Be well, Anne.

Looking cross-eyed at Hil's ankle. Ankle, do yourself a favor and let the woman sleep. It's better for both of you this way.

My face is flush. For lack of a better phrase, I'm being head hunted for a gig back in CA.

Yeah, baby! I'm so happy for you.

And {{Hil}}. I'm sorry you're going through all of this, for such a long time now - both the pain and the advisor. I wish you happy things, if only for the sake of balance.

Thanks for the support, WindSparrow. I went "ARGHHHH!" on Facebook, and some people gave me some good advice. I just have to plough on and hope very much that my crappy body gives me enough working time to finish the dissertation, I think. I spent most of yesterday evening in floods of tears, and there was no Girl to comfort with cups of tea (she has gone to Israel), so I'm a bit 'meh' this morning. Going to borrowed-uni's library to see if being out and about persuades my body to stay upright, at least.

Hil, I can relate to stress. I hope it's getting better, at least. Is there someone other than your advisor who can write the letter of recommendation? Someone for whose course you've TA'd, or similar? Less-pain~ma for you, too. Have you been able to sort out the codeine/pain management situation with a doctor yet?

In the UK, a law has just been passed stating that the second same-sex parent can be named as co-parent, instead of a father, on a child's birth certificate. This is reassuring, as The Girl is likely to be birth mother if/when we have any children, and I worry about my legal status. All the same, this hasn't been tested through the courts. I hope it doesn't get challenged in cases of divorce etc.

omnis, wishing you very good luck getting the gig you can't talk about!

Toast.

I am so sick of people assuming I can always manage inaccessible venues - which gets them off the hook from having to arrange accessible ones - because I sometimes use crutches. My church is holding confirmation classes in a venue with what the priest says has "a few shallow steps". Well, doesn't that get him out of having to think about access? (I don't think he realises that this is going to go into my research into churches and disability.) It means that the burden moves onto me - the burden of finding accessible parking near enough that I can walk in, the coping with steps, the sitting on unsuitable chairs in pain for an hour and a half...

This isn't right. Society creates disabling situations, and that means people need to think about things like access - it's not all my responsibility. I've e-mailed the priest to say I'm 'worried' about access. I could have been stronger, but I'm British and passive-aggressive. (Wish I'd inherited more Irish character for these situations.)

I've e-mailed the priest to say I'm 'worried' about access. I could have been stronger, but I'm British and passive-aggressive. (Wish I'd inherited more Irish character for these situations.)

Oh no, we Irish wouldn't do anything about it except be incredibly polite to all the dickweeds then complain loudly and bitterly with many swear words in the pub later. We like to complain, but not in a way that actually gets anything done.

Incidentally, I've just about settled into the job/life etc. here, so if you're free ever for a pint or a cuppa...

Jars ~ Heh. Is probably true. The Irish rant so much more effectively, though. Or, at least, more loudly.

And pint/cuppa would be fab! Are you London-based?

Dear self,

Please try to remember for next time that the combination of off-white pants with rain is problematical. However, cheers for the not freaking out about it today.

Love,
Me

Raining there too, Shir? Huh. (I have soaked trousers. I need to remember to wear the shorter ones when I'm walking. Wheelchair-length trousers + the walk from the car to the library + torrential rain = wet.)

Yeah! Rain! First real rains of the year! Whoooooo!

And pint/cuppa would be fab! Are you London-based?

Yup! Working nearish to Old Street station and living in the ghettoLeyton.

And it's clearing up now where I am least! Twas pissing down all morning though.