Not entirely sure how to move forward
It's a Friday evening and even after spending this entire day doing as little as possible, I'm still exhausted. Under normal circumstances at this point in tax season, I wouldn't be all that concerned. I'd have four of the next seven days off. My usual work schedule is Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, allowing me to live within the limits I try to set for myself...and that my doctors want me to live within. There are usually two peak periods between January 5th and April 15th where I will have to work five or so straight long days, and normally I get two or three days off after those cycles to recover.
But because I am more in demand than I have been in the past two years (and I'm not complaining about this fact), that's not what is happening in the next few days. I'm scheduled to work 11 hours tomorrow with only a 30 minute meal break, an eight hour day on Sunday, five hours on Monday and 10.5 hours on Tuesday. Mercifully I'll be off on Wednesday and Friday, and the following week I'll be back to at least three days off per week until that final peak period.
I know I can do this, and get it all done. Part of my problem in trying to figure out what to do is that I know I can't make up the time to serve my clients who I would have to reschedule if I were to try to take an extra day off in the next four days. Losing clients means losing revenue. It might mean losing them for the long term, although I strongly suspect that my clients wouldn't be angry if my health forced me to reschedule them.
My manager would try to get me to allow other tax professionals to handle these clients, but that's a nonstarter in my mind. I've worked too hard to hone my skills and enhance the reputation that is bringing me new clients to just hand them off to others. So, I already know I'm going to just suck it up and get it done. I know I can and that aside from needing some extra rest, will probably suffer no ill effects from doing so. What I'm wondering is if I'm making a bad decision in doing this. Will this continue to be a growing problem in the future? As I gain more and more clients, my ability to find hours to serve those I already provide service to isn't going to increase. Not unless I recover in ways that are highly unlikely. My disabilities are all almost certainly permanent and unlikely to improve in any significant way.
One of the things that is being neglected a bit during this time is this blog and for that, I apologize to my loyal readers.
* * *
A drag race in a section of the San Fernando Valley known as the Canoga Speedway resulted in the deaths of two spectators. One spectator who spoke to television news crews about the incident has received threats. People involved with the specific event and drag racing in general in that area are posting statements that no one should cooperate with the police.
As I've mentioned before, I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on television. But my understanding of California law is that the action of failing to provide information to the police that damages their ability to investigate a crime can result in a charge of obstruction of justice. So can encouraging others to refuse to provide information.
I'm not advocating that the cops pull out this weapon and twist the arms of those who were there to force them to step forward and speak up. But I am wondering why in the world anyone would want someone who is potentially responsible for the death of another to face the justice system. Be it vehicular manslaughter or murder, someone died. Someone must be held to answer. We can argue about assumption of the risk because someone was dumb enough to stand on a street without any protection just to watch people racing. Sitting in the stands at a track may not be as much fun, but it's a damn sight safer.
Hey, I was young and stupid once. I went to and watched these races. That no one got hurt in the ones I watched was just plain dumb luck. If watching those races floats your boat, keep on watching. Take the risk. Just know it is there. But don't prevent justice from being done. The dead have families who will never get closure unless those responsible for those deaths are held to answer.
But because I am more in demand than I have been in the past two years (and I'm not complaining about this fact), that's not what is happening in the next few days. I'm scheduled to work 11 hours tomorrow with only a 30 minute meal break, an eight hour day on Sunday, five hours on Monday and 10.5 hours on Tuesday. Mercifully I'll be off on Wednesday and Friday, and the following week I'll be back to at least three days off per week until that final peak period.
I know I can do this, and get it all done. Part of my problem in trying to figure out what to do is that I know I can't make up the time to serve my clients who I would have to reschedule if I were to try to take an extra day off in the next four days. Losing clients means losing revenue. It might mean losing them for the long term, although I strongly suspect that my clients wouldn't be angry if my health forced me to reschedule them.
My manager would try to get me to allow other tax professionals to handle these clients, but that's a nonstarter in my mind. I've worked too hard to hone my skills and enhance the reputation that is bringing me new clients to just hand them off to others. So, I already know I'm going to just suck it up and get it done. I know I can and that aside from needing some extra rest, will probably suffer no ill effects from doing so. What I'm wondering is if I'm making a bad decision in doing this. Will this continue to be a growing problem in the future? As I gain more and more clients, my ability to find hours to serve those I already provide service to isn't going to increase. Not unless I recover in ways that are highly unlikely. My disabilities are all almost certainly permanent and unlikely to improve in any significant way.
One of the things that is being neglected a bit during this time is this blog and for that, I apologize to my loyal readers.
* * *
A drag race in a section of the San Fernando Valley known as the Canoga Speedway resulted in the deaths of two spectators. One spectator who spoke to television news crews about the incident has received threats. People involved with the specific event and drag racing in general in that area are posting statements that no one should cooperate with the police.
As I've mentioned before, I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on television. But my understanding of California law is that the action of failing to provide information to the police that damages their ability to investigate a crime can result in a charge of obstruction of justice. So can encouraging others to refuse to provide information.
I'm not advocating that the cops pull out this weapon and twist the arms of those who were there to force them to step forward and speak up. But I am wondering why in the world anyone would want someone who is potentially responsible for the death of another to face the justice system. Be it vehicular manslaughter or murder, someone died. Someone must be held to answer. We can argue about assumption of the risk because someone was dumb enough to stand on a street without any protection just to watch people racing. Sitting in the stands at a track may not be as much fun, but it's a damn sight safer.
Hey, I was young and stupid once. I went to and watched these races. That no one got hurt in the ones I watched was just plain dumb luck. If watching those races floats your boat, keep on watching. Take the risk. Just know it is there. But don't prevent justice from being done. The dead have families who will never get closure unless those responsible for those deaths are held to answer.
posted by me at 10:17 PM
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