- Thursday, March 31, 2005
Patience, Patients
Earlier this week, a friend was talking to me about how long she had waited for a doctor's appointment and I was astonished at how long they had kept her sitting around. I dedicate this to her. My scheduled appointment time was 9:30. They request that all patients arrive at least fifteen minutes early. I was there at 9:12. I approached the "lady" behind the window and informed her that I had a 9:30 appointment, and she replied by pointing to a row of chairs and mumbling something resembling "go sit there." While I noticed that she did not enter anything into a computer, scratch anything off of a list on paper, nor move a (chart) folder, I said nothing and walked to the "waiting area" and sat down.I looked around at the numerous people, who were also waiting; and passing the time by reading; and I started to look at the magazine selection. Most of them were dated Summer or Fall - 1995, and were "Country Crafts" or "Stich-a-Roo" type subjects. I grabbed a 1996 issue Family Something, and started to flip through it. I read a few outdated articles about family craft night and other creative ways to keep one's children busy. I looked at some outdated ads, and waited. When I had re-read the same article twice (even though it was not really very interesting in the first place), I glanced at the clock. It was 9:45. Next to the clock was a small sign that read:
"If you have been waiting more than 15 minutes past your scheduled appointment time, please inform the receptionist."
I walked to the window, and the "lady" greeted me with a snap of her bubble gum. I told her my appointment was scheduled for 9:30 and I hadn't been called. She apologized, but gave no explanation and asked me to have a seat.
About five minutes later I was called, and they took my blood pressure (which was remarkably low considering how annoyed I was (117/75) and my temperature. Then they asked me to return to the waiting room and someone would call me "soon". So, I picked up another magazine, a 1995 issue of something about stenciling and quilts (there was nothing to read in this place). I folded it back on itself so that it appeared that I was reading "something". I waited. Waited. Waited... (it is now 11:05).
I was called, again, led to an "examination" room; and was asked to "have a seat". I sat. There were no magazines in here. I looked with at a poster display of the human digestive system. I waited. I waited for about half an hour. There was no clock, so I could only estimate how long it had been; and listen to the muffled voices of one of the doctors in the room next to me talking to his patient. He was attempting to convince this patient that she should stop smoking before she has another heart attack. He was explaining how the smoking weakened her blood vessels. I could not hear the woman well enough to know what her exact response was, but I do know that the doctor actually began to yell at her -either out of frustration or annoyance. I waited.
Sometime after that, a young clerk came in the room. "Hi, I know you've been waiting a long time, and we're sorry. Doctor (bla-lalalala) isn't here. We cannot find him. We don't know if he is in a conference or in surgery or what. He isn't responding to pages and unfortunately, he doesn't have a cell phone. We'd like to extend you a courtesy and re-schedule your appointment for Monday at 3:00."
Extend me a courtesy? How the... why the... (I was mad. really mad). I've been waiting for two hours! Why didn't someone let me know he wasn't here before now? Why would you let me wait all this time and not tell me that?
"Is the appointment time on Monday OK with you?" he asked.
I replied, "Do I really get a choice to do anything but come back at this point?"
I wasted my entire morning waiting for this group of people with the collective common sense quotient of a house plant to finally admit that they don't even know where the doctor is!
pero @ 1:00 PM | œ | 7 comments
Whoohoo!
itcameitcame it came! iamstillworkingonperfecting theespressomakingprocess. sofar,ihaveeattemptedtomake3or4 andiamgettingbetteratit.
aseinfeldepisodewherekramer spillsa latteinhispantsatthemovies andsettlesoutofcourt
withthe javaworldcoffee shopforfreeunlimited lattescomestomind.in thatepisode hesays,"I feel like I`m talking a little bit too fast, but it`s really hard to tell." (to Jerry and Georgewhilehighoncoffee)
Igottago,mycupisempty againandiwanttotry thiswithsoymilknow.
pero @ 10:23 PM | œ | 7 comments
When its More than a Piece of Gristle
It's the stories like this that fuel my deeply embedded food-related phobias. Yes, I do lift the bun and look at a hamburger before I take a bite. I also unroll burritos and inspect their contents. It is possible that I at least glance at every bite before it goes into my mouth. (I am not sure if that is true, but I am told that I do.)
My question is, do I look at EVERY bite closely enough that I would not have had to spit the finger out; because that spoon of chili would have never made it to my mouth? The article will surely evolve as the days go by, which is why I saved the captured image. Some articles mention that rest be assured, officials asked all employees at the location to show their hands to "prove they all had ten fingers". Another stated that the woman didn't need to worry because "the chili is cooked at high enough temperatures that any viruses..." (they did not say virii) "...would have been killed."
