The Sting

A random jumbled up pile of words, masquerading as a blog post, that's what you will get today. No complaints now, as I know where the gold bullion is buried and which portions are really made of chocolate. Oh, the joys of chocolate gold bullion. There should be a novel about such a heist, with a milk float involved somewhere. Yes, a milk float!

In this random assemblage of nonsense, cunningly designed to distract from the sting of my latest job rejection, we begin with a sudden transition into the other activities at hand. For example: Blackberry picking. It's that time of year again when people trundle the trails and fields, picking fruit for free that would otherwise be paid for handsomely at the shops. Berry and fruit season is here, as is thorn rip and sting time. Yes, break out the plasters, it's pickin' month! Over two days, we managed to pick up three pounds of blackberries, left unaccountably on the bushes by the normally diligent local scavengers. Where could they all be, those people who normally trump me by days. Days! Has scavenging interest decayed generationally? If so, how sad...

Scavenging also features heavily in 'The Documents In The Case', an epistolic detective novel from Dorothy L Sayers, the only one not to feature Lord Peter Wimsey. It's a curious book, especially now various forewards have stated that Sayers really hated writing detective fiction / Wimsey stories after a while. It's a story formed from statements, letters, court and newspaper reports, and even some diabolically awful love letters. Oh, good grief, those love letters! Was it an attempt to break out of the genre box she had trapped herself in? I have no idea, but it's interesting. The ending doesn't surprise, but as an artistic challenge it's well done, and it features much talk about wild mushrooms and toadstools. It seems that back in the day there were far more mushrooms to be found. What happened?

Finding jobs to apply for is difficult right now. It's reassuring to have made it into two job interviews but no more are likely to appear soon. They were little stressed moments of success in a lifetime of tedium. Ho hum. At least there's lots of time to experiment with little projects and watch 'Star Trek' and catch up with 'The Mentalist' and its successor 'Gotham'. Yes, 'Gotham', you will get a chance. Also 'Zorba the Greek' has been lurking on the book pile for ever and must be broken in, while 'The Napoleon of the Notting Hill' is due for a re-read. GK Chesterton wrote a little masterpiece in that novel, and no-one seems to know about it. It's bizarre! So many books to come, and it will be a pleasure amidst the poverty. Oh, why not try 'Manalive' too?

O.