As long as you have a plan.

The print issue was 48 days late because he kept adding articles, and we're still getting his copies to China in time for his conference. Wow. We rock, and nobody cares. I hate working in corporate America.

My niece K. got fired a couple weeks ago. Short version, the new Overlord didn't want anyone working remotely, so since she wouldn't *move to Arkansas*, her boss came up with all sorts of complaints, in a 2-week period, to get her terminated. This, after 8 months of high praise, and not one performance evaluation. Of course they can't do that, but they did. At first she was depressed, then she decided that since she hates working in that rigidly-structured bullshit-filled corporate environment anyway, she'd rather take a chance on being self-employed. Since then, she's gotten $4000 cash in hand for commissions. Today she showed up at my house with a vintage Dodge Aspen she just bought. She paid $400 and it's not exactly pristine, and she's in debt and she really shouldn't have done it, but fuck. I'm supposed to be the responsible adult here and counsel her to be careful and look for another job and blahblahlifeisscary, but fuck, if I had a skill and talent like she has (she's the painter/singer/costume designer) and connections like she has, I'd quit my damn job too.

Okay, I'm done. Back to work.

The last time I flew one-way, I breezed through security like usual, for one point of anecdata.

Outside cat made Loki lose his nut. They were actually attacking each other through the screen. Pumpkin FUHREAKED and then Outside Cat ran off and she and Loki decided they'd never seen each other before and I had to spend 10 mintes calming one, then the other, until their brains returned. Loki actually kinda talks when he's wailing in rage. It's a "mahRARmaLAR!" Kinda cool all the new consonants.

Pumpkin looks SERIOUSLY EVIL when she inflates. It's fucking amazing.

Now they are wandering around sniffling all the places they left their aggressive fear pheromones and growling at the spots.

Kayak.com is now showing me "Hacker" deals, where you book two one-way flights instead of one round-trip flight, to save money. That's pretty cool.

I'm still looking at F2F flights. I hear so much good about Alaska, but the flights out of Chicago say operated by American. So, no reason to pick that, right?

The print issue was 48 days late because he kept adding articles, and we're still getting his copies to China in time for his conference.

DAMN. We do totally have the same exact job.

(Except for that unnerving editing program you use.)

I usually love Alaska but usually their flights are operated by Alaska. I've flown flights operated by others with no real issue though.

Don't you get more security scrutiny with a one-way ticket? Maybe we're past that as a society, that would be nice.

I changed my previously canceled ticket twice in one day and when I got to the airport I got the creepy scan and then taken to a private room for a while. I was early. My dad had been through a brain biopsy and I was trying to get home before my cat died so I could not have given a shit but, if I'd cared, the touching was super creepy. Super creepy.

Granted, I'd "slept" at my parent's condo the night before and the police came in through an apparently open roof access and I just blinked, asked for their i.d. and went with it. They seemed nice.

So probably I was numb to anything.

Cass, when my mom was going through her shit, I learned that airline "bereavement" fares are also for people with serious health issues. It can mean some time on the phone, and they'll want like hospital room numbers. But it can mean a whole lot of flexibility in changing flights and stuff without it costing you a mint.

That is really good to know. Thank you.

My mom picked up the charges and it won't pain her to do so, so I'm okay with the fees already paid. But it's nice to know there are options. Especially because I am scared to book return flights when I fly out there again soon.

My TV just landed on a show called "Rookie Blue," and apparently it's the third season premiere?? I have never heard of this.