August

August was a weird and long month. Money was still tight but it seemed like it was only a matter of time until the deals started flowing in as promised all winter. I had a lot of action in August, but not much came to fruition. Still, though, sometime in this month, I really felt myself grow as a real estate professional; I felt the shift.

Here are more excerpts from friend emails:

Things are starting to go well in real estate land. I have merged all my biz with the girl next to me. In just over a week, we are turning in a second application, this morning. Although she can be a little hard to deal with sometimes (as can I be, I am sure, though I don't really believe this) it is nice having another person to work with. She does the stuff I don't want to do and I do the stuff she doesn't want to do. We just need to hone the communication between ourselves a bit. Sometimes I don't know what she's done or wants me to do and vice versa. Plus she is verrrrry messy. But all that is getting ironed out.

(The seeds of dissent and mistrust are already there, IN THE SECOND WEEK.)

It's hot, my feet are tired and did I mention it is hot? I have 3 or more appointments today so wish me luck in the heat!

I closed a deal today...woooohooooo!!!

And some doorman at a hotel on 32nd street asked me out on a date. I said OK. Free dinner. (He never called me). Also got another application started too...

I have been so freakin' busy in real estate world, doing sorta well, but then things unravel. I think this week I (with a partner) put in about 5 or 6 applications for rentals. About 3 or 4 of them either are falling apart or have already fallen apart. There was this one guy we called Little Rich Little, even though he wasn't little or like Rich Little in any way other than his name was Rich. He and I sweat it out in the August afternoon sun and came back to the office to fill out 2 (!) applications, both of which fell through for reasons beyond my control. FAH-HUCK!! And I just discovered that this rail thin loud tall redheaded girl who works for my company in another office was a model on that reality TV show Project Runway, which I call Project Oneway. DUH!

Time to find some coffee. Brooklyn says HI!

Real estate is going pretty well, I guess.. I feel like I am not new anymore, which is interesting. And weird. Last week, Biz Partner and I put in/collected from the clients 5 or 6 applications. Several of them are not happening or have had a bumpy journey to closing, but just putting them in is a great step for me (and her). A couple of them are going to close early this week (fingers crossed) and there are another two (groups) for whom we still have to find apartments, but we already have the paperwork. And then there are always the new people--I have 3 or 4 appointments today. ? The way we get paid works out to be the Wednesday after the people take possession (move into) the apartment, so I hope to have a great September, but for now, I am stressed because I haven't paid my rent yet. I keep expecting money to come in that isn't here yet (from catering, from reimbursements, from helping colleagues with clients) but I am still waiting.

I am having salsa salad for lunch. It is messed up and delicious all at the same time. Then I get to go to the Upper East Side to show apartments.

New York has had some really nice weather after those dastardly heat waves. Those melted the brain. Real estate is going pretty well. I started to work with this girl who sits next to me. M, you would hate her, but she would love you. She is messy and kinda sloppy and always having problems. She and I just had a big talk the other day after I had a big talk with my boss about the whole thing. Some parts of the partnership work very well, some not at all. We are trying to iron it out. All in all I am doing more business now that I have a partner, but I just have to figure out a way to keep it together once the customer puts in the application. Blah blah blah.

(Right around in here I reconnected with someone I met years ago through my ex-boyfriend. We kinda hit it off, if you know what I mean. I wrote this to a peripheral friend in Europe who knows the first hamburger well.)

I think I may have a new hamburger, which is terrifying. But not that terrifying, because it is just chopped meat. I am not sure exactly how we/I define hamburger in this instance, like is it a like or is it a bummer? Do you even know what I am talking about? I guess I think of a hamburger as a crush or an interest. Anyway I have a hamburger, a little wrong, friends with (sort of) my ex-boyfriend. Are you in Sweden? Fun times? Hamburgers? Meatballs? What's the update? Awake and confused, trying to digest more than the hamburger I ate for late dinner. Love, E

(It was then, mid-August, I started emailing the new hamburger my real estate dailys, since we had a constant email volley going.)

Followingly, I picked up checks on the deal for 50th and 1st (yes!), met with the hot business pilot who screwed himself by leaving town for the last two weeks (no place to live now), but they can extend their move in date. I want to make him happy not only because he is attractive and a pleasure to work with AND has a pilot's license AND a plane, but because if we put him into a good apartment now, he will use us again and send friends our way.

Just after that, some faxing, phone calling and a frantic man who needs a $1600 studio. I have one for $1400 on 11th and 1st. Let's meet in 20 minutes. Okay. He didn't show up and his phone didn't work. At least the landlord was in a good mood and told me the story of how he met his new live-in girlfriend via a Craigslist ad for freight shipping from San Diego to New York. I wanted to die the entire time he was talking. Please, let my phone ring NOW NOW NOW!!! Next I am off to 20th and 5th to get the rent stabilized leases for 50th and 1st. Still have to get them up to her. What else. There's a bunch of to do items that didn't get done. Fail City.

At least I am wearing sneakers today. I saw a woman on the subway wearing a shirt that said, "Hey: I am the SHIT!" she didn't look like the shit. I wish I were better at meditating so I could get the instant relaxation from that instead of drinking. FUCK!!! Guess I should meditate on that.

Sleep? Horribly. It's going to be a crab attack pretty soon unless I sleep well. The morning is gorgeous, though, and I'd like another day off to wander around and sit on grass and benches drinking seltzer. I am wearing a cute outfit and having a good hair day, so I feel I may be unstoppable, even with the handicap of another poor night's sleep. (Flirting).

I have to get that Pfizer exec her blank lease and try to pin her own to a schedule so I can arrange the lease signing for tomorrow afternoon. Seems like a headache, but it has to be done. OK, I just took care of some of it. Now I have to take care of my Florida plans, letting my cousin know when I am showing up. More phone and email.

I have insomnia this week. It is a drag. I have trouble falling asleep and then I wake up at 2 or 3 for a little while. In the morning when I have to get up, it's hard, but not horrible. Today I totally crashed at around 4:30 pm, but could not get myself into a situation where I could rest so I missed my window then was awake later.

Real estate is fine, moving. I had a lease signing this afternoon, which was great but took too long. I think my partner is setting up a bunch of appointments for tomorrow. Friday I am going to Ft. Lauderdale to surprise my grandma for her birthday. I'll be down there until Tuesday morning. Hope I can sleep there! No email!

The Russian is always saying "You can't close Indians."

Work is super dead. I was so bored yesterday I just wasted time chatting and window shopping with two other agents until I felt like I could go home at 4:30. I was supposed to have 4 appointments but nothing materialized. At least today I have two tasks that are real and have to get done.

August ended with a real estate fizzle but September promised much, much more. I had met my first real sale client, a peer, a new friend, someone I could be honest with and learn along the way to getting her an apartment. I was thinking of ways to get out of things with the Biz Partner since I realized that things weren't really working between us. I was DATING SOMEONE SUPER AWESOME!