"At the beginning of 2010 I came across my diary from last year. I had a quick flick through and was hit with the realisation of exactly how much my life has changed since January ’09. My diary is littered with words like ‘Golden Globes’, ‘Baftas’, ‘Brits’ and ‘The Oscars’ – all of which my working life revolved around...

Fast forward a year and my January is barren. The pages are a wasteland of days and dates and woefully empty pages. My poor, poor moleskin must have been sobbing into its perfectly intact spine at such a pitiful sight..."

Tuesday 16 March 2010

You Take The High Road...

CLAIRE MARTIN SAYS:

This time last year I was bogged down in the hideousness that was the Diploma in Legal Practice, an academic hoop I had to jump through en route to becoming a solicitor. The group work was done in made up "Firms" and the only thing that kept me going was my excellent Firmees (including honorary Firmee) and endless shared home baking. In the middle of exam revision or coursework deadlines one of my Firmees used to say "Just imagine the day when you can go to the Mustard Seed for lunch..."
So there I was today, at a farewell lunch for my boss, looking out on to the River Ness, blue skies, snow on the hills in the background... We were discussing who was going to drive to Portree to cover the Court next Monday; as if getting paid to drive to the Isle of Skye is somehow drawing the short straw in the office.
Hubby and I came up to Inverness last year for Valentine's Day, drove up to Cairngorm Mountain en route and said: "Just think, this time next year we could nip down here and go skiing for the day..." And then for Valentine's Day this year, we did just that - criss crossing our way down the mountain over dazzling white snow looking down to the shimmering loch below.
So, the "I think I'll become a lawyer and move to the Highlands", which seemed so completely bonkers to most folk who know me, is taking shape.
Still need to work on the property front - haven't yet got the wee cottage and garden, or the vegetable patch, or a job for hubby (apart from househusband, potter and veg grower - not completely viable in these precarious economic times), but hopefully that will all work itself out somehow.
Got a letter from my Aunt in London recently saying "from here the cold of Scotland seems more glamorous, cleaner and sharper. Is that how you see it? Or is it just grey and miserable too?" I'm afraid to say that it is fabulous up here! And even getting cut off by road and rail hasn't made me hate the snow...

1 comment:

  1. Legal eh?

    Through necessity, I learned a lot about Japanese law over the past 5 years. During my learnings (not a word, I know), I discovered the bullshit wiping joy of legality. Nothing quite like throwing legal precedence at someone, who knows exactly what is being thrown at them.

    :)

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