October 27. Thursday Night.

Hi Journey.

It was a really good thing Mark Forney loves the Chicago scene enough that he blew his date with me last week. He must have left his head up in the John Hancock tower, because our order for paint sure didn't show up today.

Possibly I over-reacted a bit when I flung my Jubles and White swatch against the wall in my office. As usual Joni calvaried in to the rescue. She looked at my face and knew I was really, really ticked. Of course, she'd just transferred me the call from Mrs. Grufsen over in Maybridge who let me know the paint hadn't arrived.

Usually painting a client's home is a bottom-drawer worry. J&W has a store on the south side of town, the painters swing by and pick it up then go to my client's house. Pretty simple process—except when there's no damn paint! Last month Mark promised me they'd have their new semi-gloss mixed up in Des Moines special for Mrs. G. and shipped special delivery well in time for her fall re-design of her family room.

There was a mix-up, all right. I don't know and could care less if it happened in Des Moines or inside Mark's thick skull, but no paint on Mrs. G's walls = Crystal Designs looks stuuupid!!

And that can't happen. Not ever. I've worked too frigging hard on this company to let this type of problem nuke me out of the game. Referrals are the life vests keeping my little company afloat.

I think—maybe—I calmed Mrs. G down enough to let her know that, even with the delay, her house would be in spectacular form for next Monday Night's Ravens-Steelers game. Yes, I reassured her, I understood that it was critical that the room just look fantastic and I let her know that yes, I absolutely did understand how important it was for a sales executive like her husband to entertain his clients in the proper atmosphere and that, no, we couldn't have the Family Room looking like a refuge for every bad 90's party her high-schoolers had ever hosted.

I calmed her down by listening to her whine, nodding my head even though I was on the phone 6 miles removed from her rage, and trying my best to empathize with her. I plopped myself into her place—husband is bringing over some clients for the big game and she wants to impress the guys. And the boss.

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