Traditional Airing of Grievances

I had hoped to post on 12/31, with a sort of wrapping up of 2008. Then I hoped to plan on 1/1, with thoughts for the new year. But here I am on January 4, bitching and complaining about how 2008 sucked about as bad as any year could and how I am not so sure 2009 is going to get any better.

First, my absence during November. Very busy at work through November and Facebook has, for better or worse, taken up my need to throw snarky one-liners out to the world so y'all know I still exist.

Then, came December, when the world stopped turning. On December 2, the Dungeon Master's boss, let's call him The Don, gets his dumb ass arrested in Canada for impersonating another lawyer. He is held for several days, during which rumors abound that the escrow accounts have been looted, there is not enough money in the operating account to make the December 15, and that the NY office is a ghost town with most of the lawyers packing up on December 4, never to be seen again.

On December 7, the Don is escorted to the airport in Toronto by the mounties, ushered onto a plane to NY, and met by law enforcement at LaGuardia, who arrest him for Securities Fraud in the amount of about $130MM. This number is rounded up to $380MM at his bail hearing on December 12. He is denied bail.

If you haven't heard any of this, it is because Bernie Madoff's multi-billion dollar fraud eclipsed it. Madoff, I will note, got bail.

Add to that, one of my clients is being sued and the plaintiff is seeking a $400,000 attachment, which is a big deal (although not fatal) for his business. The hearing was set for December 15, opposing counsel would not agree to a continuance because the mofos assumed I would not be ready for a hearing under the circumstances, the Court did not grant one for who knows what reason, and I did not have malpractice insurance because the Don did not pay the premium.

I was scrambling on Friday the 12th to see about quitclaiming my house, car and yarn stash to the Hubbins before the Dungeon Master confirmed that new firm, Dungeon Master/Grouchy Of Counsel (now partner) LLC, had malpractice insurance.

So my stress level was high. I did not know if I was going to be paid (did not happen), did not know if I was employed, had no idea how I was going to pay my bills in December, still waiting on about $1200 in unreimbursed expenses from the firm, which I needed to pay bills in December, and faced possibly looking for a new job in perhaps the worst job market EVAH, with firms laying off associates right and left.

OK. Thing 3 is looking for some breakfast and I'll pick this up later...