Was that supposed to make the poor woman who had the finger in her mouth feel better? As if that statment eased her mind and she said, "Oh!!! Well that makes it OK then. Thank you for letting me know!"
Why didn't the supervising staff (at the undisclosed location where the chili is prepared) notice when the woman's fingertip was MISSING? Why was this batch of chili not destroyed? Did she not alert her supervisors to the fact that her fingertip (along with the acrylic nail) was lopped off and had landed in the ingredients? Did they bother to look, or did they just wonder where it landed? Is it possible that they became so concerned about her that they rushed her to the emergency room and later forgot about the finger entirely?
This is why I am glad I am not visually impared (beyond very mild near-sightedness). I cannot imagine having to rely on somone else to look at each bite of food for me - and then trust them when they say "Oh it's fine. Just EAT it."
pero @ 10:47 AM | œ | 14 comments
Look, Ma! No Hands!
Hands-free phones save lives on the road.A few weeks ago I was on the freeway and I noticed this guy in the lane to my right. He was talking on his phone, via a hands-free device.
Now, I'm not one to sit around being judgmental. (ok maybe I am). The patent holders for this hands-free device would probably be smacking themselves silly (open palm to the forehead style).
How it should work: The device has an ear piece (A), which is designed to stay in place without the wearer having to hold it. This is connected by a tiny wire to your phone (B). The wonders of technology designed this so that between point (A) and point (B), roughly six inches away from the ear piece, is the microphone. Ingeniously designed, this microphone, when left hanging naturally, falls within range of the wearer's mouth; allowing him or her to talk on the phone without juggling a cumbersome phone, leaving both hands free to drive safely.
How he was using it: He was wearing a hands-free ear piece described, holding the microphone close to his mouth with one hand and driving with the other.
I have seen many people use this hands-free device this same way; and I can only assume that if it is like the one my friends Dennis has, has very poor sound quality and you cannot hear the person speaking above the static and noise. What they don't understand is, when you tell them, "There is a lot of static and I cannot hear you, " they simply hold the mic closer to their mouth and SCREAM into it.
pero @ 9:23 AM | œ | 4 comments
Well-Defined Negativity
Entry: feckless
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: purposeless
Synonyms: aimless, carefree, careless, feeble, fustian, futile, good-for-nothing, hopeless, incautious, incompetent, ineffective, ineffectual, irresponsible, meaningless, reckless, shiftless, uncareful, unpurposed, useless, weak, wild, worthless
Entry: wakeful
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: alert
Synonyms: alive, astir, attentive, careful, heedful, insomniac, insomnious, observant, on guard, restless, sleepless, unsleeping, vigilant, waking, wary, watchful, wide-awake
Entry: aggrieved
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: distressed
Synonyms: afflicted, burt, depressed, disturbed, grieving, harmed, injured, oppressed, pained, peeved, persecuted, saddened, unhappy, woeful, worried
pero @ 11:25 PM | œ | 2 comments
And Pero said...
BLECH... Somebody put syrup in my latte. Sugar Free syrup, which I do not particularly like. I like my latte free of syrup and other 'flavor enhancements'. How hard is it to hear "20 oz soy latte' and make that? Espresso. Steamed Soy Milk. Little bit of foam. That's all. Nothing else. I received my drink, returned to my car and took a sip. SWEET... artificially sweet. Too sweet. ack.It seems that ever since I made the original dietary changes (excluding sugar and super starchy things), my tastes have been drastically altered. I am hyper-sensitive to the taste of sugar and do not particularly enjoy the taste of it when I am not expecting it to be there. I like the taste of a latte made with soy milk. No added syrups. But then, I didn't go to SBUX, where they know me well enough by now not to add syrup to my drinks.
Guess what? !I ordered my CapressoPro espresso machine. It will be here this week. I don't know what day it will be here but I am watching for that Brown Truck.
Latte any time I want one. No syrup required.
pero @ 12:10 PM | œ | 10 comments
No Parking Any Time
Once upon a time, the United States was being taken over by explorers from across the seas. Whoever pushed the hardest claimed the land as their own. It came down to who had the biggest gun, horse or largest army. Today, we have property lines, deeds, and if we are lucky, perhaps half acre lots on which our homes are built.
The people across the street from me are the type that seem to have complete disregard for the concept of property lines. Their house, yard, driveway and two-car garage are strikingly similar to my own in size and ammenities. Their vehicle inventory consists of one super-sized Chevy extended cab truck, a 1988 Camaro, and a motorcycle. Mrs. Neighbor parks her gigantic Chevy in the garage, leaving a vast driveway for parking other vehicles. Mr. Neighbor parks his red Camaro on the street in front of his neighbor-to-the-left's house. When Mrs. Neighbor's parents come to visit (they visit every ten days or so, and stay for 3-4 days each time) -- they park their nearly identical (this one is a diesel) giant Chevy on my side of the street, between my house and the home of my neighbor to my left.
