Long Story Short ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- stupid doctor's office It's 11am already. The days seems to be passing at a relatively impressive clip. I got up wicked early this AM so I could go to my pre-work doctor's appointment. Aren't I a responsible worker, scheduling my possible-ear-infection doctor's appointment for before work hours? I thought so... My ear has been hurting and yesterday I decided that it couldn't hurt to have it looked at. I woke up at 6:20 so I could shower before Professor K got up and it was actually nice to get up so early. I had drugged myself nearly to death last night and got a very good night's sleep. I left home and got to the doctor's office about ten minutes early for my 8am appointment. I was the ONLY patient in the waiting room. I got to listen to the inane yammerings of four or five of those dumbasses in white coats that weigh you and check your blood pressure before stuffing you in yet another waiting room so you can waste ten, twenty, thirty minutes. Did I mention that I was the ONLY patient? I'm not a morning person so it's possible that these women were not quite as insufferable as they appeared at 8am. But...they were pretty awful. The woman who weighed me and took my blood pressure called me "Mrs", shouted my weight out like she was selling newspapers on a busy streetcorner, and then bruised me when checking my blood pressure. I didn't want her anywhere near me and I had to let her touch my arm and breathe on me. Yuck. Then I sat in my waiting room, door wide open, listening to these morons socialize. At first I was just sitting there on my paper-covered cot like a good girl. I figured since the place was deserted I'd be in and out in ten minutes. Ten minutes later I was still sitting there. By this time a new conversation had broken out - some guy had come in and was talking about his long torso. Apparently his wife was tall with long legs and a short torso, while he was tall with short legs and a long torso. Oh my god, how INTERESTING! The women who were crowded around him cooing seemed to think so. It was one question after another: What are your kids like? How tall is your wife? What about your parents? Who gives a shit? I kept thinking that the doctor must be busy in her office or grabbing a cup of coffee. I figured as soon as she showed up the gaggle of dumbasses would break up and they'd get to work. The man walked away after a fifteen minute gossip session and the women began to break up. And one of them headed toward my waiting room. If you can believe this, my doctor had known all along that I was sitting there waiting and had stood there and socialized on MY TIME for almost twenty minutes. I was pissed off to say the least. What the fuck? I hear all this crap all the time about how busy doctors are and that's why they get backed up during the day. But that's obviously some bullshit conspiracy to allow them to keep you waiting while they talk and eat pastry. If every morning starts out there the way mine did then no wonder they have patients backed up for hours. My appointment took five seconds, she wrote me a prescription and I was out the door. Now why couldn't she have done this first and then had all that lovely free time to socialize after I left? < P> I stopped at Starbucks for a soothing iced mocha on my way to work and felt overwhelming glee to be surrounded by other people like me. I have nothing against health care professionals, my mother is one, but how come so many of them are scary and dumb? Starbucks felt like home. I smiled at the employees, thanked them profusely, got my coffee in two minutes (not 25) and I was back in my car in no time. Efficiency is a wonderful thing. I feel completely unable to convey thoughts today. I think it's my brain trying to break through the haze of Advil allergy sinus. I hope I'm not coming across like a Starbucks groupie - I love D&D and Seattle's Best as well. It's really more that I feel comfortable around other 9 to 5ers. We're a similar breed with the same gripes, wardrobes, and schedules. I'm sure if I was a health care worker I'd be frowning at the 9 to 5ers, hating them for their lack of understanding and their impatience while I shuffled around at work in my pajamas and slippers. This weekend was Vermont. It's amazing how you can do nothing for two days but just being away makes it feel like you had a productive weekend. The weather was crisp and cold both days and we actually had a fire on Saturday night - a fire in August! But it was soothing and cozy. We watched the Michael Jackson movie on VH1 Saturday night. I was all excited about it but quickly became disillusioned as it became apparent that this was a mostly pro-Michael Jackson movie. It was semi-ridiculous but entertaining enough to leave on. I was amazed at how well we all got along for two full days of sitting around. I guess that's the sign of a good lasting friendship. Getting home Sunday was a disappointment but we managed to suck it up and iron clothes and put away the laundry. Preparing for Monday sucks but waking up Monday morning with nothing to wear is even worse. We're on the countdown to the move and the time cannot pass quickly enough. Twenty two days from now our lease will start and I will never have to return to my apartment again. Please time, pass quickly! 11:01 a.m. - 2004-08-10 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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