Oh God, Boursin I can't actually buy, I'll just eat the whole thing! Goats cheese grilled on toast with a little honey and rosemary is amazing. And La Rustique camembert is a smelly temptation I cannot resist. My favorite cheddar just now is the Orkney one -Mmmmm. Argh, I must be more healthy!

Well done both of you! I'm painfully far from your stage (in work if not time - bad combination!) but thought I'd stop by to wish you luck anyway :-)

======= Date Modified 16 Mar 2010 14:47:28 =======
Aspartame is a sweetner bug, there's been a few scare stories over most of them at some point but as far as I know there's no conclusive evidence (probably aren't great for you but let's face, what isn't there a scare story about these days?) certainly it's perfectly legal in foodstuffs. As for cow's milk, some degree of lactose intolerance is common, but the majority of us in the west have evolved to pump out lifelong lactase (the enzyme which breaks it down) and actually handle it pretty well. With no symptoms of intolerance and a family history of osteoporosis I won't be giving up my cow juice any time soon!
As for encouraging fat cells - haven't heard that one but I had heard opposite evidence linking dairy intake with weight loss. Personally I reckon it's all a bit of a red herring touted by pro- and anti-dairy groups, a more logical study in the AJCN found no association either way.

Sneaks, well done on the fruit and veg! I got my quota yesterday as well, decided wheetos for dinner were fine if I put a banana on top :p

Bug - I'm so glad you got a nice doctor at last, I wish the crap ones understood how much difference a kind attitude can make. Enjoy your time at home, rest up properly. And well done on the yoga and breathing, I failed to do mine yesterday but you've given me renewed ambition.

I wish I could enjoy maths rather than being intimidated by it, I totally get why it should feel like "playing". It was my favorite subject when I was little, then I had a truly horrid teacher and became afraid of numbers.

Total word count so far is 17,345 - even allowing for the cutting I did that means I've written ~6000 words in a month - that is seriously too slow. I have got a lot of pictures though....pretty pictures (sprout) Still, on the plus side the first three chapters are nearly ready to send to my sup for red-penning, so at least it'll feel like I'm making some progress.

Now if the man from Everest windows would finish up and leave (he's currently sitting opposite me working out the dimensions of our new door) then I might actually settle to my work.

Glad to hear that that weight's off you and you're feeling like yourself again Angel, I think you're spot on about it being braver to walk away. And well done to your son for affirming your decision, kids can sometimes sum things up rather neatly can't they? Hope everything goes well with the job search!

Oh sneaks, that is shameful! That said, the last two night's out I've partaken of have involved mandatory dancing to at least one Glee track. It makes me feel a little unclean but I liked it.

@Cakeman - are you related to cakegirl in any way?

Hi Jacob
I'd say working for a professor is a good start, and should help get you names or contacts. It might be worth speaking to academics on your course to see if anyone needs an RA over the summer so you can do some actual research.

I don't think you're being pathetic but I would definiely send a card. I think we're all so afraid of over-stepping the mark or infringing people's privacy that we're often in danger of seeming cold. At times like this every reminder that people care is welcome, in some ways even more so when it comes from an unexpected source.

======= Date Modified 15 Mar 2010 15:01:34 =======
Oh, good one Sascha! Have to steal it back off my husband ;-)

Last night I took a break from my stressing and popped to the shop (I needed whipping cream for irish coffees - an essential trip, obviously), while in there I found myself forgetting my stress and bopping down the aisle to a bit of classic nineties music. So my new and highly scientific theory, is that I can regulate my mood through self-imposed music therapy. My current prescription is one capsule of Mark Ronson, followed a spoonful of the David Bowie.

What should I play after that, and what are you listening to right now?

Poor you! Toothache is truly horrid. I take it there isn't an emergency service that can see you today if you're in pain?

As for managing, are you just taking ibuprofen? When my tooth was bad I took Paramol (paracetamol plus dihydrocodeine - strongest OTC painkiller and very good) and ibuprofen round the clock. Clove oil can be good too, or as a last resort, hold some strong alcohol (whisky's good) in your mouth to numb the sore area.

Sorry to hear that Emma, how rubbish! Don't feel it reflacts badly on you or your proposal though, the fact is there are just so many applications for every scrap of funding just now, lots of perfectly viable projects will be getting turned down. I know that doesn't change the situation, it's still very crap. Fingers crossed for you for that scholarship.

Went for a run yesterday with some friends and family, had a minor panick attack which meant I couldn't breath part the way through, but otherwise it was good to get out. Today however my legs are wrecked! I know it's been a week since I last ran but seriously, I feel as if I've been hit by a truck. Today I'm going to eat lots of fruit and do some yoga.

Poor you Bug :-( It makes me so angry, if GPs were this negligent over a physical condition causing that level of distress there'd be an outcry. Is there a university counselling service that you could access? CBT or relaxation classes can be effective for anxiety and you can often get them a lot quicker through uni than a GP. These things aren't as quick as a prescription for benzos, but they're also a lot less addictive.