italy and india prep. drama

The Indian consulate is holding my passport hostage in San Francisco. Our visa service failed to realize that I would need my passport for my thanksgiving travels--on the one hand i guess not many people go abroad for thanksgiving, on the other hand it IS an international visa service-- and so didnt give it much thought, believing they could overnight it to me wherever i was in the country. so i am in scary limbo. yesterday i thought i would have to hop a flight to SF. Then we realized it would be easier, and cheaper, for the passport to hop a flight. hopefully that comes to fruition.

and vaccines are a no go for this leg of the india stint. i guess i'll be using mosquito repellent and prayers. we'll see how that works for avoiding malaria.