Countdown to Christmas 2021 (thread 7): The One with The Twitch!

[ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy]

Here we go! From deepest, darkest, somewhere bloody dark! Apparently near Manchester. Maybe!

Ah, sounds like my FWR being rejected, with the insistence that they were actually family-friendly, as they'd rearranged my PSC for me, just couldn't accommodate me in this instance (for non-lawyers, this is a compulsory course you have to do during your training contract, which your TC employer has to pay for, which I couldn't do with everyone else as I was having my fucking baby when they did it). I mean, utter bollocks!

Firefly, if you want to jump ship, my offer still stands for passing your details to my HR dept. We have a number of PT/flexi, but 30+ hours, workers who were given those hours from the get go.

Sorry your DD is still unwell. 😢

I need to hunt the Christmas pyjamas down. That's tomorrow's job as I'm not getting out and about so much then (I've done 20k+ steps today!). DH thinks they're in the drawer. I'll have a better idea what I need to buy during my Next sale slot tomorrow afternoon once I've been through the wardrobes!

Thanks, Fluffy.

I get to appeal, though I don't expect much to come from that, then I think I'm going to try and stick it out for a bit before I make a decision.

That way, I'll have the option to go back to PI, or to stick with property litigation. I'm happy with the status quo at the moment, but once the kids are older I want to progress my career.

I shadowed the coroner for a few weeks when I was between jobs after DS, which I enjoyed, so I might look at what route I would need to take to get there. Only thing is, there's not many opportunities come up - there's only a limited number of roles in each city, and I wouldn't want to move away!

I fancied moving into the Coroner's office too...jobs are like rocking horse shit though! I'm pretty sure you just need to be 5 PQE to apply, though I'd think the more large loss / fatality experience you have, the better.

I'm at an impasse as to where to go as I don't want to do management, but don't 'just' want to be a solicitor. I'd quite like a tech lead-type role, and I'm hoping they'll create one for me in time. 🤞

Good luck with the appeal. I appealed and managed to get my secondment moved, so I went from mat leave to secondment to mat leave, which made it easier for the gap between babies. That was it though!

Firefly your poor DD. Hopefully she'll start feeling better soon.
Do you have much left to do for the big day?

What flexible working have you requested? Are they being awkward about the amount of hours or the specific days etc you've asked for?

Job with the coroner sounds very interesting (when I started in insurance claims a million years ago I was answering the phones and used to follow up some of the more interesting ones. I spent a fair amount of time speaking to the specialist teams that dealt with high value and fatality cases). Sounds morbid but I liked the level of detail.

What does a tech lead type job entail Fluffy?

I'm still fighting off imposter syndrome and a feeling that I'm in over my head in my job which shouldn't be the case 15 months in so I'm not keen to move anywhere for a while, although I am tentatively hoping for a small promotion at some point next year maybe

Crazy, it's like tech support for other fee earners, so if they aren't sure about the law / liability / value etc, I can help them (either by providing the answer or telling them where to find it). I deal with an area of law which can be quite complex (and you need a certain, analytical, kind of brain to get it), so inexperienced people can need a fair amount of help. I like sharing knowledge with people, so that kind of thing appeals to me.

I've had a knackering day...I've done 22k steps! School run, then we went to the allotment to finish the wood chippings (and feed the birdies), then home. DH drove me to his parents' house (where he works), and I walked into town to pick up some pill, then do a bit of shopping, before walking the 2.5-ish miles home. I then got the scrubbing brush out and scrubbed the bathroom floor with bleach, as it seems to attract muck, then it was back to school via the pub! to get the kids. I've been sitting on my arse since. Thank god!

Tomorrow it's just dusting, tidying and finding the Christmas pyjamas / sorting the kids' wardrobes out.

So you'd be like a human law library Fluffy? Sounds interesting and challenging which is a great combination!
Are you able to say which area of law you're in at the mo?

I wrote a Christmas to do list after reading your post - I have neighbour cards to write (only 5 of them), a last tidy up of the spare room and put the presents for my family into a big Santa sack (can't do that too early as the wrapping will be ruined), put the brushed cotton bedding on and a bit of last minute tidying. No mare than 2 hours worth of jobs max.
DH has more jobs (delivering cards to some local family, doing the final food shop and the last clean through) but he has nothing else to do so it's fair.

I'm in bed but can't switch my brain off so Im watching a CCF (Snowed Inn Christmas) and hoping for sleep.

Yes, human law library is a great job title way to look at it. I practise employers' / occupiers' / public liability personal injury claims. It involves lots of document analysis to see if liability could attach.

After tomorrow it's birthday prep / celebration for DH, then back to Christmas on Friday!

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Sooooooo close! 🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻

Sainsbury's delivery today...I put tuna pate on it as a change from salmon pate. Guess what my one and only sub is?!

Crazy-I am still fighting imposter syndrome after a few years in my job but I am now completing a qualification for validation which I am hoping will help.
Fluffy being a human library sounds like an amazing role!
My list of jobs for today has been amended as Sainsbury's substituted ale for dry cider so I need to go shopping before I can put the red cabbage in the the slow cooker. I had wanted to avoid grocery shopping today as I will do my fresh veg and bits shop on Thursday. I had planned a cooking day: cranberry and clementine relish, chilli jam, icing the main cake and maybe some gingerbread!
Plus tidying the spare room and continuing wrapping.

