I think I will do the 'fake' booking. I'd only be out the $150 pp ticket change fee. I may face a higher fare in April, but that would be the case anyway. Today fares went up $200 AS I WAS SEARCHING online. (Now you see it; now it's 'not available'; now it's $200 more!) I've read that best fares are posted after 3 p.m EST on Tuesdays and removed by midnight Wednesday. I can wait another day to search. I think this is a stupid way to run an airline. It must create fake bookings and more changes. They should let you book a one-way and modify it when the returns are open to be booked. You can do that if you're using miles to pay for the seat; mileage required is a flat amount whether you book one one-way or two one-way fares or a roundtrip.

That's air travel...especially in iffy spring weather conditions. I've always had a rule about flying. My driving radius is 5 hours. I learned a long time ago that when I factored in travel time back and forth to the airport, probable delays and comfort, I fly only when it's more than a 5 hours drive. When I started working, I would fly into Pittsburgh (from PHL)...I learned the hard way that the(at most) 5 hour drive was less than the average plane trip time..door to door. Same with going down to Va.

Years ago when we were still just dating, my now wife and I were traveling to a family reunion for her family in Rhode Island, we flew into Boston, where she had gone to college, and met up with a college friend of hers, and went to some of their old hangout spots in Boston. We got back to the car to go to her sister's place for the night and found that the car trunk had been jimmied open and all of our luggage was gone. Since it wasn't just matter of waiting for the airline to deliver the bags, we had to get everything we'd need for the entire week on Block Island. The next morning her sister took us to a local store named "Spags" that made Walmart, K-mart, or even Odd Lots seem upscale by comparison. The only good thing that came from it is since it was the first time I was meeting any of her family which would normally make me very nervous, I instantly had something to talk about with them. I often find that when things go slightly wrong with travel, it can make for the best stories, I'm glad they found a way to make it end up working.

I just realized reading this that it described a former close friend of mine. She walked under a black cloud, always doom and gloom conversations, but she had very few friends so I hung in there. Plus, she had her moments (few) of being joyful. I had a weekly standing dinner date with her at my house (never saw the inside of hers, despite a decade-long friendship.) She was in a dark place and she seemed to like coming to my home (and unloading). It would always be just the two of us. But she cancelled on every other thing--including my wedding! I kept trying to keep the door open, but she kept slipping further away until I couldn't remember our last dinner. It wasn't anything I had done, she had a track record of doing this to others as well. I definitely think depression played a role, and she has a medical background. Every so often I'll reach out to her to see how she and her kids are doing. The answers are perfunctory. I will always keep the door open to her, (and she knows it,) but I don't expect a knock anytime soon. I think I'll write to her today. eta:I emailed her 10 hours ago. Just a friendly “miss you, hope to hear from you…” And got crickets. Neither surprised nor upset. It was worth a try.