Back in March, I passed my 30 year anniversary as a Realtor. Usually, at that time, I reflect on all the changes my business has weathered, and there have been many over those years. But, none quite as all encompassing as the changes needed during a Pandemic. I was spending so much time learning how to adapt to 2020, that I forgot to even acknowledge that milestone. But, I find myself feeling very grateful for those 30 years of change now, as they have certainly been good practise!

As I look back over the past several weeks (months??), I have to say that selling real estate has been “interesting”. While I take the health concerns very seriously, this is a more light hearted look at some of the adjustments I’ve had to make recently.

I’m a little bit “old school” in that I really enjoy meeting my people face to face. So, doing much more digitally means I’m spending a lot more time on the phone, on the computer, and at my desk.  But, I have to say, the bigger adjustments have been to my time on the road.

My car now has a new kit – cleaning wipes, masks, a large bottle of hand sanitizer, and a larger jug of hand cream, cuz, wow, all this washing is hell on the skin! Early on, as we were all getting used to the “social distancing”, I found that my car was doing the same….I noticed how far back I was stopping behind the cars at the stop lights, and realized I was being EXTRA safe. 😉

I’m forced to schedule my travel time very carefully now. Normally, I would spend full days meeting clients, running errands etc., and would be out for many hours at a time. I knew the exact location of the bathrooms in every coffee shop on my route.  Now, that is a GINORMOUS challenge! With lineups taking up so much time, there can be a maximum of 3 or 4 stops, then it’s time to go home. On one unavoidable long trip, I actually HOPED the service centre had open washrooms, which caused me a good bit of anxiety, as, really, those are not traditionally the best pit stops. Surprisingly, the place appeared virtually abandoned, and it was sparkling clean! Crisis averted. On the bright side, I am saving many dollars on coffee expenses!

Kudos to all the medical staff (and now retail staff too!) that have to wear masks all day long! This may be my biggest concern. I find it very challenging to breath easily, my glasses fog up, and, as it turns out, apparently I need to read lips to hear clearly, who knew? I feel borderline claustrophobic, partially deaf, and mostly blind, lol. But, I’m getting used to it…..slowly…..

A myriad of meetings take place on Zoom these days. That’s new for me. Seeing my own face while I talk to people is seriously disconcerting. And, making sure I’m fully dressed and made up, at least from the waist up, is just so contrary to working from home. But, it is entertaining to watch how others handle their kids and pets while trying to look professional.

Things are moving just that little bit slower these days as it seems that everything has a little extra layer of complication, but, we are moving forward at a steady pace. We are all learning a lot as we go – did I mention the educational podcast overload?

I’m so very thankful that I have some amazing clients that have been so patient with all the new routines…we are still getting the job done, just a little differently these days.

Corey the Corona Cat came into our lives just over a week ago, on a Friday night.
Steve & I were enjoying a cocktail on our backyard deck, as usual, when suddenly, this overly friendly ball of fur jumped into one of our laps, and continued to jump from one to the other. He followed at my heels like a puppy as we took a walk around the neighbourhood looking for his people, with no luck.
Our weekend was spent "fostering", and on Monday, we took the little beggar to the London Animal Care Centre, where they promised to continue the search for his family, and, failing that, would find a new family for him.
In 35 years together, Steve & I have not had a child, a pet of any kind, or even a plant depending on us for survival. Nor have we longed for those things. So, it was with great surprise, shock even, that we found ourselves worrying about this wee kitty, which, at some point, transformed into wondering (agonizing!) if we could actually take care of him.
After an exhaustive search for his family, a myriad of questions to almost everyone we knew with cats, and, generally overthinking the whole situation for the better part of a week, we did end up officially adopting Corey. Or, rather, accepting that HE had adopted US.
This may sound like an overstatement, but, our lives have changed in a very big way.
Our once semi-tidy house, is now littered with cat food, kitty litter, cat toys, cat beds, scratching posts, and blankets. And. Cat. Hair. An overwhelming amount of that!! We talk to the cat. We talk about the cat. We arrange our lives, and our home, to accommodate his needs. He is training us well on what he wants, when he wants it. And, we are falling for all of it. Is this what it's like for all pet owners??
This week has taught us so many things:
1. Cats are night people.
2. Cats are much higher on the maintenance scale than I once thought.
3. We are mush melons.
I feel like this is a story of "what I did during the Pandemic". Maybe spending more of our time at home, made home feel a bit emptier on some level? I do think though, that perhaps you can't always get what you think you want, maybe sometimes you get what you need.
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