Oh dear, that's an adorable Princess Ellie, that is. Second generation Buffistas are going to be unstoppable!

Request for advice deleted now that I've decided what to do with it.

If you didn't make the mistake, Susan, you shouldn't be out of pocket. That's crazy talk.

Susan, B.

Avoid A and C.

Susan, I'd do C, then do A and let her do B. That way, the agent's expectations are taken care of regardless, the president is up to speed and may have your back on reimbursing you for your quick thinking, and in any case will have to handle the flighty chairperson--and you won't.

B+) put in earplugs before going to conference chair first. You know she's going to go off on it, but it sounds like going straight to the prez would be difficult and impolitic in whole new ways, and everything's too tense for that right now.

I'd say B, unless it really was your fault. I've done that preemptive thing and ime, you're not really saving any grief at all by being out the $. Things like that have away of erupting in other ways and then you still have grief but not your $80.

I think I'm going to do B, and if it goes as predicted, follow up with A, possibly with a side of, "Broke unemployed person that I am, I'd rather do C than take the PR hit of letting a misunderstanding turn into a kerfuffle with someone like this."

t deep breaths

t rehearses talking points

And, it all played out more or less as I predicted. I'm supposed to talk to him in terms of, "If it's a financial difficulty, we'll cover it, but this was not part of the original arrangement."

Sigh. So not worth fighting over. We know to be more explicit in the agreement letter the next time. Instead of just naming the dates and saying we'll pay for airfare and lodging, it'll say that we cover lodging for the two nights of the conference. Live and learn.

All this has taken up the time I was going to spend getting the car clean enough to meet Mary Balogh at the airport tomorrow and taking care of assorted other conference-related chores (AKA "Annabel's naptime"). Now I'm almost certainly going to have to miss choir practice, meaning I won't get to see a friend of mine among the altos who's about to MOVE TO AFRICA before she leaves. Sheesh.

I stopped at my favorite consignment place on the way home and found an outfit. It is a blue Weekenders 4 piece outfit. I can dress it up or dress it down. I've never been a big fan of Weekenders stuff, but this felt silky and looked slimming.