her for her attention, she bent to pet one, the other attacked that one, she tried coming in between the bite landed on her wrist...all parties cancelled, she had to be rushed to the doctors, since then the two have had to be kept tied up and muzzled because they are behaving like manic beasts...The vet has no idea, they r too old for adoption, dog breeders still want them, my family wont ever give them to breeders (understandably)...its all horrible..

and the third one, still a baby, tiny in size, and completely at a loss as to whats going on, has fallen thoroughly ill.

Oh dear.

PhDbug - I was an only child with a dog sibling. He died in my third year undergrad - I tried to get home in time but didn't make it :-(

Sending tea and sympathy..