Year 2, Day 286: The ZBA Meeting

This morning was sort of a make-or-break day. I had to get up, finish my presentation, send it off to a whole bunch of folks, get final feedback, get it to the printer before 8:30AM. Then I had to get both kids off to school and be at a meeting of my company's ad agency by 9:30AM. Then it was work all day. Then come home, eat (if in the mood) and immediately get over to the Needham Public Library for a meeting to discuss a large scale luxury project scheduled to be built 50 feet from my backyard's property line. To say that I was STRESSED out would be an understatement. I was a stress ball. I was actually glad that I didn't feel like eating that much because I tend to get nauseous when under intense pressure. Because the folks at my local print shop agreed to do this rush big-color presentation for Beer, I had to stop on my way back from the ad agency meeting at a liquor store to get their beer for them. I realize it's an unorthodox trade, but it is nearly Christmas. The liquor store has a deli and they make their own their turkey, so I ordered a turkey sandwich on wheat with nothing but pickles. They had to ask me a few times if that's what I wanted because I suppose no one has ever ordered a plain turkey sandwich before. The traditional offering there is mayonnaise, stuffing and cranberry sauce. I guess they don't count a lot of old Jewish folk as their customers. I asked for 'salt.'

Breakfast
2 Eggs, 1 Yolk
Balthazar Bread
Coffee

Snack
Medium Dunkin Donuts Decaf
6 oz vanilla yogurt

Lunch
Open faced turkey sandwich

Dinner
Breast of chicken

Amazingly, after nearly sixteen months of discussion, back and forth and deliberation, it all came down to this one meeting, and as I was to learn WAY too late, it didn't even come down to this meeting because it was patently obvious that every important decision had already been made prior to us showing up. I'm not sure that we couldn't have changed minds if we had delivered a "And Justice for All" kind of closing speech, but going up against a well-funded and well-run Developer, in a council room full of lawyers (the ZBA) us regular neighborhood folk didn't have a chance. It seems so obvious now, but at the time it seemed like going in full of sound and fury would be a good idea. Luckily, I didn't say anything that wasn't true or that I was ashamed of, and I guess I did well because the head of the development asked me to autograph one of my presentation cards. It was a hollow piece of flattery of course, because they got everything they wanted and we went home with our tail between our legs. I wonder if it would have been different if I had been present at the last, most important ZBA meeting, not in North Carolina at a company meeting. That will have to a speculation for the ages, though because the construction will be starting in March. Sigh.