Monday, October 03, 2005

Doctors, Mechanics, Lawyers...

Here is a recap of some of the things I experienced last week.

I nearly stepped on a scorpion ~ barefoot! It was in my bathtub. I had never seen a scorpion in “real life” before. Where did it come from, I mean, how did it get in my bathtub? Do they come up through the drain? A few months ago, my boyfriend got stung by one in his backyard. It got inside of his glove while he was moving tree trunks. He was pretty calm about it, but I cannot say the same for me. I kept urging him to go to the doctor, but he was sure he would be fine. He said it made his hand go numb for a while, and the exact spot where it stung him was sore and swollen for days. Other than that, he had no other reaction to it. I wouldn't have taken any chances. I kept thinking of what might have happened if it had stung me on the bottom of my barefoot...ouch! Since I am allergic to some type of ground bee or wasp, I don't think I would have done very well with a scorpion sting.









I went to the doctor for my annual visit. I was called to go to a room quickly, but that was just a façade. Once I got in the room, it was 45 minutes before the doctor came in. Now take in mind, I am sitting on a table/bench (whatever it is called), half naked (well really more than half naked ~ I was completely naked with just a paper sheet covering me from the waist down and a paper tshirt-open in front…uggghhh!) Ok, enough of the visuals. Anyhow, I don’t even sit around naked in my own house, so you have to know my comfort level in this situation was not good. Besides that, I am extremely modest. Back to my original thought… 45 minutes! I was getting restless and I kept trying to imagine I was somewhere, anywhere other than there. I started thinking, he would not see me if I were 45 minutes late (Not that he is mean, but he stays completely booked everyday), he would say I missed the appointment and I would probably still be charged for it. (You know so many doctors now are completely booked that if you don’t call at least 24 hours in advance for a cancellation, you still have to pay for the visit). Then I was thinking, I wish I could start charging him for every minute he was late (it may even pay for my visit). After all, I was missing work to do this. This appointment was scheduled a year in advance, so I couldn’t just leave. I didn’t want to reschedule for another time, it would have probably been months before they could get me in again. Plus, I just wanted to get it over with. Then the doctor, who is a very nice man, comes in the room “Hey baby, sorry to keep you waiting…I had two deliveries”. Well, I can’t really say much to that, because we all know that when it’s time, it’s time, and that it is his job to be there when it's time. So, I just replied jokingly “what, they couldn’t wait” and laughed. (If you cannot tell by our conversation, he is an OB/GYN). Total time spent there, 1 hour and 15 minutes (total exam time 5 minutes). I guess it could have been worse.













Friday night, I had just picked up some beer and hot wings to take home. As I am driving down Highway 280 going home, I heard a thump, my battery light went on and I started losing power in my car. I was able to pull over to the striped lane next to the median (the lane that becomes a turn lane) before I lost all of my power steering. Great, stuck on the middle of the highway! I called my boyfriend, and he got in his truck immediately to come get me. As I was sitting there, talking to him, a policeman pulled up in the lane next to me in the traffic. He stopped at the stop light behind the other cars and did not pull over to find out if I needed help. Hmmm, wonder if he could tell I was in trouble since I had my emergency flashers flashing? That infuriated my boyfriend, he told me to honk to get his attention, but by then he was already gone once the light turned green. About 4 minutes later, a policeman pulled up next to me with the bright blue strobing lights and one came up behind me. All of the sudden I was the center of attention, much to my relief and my boyfriend’s. As I stepped out of my car, the first policeman said “are you all right?” I replied “well, no, not really”, and started telling him what happened with my car. After I popped the hood of my car, the two policeman confirmed that my drive belt was shredded. About this time, my boyfriend came up and the policeman said they would call a wrecker for me, as I wasn’t going anywhere with this type of problem. The two policemen were top notch. They stayed with me, one in front and one in back of my car, with their lights flashing until the wrecker came.
My poor little car got loaded on the wrecker, my boyfriend and I followed it to the garage, where I had to leave it . The one and only funny thing happened when we went to the garage the next day to pick up the car. The shop did a vehicle inspection and had a long list of recommendations of other things needed to be done. The mechanic says, "it is all just basic maintenance"…oh fun! As the shop guy was going over this in detail with the estimated costs, my boyfriend's eyes were watering worse and worse, due to a bad cold he has right now. Afterwards, we laughed wondering if the shop guy thought he was crying! Including the wrecker and the work done, $285 later, I have my car back. I guess I will put it back in the shop in a few weeks to have some of the other work done :(

One of the things I have always said…. “Everyone needs to be their own doctor, lawyer and mechanic”. Above, I give two out of three reasons for saying that ~ both happened to me in just one week. Thank goodness I didn't need a lawyer this week!

I am just positive this new week will be better! Hope all of yours' is too.

22 comments:

Dave Morris said...

I am not the world's bravest person, but I will tell you I fear almost nothing. For whatever reason, (sheer stupidity maybe) I am simply not afraid of anything...

Except scorpions. I hate them, I fear them and just looking at the picture gives me the creeps.

I am NOT afraid of OB/GYNs. In fact, sometimes on weekends I freelance as an amateur OB/GYN.

