Waiting for the beginning

Let's keep this short and sharp as I'm not feeling overly positive about my PhD today.

I'm struggling to maintain concentration, am easily distracted by email, Twitter, and this blog...

Both my supervisors are away and I desperately need help learning basic lab techniques before I can actually do anything. I'm too scared to ask my other advisor, who appears bored and irritated by my basic questions.

I don't know anything about my project and feel so totally overwhelmed when I try and 'read up on the topic'.

"Just read 10 papers and make notes, then you'll feel better," says PT.

Hilarious. I've read one paper in the last 10 days and somehow have to give a presentation to the lab next week about what I've achieved so far.

I haven't even started yet...