OMG, December is back. Another full year comes to a close and honestly, all the days just keep passing faster and faster. Next thing, I’ll be 65 years old with a head of grays!!

Let’s rewind just a tad: November was a crazy month. H and I were all set to close on our San Mateo townhouse listing, the second deal with a couple referred to me by my good friend T. The sale of their very nice townhome had its challenges. Sure, the owners had poured tons into this stunning end-unit, with thoughtfully-selected, high end elements and design. Unfortunately, the home sat at a busy intersection (4-lane streets) and on top of that major ding for buyers, the fire station was directly in front.

Needless to say, we prepared a strong marketing plan and got hundreds of visitors through the open house. In the end, we even received FIVE offers. The numbers were right on track with what we anticipated through our price research, and that was of course, still below seller’s expectation.

Nonetheless, they wanted to proceed. Long story short, a strong buyer represented by a flat-fee discount agent scored the win. I warned that working with a discount agent would have its complications but the clients wanted their number. So fine… we proceeded with the sloppiest, most frustrating buyer agent team ever… All was actually moving along swimmingly until suddenly, not.

The day after the original expected close of escrow, the sellers went from 0 to 100 on the “fed up” scale in a flash. There were threats of canceling the transaction, threats of legal action, constant insistence that they “need to be made whole” etc. In the end, we closed 5 days later (including the weekend) and Jesus Christ, for the level of escalation, extra calls, messages, negotiations, and work, it was totally moot.

But the good news is we got ‘er done. Too bad a blossoming work relationship ended with a bad taste. That’s the thing with people: they can still surprise you with their irrationality. Sigh.

Oh well, I only lost like five years off my life. SMH. The stress had gotten so high, I was nauseas for days and couldn’t sleep, no appetite, lost weight in a week. I got totally wrecked, not to mention the strain on my relationship with my biz partner. Live and learn, I suppose. I’m glad it’s done, and as J reminds me: none of the verbal accolades/affirmations are needed bc “that’s what the money is for.” I mean, come on, throw me a bone since I busted ass for you!! Whatever. I know deep down, we did a great job on this deal. Whether the client acknowledges, is their thing. For sure, I’ll make some tweaks for next time. Kaizen, baby!

So now we’re into mid-December, and I am actually blogging from Taiwan. Yup, here for my annual pilgrimage to see the parentals. This time I came solo, bc Bubs is taking care of Benny, whose hind legs no longer work. In most other regards, Benny is doing pretty good– deaf but still tracking us, still eating/drinking/pooping regularly. Unfortunately, getting him upright from lying position puts extra stress on this thighs and butt, so there ARE more accidents indoors now, but at least his stool is dry and we’ve managed. Sorry, probably TMI with the biohazards.

Day 1 in Taiwan went pretty well. This trip, I decided to change up my strategy. In the past, I was always very minimalist with my packing. Everything I transported had to fit into my carry-on, so my toiletries/amenities got stripped down to the bare minimum. This time, I opted for the opposite. Screw the carry-on only. I planned to check a bag, and more importantly, I was going to have all the amenities for that killer 13+ hr flight in economy. Yup, in anticipation of entering the Heart of Darkness without my Bubbey buffer, I needed to have my cup totally FULL, like overflowing in order to survive the next 10 days in Nagler’s Cove. Seriously, I gave it a lot of thought. In the past, going bare bones meant I slept like shit on the plane, my skin got dry and itchy, and then I would just arrive exhausted, tired, and super irritable. That served no one. Maybe Operation Full Cup would improve my comfort and resilience?

I’m now at Day 2, and I have to say, I’m feeling pretty good re: jet lag. It’s possibly too early to say, but I am hopeful that I finally cracked the code. If you’re curious, here are the components of my maximalist strategy:

On arrival and after customs/immigration, I also used my travel towel to squeeze in a quick free shower. No one else used this amenity, so it was clean and ready. Special s/o to Bub for the discovery!

To my surprise, I was able to last the entire first day, touching down at 5am Sunday and going to bed after dinner around 7pm. Let’s see how I feel as the trip progresses.