The clerk sends an email on Thursday.  Our trial starts Monday.  Or it is supposed to.  This case has been scheduled for trial for over a year.  But SNAP!  Just like that.  A criminal case pushes its way past us.  This happens in November.

Fast forward.  We are now set to start the same trial June 4.  After a six month delay.  Everyone is ready to go.  Some of the witnesses have booked flights and hotels.  But wait.  SNAP!  Just like that.  We are bumped again.  By another criminal case.    We are now supposed to start this whole thing over again in October. Supposedly.

Now you may be wondering.  So what.  A little bit of inconvenience.  What's a year in the big scheme of things.  Well, let me tell you what has to be done everytime a very large case gets delayed like this.  In fact - keep this list.  In case this happens to you.

1. Have melt down holy cow moment
2. Ask the clerk to ask the court if there's anyway to save the date
3. Hear that there's no way because criminal settings go first
4. Talk to the other attorneys and paralegals and assistants for all the parties and whine and try to come up with a solution for the court
5. Give a solution to the court
6. Have the solution rejected by the court
7. Have paralegals stall the witnesses who are getting ready to come to town until there's final confirmation that the date is completely gone
8. Ask for a hearing with the court to discuss possibilities, probabilities and logistics
9. Be told by the clerk that the court is in trial and cannot have a hearing for a week
10. Continue to stall witnesses who have scheduling questions
11. Read email from the clerk giving possible future court dates
12. Read emails from defense attorneys saying they cannot do the earlier date, they can only do the later date
13. Gnash teeth, whine, groan, moan and continue to have holy cow fit
14. Ask the court why we can't start the trial a week late to accommodate the criminal trial
15. Be told that another criminal trial is set for the first week of July.  Our trial is too long and would cause the criminal trial to start late (Oh poor them.  Join the crowd).
16. Realize we are trapped at both ends by criminal trials
17. Field worried messages from paralegals that witnesses want to know what is happening
18. Finally tell paralegals to tell witnesses we are being bumped again
19. Try to have zen calm yoga like moment.  And fail
20. Eat an entire costco cinnamon roll as a snack
21. Push papers around on desk
22. Look at our trial flow chart of all the witnesses we spent weeks scheduling.  It will now have to be completely redone.
23. Take Nala potty
24. Call my three girls - Alysha put on yogapalooza at the UW today.
25. Stew
26. Have paralegal cancel three weeks worth of hotel reservations (trial is out of the area)
27. Decide can now go to visit Noelle's new college.  Book last minute flight.
28. Look at box of three exhibit binders in the corner of my office.  Decide they need to be moved.  Don't move them
29. Send email to opposing counsel to finish his edits on depositions so we can have the films finalized.  Not that it matters now.
30. Have lunch with friend Jeff Donchez who reminds me that plaintiff lawyers are "glass is half full kind of people."
31. Email with friend Pat LePley - book lunch for June 4 which is when we would have been in trial.
32. Walk past our "war room" filled with our trial exhibits, blow ups, and equipment.  Seethe.
33. Come to the house to meet Cristina and Noelle.  Move two chairs (they moved them) to my office.  Kiss them goodbye
34. Give Catherine my other two office chairs.
35. Take Nala potty.
36. Commisserate with Anne (my wonderful paralegal)
37. Buy 5 dark chocolate with almonds candy bars to support Paul Whelan's son's crew team
38. Meet with John (my other wonderful paralegal) about getting things done on another case
39. Realize there are two other trials set earlier in October.  I will be log jammed
40. Hear wierd noise.

Nala is retching.  Grab garbage can to put under her mouth.  This does not go well.  She's running.  I'm chasing her around the office with the garbage can.  Trying to be nice but not wanting bad stuff on the carpet.  Finally corner her.  Substitute her water bowl for the can.  Hold it in front of her face.  She is heaving.  But I'm shocking her at the same time.  Tell her - it's okay.  Keep waiting for the moment.  But just like with the hiccups - I appear to have scared her out of them.  The moment passes.

For both of us.