Another Good Day for Looking Ahead in Book Five: Working Through the Maze 2018

Today is another day that proves several things to me.

(1) I need to be getting more sleep than I am. Hopefully, that can be addressed during my “Self-Care Break.”
(2) I don’t mind driving to Ames; but I’ll be much happier when the trip is to visit friends and family as opposed to sitting in an empty office just so the firm can justify their lease expenditure.
(3) I am getting excited, if scared, about the physical therapy/physical training portion of my Self-Care Break. I know for a fact that it is going to be beyond excruciating for the first three weeks… IF I’m doing it right. And that increased pain is going to be a detriment to just about everything I do. But in the long run? It’ll be worth it. If I can get through the first few rounds of horrible pain; I will be working towards a healthier, more long-term me.

Like… seriously… the idea of losing the first 30 pounds is just… invigorating me there. I hope I can keep it going and actually lose those first 30 pounds, though, of course.

So what have I done with my day? Well… this is where “On The Way Out” may compete with my boss’ expectations of “We Take On Too Much.”

You see… this week is a week. Just a normal week, which is fine, really. But I am hoping that, every week, I can do a little bit more to work on the transition piece so that when I leave… there are NO BUGS OR HICCUPS! However… my bosses are… still… who they are and always will be. So… they are crisscrossing the state, White Boss is complaining about his case load, Chinese Boss keeps accepting more clients, they continue to spend large amounts of time at the New Office Building that they are trying to get taken care of, they are asking me to cover court shifts for them and to do filing for them since they haven’t the time or opportunity........ but that also means that they haven’t the time or opportunity (as always) to help when I’m doing something for them that is strange, bizarre, or in a different language.

So what we have here is… several lists and a few concerns.

LIST ONE:
Things I need to do as an attorney to ethically and professionally withdraw from my obligations to my clients

LIST TWO:
Things I need to do as an attorney to ethically and professionally withdraw from my obligations to the firm

LIST THREE:
Things I need to do for my cases that are open now but will close before the end of March

LIST FOUR:
Things I need to do for the boss’ at any given notice

And just… gr. Because I’m averaging less hours now, but still enough to literally pay them back for the money they give me (as is our arrangement). And I just… I want to make sure I’m getting things done and I want to make sure I’m getting things done correctly. Which has been a repeated mantra at this firm, so I should expect that it is the mantra that ends things around here. Just… in a way I am appreciating WHO my 6 week decision was for. If it was truly to help the firm, I would have given them a month. Enough leave that they could start transitioning, but not so much that they felt it wasn’t “impending.” If it was truly to help me, I would have given them until the end of the current month and left. The real reason I gave so much notice is my clients. Whether American or Chinese… I don’t want to walk away from people that are counting on me if I don’t have to. So I want as much time as possible to resolve my cases. Which is why I get a wee bit frustrated that Chinese Boss is still out there looking for cases. Lady? You and your husband will have to take care of those. I get it, you’re incapable of not trying desperately to get more Chinese Business but… seriously? Now may not be the time.