diff --git a/hugvey/speech/google.py b/hugvey/speech/google.py
index b69e8fd..41f6091 100644
--- a/hugvey/speech/google.py
+++ b/hugvey/speech/google.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import uuid
 from hugvey.communication import LOG_BS
 import audioop
 import gc
+import time
 
 mainLogger = logging.getLogger("hugvey")
 logger = mainLogger.getChild("google")
@@ -198,6 +199,17 @@ class GoogleVoiceClient(object):
             except Exception as e:
                 if "305" in str(e):
                     self.logger.warning(f"Long Google Voice: {e}")
+                elif "TRANSIENT_FAILURE" in str(e):
+                    self.logger.critical(f"Crashed Google Voice: {e}")
+                    time.sleep(.3)
+                    self.logger.critical(f"Reload config, in an attempt/guess to fix it")
+                    config = types.RecognitionConfig(
+                        encoding=enums.RecognitionConfig.AudioEncoding.LINEAR16,
+                        sample_rate_hertz=self.src_rate,
+                        language_code=self.getOfficialLangCode())
+                    self.streaming_config = types.StreamingRecognitionConfig(
+                        config=config,
+                        interim_results=True)
                 else:
                     self.logger.critical(f"Crashed Google Voice: {e}")
 
diff --git a/hugvey/story.py b/hugvey/story.py
index e011b17..d94c369 100644
--- a/hugvey/story.py
+++ b/hugvey/story.py
@@ -278,7 +278,9 @@ class Reply(object):
         self.utterances.append(utterance)
 
     def getText(self) -> str:
-        return ". ".join([u.text for u in self.utterances]).strip()
+        # for some reason utterances are sometimes empty.Strip these out
+        utterances = filter(None, [u.text.strip() for u in self.utterances])
+        return ". ".join(utterances).strip()
 
     def getActiveUtterance(self, currentTime) -> Utterance:
         """
@@ -760,18 +762,24 @@ class Diversion(object):
 #                 story.logger.warn(f"Block diversion {self.id} because of hit message {self.params['notAfterMsgId']}")
                 self.disabled = True # never run it and allow following timeouts/no_responses to run
                 return False
-
-        r = await self.method(story,
-                direction.msgFrom if direction else None,
-                direction.msgTo if direction else None,
-                direction if direction else None)
-        if r:
-            if self.type != 'repeat' and self.type !='interrupt':
-                # repeat diversion should be usable infinte times
-                self.hasHit = True
+        try:
+            r = await self.method(story,
+                    direction.msgFrom if direction else None,
+                    direction.msgTo if direction else None,
+                    direction if direction else None)
+            if r:
+                if self.type != 'repeat' and self.type !='interrupt':
+                    # repeat diversion should be usable infinte times
+                    self.hasHit = True
+                    
+                story.addToLog(self)
+                story.hugvey.eventLogger.info(f"diverge {self.id}")
                 
-            story.addToLog(self)
-            story.hugvey.eventLogger.info(f"diverge {self.id}")
+        except Exception as e:
+            story.logger.critical("Exception when attempting diversion")
+            story.logger.exception(e)
+            return False
+        
         return r
 
     def createReturnDirectionsTo(self, story, startMsg, returnMsg, originalDirection = None, inheritTiming = True, timeoutDuration = .5, replyContainsDurations = None):
@@ -818,6 +826,10 @@ class Diversion(object):
             usedReturnMessage = returnMsg
             if msg.generatedDirectionsJumpToChapter:
                 usedReturnMessage = story.getNextChapterForMsg(returnMsg, canIncludeSelf=True)
+                
+            if not usedReturnMessage:
+                # in case of a diversion in the last bit of the story, it can be there there is no return message.
+                raise Exception(f"No return message found for {msg.id}")
 
             direction = Direction(f"{self.id}-{i}-{self.counter}", msg, usedReturnMessage)
             data = json.loads(f"""
@@ -1562,6 +1574,11 @@ class Story(object):
                     return
 
             if e['event'] == 'speech':
+                # TODO if transcript is empty, ignore (happened sometimes in french)
+                if len(e['transcript'].strip()) < 1:
+                    self.logger.warning(f'ignore empty transcription {e}')
+                    continue
+                
                 # participants speaks, reset counter
                 self.stats['consecutiveSilentTimeouts'] = 0
 
@@ -1599,7 +1616,7 @@ class Story(object):
                 else:
                     utterance.setText(e['transcript'], now)
                     
-                self.hugvey.eventLogger.info("speaking: content {} \"{}\"".format(id(utterance), e['transcript']))
+                self.hugvey.eventLogger.debug("speaking: content {} \"{}\"".format(id(utterance), e['transcript']))
                 if not self.timer.hasMark('first_speech'):
                     self.timer.setMark('first_speech')
                 self.timer.setMark('last_speech')