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Sequencing and Pacing


Jilly in red


This whole death thing makes me all bolloxed up, with confusing waves of emotion, for example sadness and relief at the same time. My family-friendly boss gave me the whole week off (unpaid) allowing me to do what I need to, which turns out to be standing in the middle of a room not knowing how long I've been there or why. Also walking, lots of walking, in nature, in the city. It's not been all bad, nor all good, different. And so much kindness, so so much.

A kindness, Lisa's flowers


So when tenants moved out of my beat up old rental condo and I knew I needed to oversee a bunch of work, a cold sweat developed on my forehead. Visions of Philip, a more linear thinker there isn't, managing a project stressed out with spreadsheets, post its, middle of the night notes, calendars, even something like a clipboard, made me woozy. But the universe was looking out for me when it brought me Igor and Oleg, able to handle almost all parts of a renovation. Igor's sense of order conveyed in his compactness in an always a tidy golf shirt, pressed shorts, new suede running shoes, ankle socks, thick grey hair and sad, beautiful azure eyes, complementing Igor's teddy bear largeness, messy brown hair, grubbiness, baggy shirts, round face and big smile. Perhaps because Igor has some English, he does the light work and stays clean.

Igor's natural sense of order


They began a few weeks ago, fortunately at a time that I didn't have any work to do. For the most part I stayed out of the way and we'd communicate via text due to language challenges. We were a well-oiled machine with me being the planner, purchaser, scheduler and communicator. They worked around delivery delays, patched up mouse holes, plastered, painted, ripped up floors, added new, got rid of appliances, grouted. But after this whole death thing, I had concerns about my ability to pay attention and deal with details. Know thyself.

Yup, that ain't gonna work


But here's a positive about this whole death thing. Wrong appliance x 2 (fridge was the wrong shape)? Spend an hour on the phone, send them back, get the right ones. No biggie. More money, oh well, life goes on, why worry?


So the Russians finished what they could, well not installing some of the appliances... and were competent, good communicators, tidy, did a great job. Nice people too.


At the same time, my current apartment, with its wall-to-wall beige (that's being kind) carpeting, overhead lights that resemble Nancy Reagan's earrings, abysmal storage, floors so crooked I can't do a workout, galley kitchen, on the fourth floor (which isn't a problem except in winter when I tend to not leave because it's warm and cozy and light) was going to have rent increased to $4,000, which I knew would drive me crazy if I stayed. So I approached the landlord, Saunders, who owns half the rental property in the greater Boston area, about getting out of my lease, which held me for another year. I would find someone to replace me with no trouble to them, and temporarily move into my newly renovated condo. They said "Hmm, probably not, OK, probably, well maybe". Fortunately, I'm good with grey and compartmentalizing. The realtor found a renter around the 10th, and since then, Saunders has objected to countless minutiae on the lease; parking, co-signer, end date, blah blah blah. So, here we are on the 20th, and I know not where I'll be laying my head in two weeks, and if by some miracle the lease does come through, I won't have much time to pack.


Naturally, the three executive search projects I bid on months ago all contacted me the same day with an urgency that I wouldn't be able to quench on a good day. Coming back round to this whole death thing, I can only shrug and do what I do. I might not be able to sequence and pace, but I'm good at carrying on.


Pass the ice cream.







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