Your job sounds interesting already Fluffy but imagine being able to say "my jobs a bit tricky to explain - I'm essentially a human law library" to people

Constantly imposter syndrome is annoying isn't it?
I remember talking to an old manager of mine about it because I wanted to apply for a job (the one I've got now) but didn't meet all the criteria. He was so confused - apparently he'd had similar conversations with his wife and he couldn't understand how people he knew to be capable were so unsure of themselves.
I will always remember him saying he'd never known a man have these worries and 'it's probably something to do with patriarchy but I can't talk politics with you. Just apply, put me as your reference. You smash the interview and I'll tell them how great you are.'
He was lovely, I miss working with him.

I've done my one meeting today while wearing a Christmas jumper which has apparently inspired my team to go and put them on too
Need to put some Christmas music on, get my head down and do some boring tasks now

It is really interesting, not least because people don't half find some weird and wonderful ways to injure themselves! 🙈🤣

I need to get off the glider chair in DS' room and assess if he needs any new clothes, as I have a Next sale slot at 3pm!

I am wearing my Christmas jumper when I am in on Christmas day afternoon Crazy. It has to be done.

Accidents at work were always the ones I enjoyed the most, Fluffy, as each case is so different. They're also the ones I fought hardest on - nobody should go to work and either not come home, or come home with a life changing injury!

I had one case which we lost at first instance, and on appeal. It ended up in the Court of Appeal and we won, all to do with adequacy of PPE. It was really interesting!

I do also have very in-depth knowledge of some very obscure jobs 🤣

Crazy I can't find DS's Santa present, nothing is wrapped, nothing is cleaned (or wasn't until about 3pm this afternoon when it was like a switch flicked in DD and she went back to playing like normal instead of whinging whenever she wasn't limpet clinging to me! I managed to clean the fridge ready for the Christmas food delivery on Thursday), it's stressing me out! It'll be fine, I'm sure, just not where I wanted to be 🤷

I learned about building a fridge the other day, Firefly! It's funny how jobs can look baffling on paper, but speaking to the client means it all makes sense!

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Sooooo close. The kids are being a total nightmare due to excitement. And somehow I've agreed to suffer the cinema with them later on. I must be insane!

I need to make DH's birthday cake today. Carrot cake at his request.

Well the spare room is ready and presents wrapped for people who so be in the house on Christmas Day which is the biggest job! Everything left is doable - just fingers crossed I can find a stuffed salmon at Sainsbury's!

Did you know you can check stock for Sainsbury's online?

It sounds like you're almost ready though.

fluffy How's the cake? And, forgive me, but what is in carrot cake other than "cake" and carrot...? I've always wondered but stick to coffee n walnut or choc.

Constantly well done. Put your feet up and have a (or )

Here's the recipe. I didn't add nuts as the kids wouldn't eat it (DD may not bother still even without).

Photo attached!

Puss carrot cake is amazing. Although, that's probably mostly due to the cream cheese topping... 😋

DD is much brighter today, so I've left her with the childminder (she's still settling in there!) and DS and I have run some errands; been to the fruit market, dropped off some Christmas presents, looked after DN for about an hour (we picked him up from DM's, he fell asleep in the car and was still sleeping when I put back in the car seat for my sister to take him home - he's going to be very confused when he wakes up!!) And when I asked him what he wanted to do with me all to himself... We're playing Minecraft 😂 and eating dairyfree chocolate buttons.

I'm planning to put on CCFs tonight and get the majority of the wrapping done! Stockings are all sorted, at least. Christmas shop comes tomorrow. Fridge is clean and sorted, ready.

I need to make gravy and Yorkshire Puddings, probably tomorrow night, and then (barring a crisis) I'm as ready as I'm going to be!

I honestly didn't know carrot cake had fruit and nuts in it! 🤯

I am finished now for Christmas
DH is still rough though , Bless Him

Last minute shopping tomorrow then some baking - chocolate brownies and a batch of chocolate chip cookies

Carrot cake is lush , I put whole cloves in the blender with salt and some flour and blitz to powder then sieve . No cream cheese though

DD likes banana bread (Mary Berry recipe is lush)

I don't like bananas. Pretty much the only fruit I won't eat.

I use bananas when I'm baking for two reasons - 1. It's healthier generally and 2. It's even healthier for me because I won't eat it if it has banana in 😂

What do you top yours with, 70?

Oh dear I may end up being thrown off the thread - I don't eat banana bread or carrot cake. I'm very boring - give me a Victoria sandwich or a lemon drizzle any day!

Had a lovely day though. It's our anniversary so we went to the beach for an hour, then back to where we got married for a wander around. Finished the day with a lovely meal at a local pub then DH put a Christmas film on for us to watch together (The Holiday).

I feel all Christmassy and content now so I'm not going to think about anything that needs to be done until tomorrow