well bless my cotton socks, the meeting was much better than i thought and the guys who attended were okay, offered me a bit of support and generally were supportive of what i had done although there was a lot unsaid. anyway i was pleasantly surprised, it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. 
diving home at midnight was outrageous as the terrible winds and rains had flooded the freeway turning it into a frictionless sliding track as cars moved in all directions in the most unpredictable of ways hindered by the trucks that raced past leaving a tidal wave in their wakes. roads flooded everywhere, trees fallen, abandoned cars, crashed cars, i am glad to be home.