Spring vs Long Working Hours.

I spend a lot of time at work. I don't want to, but I have to just to try and keep up with our paperwork. The reality is we need at least one more attorney and two more assistants, and the space to house them. Yet those who rule Small Town and the surrounding areas won't do that. I stay late and sometimes come in on a weekend. I've learned to pay attention to the network broadcast messages. I've been very annoyed when I come in on a weekend only to discover the database is down for backup. That database is the key to my job. I literally can't do anything without it. In some ways it is a blessing. Many lawyers take work home with them. For me that isn't even an option. Of course working from home isn't an option either so it cuts both ways.

Yet now Spring has finally sprung. We've had a warm sunny week. I see convertibles with their tops down, and motorcylces on the road. In the winter it wasn't so bad doing 10 or 11 hour work days at times. At least I really had no where else to go. Now I don't want to be in the office at all. I want to recharge my soul outside.

Since a few trials are going on it's been a fairly light week for me. For the entire week I'll barely hit double digits with the number of hearings I had to do. Once I was sure the taxes were paid I stayed late yesterday and today. Without other hearings to prep for and once the office shuts down it's amazing how much work I can get done. No phone calls to deal with, no one wants to chit-chat, and the general public isn't let in the building. Amazing how my job is the greatest distraction from getting work done! I really work two schedules. The first schedule is during working hours and I get done what others want done. The second schedule is after working hours and I get done what I want to work on.

I can't go into the office this weekend. That database is down again. Good, for once I'll enjoy the weekend. Yet I see next week as all 11 hour days. If I commit to one grinding, horrific week I may finally get those files out of my office. I've tried it before, but it's hard to maintain such a grinding schedule. The hour drive from Big City to Small Town is a deterrence. The winter weather was sometimes a deterrence. The sheer exhaustion of such a long schedule is a deterrence.

I have to do it. The people need their cases worked on. They have no idea how much work we put in to try to give them what they want. Or at least try to give them what they need. For once I wish we would get a thank you. I'll settle for the deadbeats and dumbasses just doing what they're told to do. That would make things easier.

I've wandered off my thoughts for this post. I'm way too tired and I know I want to put 10 hours in tomorrow. Have a good night folks.