These are the very same people that seem to think that it is okay to leave their cats (they have two or three of them) out at night. I can't understand why so many people seem to think that it's perfectly okay to let their cats roam the neighborhood. Personally, loose cats are annoying and I think they should get picked up like stray dogs. These cats think my flower beds make a great litter box. They know how to open my trash and recycle containers. They walk on my truck and get their muddy foot prints on my windshield and hood if I don't park the vehicle in the garage.
The proverb "Good fences make good neighbors", as valid an argument it might be, is of no help. I can't very well build a fence in the middle of the street. Maybe I just need to get a bigger truck.
pero @ 8:29 AM | œ | 11 comments
Doing the Math...
$2.39 + about 40¢ for soy milk substitution x 3 days a week (sometimes 4 or 5; occasionally 6 or 7) = a lot of money. But before you get up on some finanical responsibility soap box, keep in mind that millions of americans spend about the same amount on cigarettes, I can afford to do this, and since I always remember to throw my cup in a paper recycle bin and pop a mint when I finish my latte - my habit is much more environmentally friendly.Tomorrow I am going shopping. I am thinking about buying the Capresso Pro Espresso Machine. It is beautiful. It is spendy. It will be worth it because over time it will still be cheaper than a daily venti soy latte habit.
Of course, I'll still have to drop by the corner SBUX to pay a visit to the happy drive-through lady. Every time I go through there she sounds upbeat and happy... and sincere. Either this girl possesses extremely convincing acting ability or she really loves her job. Of course, handing these yummy drinks to people who like them as much as I do, who are willing to pay 2-3 US dollars for a frothy hot caffiene kick - making them happy - has to be a pretty cool job as it is.
So, don't worry coffee baristas, I will still come visit you. I also support the local coffee shops, only they don't all have the same late-night hours (when I am most likely to be out prowling around or working).
pero @ 8:26 PM | œ | 3 comments
Decompression
To bring (a person exposed to conditions of increased pressure) gradually back to normal atmospheric pressure.
Imagine being suspended in space where there is nothing solid to hold on to. There is little or no air to breathe, so you feel pressure in your chest and throat. (It is said that this is what it feels like to drown.) Now imagine that pressure pressing on your chest with even greater force. I feel like somebody opened up my chest, stuffed in a (heavy) sandbag, and sewed me up. Lack of adequate sleep and allergies are wiping me out. Other than that, things are going well; I just need to catch my breath.
I've been through this before. When it happens, I tend to involve myself in work and multiple projects and stay busy. After a few days, everything seems normal again. I hope to return with some stories or people - watching observations within a few days. (Garliiiiic? Gar-lic!)
pero @ 2:52 AM | œ | 3 comments
Updates Updates Updates
The following announcement is to bring to your attention that the following updates have been made site-wide:
The Wordalizer has an astounding 1593 words, having added approximately 80 within the past two days. Some of those words will appear in the Questionable Word Glossary, since many of them are words invented and submitted by readers.There is a new Randomly Asked Questions and within the last month there have been pages added to the About Me pages, in case anyone is curious.
And yes, I like linking to pages within my own site, why else would I go for the shamless plug method of advertising? I'll return to regularly scheduled updates in the near future.
pero @ 10:49 PM | œ | 1 comment
A Letter.
To all of my friends who are parents of teenagers:
It is my expressed written wish from this point forward to reserve the right to refuse any and all phone calls placed by your children and/or teenagers on your behalf, to any and all numbers where I can be reached, on the grounds that you are too damned lazy to pick up the phone and call me yourself. You are not so busy of a person that you need to have "your people" make your phone calls for you.I lack the capacity to comprehend exactly why you feel that you are so important that you need to delegate your phone calls to your children as if they are interns. They never seem to manage to tell you when I have called and left a message for you, so what makes you think that they are going to correctly express whatever it is that you need me to know so urgently but you are unable to tell me yourself?
Do not have them call me to ask if I can come look at the family computer for you. Do not have them call me to ask me if I can carpool because you are cooking and unable to come to the phone but you will be at the dentist tomorrow at three and can't carpool after school. Do not have them call me to tell me that you need me to watch them for you while you are running errands in town. The only time your children should ever call my number with the intention of speaking to me directly should be to inform me that you are unconscious and trapped under a piece of furniture that is too heavy for them to lift.
I apologize for resorting to such an informal means of communication, but I wanted to be sure that you understood and acknowledged my feelings on this matter. I appreicate your full and complete cooperation and look forward to hanging up on your kid in the near future.
Warmest Regards,
pero @ 12:01 AM | œ | 3 comments
