Under Extreme Conditions, PhD Students Will Do Work

N: Oh no! Youtube is down :-(
T: Haha... What are you going to do now?
N: I don't know... I guess I should go back to writing...

Life with a Daycare Downstairs

My mom runs a daycare in our groundfloor basement. In case your mom was thinking about doing this, here are the top five and bottom five things about having a daycare downstairs.

Plus #1: Just going downstairs, you can see cute kids.

Minus #1: Just going downstairs, you can smell stinky kids.

Plus #2: When you leave, they all yell, "Bye Anthony," and you feel good that you have made a good, strong impression.

Minus #2: When your brother leaves, they all yell, "Bye Anthony," and you suddenly realize that maybe you haven't made as strong impression as you thought.

Plus #3: If you forgot to set your alarm, someone rings the doorbell at 8:30am to wake you up.

Minus #3: When you want to sleep in, someone rings that doorbell at 8:30am to wake you up.

Plus #4: If you're my mom, your lawn is always well-kept.

Minus #4: If you're me, you have to mow the lawn all the time, or you get to hear my mom complaining that, "The kids are tripping on the grass again."

Plus #5: When parents see you, your mom beams proudly when they say to her, "Wow, you look amazing for your age!"

Minus #5: When parents see you, you feel old when they say to her, "Wow, I can't believe he's your son. He's so old!"

As you can see, there are all sorts of tradeoffs. Figure out what's important to you to help you make your decision.

"Fat Pants": Some things change, some things don't

When I was younger and I bought big clothes, I hoped I would grow into my them.

Now when I buy big clothes, I hope I don't grow into them.

One thing that hasn't changed: I always seem to grow into them.

Seeing C's Inner Princess

Today, we were attending a farewell dim sum with for Joe at a super-expensive restaurant in a 5-star-like setting. At our table, we struck up an interesting conversation with another couple that had done some significant travel in South-East Asia. Early on, the conversation sounded something like this:

C: I think I should travel there soon before I get too used to creature comforts.
T: It's too late for you already.
Girl: Don't listen to him, girl! You go wherever you want to go! You go girl!

So basically, the couple was siding with C early on. But as the girl continued to share harrowing tales of monstrous bed bugs, used up tubes of after-bite, and Morroccan attacks with C cringing with every tale, the boy slowly began to see what I already knew:

Boy: Yeah, I don't know... maybe you should go very soon.

Toward the end of the meal, C went to the posh restaurant's washroom. Seeing an opportunity for some humour, I asked:

T: So, how was the washroom?
C: Ugh, it was terrible!
Girl: Actually, you should go RIGHT NOW. I don't think you should even wait until you get home. You should book your flight NOW.

Planning ahead

C: Remember when you asked me if I was a gold-digger?
T: Well, who's not to say that you're not?
C: You're a student. If I was a gold-digger, then I'd date someone with real money.
T: Maybe you were planning ahead. If all goes well, I'll be rich in a few dozen years, and have a solid steady income courtesy of tenure.
C: ...
T: Or, maybe you're just a really bad gold digger.

Still learning after eight years

T: Hey, come this way -- it's faster.
C: I can't step in that mud!
T: Oooh, so you're a princess now.
C: I've always been a princess. I've just been slumming it by being with you for the past eight years.