When Will I Ever Learn???

13 Days til Christmas - just 5 hours from hitting my yearly billable requirement - all cases are in "management" mode, nothing pressing due, just coasting to the end of the year. Lunch with a former lawclerk Wednesday, Courthouse party with my old Judge and all the old law clerks Thursday, Sh's Winter Band concert Thursday night, Another company dinner with K's group Friday night, a neighborhood party Saturday night, another neighborhood open house Sunday afternoon, lots of shopping and baking to do in between, just cruising along in the holiday spirit, work clearly taking a back seat. Then the call comes in - a client in trouble, the feds on the loose, and the boss man suddenly in the midst of a "TRO." Normally I love TRO's - they're fun, fast-paced, (great for billable hours) - kind of like a whole big trial that normally takes 2 years from complaint to trial compressed into two weeks. Yep, all nighters and craziness, but then it's over and we win. (usually we do win - it's our speciality). So me and my big mouth. I work part time. K has a killer week and I told him I'd cover kids and dinner and lessons etc. for the week. We clearly have a lot of social things going on in addition, and I really need to be done with work for the year. BUT noooooooo I stick my head in the boss' office and say, "Do you need help with this." Why not just say, "Shall I start slamming my head against the wall now or later??" So it's after 9pm, although I am home, I am researching frantically on the finer points of the issue and how to at least save part of the client's butt. I have dodged the plane trip to Florida at 7a.m. (I at least had the sense to say, "I can help BUT I can't miss the winter concert Thursday night!!! No hearing, no planes!!"). which means I get only the drudgery of the case and none of the glory. The real question - why do I have ANY of this case? There are associates still trying to make their hours out there!!! I am done!!!! I have cookies to bake! Thank goodness I started wrapping presents last night....Yeah yeah, it is my job and it's what they pay me to do and it's why they give me flexibility - because they know I'll jump in when they need me, but Jeezoflip, doesn't the Government know it's almost Christmas??!!