Missing critical meeting
Prepare in advance, plan for Murphy's Law. Don’t wait until the last minute to report that you can't make it. Examine how to overcome your absence. Follow up with the person in charge of the event. Figure out who has the information on the discussion topics and the outcomes of the conversation? Get some time with your boss to review what transpired (in case she attended). Send a note to the attendees and apologize for your absence but don't obsess about it. Get back into the loop. Volunteer to help again at the next event.