I am currently sitting and watching the red light, which means it is charging...how long do you think it will take before i can fully assume that its ok??

Think i really need a lunchtime walk today to re-settle myself!

Thanks for the support!

Well i have duly sent you a virtual hug! Not quite the same thing as a real hug, but the sentiment is there!

Today i had to help out my mam - she had to go up to the shops so i brought my laptop downstairs to work while the 2 year old she looks after watched tv. Except she likes to listen to music on headphones if she sees somebody with them - she mistook my laptop charger for headphones and asked to "listen to the music" so i tried to explain that it was actually a plug - to no avail, but once she had her hands on it she would not let go - insisting it was 'hers'. So, i decided to go for the easy life and left her with it for a while. Except she also likes to put things in her mouth....and guess what - my laptop charger is not working properly now! Its a macbook pro (with a nice magnetic connection between the charger and laptop). I have been advised to dry it out in a warm place - to try to dry it with hair dryer. My data is backed up, i can go into college to borrow a spare, if needed - hopefully the worst thing that will happen is that a new charger is needed (at 96 euro a pop!) and hopefully the connection is ok. However, my great plan is to finish by next tuesday / wednesday and i really could do without this. And weirdly, people enquiring and trying to help is not making me feel any better - it is making me more annoyed!!

And yes, i know its my fault for giving the child the charger in the first place...

But, consider yourself warned!!!

Today has not been a waste because....
- i bought presents for my sisters birthday which is tomorrow (it would just be rude if i hadn't!)
- i met my supervisor and got some more feedback (although mostly formatting still)
- i can now plan the rest of my time towards a finish date of next tuesday / wednesday
- i can make the final list of things to do!
- most importantly, there really is a light at the end of the tunnel

Today has not been a waste because I...
- needed to re-organise my thoughts and figure out a plan from the work meeting we had last week
- sorted out all my luggage and things from the overseas work meeting last week
- have my thoughts together on one little section of the introduction which i should be able to write this evening
- decided that this thesis writing MUST END SOON!!!!

Sorry, but i do need a wee moan. I'm on a work/PhD related trip, giving presentations on my thesis - although i have yet to finish the thesis (industry funded work, so explaining the results to them - a very good thing). I asked for a job, and while i have not heard a definite no, the boss said after my talk that it was the last time to ask questions. Plus i think with restructuring of the company, they have to let 30% of the current staff go. So, it is looking very unlikely. Oh and the boss asked what the take home message from my work was for them - i couldn't really answer it, cause i hadn't really thought too much about it (seriously, trying to write a thesis here - cant he figure some things out for himself??). Also just basically think i am actually not all that great at this whole thing - either academia or industry -wise. Plus, i have gone way past the point of caring about the results or the work. I just need a rest.

But, my plan is to go spend a few days with a friend over here. And there was a possibility of maybe something a bit interesting happening between us - although far from anything concrete. Except today, i was talking to this girl who used to work with me here, and even when i was here i thought she was a "wagon" to use an Irish term (any time i was really angry or upset, she was usually the cause) - she told me today that there might be something going between her and him. I think there is about a 10 year age gap between them - of 30-odd to 20-odd. Little wagon.... I just hope it doesnt become awkward, i just want a nice rest!!

And finally i also found out today that a lady who used to work in the department here died last month in a car accident. Which makes me sad, she was really lovely, her husband is really lovely and they have two young children. A lesson to us all to value each day and all of our loved ones.

So, to all of us, breathe in and out, rant if you need to, but move onwards and upwards. Don't let the b******ds drag you down!

Thank you Ev, i needed that. And i feel better knowing i've shared it and can move on tomorrow with a positive attitude.

I would like to hope that any good medical doctor won't initally simply prescribe beta blockers or anti-anxiety medication without first (and possibly at the same time) trying to figure out, and deal with the basis of the anxiety. Because it does not solve the problem. I spent a great deal of time in college in a state of great anxiety with associated panic attacks - it can be dealt with.

You are not on your own with this one - i spent most of this week sitting at my desk, feeling depressed, not doing much (except looking up trashy celebrity gossip online) even though i am far past the point of needing to be finished. For example, i have to finish one more section for the intro - and it just was not happening last week. I have to prepare a presentation for next week, and i have spent about an hour...looking at trashy celebrity gossip sites (check out the fairytale-like pictures of the wedding of the crown princess of sweden).

So, this is what we're going to do - we're going to follow the advice given here - make a list, have the breaks we still need day to day, and enjoy that satisfaction of ticking things off when they are done. Its not going to be a load of fun - but we can do it! Just focus for small portions of time (i use the pomodoros / my tomoatoes thing - but regularly modify the times if i feel like i will never make it to 25 minutes). Get at it, because every little thing we do today will contribute something towards the "final" product.

Good luck!

Yikes - not a small task you had to undertake then! But, its fixed now - sorry i was of no help whatsoever!

Life is way too short to be worrying about these sort of things. You should be able to fix the offending reference in word, correct? And presumably you dont have to submit a digital version, so fix the dodgy reference, save and print. And remember that you have to fix it every time you want to print it. Yes, its probably a setting in endnote somewhere - but its only a little problem.

hope this helps a little, and hope i understood the situtation properly!

Honestly- your supervisor chose to read her emails. In a normal world she would have no right to be annoyed or angry about you emailing her a query - its her job?!? But, in crazy PhD land you have to suck it up and apologise for intruding! On the positive side, at least she replies to your emails, mine will either reply immediately (if it is an easy query and he happens to be sitting at his computer) or will never reply and you will have to chase him down...

I appear to live in a parallel universe to you, 404 - i feel like my nails are growing scarily fast! Although my PhD was lab-based, so not wearing gloves for 8 hours a day helps a bit!

Ok, i admit i don't watch much Dr Who - but i did love David Tennant! However, my vote is for equality - female Dr Who all the way!!

Are we talking a whole other department? Or a similar topic in the same research area? Because the latter is not that unusual - in the lab-based sciences anyway. And sometimes a change of direction happens during a project too. Maybe speak to your supervisor to discuss the changes, and the reasons for them? They may be choosing something that is better for you in the long run!

I am prepared to admit publicly that i love stationery - so some FindAPhD pens and post it notes would really make me happy...who do we petition???