What is it with some men and toy dogs!

re: the cut lapdog...*urgh...vomits into basin*...

I would much prefer a grouchy old tortoise called either Magnus or Darwin....it could look at me with those black, beady eyes and smug in the self knowledge that it will outlive me....

lol

That's more like it ya'll!

I too would be mortified if my child had an awful dress sense: I don't want her to be too conventional nor as 'non-conforming as can be' i.e. clone emo etc...I just want her to be naturally stylish like her daddy!

Yes, nightly bible study was an experience...

Annon....I love Germanic languages...I'm learning Swedish and love the affinities between the two languages. I would definately want my child to see Die Fledermaus auf Deutsche and read Goethe.

Bobby...bible study and dad helping me with algebra. I am now an atheist and awful at Maths (flunked it at GCSE).

Come on people! Share you ridiculous desires for you imanginary children! Come on.....

You're right...I onl use the fact that I am gay as a straight forward dissmisal for having children. Yeah...I could adopt but don't realy want to. I'm not that keen on children really - I want to be the cool uncle who buys great presents...not the father! So it is more 'don't want' than 'can't'!

I do love the dream of having a wonderfully intelligent and articulate child though that exceeds me in everything! But you're right..when you place pressure on children they crack...I wouldn't trust myself not to do that!!

I was inspired by a previous post (on babies) to start a (half serious) blog on children, academic expectations and the crushing weight parents place on children.

My 'hypothetical' child would have endless sessions of kumon maths to go to after school, a bit of ballet, colloquial french, german and spanish...and then once it hit say 12..we would move on to Lithuanian, Russian and Chinese. Since by that time I will (I hope) be fluent in Swedish she will have picked it up as given. As well as linguistic achievements she (it would be a she) would be excelling at school and have a active social life....I see a glittering career as a academic or diplomat....if she ever told me she wanted a 'gap year', 'time to think', or didn't want to go to robust university I would scream and disown her forthwith...

Hmmm....I don't think this would make for a happy child...I only did averagely well at school and I am still mono-lingual. I think my expectations on any child would cripple it. Just as well I can't have (and don't really want) any!

;-)

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!

Yay! It went really well! The food and company was yummy. And we are doing something next week too!...

.....in academic news...I attended a paper tonight and understood about 10% of the content!

Oh dear! As a first year student I find the thought of a collapsed social life scary!

It is always important to make time for friend and self. Hmmmaybe I won't be thinking that around the time of my literature review. Surely you should make at least one night a week free for friends?

Maybe these things come in fits and bursts?

yes...it is hard to concentrate when all you can think of is...*sigh*...

I'm off duty today...I'm currently printing off copies of wok to file under different note sections etc...I figure I can carry on pretend working for a bit and then do a few hours reading and then *presto* time for dinner!

Glad things are going well for you too!

Well I thought home made meatballs in a yummy pepper/mushroom/aubergine messy sauce would be cool, with garlic and chilli.....and lots of nice tactile spaghetti to get messy with... polished off with a nice homemade Swedish style apple crumble...made with oats and cinnamon...

I'm insulted that you thought Domino's was a viable option....everybody knows that Domino's is for the later (and more apathetic) dates when you have nothing to talk about and just want to flomp in front of a film !

Anyway, back to those research questions........research...questions....so many questions...

...yes, my crush and recent date, that's who!

....so betwix tidying the house tommorow and devising a menu (nouvelle cusine or homely and filling?) I should get PhD work done...

...indeed I must get PhD work done....this crush has eaten into my work time what with the constant 'will he', 'does he'....

Yay! I heartily reccomend Kittens advice!

I'm dressing as a Vampire tonight for my Halloween Date - I hope I get to suck his blood! lol

Abstract for forthcoming seminar:

Dr Christopher Rolinski

'Alcohol, Clean Clothes and Outrageous Flirting: Methodologies for Securing Romantic Interfaces in Contemporary Britain'

Thanks! I could do with a little romance to put a spring into my step! (to replace the current book heavy plod/stoop I've adopted of late)

I really 'sucked' in a supervison today - so I think a date at a Halloween party dressed as Count Dracula will be a great pick me up!

Good luck to all those who are also in the tenacious date stage!