Go figure

I left work yesterday afternoon, certain that the project was over. However, no one with the agency knew, and no one with the law firm was talking -- something that wasn't making the agency very happy, as the law firms on this case have not been very cooperative. So I went home, figuring I would get an email last night letting me know the project was over.

I checked my email before I went to bed -- at about 8 pm, cuz my ass was dragging: nothing. Dogs woke me up about 1 am because the backup auxiliary dog wanted to poo, so I walked the dogs, checked my email: nothing. Set the alarm for a normal weekday wakeup time and went to bed.

The alarm went off at 5:30 this morning, as expected. Rather than jump in the shower, I went down to check my email: nothing. So I went to work, absolutely certain that the project was over, nobody told me, and I would just be turning around for home shortly after arriving.

Nope. Here I am, blogging behind enemy lines and, inexplicably, still employed. I'll take it, as I had nothing firm lined up for today anyway. With a little luck, this will create a little time for one of my other projects to come through. Sounds like as much of a plan as you can make in this business, where the only thing you can really plan on is everything changing unexpectedly. For once, that change is to my benefit. I've had lots of gigs end unexpectedly. This is the first one ever that didn't end unexpectedly.

That ax is out there somewhere . . .

. . . but nobody knows when it is going to fall. Speculation on the end of the project is rampant, with estimates ranging from tomorrow to two weeks from now. I think tomorrow is possible, but unlikely, although I believe some of the 300 or so folks remaining on the project will get cut tomorrow night. I still think it all comes down Sunday night. A guy I know who is usually pretty plugged in says Friday close of business. Not unreasonable, I think.

The takeaway here is no one knows -- or at least no one who knows is talking. The firms know, but they won't say for fear of  everybody jumping for other projects while the firms still need some warm bodies here. That rationale doesn't really apply, though, if the project is ending anytime before, say, Monday. There are a number of projects starting Monday people could try to get on, but none starting before then. Obviously, if people know the project ends this weekend, they can apply for another project to follow this one. Equally obviously, people can apply for a Monday project even without knowing -- hell, I've applied to three.

That means there is a decent chance I will be gone from this project Monday even if this project continues. The firms could have avoided this result (in general, not just specifically my departure) by sharing some information. As it is, even the project managers at the agency are being kept in the dark, probably on the assumption they would tell us, and the firms don't want that. Personally, I hope everybody finds something for Monday and the project goes on for another couple weeks, completely unstaffed. It would serve the firms right.