It's been a while since I posted, the reason being that there's not much to tell really. So far, for 2011, I've done 4 applications for pupillage, swiftly followed by 4 straight rejections. Well, when I say straight, there was the usual Chambers balls-up letter, telling me that I had not succeeded past the first interview stage. Not surprising thought I, seeing as I wasn't invited to interview. Perhaps I should have requested interview feedback just to see what Chambers had to say about my absentee interview techniques:-)
My life is very busy at the minute as I've stumbled into (if any lovely Chambers are reading this, please replace 'stumbled' with 'painstakingly researched, planned and embarked upon') a new business venture. I have bought some posh furniture; furniture that's been sent out to customers and has gotten damaged in transit. I'm busy learning how to repair chips in wood and generally having a ball throwing myself into something new. The down side is that some of the pieces are very heavy and make me ache when I have to move them around. Yesterday I sold a really nice oak dresser that came to me with a couple of chips in the shelves. The buyer was a joiner and was impressed by my repair work and colour matching techniques. I didn't tell him that, exasperated by not being able to match the wood, I resorted to using black coffee and my kohl eye-liner pencil to get the desired graining match:-) I'm eagerly awaiting a delivery of shellac based waxes (I know what an anorak) and have a solder wand at hand to learn how to do more advanced repair work (large swear box is on order too and by Easter I should have enough pound coins amassed to afford a new Merc.).
Bar-Os has reached a bit of a plateau in his recovery from Cauda Equina Syndrome. His tail has a little movement (usually when pissed off with moi), his bum is firing on all cylinders, but his bladder is very weak and I have to wash off his pee soaked legs each evening when he comes into the stable. A few days ago, he'd managed to pee up his turnout rug, and I'm still trying to fathom out just how the heck he managed to do so, and can only assume that he got down to roll and the sprinkler system kicked in?
So, that's about the gist of it all really. Olpas opens in a short time and I shall try to make a decent job of the applications, but I've done so many that I now look at them with jaded eyes and think everything I write is either contrived or just plain crap.
On a brighter note, there's been no shooting near my paddock this year and the wild life is slowly starting to replenish. I have a woodpecker in the back garden, a beautiful, graceful barn owl and a fox in the paddock and have recently spotted a small herd of muntjac deer knocking about the fields near my paddock - they are tiny and incredibly cute.
9 comments:
Yay - great to see you're back to your blogging best. :-)
Your business venture sounds exciting and gives you the opportunity to exercise some of that creative flair of yours in a slightly different context. Do you wear a toolbelt and have a nice inch or so of ass-cleavage out for the world to see when you're bending over working on the furniture? (Sorry - I just *had* to ask!) :-)
Also glad to hear that bar-os is still doing all right (apart from his tinkling tenancies) and that the local wildlife are blooming. Have the firework troubles settled down now?
Good luck with the next round of applications :-)
Michael has already asked the obvious question re: tool belt/cleavage etc etc lol!
Hi Michael, You will be glad to hear that I'm working on the art of advanced bum cleavage, tea stained tee-shirt (bit difficult that one, as I only drink coffee), and doing that 'sucking air through teeth' sound that all tradesmen make when looking at work:-) No toolbelt yet, I just don't feel experienced enough to wear one, and alas I don't have the 'tools' to do the ball scratching either. Alas, I'm a amateur!
Ooh, a Freudian lawyerism slip Michael 'tinkling tenancies'. Made me laugh. Makes a nice change from assured shortholds me thinks.
As for the firework troubles - erm well, confession time I suppose; a compromise has been made. The fireworks have been moved to the other side of the hotel and I've had quite a bit of work thrown my way from the hotelier. He's a big bloke who likes to use his 6ft 4 height to intimidate and he caught me on a bad day a while back and I er pulled rank a bit on the legal front of things, dragged him into my kitchen and lost my patience/temper with him.
hehe - it was a bit of a Freudian slip there wasn't it?! Oh well! :-\
Glad to hear the fireworks have been (partially) relocated and Bar-os isn't being startled out of his wits by those loud bangs in the sky so much.
But it sounds suspiciously as though you've gone over to the dark side, collaborating with the hotelier! :p
My DEAR Maid!
While I am so very glad to see you posting again (I was quite worried about you y'know)I am sad to see that your application efforts have not resulted to date in any interviews but I have a feeling that we *cough* non- oxbridge* cough* candidates will have a good year given all the diversity debates presently bieng conducted by the bar. Keep going, you never know until you know! :)
I'm very glad too, to see that Bar-Os is picking up though he might want to have a word with Prof Cox re his ability to defy gravity and actually pee up his rug!!
I've been following your posts and find them really interesting! Sorry to hear that you didn't have any luck with Chambers....best of luck for the future.
Minxy & Thom - I have very much come to the conclusion that what will be will be with regard to pupillage. It'll either happen or it won't and in the meantime life goes on and it's not all that bad. I shall keep applying until I can apply no more.
Glad your enjoying the blog Thom.
And Minxy, yes, well maybe this year is the diversity tick box year and we mature aspirants will be in with a shout.
Bar Maid I'm loving that new business venture! :)
I agree with Thom - very interesting, and equally entertaining
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