This Is Why I Can't Have Nice Things

Or, In Which A Bolt Drops From The Heavens This Afternoon:

To all ICIT Staff:

The first day of classes for the fall term is August 27. In line with ICIT policy, 
staff may not take annual leave time or other voluntary time off (personal days, etc) 
during the week before or the week of the start of classes. This year the block starts
August 20 and ends August 31. Please note that labor day is Monday, September 1. 

Why do I care? Because I really wanted and needed to go to Burning Man this year. It is exactly what my mind and spirit require. And, because this "policy" was in no wise communicated to me, nor is it written anywhere that I can find; it's just one of those things that Everyone Knows But No One Thinks To Tell You. I grow excessively weary of that class of things.

In Which There Is, Indeed, A Spot Of Fresh Hell

Just back from the emergency room. Steve was having chest pains, but of a different kind than his hiatal hernia, the usual culprit in these adventures. He has not in fact had a heart attack; OTOH, his blood pressure was registering at 175 over 105. OTTH, the kindly doctor noted that usually people are horrendously stressed by the time they're getting their BP taken at the emergency room, so it should not necessarily be taken as a sign of imminent doom. In sum, possible causes for the mystery pain include: high blood pressure; a new flavor of gastrointestinal fun; or he's pulled a chest muscle of some kind. He will be calling his regular doctor tomorrow to get checked out.