Early in DC...

There's a definite trend toward a more civilized set of working hours on this gig, but that's a little like saying one is merely "behind the eight-ball" instead of "solidly behind the eight-ball."

I was finally released a little after 9:30 pm last night, after mostly standing by while the client reviewed the presentations to be given today and tomorrow for correspondence between the Russian and English slides. There wasn't much work, per se, but my presence was required, keeping me away from such mundane tasks as eating dinner. Again.

As it turns out, reviewing two days' worth of presentations last night doesn't mean I'll have a normal evening tonight, as the group apparently has a joint dinner set for tomorrow night, which would "normally" be the night to review Friday's presentations. (There is, in fact, nothing "normal" about not having major presentations ready until half-past the eleventh hour, though such a crisis-driven approach to work may give an impression - false, in my view, based on having seen this so many times before - of being productive.)

So I suspect that tonight - and I've yet to be wrong during this assignment - we'll be looking at Friday's presentations, which will fill this evening's dance card, leaving tomorrow night "free" for me to interpret at the dinner.

I'm invoicing my time, of course, but this is no way to work.

Cheers...