Januarys
are times most of us reassess, recalibrate our habits, our goals and decide on
a new path for the coming year. Yeah,
yeah, but how many of us keep to the project? Still, it’s a positive,
encouraging way to attempt.
Late
last year, when one of my long-time doctors, retired, he told me to find a GP,
have blood work done so the new doc could continue or change my statin, which
had run out. So, I knew that in January, I had to get to Dr. A asap. I called,
scheduled an appointment for nine a.m. the first Monday of the month. That was
awfully early for an old person, but I had plenty of clothes and coats. The day
came: I bundled up, added new snowflake earrings Lydia had made for me, a
knitted cap Dot gave the writers for Christmas, fished gloves from the dresser,
got my keys, phone, purse, locked the front door and went to the car.
The
temp that night was to be twenty-three degrees. Son said no need to park under
the shed porch because there would be no frost, but that I should check the
windshield before I left. Ready, I put the key in the door of the Taurus.
Nothing. Pulled. Pulled. Pulled. Not a smidgen of movement. Went to the trunk
(I don’t know why), it wouldn’t open either! Eek!
Nothing
to do but let myself back into the house, call the doc’s office and unload my icy
story. I did and was put on “extended hold.” Periodically, a voice interrupted
the music with “We are experiencing longer than usual holds.” I couldn’t dare
hang up, so with one hand holding the phone to my ear, I began taking down
Christmas decorations. Electric candles from four living room windows. I
couldn’t unscrew the nightlight bulbs before storing the candle sets, so I went
to the mantel and gently placed the pieces of a porcelain Nativity scene on the
coffee table, followed by other, less-prone-to- breakage pieces of other sets. I
retrieved the silk poinsettia garlands from the windows, made a pile on the
floor. Looked on bookshelves for decorations and found many stocking hangers
and Santa Clauses. Down they came and went into a plastic bin of other types of Christmas décor.
Finally,
the receptionist came on the line; I told her my predicament, and we
rescheduled for the following Friday at nine-fifteen a.m.! I asked her if there
wasn’t a later time and she said Dr. A. only did checkups early.
Wouldn’t
you know it, Thursday night the temps dropped again to 23 degrees. But I was
ready this time: I’d parked under the shed porch. Reliving my bundling
up including the snowflake earrings, I successfully managed to get to the
medical building on time. A good physical: everything checked out. The lab will
send blood results when they come back. Whew!
Lesson:
try not to schedule appointments during January.
