this is how I do

So obviously within an hour of that last post the madness erupted. Yippeee!

The job I'm working on hit a particularly bad snarl today, a snarl that had been building for a while actually, and I was reminded of this awkward position I get into - stuck between client and service provider, Ms Go-Between, Ms Try and Keep Everyone Happy. Client wants a mile, service provider only prepared to give an inch. It's my job to reach a compromise. You know that thing 'compromise' right? When no one's actually happy.
Parenting is good practise for this.
I felt like the panty wedged between the cheeks.

I sat on the phone, in my car in central town, as Client angled for me to do the impossible. I stared out at the people walking past and imagined every single one of their lives was easier than mine (ha ha). I sat on that knife-edge of being a realist while not wanting to be a pessimist, I injected some humour (it worked), I made an alternative suggestion (it didn't) and I ended the call with the cover-all:
'I'll see what I can do.'

Hanging up I sat in silence for a while. Like one of those ultra shitty maths problems at school, I knew what the answer needed to be but could see no clear way of getting there.
What I did know was that I needed to step away.

So I popped in to Skinny laMinx for the launch of Heather's new fabric range.

I made some bunting.

I went across the road to Jason's Bakery for a flat white and OMGTHISTHING.

Blueberry, Almond & Lemon Curd in a Croissant Cup.

(I was under a lot of stress okay)

I did a couple of errands. I let the pressure build. I came home and hung the bunting.

And then, when I'd allowed my subconscious enough time for the way forward to percolate to the surface, when I'd pushed myself nearly to deadline, when I'd honed my veneer of fearlessness and 'what the fuck let's just do this -ness', I struck with the speed and accuracy of a blood-thirsty viper.
A sweet-spoken, diplomatic, calm and measured viper.
I made the call, I got it DONE, and I produced a result more wonderful than my client had even dared hope for.

40 hey, it's fucking great.