Yeah, I'm just wanting to cry. Because I wouldn't have planned this trip on my own. Two weeks of travel by myself is NOT my idea of fun. At all. And I know me, and know it will seriously limit what I'm willing and able to do, especially after dark. And a portion of the trip involves expeditions into the desert in jeeps with guides, which I'm really not excited about alone. Friend offered to pay to postpone the trip but I can't (work wise) and it would be winter there, by then, which would also suck. And even if she paid for someone else to go, I don't know many people who can take off two weeks of work--on two weeks' notice!!! And are someone I want to travel with. (She was like "I'll ask my network" and I'm like "travels with a complete stranger? Yeah, that's not a great alternative..")

Yeah, there isn't an obvious solution. Do you have any unemployed friends who have secretly always wanted to go to Chile?

Not that I'm aware of?

But also I'm not even sure what's fair to ask of her, you know? I mean, the accommodations are a sink cost at this point, but I don't even know how much a plane ticket would be all last minute. And is that fair?

congrats, Kalshane

Ugh meara, that really is a mess

My Tai Chi class didn't happen tonight. I don't know why - I got there a couple of minutes before it should have started (I thought) and no one was there, the office was dark and locked.

oh dear, that's not good. Tai Chi class should be rewarding, not disappointing.

meara, that absolutely sucks. I wish there were a buffista traveling companion that could go.

Kalshane, best wishes to you both!

My cold kicked in and we have parent-teacher conferences tonight. I am not pleased.

Hopefully I can ask someone on Saturday, Burrell. Probably I just misunderstood something about the scheduling.

Yeah, meara, figuring out how to pay for your hypothetical replacement Chile traveling companion was going to be the next step in my salvage "plan".

Ugh, meara, that totally sucks. I hope you can figure something out.

"Frustrating" doesn't begin to cover that, meara. That sucks.

Congrats, Kalshane! We need more good news for 2016.

Thank you. I know this year has been a right bastard to a lot of people so far. Hopefully it's just getting everything out of the way early.

And thanks again for all the kind words, everyone.

Ugh, got to sleep late through no fault of my own (Yes, it was entirely my fault, I should know better than to start reading a 35k-word fic by an author I like at bedtime), and then traffic this morning was a hellacious hellbeast.

I feel like I've done my work for the day and should be allowed to go home.