So in general I don't find studying plagues to be too depressing but today I am writing a thesis chapter that deals with some really heavy stuff that's getting to me and I'm finding it hard to write. So if anyone knows any silly jokes please nows the time to post them!

I have some tradies in the house today, and I've just walked upstairs to find two of them giving Gwyn a belly rub and Gwyn lying flat on his back, loving life. Was so funny. He's such a little belly rub slut and I love how friendly he is.

That is usually my ethos, too, but it's hard with this one. Still, I know that once I get it out with you guys, I'll forget about it in a day or two. I do appreciate the support here. It's why I felt comfortable posting it.

I suppose I am just getting it out of my system chatting to you guys. I don't want to get too worried cause it seems ridiculous for something not confirmed yet, but it's hard not to think worst case.

I have been really struggling with my health at the moment, more than usual, with my autoimmune disease. Yesterday my specialist mentioned there is a possibility that I have a very serious side effect of my autoimmune disease. This is the sort of serious complication that has a 5-year mortality of 30-50%, so it is pretty nasty. It is about as bad as it gets with this particular disease. Now I have to go off for further tests and wait about a month to hear. I am trying not to overthink, but then also, surely they wouldn't have bought up something so nasty unless they were fairly certain, right? I really don't know what to think about it all, and since I have decided to keep it to myself unless it's confirmed, I am going to vent to you guys.

Took all three cats to the Vet yesterday for their shots. They always feel a little sick after their shots, especially Gwyn he gets really unwell from them. So now today I have three moppy and sad cats who all want love.

Che disastro, my street is blocked off for the next month for tram works, and the council promised I would still have access to my driveway. The construction company has decided no we won't have access. So now the council is pissed, and I have one car stuck in the carport and one car that can't get back in, and I don't have permits to street park. All a complete cluster fuck, but at least the council are actually being really proactive about finding a solution for me.

So this is like the world's biggest first world problem, but it is a pet peeve of mine that Grammarly can be so impressive and yet it fails to register a quote in my work, even when using quotation marks. It constantly annoys me that it keeps trying to correct grammar errors in quotes. Is slowly driving me insane the more I write.

Omg today has been an amazing day for my PhD research. I am in the process of organising all my data from the archive trips last year and really analysing it. Long story short, without doxxing my topic, I think, as of today, I have enough data to prove my research question with very little shadow of a doubt!

So, the rabbit hole was achieved. Turns out Venetian blinds, like so many Venetian 'inventions', were invented elsewhere but perfected and mass distributed in Venice. In the case of the blinds, Venetian merchants found them in Persia and took the design back to Venice. Due to its large maritime trade and fabrication capabilities, they were able to ship the design around the world, where it became especially popular in the early USA. It is actually really common for this to happen in Venice because of the maritime trade; they travelled to parts of the world other Europeans hadn't. In Venetian history, it is really common to find an idea in other parts of the world and then take the idea back to Venice, where it was changed into a more producible item and sold all over the world through their huge trade output. This is actually how many popular European foods entered into general usage throughout Italy and Europe. The Venetians perfected taking small ideas from around the world and perfecting and, more importantly, commercialising them; Venetian blinds are another example of that. Sorry for the rant, I love Venetian history (obviously).

My sister and her husband are currently overseas with their 5 month old and omg listening to what they had to prepare for the travel was exhausting to listen too. Never realised before just how much you have to plan when flying with a baby.

Someone yesterday kindly informed me that the really good daily thread had moved here so here I am! Hi everyone. In other news for the fourth day in a row, I don't think I will be able to leave my study or house. Way to many PhD things to do right now.