....just when you think you've managed to get away

[reformedwaitress]

So, as you all know, I no longer work in retail / customer service / the food industry. I work for a law firm. Really hard to get SC's there and the ones I do get are NOTHING compared to y'alls.

So I thought I'd gotten away from them, right? Right?

Apparently I was sorely mistaken.

So I'm in a town in the South that has a HUGE celebration for St. Patricks Day. As in, if you work in anything but a bar / restaraunt downtown and St. Patrick's Day is during the week, your office will most likely be closed (we close for weekday St. Patrick's Days.) People start coming in a few days ahead of time.

Seeing as St. Patrick's Day is on a Saturday this year and the city's Music Festival starts that Wednesday before, the city is expected to be at full capacity by Tuesday, March 13th. This is important to the rest of the story.

My boss comes to me today and tells me they just scheduled a mediation and that an adjuster and one of our clients will be flying in from out of town and I need to find them both a place to stay. Not a problem, we do that sometimes and I know a lot of the hotel staff around here, so they usually will work with me. Our only requirement is that the hotel is downtown. We're not picky. Then I ask him when the mediation is.

The mediation is the afternoon of March 16th. They fly in that morning and I have to find them a hotel room for that night.

I laughed at him. No seriously, I laughed in his face.

Me: ta-da!
BL: Boss Lawyer

Me: You expect me to find two hotel rooms in reasonable distance of our downtown office for the night before St. Patricks Day in [our city]?
BL: Of course.
Me: You do realize that is impossible, right?
BL: Why?
Me: It's St. Patrick's Day. All the decent hotels have been booked solid for weeks, the ones downtown for months.
BL: You know people. Work your magic.

I just stared at his back for a moment, sighed, and started calling.

Of course, as I said, ALL of the downtown hotels said they were booked up. I even called a really good friend of mine who works at one to see if she'd heard of anything and she said everyone's booked. There are actually people on craigslist and she said maybe e-bay selling their downtown hotel room reservations for those nights. I managed to find rooms, but the hotel 15 miles from downtown and I don't know if BL will go for it. So I hold it for now and go run it past him.

He goes balistic, like I thought he would. That is not good enough. There must be something closer. I explain, again, that this is the night before St. Patrick's day. Everyone is in town.

BL: Well don't they have to keep extra rooms for emergencies? This is an emergency!

I laughed and explained why that doesn't make sense. I told him the best I could do was this hotel in a nearby city.

BL: You're going to be out of town -- can't they just stay there?
Me: (staring at him like a tree just grew out of his head) You're kidding, right?

After a few seconds he realized how stupid he was being and apologized. I confirmed that reservation and told the adjuster and client what was going on.

They decided to reschedule the mediation since the city would probably be a mad house that week anyway.

But yeah, that's the story of how I work for an SC. Somebody save me? Please?

[dawnmaria]

I am guessing you're in Savannah right? He was crazy! I have been there once for St. Pat's and was very glad we we're staying away from the craziness out on Tybee Island. My favorite place in the world!

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Ah. Tybee Island. Or, more specifically, The Crab Shack on Tybee Island. Mmmmmm.....

[reformedwaitress]

I am guessing you're in Savannah right?

I will neither confirm nor deny that I am located in the general vicinity of Savannah.

Yeah, it's NUTS around St. Patty's here. I won't be here. Everyone else is coming into town and I am getting the hell out and going further south to visit someone!

[Mighty Girl]

He expected you- even if only briefly- to relinquish your home to strangers?

Wow. What a butthead.

[reformedwaitress]

He expected you- even if only briefly- to relinquish your home to strangers?

Wow. What a butthead.

That I'll forgive him for. He wasn't thinking and realized how STUPID it was after a few moments.

But still. I work for an SC. This makes me sad.

[wagegoth]

Oh, hon, all lawyers are SCs. It's a requirement, part of passing the Bar.

I've been working in legal for 13 years, and my husband's mother and uncle are both lawyers. Family get-togethers usually find me in the corner, farthest distance from all conversations as possible.

[BitterReceptionist]

I work in a law firm too. Trust me, there are days when I miss waitressing. The SCs here are unbelieveable. Since I am the receptionist, I'm the first person they talk too and they are ALWAYS ready to yell at the first person they can.

Sometimes, I curl up under my desk and cry.

No. But sometimes I wish I could.

[reformedwaitress]

Oh, hon, all lawyers are SCs. It's a requirement, part of passing the Bar.

Not true in any way shape form or fashion. Most of my lawyers are great and in no way SCs. This one's just bad.

The best customer I've ever had was a lawyer. He used to tip me like $250 on a $15 tab. He once left me a $1000 tip once. He wasn't cocky or stuck up about it, he could just afford it, you know. He wasn't a jerk.

I know lots of lawyers tat are great and not rats or SCs or anything.

But then again, I know the bottom of the barrell too. I won't work for the plaintiff's side -- THOSE are the scumbags!

[reformedwaitress]

No. But sometimes I wish I could.

Been there. Done that.

[Cthulhu]

slightly OT here, but how did this "unnamed" southern city become such a hot bed for St. Patty's day?

When I think of St. Patricks day, I think of Boston (been there on 1 St.P day, NEVER again) and Chicago.

[reformedwaitress]

slightly OT here, but how did this "unnamed" southern city become such a hot bed for St. Patty's day?

When I think of St. Patricks day, I think of Boston (been there on 1 St.P day, NEVER again) and Chicago.

Honestly? I dunno. I know we have a heavy Irish population so I'm sure it came from that. Why do we have a heavy Irish population? Couldn't answer that question.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Cool. I will neither confirm nor deny that my sister lives in the general vicinity of Savannah and I visit her often. I love that place. It's probably the most European placeI've ever been that wasn't actually, you know, European.

I know they used to dye the river green for St. Paddy's, but they stopped that. I think they still do the fountains, though, right?

[wagegoth]

Clarification:

My remark that all lawyers are SCs was not clear.

The way in which lawyers are SCs is that they do not hear "No," and accept it as a final answer, except maybe from a judge. They have to look at all sides of an argument, and be able to argue all sides, to succeed. "No" is just a step in negotiation.

Frankly, I love working with most of the attorneys I've known. They're smart, usually respectful and considerate of their staff, and friendly (they have to be able to get along with everyone, including their clients and opposing counsel).

I've known secretaries who have had the misfortune to work for screamers, backstabbers, abusers, etc., but they seem to occur at a much lower rate in the legal profession, especially the higher the level of the firm.

It wasn't until I started working at my first big firm that I found myself not dreading going to work, and actually looking forward to it, at least, occasionally.

[reformedwaitress]

The way in which lawyers are SCs is that they do not hear "No," and accept it as a final answer, except maybe from a judge. They have to look at all sides of an argument, and be able to argue all sides, to succeed. "No" is just a step in negotiation.

Yes, but you know, that is kinda their job.