Are you feeling more positive now Eska? Have you thought about going to help out in a kids hospital wing or something (Sneaks shudders at the idea of children) or maybe nursing some ickle puppies at a pet rescue centre?

hmm yes, i think I have become less introverted over the years. Maybe its just laziness - I literally can't be bothered with making small talk with people, and having to get to and travel back from a party, find something to wear that is right - the whole thing just seems like too much effort. Also my hubby is doing 9-5 and he used to be a PhD student so we used to hang around at home all day, and now I have to grab moments with him. So would rather stay in and watch telly - I'm getting soo old haha

Teek - I will actually enjoy new year - I am a profound introvert and therefore would much rather spend it in front of tv than being grumpy in the corner of a party. The worst thing with new years parties are that you can't go home before midnight!

urgh, the sore throat I had about 3 hours ago has super morphed into an evil cold. I have done one of the three transcriptions and have done loads of stupid non-phd admin that people keep emailing me about.

ooh good luck on the new year do, I have a fab night of doing my PhD planned.

well its not the daily mail which I hate - I live with someone who reads that and the stuff they spout is ridiculous! To be honest, I don't ever buy a copy of the guardian cos I'm skint :$

Eska, you are more than welcome at mine - I'm deadly serious (I won't kill you though). I am having to go to my mother in law who is inviting family and about 10 of her friends - which I find a bit odd. So any distraction from 3 annoying kids and loads of mid life crisis city boys would be brilliant - its in London. You could teach me how films at xmas evoke a sense of sleepiness.

hmm I'm disappointed at the lack of an option purely to eat cake - that would be what I would do (as Sneaks rolls down to the fridge for her 20th mince pie (mince)(mince)(mince)(mince) )

hmm, not sure if that is taking the piss out of the tree - I mean trees had to be cut down to make the paper the tree is made out of, so they are literally mocking the tree - poor tree!

I think this stuff is fine, as long as people don't get paid for it cos its basically messing about - urgh I'm dangerously close to daily mail territory.

**Sneaks runs and hides under The Guardian for some perspective**

although my condition pales in significance to Bilbo's I do have chronic pain and a degenerative spine condition. I get along ok, but find it very difficult to get into uni sometimes and fear that many people's perceptions are "she's moaning about her fake back condition again" cos I'm not the sort to break down in tears with the pain - so I walk in smiling (and upright lol - which is VERY painful). So I find it difficult to be seen as legitimately ill in that sense.

I think that stress does make it worse so I go into a vicious circle at times and have to slap myself out of it! However, I do use it to justify the herman miller chair I am about to buy and my lovely tempur mattress :-) and a turkey for good luck (turkey)

oh I could watch that all day. Although now I have the tetris song in my head.. doo dee do de doo doo

i really don't enjoy my subject, I could take it or leave it. But when i go to conferences I pretend "oh wasn't that talk on xxx fascinating!" but that's only because everyone else talks like that and I end up thinking, do they really enjoy this stuff or are we all pretending?

I think cobweb is right - its best to get on straight away, don't leave it until the weekend, otherwise it will be like starting a diet "I'll start on Monday" and it never happens. Write the list TODAY!

its a learning process and now you have learnt from it. Your sup was unprofessional, you need to leave it all behind you now. I reckon start with your list and join one of the many accountability threads - mine is particularly amazing. When you have to see your supervisor remain professional, stick to strict goals for the meeting and don't get pulled into silly games

it does look a bit cross stitch. But I'm sure that's coming back in in a kinda retro way 8-)