(*$&%$%(*&.

I should have known it when my department chair started giggling when I walked in the office. There is a meeting, for people in Math and Biology, a day-and-a-half long extravaganza of being talked at and made to do things, and two people from each department must be sent. And because I teach biostatistics, I seem to be the ideal person. $%&)(*$%. And it's in a city some three hours away. $(*&%$)(*.

The real kicker.

It is on my birthday. I am going to spend my frickin' 35th birthday sitting in a room being talked at by some "expert" who makes far more money than I will ever see in my sorry life, and there is not a single darned thing I can do about it.

$()*%&$()*.

$*(%&*($.

$%($)()&^.

Someone OWES me for this. Someone owes me big. The thing that kills me is, my department chair is right, I AM the logical person.

pity me.