I was planning to wax creatively, but it's too early in the morning and I haven't had my coffee yet, so it will suffice at the moment for me to say that I am totally, completely fed up with this shit.

If you want to survive as a TI, there are at least two things you should be aware of:  the first is always beware of friendly strangers, particularly if they offer you unsolicited gifts.  That is a dead giveaway that they are setting you up for betrayal.

The second is never, ever trust someone who reappears from your distant past, particularly one with whom you may have had a rocky relationship.  They are definitely up to no good.  Once trust is broken, it can never be regained.

It's a hard life, true, but survivable if you always remember the adage:  Never, ever quit.

Nature doesn't play favorites, it simply separates those who are unprepared from the rest of the ecosystem.