Cool!

I am here! All alone in the middle of the UK night as usual. Hmmm...lonely.

Big hug for you from me, pea. I know from experience that a PhD can cause a lot of strain, even on a solid relationship. My boyfriend and I have been struggling lately too. After 9 years together, I am just really surprised that my PhD/writing up/unemployment has had such a huge impact on our relationship. I am just so tired of worrying and crying and some days I feel under so much pressure that I think I am going to implode.

Hope you can find a solution that makes you both happy in the long run, pea. Until then I am thinking of you.

Gosh, 404, you are so clever! I would have no idea how to make an icon. Wow. Hope we get to keep it and use it now.

I will be at mine with bells on - in August and I will have to wear a red and blue robe and a bonnet. I will get to enter the hall in the academic procession and will sit on the stage for the ceremony. The Chancellor will read the title of my thesis out and I will be so excited I hope I don't pee my pants!

I am like you Ann. I use the word "significant" as though I am statistically analysing everything in my life. Example (one I said to boyf the other night): "Gee, honey, increasing the concentration of cheese resulted in a significant increase in the flavour of the risotto, didn't it?". He just looked at me with one eyebrow raised!

Don't get me wrong, I love ODI matches as well. One of my favourite moments is from the mid 90s when Australia needed a 4 off the last ball to win a day-night match. Michael Bevan - a great ODI batsmen - did it perfectly - before the ball had even left the bowlers hand, MB (a hottie by the way) was already half way down the pitch! Great moment for me.

Obviously, you didn't see the final day of the Adelaide test. I watched every minute of it on telly and recall texting my friend, who was at the Adelaide Oval, to say "Anyone who claims Test cricket is boring should watch this match today". It was one of the greatest sporting moments I have ever seen...and it had little to do with the fact that the Aussies were winning...right up there with watching Port Adelaide Power win the Aussie Rules Football grand final for the first time, in 2004 at 6am in a pub in Paris.

Test cricket is a thinking game. All about strategy, patience and persistence. I guess if you don't like the mind games or prefer a faster pace, it is not for you then.

Special hi to you too, pea. Hope you have fun at the party as a chav chic - now that I have worked out what 'chav' means! - that is a new word for me. I have taken it upon myself to introduce it to Australia. We use the word 'bogan' instead.

I agree with Ann, pea.

I celebrate my 31st birthday next week and if I could still wear hot pants, I would...and twice on Sundays. Go as Wonder Woman for all the 31 year old women in the world who can't!

I love the way you are all keen to discuss cricket now. When Australia was giving England a good, honest belting in the Ashes, none of you said boo on the topic. There were no "exciting finish" comments when Australia made what can only be described as the most exciting finish in cricket history to win the second match in Adelaide. There were no "well impressed" comments on the 5-0 result for the Aussies. Tee hee.

I will state the bleeding obvious and say Australia.

Hey, Coastman...