The swordfish was sick when we started

In spite of that, this "2-3 day" project has now stretched into 5, with tomorrow a given, Friday almost a certainty and Monday likely (mostly because two of the original six temps quit almost immediately, and two of the remaining four are fucking worthless). I am trying real hard to not be available for Friday, much less Monday. We'll see how that goes. God, I hate this industry.

Greetings from behind enemy lines

Doing a few hours at work today, largely because of my suspicion that this gig can't possibly last much longer -- maybe not beyond today. Like last weekend, the firm decided to have weekend hours. Last weekend, I declined to participate. This weekend, I'm starting to get the feeling that the swordfish might really, truly be dead sooner rather than later, so here I am. The firm originally announced that we would have hours available Saturday and Sunday. Sunday isn't looking good right now as we don't really have enough work left to keep everybody busy until quitting time today (just running 9 am to 5 pm). I don't think there is anything else lined up for us, either. Indications are we'll be here Monday, but nobody says anything about Tuesday. So, I figured that Rules Nos. 2 and 3 dictate that I be here today. Gotta get it while the gettin' is good.

I think we are towing the swordfish behind the boat

The firm lawyers came in this evening and let us know that the project is basically over but that no one is getting cut yet and they don't know when we will get cut, except that they do know that the regulatory filing will be next week so we'll be cut before that happens. Got all that? Some of us have work, but most people don't. The firm might make cuts among those who are idle (so I guess I'm safe for a few days, as I am not among the idle), but they don't know who or how many will be cut. Or when. Basically, they didn't know a lot. But they did make it clear we'll all be fired in the next 10 days. They just don't like to use the word "fired."

So, looking over the transom of the boat, that is one sick-looking swordfish.

We're here, but the swordfish looks terrible

The swordfish isn't on the deck, but it's been pulled up alongside the boat, gaffed and ready to be hauled aboard. The only question is when. If anyone knows, they aren't saying, but I think the life remaining in this project is now measured in days, if not hours. Of course, I've thought that before.

The swordfish is looking a little peaked -- definitely unwell

I've fallen back on the swordfish metaphor lately in referring to this project. The fish is wearing down. We worked Friday, but it was on the two-hour (actually four-hour) delay, so with the early closing recently imposed for Fridays, we only got in a max of seven hours. It sucked, but at least they were all overtime hours for me, having loaded the front end of the week with max hours, knowing the snow was coming.

But the real news Friday was that the paralegals -- also temps, as they got rid of any firm-employed paralegals as soon as the sale closed on our original client company -- got cut to 40 hours a week right after the sale closed. Nobody knew this before -- except the paralegals, of course. Since they won't  want the attorneys working without paralegal support, I think this pretty much guarantees that we'll be cut to 40 hours soon. Probably not next week, because the President's Day holiday cuts our hours anyway, but almost certainly the week after. I hope to be wrong, since the market sucks and I'm not sure I can even find an overtime project elsewhere, anyway. There just aren't that many of them these days. Leaves me wondering: how long before 40 hours pushes me into bankruptcy? The over-under is 6 months. Exit strategy is in the works.