Thank God for the Pottery Barn Catalog!

Over the weekend, I saw the results of a GERM study on the news:

• Lavatory faucet handles are worse than the inside of the toilet.
• And the magazines in a doctor's office... well, they are worse than almost ANYthing!

This is not something I've never considered before. I've always been a slight germaphobe, and have avoided touching ANYthing in the doctor's office. You see, I'm usually there NOT because I'm "sick", but because I'm having a wellness exam or maybe a sore foot or something.

I usually sit there quietly, with my hands tucked up under my armpits, staring at the fish tank. The problem is, everyone likes to sit near the fish tank... and I don't want to sit with them!

So today, I went prepared... armed with my own POTTERY BARN CATALOG! And trust me, I didn't let IT touch anything either.

Home Sick: Misery and Musings

DAY ONE: MONDAY

1. God, it was good to get home and take my clothes off.
2. Ahhhh... clean sheats and a heating pad.
3. Feeling achy and cold, on not a cold day, I took my temperature. It was 101.2, leaving me with some concern... as (really bad) colon problems run in my family.
4. Miss C drove me crazy.
5. Cooking macaroni and cheese for a late lunch was an ordeal.
6. Dozed most of the afternoon, but noted that judge shows are still good tv.
7. Dozed and missed most of Dr Phil. The part I saw was sick fun.
8. Caught Oprah: Mark Jacobs. He was cool, but I don't get the hubbub. And I don't get the handbag fetish thing... made me wonder if it's a gene.
9. Caught Oprah: The Jimmy Choo shoes were cool, but I'm just SO not a shoe addict... made me wonder if it's a gene. MORE ON THIS STORY LATER.
10. Caught Oprah: Wow. I think at one time I had the original Barbie (worth $25,000 today). I didn't see a use for it then. Sadly, I DO NOW!!!!
11. Caught Oprah: Elmo is a tall black man with a deep voice!!!! Who knew!!! Sadly, it was the shortest part of her program, and frankly, why I tuned in!
12. Cratered to Miss C and let her run around in the yard.
13. Discovered that she DID see a meter man (when she barked). He left the gate unlocked!Fortunately, I checked it before it blew open.
14. Fed Miss C and ate some pizza crust for dinner. Fed the grilled chicken to the baby!
15. Took my temperature again during Raymond re-runs... 100.4.
16. Settled in for the night and watched Wife Swap. Can you believe that woman had a frosty bear head in her freezer???
17. Flipped between 2 1/2 Men and The Bachelor (am I actually admitting this???).
18. Made a mental note to stay up to catch the local ABC affiliate's update on Matt Hickl (the ultimate bachelor)... but fell asleep, instead.
    

DAY TWO: TUESDAY

1. Slept pretty well, but was upset to wake up in pain... again.
2. Feeling a lot less achy, took my temperature. 98.2.
3. Belly still too tender for clothing, but was happy that I could sit up with little pain. Decided that sweat pants would have to do for the medical center!
4. Did a little work from home. Let Miss C do her deal.
5. Did all the stuff you have to do before a Well Woman Exam. You girls know what I'm talking about.
6. Promised the folks in the office that I would be there tomorrow. There's no way I would have been productive the last two days, it's good to know that I'm needed.
7. Said a prayer and headed off for the poking and prodding.
8. Made it home after a long wait at the doctor's office. Look for a post later on this ordeal.
9. Miss C was exhuberant.
10. Ate pizza crust for dinner.
11. And now I'm headed for bed, so exhausted that I don't even care what's on television.

'Well' Woman Exam

If you get sick the day before your 'Well' Woman Exam... should you cancel?

Pain at the Pump

Mid-afternoon on Sunday, I started to not feel so well. By the time I woke up on Monday, I was REALLY sick. I got up and went through the motions, thinking that I would feel better once I was up and moving around.

I made it, painfully, to work and stayed for an hour and a half before I couldn't take it any more. I signed out and started home but had to stop for gas on the way home. And for the first time since the darn things were invented... the pay-at-the-pump wouldn't clear out after pumping my gas. I had to go in the store and argue with the manager, who really didn't care if someone could drive up and fill up on my credit card. She couldn't print a receipt for me. She essentially told me that there was nothing she could do.

I was in a lot of pain by that point, and while I remained respectful... my recollection is that I was loud. I didn't care how many phone calls she had made to the company. I didn't care that they hadn't called her back. I just told her that we needed to reach some resolution, and that I wasn't willing to rely on her memory, should my statement record an excessive billing.

(Heck... it was already $25.50 for a tiny little CRV tank of gas!)

We went back and forth and back and forth. The store filled up with people with the same complaint. Some of them agreed to drive off, in blind trust. It turns out, that there WAS something she could do about it. She managed to clear the pump. And she rubbed my credit card to create a receipt, showing the amount. And she signed and dated it.

Fair enough! I like her tenacity. Of course, I don't think she appreciated mine.