"Before you go, could you just …?"

I am away on holiday next week. Madeira, since you ask; yes, I hear it is quite pleasant, though I have not been before

Anyway, I made the mistake of telling my clients, and all day I have taken calls along the lines of, “Oh, you remember that draft Will/shareholders’ agreement/ lease/whatever that you sent us six (or more weeks ago? Well, we haven’t actually looked at it but we’re sure its great. Could you just engross it and send it to us to sign with a fresh explanation of what it says before you go away?”

Stiving to remain polite, I agree to do what I can, with the result that

(a) I will spend most of this weekend at work

(b) I will not finish all the sudden influx of work

(c) I will go on holiday exhausted and collapse for most of it

(d) I will return to a pile of work

(e) Most of what I do send out will get left for another 6 weeks (or more)

Hey, ho: happy holidays! (Bah! Humbug!)