Finally...

 Today I got up, skipped my breakfast biscuits and coffee and hotfooted it over to the hospital. It would be good for me to get those extra steps in. (In case anyone is interested, it is 2,897 steps from my house to the main entrance of the hospital.) I signed in at the kiosk once again, took my seat and waited. Before long, I was called back into the registrars office, and guess what??? My orders were in the system. 

I want to make clear that there was no point getting upset about the situation, not really. Inefficient? Sure was. But it was not the fault of the registrars. If the orders aren't there, they aren't there. She asked me if the doctor had given me paperwork. They had. So, it was my fault for not bringing that little stack of papers with me the first time around. Of course, they turned out to be completely useless, which led me to wonder if I'd lost something. I didn't think so. But maybe it was my fault. So when I called the doctor's office, I was still not sure if I had lost or misunderstood something. When he assured me the orders were in the system, well...that explained it. All of you who suggested that the orders were never entered? I believe that is what happened. Could I have blown a big ol' hissy fit? Sure could have. But the thing was, this mistake was not made by the young man I was speaking with. Which brings us back to whose fault it was. I know her. She's a young mother, and at the time, she was going through a very difficult time with one of her children. So...could I have bitched about her. Sure. Jeopardizing her job was not going to make things better in her life. 

So...no...I didn't get mad. 

Anyways, I went back to the lab. The lab tech was very sweet, but OMG. She looked about twelve, for one thing. She was so very nervous for another. She couldn't find my vein in one arm. She asked for back up. A more experienced tech palpated, found the vein, showed it to her, and then returned to her own patient. 

My 12 year old tech continued to tap around the inside of my elbow in an uncertain way. It was starting to make me a bit nervous. I said, "Would you like to try the other arm? Perhaps that would be easier to locate." With relief, she snapped off the tourniquet and we started over. We were both relieved to see a vein pop right up. She got her tubes and set them down and they began to roll. She kept picking them up and setting them down and they'd roll again. I finally said, "Here. I'll hold those." She got ready to put the needle in and her hands were trembling. Actually trembling. I felt bad for her, don't get me wrong, but I was also a bit worried about me. 

She did a fine job. It didn't hurt at all. She filled both the tubes required, and I said, "Good job!" as she withdrew the needle. I don't even have a bruise, she did such a nice job. 

But, ye gods. The lead-in just about did me in, and I am not usually squeamish about stuff like that. 

I saw the cutest thing today on my walk to the hospital. A herd of preschoolers, led by a large green dinosaur marched down the street, accompanied by a gaggle of teachers and aides. Their little faces were painted. One had a green mustache. There were rainbows. Shamrocks. Pots of gold. Little banners being waved. It was just adorable. I stopped and said, "Oh, I do love parades (spoiler: usually I don't)." I applauded and waved and they waved back to me with the hand that wasn't holding on to the rope with the loops to keep them all in a line. Cutest bunch of little leprechauns I ever saw. 

I am aggravated about one thing though. Remember that big cooker we got yesterday? It works a treat. It really is a nice thing. (Tonight, roasted vegetables and porkchops: Tim pronounced them perfect.) Anyways, paying it forward, I listed both of my smaller airfryers to give away. 20 minutes later, they were claimed. 

Except that I have had no one show up to get them. One person did not return one DM after telling me that she would be here today. The other got irritated when I asked for a time that she would be by. Her fiance does not even get out of work until 4:30. He doesn't get home until 5. I replied, "Well, yeah, that's fine and all. I have things that I needed to get done, and I wanted to arrange things so that we didn't miss each other." It is now 7:30 and I haven't heard from anyone. 

I went down the list and gave one of the fryers to the next woman in line. She was as excited as if she won the lottery. "I work until 7:30 (it was 7:12). Can you hold it for me?" Too funny. I assured her I would hold it. 

Who would have thought it would be so hard to give stuff away?