( continues...) I sent her this e-mail tonight:

Hi [owner],

I'm hoping you can shed some light on something I read about this evening that seems like a conflict with our wedding on September 21.

This link (http://mhcchistory.com/2013/09/02/dont-miss-the-hamilton-avenue-road-to-freedom-living-history-tours/) about the Hamilton Avenue Road to Freedom Living History Tours says that Six Acres is one of the stops on the tour, and will also be providing refreshments, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

My understanding from everything you told us was that we could begin setting up for the wedding at 2 p.m. the day of the wedding, and that the dining room would be set up that morning, along with 2 dining tables in the parlor, and a tent and chairs on the patio for the ceremony. It seems like the tours will conflict with that.

Since our wedding day is coming up quickly, I'd like to talk with you so we can discuss how the 2 events (the tour and the wedding) will transition smoothly. We've been planning to be at Six Acres at 2 p.m. the day of the wedding to begin setting up in the dining room, parlor, and patio, and to get ourselves dressed and ready in the guest rooms so that we can begin taking pictures at 4, as noted on the invoice.

The tour sounds like a great event. I'm just wondering if the overlap in time frames might cause some complications.

I'll call you Monday (September 8) so that we can discuss this.

Sounds like a fairly calm e-mail, I think. But inside, I am filled with raaaaaaaage.

I'm fairly convinced at this point that the tailor's shop is going to burn down, with my dress in it.

Ow ow ow ow fucking hell. Because my body just can't do only one thing wrong, my hip and lower back have gone totally out of whack. Hurts like hell. And I can't take any of the meds that really work, because I've got to get up tomorrow to get to work, and since I missed work on Friday for Rosh Hashanah, I really can't miss it again tomorrow. Just took a bunch of Advil, and hoping it'll do something.

I'm sorry Hil.

And Teppy, that is totally shady. I won't suggest solutions cause if I were you I'd be too full of rage to want practical suggestion at the moment. If a body turns up, Tim was here in Olympia, WA helping us with some wiring problems, and you were with him to lend moral support.

I won't suggest solutions cause if I were you I'd be too full of rage to want practical suggestion at the moment.

Bingo. Please, nobody suggest ways in which this overlapping event timeline can work. And don't try to explain what the owner was probably thinking.

I just want a brigade of rageful minions behind me waving pitchforks and torches.

Totally waving pitchforks like they are pom-poms on your behalf, Teppy.

Waving torches at Hil's pain.

Yeah, that sounds....at least really pretty dumb, if not actually shady. Dang. I will hope they have excellent explanations tomorrow.

I can pitchfork!

I'm not saying they CAN or they WILL, but I really hope that somehow they DO write back to you tomorrow with a simple solution and that the problem just dissolves into the ether.

I'll be bummed that YET AGAIN I don't get to use a torch, however.

Aw Hil, that sucks so bad. I'm sorry.

I really hope that somehow they DO write back to you tomorrow with a simple solution and that the problem just dissolves into the ether.

I hope they do, too -- I'd prefer simple easy solution to my raaaaaaaaage -- but it's just so damn shady. Even when it's a VERY worthy cause, how do you NOT tell your paying customer that their schedule might be thrown off?

I am glad I read about the tour tonight, instead of showing up at the B&B the day of the wedding and being face to face with a tour group and the proprietress selling donuts from a card table. (Which raises the question of, if she's busy selling refreshments until 4:00, when is she going to cook dinner for 50 people?) Because THAT? Would have made me lose my damn mind and flip out like a mammal.

Yeah, that sounds....at least really pretty dumb, if not actually shady. Dang. I will hope they have excellent explanations tomorrow.

Yeah.

Large amounts of Advil have gotten my pain level down to a 6 or so, which might be good enough for me to attempt sleep. Sleeping on the couch tonight, since it's marginally more comfortable than the bed when I'm hurting like this. Supposed to teach Intermediate Value Theorem and limit definition of derivative tomorrow. Both are complicated things -- can't just give a half-assed lecture like I might be able to with some other topics. Not sure how well I'll get through.