Lee Ann said...

Dave ~ Amazing that something so small can make us all be so afraid! Hahaha...so, if I have questions doc, i can come to you? ;) My boyfriend thinks that would be the ultimate job!

Lee Ann said...

Jef ~ In reality, you are so right! That is exactly what I told my bf. There is not always healthy beautiful naked women in his office. But a guy can dream, right?

Hotboy said...

Gynae comes home from work tired out. His wife is waiting for him dressed in lingerie though it's only tea time. Exhausted Gynae says irritably: "If I see another one of those today ...". Old joke.
Scorpions? I had no idea they lived in Alabama.Hotboy

Carl Spackler said...

another exciting weekend for lee ann. everytime i take my car to the shop they always seem to find something else that needs to be repaired. i think it would be interesting if someone had their car checked out before taking it in by a professional and see what the other repair folks say. maybe catch someone in a lie. i'm hoping to post your interview this afternoon...it was great!

Ticharu said...

I cannot add anything to what you don't already know... Did that make sense?

Lee Ann said...

HB ~ I used to go to a GYN doctor that had a cartoon on the ceiling. Sometimes you just need to laugh in that circumstance. As far as the scorpion, it has become apparent to me in the last few months that they definitely do live in Alabama.

Carl ~ Yeah, always excitement in one form or another! I have seen something on tv about honest mechanics. Some news show...took their car to different shops with specific problems to see how trustworthy the mechanics were. It was pretty interesting. I have a friend that will be able to tell me if all of those recommended repairs are needed. Unfortunately, I believe they will be :(
I tried to make the answers to the interview short. Just leave some out if it is too long :)

Ticharu ~ Yes, that makes sense. Have a good day!

mojoala said...

Yes, thank god you did not need a lawyer! If you had, if you opened the bill while driving, you would have need of the doctor and the mechanic again....

LOL, consider the lighter side of this!

mojoala said...

BTW, it is of popular belief and urban legend that not one single lawyer has been found in heaven yet....

Lee Ann said...

mojo ~ ahaha, yes, you are right! It is always good to try looking at the lighter side of things...thanks for the encouragement!

Fred said...

Did you walk under a ladder recently?

I hope the week goes much better!

Lee Ann said...

Justice ~ I know, me too!

Fred ~ No, but you know how it is, when it rains it pours. I just happened to have my down pour last week. I hope it will be sunny for a while now :)

jiggs said...

TastyMcJ got stung by a scorpian once during a little league game. He freaked out, thought he was gonna die, but he stayed in the game.

onan the bavarian said...

You could have billed the doctor. George Costanza would have. You gave him a year to prepare to be on time, and still he was late.

I've never even seen one of those, they look worse than spiders. As you say, you were lucky it didn't sting you on the bottom.

Lee Ann said...

Jiggs ~ I would have freaked out too, but was there no one else concerned for him? I might have been a baby and gone to the doctor. Well, I don't know, sometimes the "team" thing can keep you going, if you know other people are counting on you. Glad he pulled through!

Rob ~ You are right, George would have done that! haha
Hey :), I just realized what you said!!! Not my bottom Rob,uhem...the bottom of my foot!;D

zomba said...

Dear Lee Ann,

I will ask Doviko if he has any recipes for scorpions. You never know, they probably eat them in the village.

I know an excellent car mechanic. He sits with a few tools under a tree 10 miles down the road from Domasi towards Lake Chilwa, and he can fix anything. He fixed my trail bike in an hour, whereas several garages had failed over a period of several months. However, I don't suppose that's of much use to you in Birmingham.

MM III

Becky said...

I've been there on the doctor's table half naked for an hour waiting too. I mean you'd think the nurse would walk in and check on you at least, but no, you sit naked on the cold metal table with nothing but a piece of paper under your ass. It's really bad, when you're waiting for test results and they leave you for an hour! YIKES!! Glad to hear you keep your spirits up! I admire you Lee Ann, you're such a positive person! :-D It brightens my day to read your outlook! :-D

Kay Ray said...

Living in Florida there were LOTS of scorpions!! I hated those things!!

My timing belt broke on I4 in the middle of Orlando one year and i had to walk 2 miles on the interstate, and i cried the whole time.. I;m such a baby

Lee Ann said...

MMIII ~ I just hope, if they do eat scorpions, they are dead first! I wish I had a maintenance guy here like the one under the tree over there, sounds like he is a gem.

Becky ~ I know, I am not sure if anyone could be in a more vulnerable situation...very uncomfortable.

Kay Ray ~ I lived in Orlando and South Florida for several years. I remember having all sorts of creatures, especially in South Florida. I even had a 9-10 ft. alligator in my backyard once! As far as the crying thing, don't feel bad, I would have cried too.

BeckEye said...

Well at least you didn't find Klaus Meine in your bathtub. Now that would be scary. (Just a little joke for all the '80s metal fans out there.)

Lee Ann said...

BeckEye ~ now that is funny and true!

jiggs said...

Had it been me that was stung, I would have probably wet myself. But that day, Tasty became a man.