Somebody told me

A friend said I should put more information about what the clients are like, marital status, job, etc. While I am interested in hearing what people have to say, especially when it comes to a subject as captivating as myself, I have never been one to tailor my creative pursuits to anyone else's particular needs or interests, usually because I feel I lack the skill to bend elusive things like creativity according to my (or in this case, someone else's) vision.

The whole last paragraph was written so I could use the word "captivate," which I think is a foxy word.

That being said, I'll try to include more detail about my clients' lives since I think it does spice things up a bit.

So the update. Thursday was a tense day. Here's the setup. I had a lease signing scheduled for 3pm. In attendance will be (should be) the Prospective Tenant, or the Young Doctor as I have called her in previous posts, her father/the Guarantor/the (infirmed) Good Doctor, the Listing Broker/Mr. Old School, me, and the landlord, apparently religious (leaves early on Fridays) and quite busy with their 4000 properties. As required by the landlord, all principals must be at the lease signing, no exceptions. This means The Good Doctor's presence is required at the lease signing, even though he lives 2 1/2 hours outside of the city and just had triple bypass surgery five weeks ago. No exceptions. Now the Good Doctor is VERY excitable and feels this is outrageous, and I agree with him, but my hands are tied. He happens to mention he'll be in the city on Thursday for a doctor's appointment uptown and would consider coming to the lease signing if we can schedule it right after the appointment. Great! I set everything up for 3pm. In my gut I knew we should have done it before, since the predicted weather was 6-8" of snow, worse upstate.

At 8:30 in the morning I was waiting for the bus and my phone rings. "Good morning, Dr. F." He wants to reschedule the lease signing for 11:30. I tell him I will make all the relevant phone calls and do my best to make it happen. I call everyone and ask for 11:30. I get into the office at about 9:10, catch some of the morning meeting until my phone rings, it is Mr. Old School calling back after he has spoken with the landlords, trying to reschedule. The answer:NO. FUCK! Now the daughter calls me, she is HOPPING MAD! Smartly uses my own words against me, telling me she doesn't feel I am advocating enough for her, what am I doing, I need to make this happen. I say "Let me call you back." She says, "You have FIVE minutes." I go to the president and say, "I need your help." He calls the Old School broker and, in his typical eloquent fashion, conveys the "human element" at play in this situation. He gently asks, just this once, could an exception be made and could the leases leave the office, be FedExed, notarized and returned? I am on pins and needles, thinking my bill-paying deal will fall apart because of all this bullshit. Before the answer comes back, I call the girl back and explain her options. I decisively explain what we have asked for and that if yes, things are fine and easy. If no, her options are to show up at 3 pm with her father or reschedule for next week. I know the next week thing is NOT going to happen. I know we have to get it done today.

Some heavy breathing and release exercises get me through the next few minutes waiting for the call. It is hailing and dumping snow outside. The call comes in; just this once, they are going to let the leases leave the office! I call the Young Doctor with the good news and leave the office in a hurry. I go out with a colleague to see some apartments, just because I have to leave the office, but I feel much better. A bit later I find out she can move in a week early, so I call her with the good news. She is appropriately appreciative and now feels like I have really earned my money, which makes me feel good.

The lease signing goes off without a hitch, I send the leases off to dad and the day is done. Whew.

I'll tell you about Friday in another post.