Am on INTERMINABLE phone call with United Airlines mileage program (1 hour and 25 minutes so far), trying to: 1. use my miles to get to Korea and 2. get them to honor a ticket agent's statement three days ago that it would cost $100 to change my ticket from Anchorage-SF to Anchorage-Seattle. Gor!

I am literally on hold for, like, 15 minutes at a time. But that's nothing compared to The Ringleted One, who was on hold for a solid hour with her airline when she was trying to change her flight back to Our Nation's Capital.

Had an interesting day (might as well use this time). I got the dirtiest dirt on people in the office (you would not believe! and some of the stuff I actually don't quite believe) from someone in a secret meeting, complete with furtive glances at the door of a local hotel coffee bar.

Oooo, just got off the phone. One hour and 41 minutes with the frequent flyer program. But did get the changed ticket fee down from $308 to $100, so it's like I made $200. At 1 in the morning. And I'm going to Korea for $80! But did use up all my miles.

As I was saying -- an interesting day. Juicy gossip. Then got into quite a blazing row, complete with yelling and both parties near tears of rage and frustration and maybe some sadness. I shall not go into detail about it, but I will say this: at age 29 and just over 4 months, I am finally quitting. Going cold turkey on the passive aggressive shit.

Went for a run after the row and wouldn't you know it, nature was conspiring to cheer me up, because for the first time in days, Cook Inlet didn't feature dishwater gray clouds, nearly indistinguishable from the water. There were clouds in the sky, but gorgeous white puffballs in the distance, and the almost immobile feathery dove gray clouds near the shore were lit up by the sun, which peeked out shyly, its reflection on the water like a silvery, bashful full moon. God, it was marvelous.

By the time I got back, it was 9 pm, and I still hadn't eaten. The salmon I'd set out at 7:30 was thawed, and I thought to replicate Charm's girlfriend's pan-seared salmon dish. It was not quite as successful as hers -- despite using lots of oil and butter, I set off the smoke detector and charred parts of the fish. But my goodness, it was delish. Especially with a big ass glass of Smoking Loon Cabernet (here's looking at you, BC) and some Very Healthful Spinach. I do so appreciate the very valuable lesson The Ringeleted One helped me learn this summer: the healing properties of a glass of wine.

And now I must sleep.