I just spent the last several days up in Yosemite. ((The Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp, actually. Its about 3 miles south of the South Entrance to Yosemite)) Driving back home I saw the BEST sign. It was so good I immediately pulled off the road to take this picture.
I have a hard time understanding how a sushi place in Oakhurst could possibly have fresh fish. ((The sushi place has very mixed reviews.)) ((Interestingly, none of the reviewers asks the critical question, “Where the hell are they getting their fish???”)) That they’re sandwiched between a laundromat and the front office for a construction company makes me even more wary.
One person in my car got sick after just driving past this place. ((I’m not kidding, they really did barf.))
Update @ 5:58am: “Bay Bridge repairs are undergoing final inspections. The bridge is expected to open later today. Check back for updates and opening time.”
When I had to drive to Palo Alto last Thursday I completely avoided all the bridges because traffic was such a mess. It took me longer, but at least it took me longer in a predictable fashion.
Last week I managed to obtain three walk through settlements at three different Boards in the same day – mostly due to the good will and kindness of Board staff and other attorneys. It was my plan to walk through a settlement in San Jose and then Oakland in the same morning to be followed up with an afternoon settlement in San Francisco. ((Photo courtesy of Tony Stanley))
My morning walk through in at the San Jose WCAB was with an unrepresented injured worker. I had set my Board file and settlement documents down next to me and turned to speak to the injured worker – but when I turned back my Board file and documents were gone. An attorney had walked into the room, picked up my documents and Board file, put them in his bag along with his other materials nearby, and left for his office.
At this point, the dream was almost dead before it had even begun. Even if I managed to chase down my file which was now somewhere in San Jose, I only had a slim chance of finishing a walk through that morning and no chance of doing a second in the same morning.
I very nearly aborted the mission and returned to my office in defeat. Ultimately, I decided that I’d rather risk a spectacular failure than not try at all.
I called my office to get the phone number of the attorney I thought had picked up my file, called their office, and left a message asking for their attorney to call me back. He called me back a few minutes later and said my file was in his bag – he must have put it there accidentally. Unfortunately, his schedule didn’t permit him to bring the file back to the Board.
After apologizing to the injured worker and begging the forgiveness of the Judge, I left the Board and my really excellent parking space for the attorney’s office. I was probably inside their office for less than 30 seconds total since the attorney had left my Board file with his receptionist. Back to the Board, a less than primo parking spot, and last place in the walk through line. ((At that point I considered the various traffic signs “more what you’d call ‘guidelines’ than actual rules.”)) ((Thank you Captain Barbosa!))
Fortunately, the Judge and extremely understanding attorneys in the room allowed me to cut ahead in line to finish my walk through and continue on with my quest.
I’m not going to hold you in suspense. Yesterday I decided to try to fulfill my dream of doing three walk through settlements at three different boards in one day. Thanks to several very nice people I managed to do it. But for the kindness, patience, and tolerance of three Judges, other workers’ compensation attorneys, and especially the Board staff, I never would have stood a chance.
I had a settlement in San Jose in the morning, one in San Francisco in the afternoon, and then another in Oakland. Google Maps says it should have been 2 hours 34 minutes and 132 miles.
I’ll fill in the details later, but suffice it to say that almost nothing went as planned. ((Photo courtesy of Jakerome))
As I mentioned before, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong – traffic, long walk through lines, a broken photocopier. ((Or, heaven forbid, EAMS could be working tomorrow. THAT would foul me right up.))
But, I’ve done what I can to ensure this works. I’ve called the other parties, have a checklist of everything I need to do in the order I need to do it, my cell phone is charged up ((And a back up cell phone charged up too!)) , phone numbers for opposing counsel and my clients hand, GPS charged up, prepared Minutes of Hearing, Document Cover Sheets, Document Separator Sheets, Awards, and Orders. ((I even sacrificed a giant sequoia sapling as an offering to EAMS.)) ((I’m even bringing two extrasettlements just in case one falls through! Although, this is really due to coincidence than meticulous planning…))
If you happen to be in San Jose, Oakland, or San Francisco today stop me and say hello. (And – pretty please may I cut ahead of you in line?)
