Birthdays and a Clinic

No internet all day today. Funny I didn't care.

Three big birthday bashes this week : Canada, U.S.A , and Quebec City, all celebrating. Good article about them in the New York Times today.

Quebec having the biggie, 4oo years since it's foundation. My mother claims direct lineage to the original settlers. We did go to a big family reunion when it was the 375th anniversary and I have a book showing the genealogy. I laughed when I heard on the news it was raining in Quebec, only because every single time I've been there it's rained ! We are too many of us wrecks to have done the trip this time. It's also sad that so many of the family that were at the last party are gone now.

Went to the walk in clinic today to get a prescription for skin cream renewed. Have itchy red fingers again. Stressed related ? The place was empty so I got to see a doctor right away.

The receptionist handed me a list of family doctors who are accepting patients and advised me to get one. Why should I go to a doctor an hour from home when the clinic is around the corner? Besides, I find the idea of a family doctor is a bit out dated. It's not like when I was a kid and they actually made house calls. Now they order tests and hand out prescriptions just like the clinic does, and there's nothing very " family" about it. The only doctor who clued in that I might have MS, was the guy at the clinic . He ordered my first MRI. Compare that to my mother's GP, who told her her pains were in her head and she ended up needing emergency gall bladder surgery!

When I saw the doctor he repeated the exact thing the receptionist said, so maybe the Health Ministry is making them do it . I know the media keeps going on about how many hundreds of thousands of people don't have a family doctor. I'm sure many are like me and don't care.
I think it embarrasses the government though.

Have a great 4th my U.S friends. I"m going to watch the Boston fireworks in high def !

Orderly Chaos

I thought this picture of one of the baby falcons, named Elstone was very cute . He's learning how to fly. Check my hobby links for the Peregrine Falcon site.

Decided to go to the vampire lab at the hospital today instead of the local clinic. The clinic has crazy hours I can never keep track of. It was chaos in the out patient area of the hospital, or at least it looked that way. The waiting room was packed . The line at reception was long and of course I chose the wrong line . I had a very old man with a cane jump the queue ahead of me , as well as an even older woman in a wheelchair. Not like I can yell at them or anything and who knows maybe they take advantage of that ?
Ended up at the hematology lab desk and it was quick getting processed. The staff do a good job of keeping the pedestrian traffic moving . The nurses all seemed very calm and were pleasant enough. I always get nervous when they take my health card and keep it with the file . It kind of feels like giving up your passport in a hostile foreign country, never knowing if you'll get it back, and if you don't you could end up in jail. If you lose your health card not only is it a hassle to get any care, it's an even bigger hassle to get a replacement. In fact replacing a passport is easier.

Only had to hang around the waiting area for about ten minutes. Got a couple of compliments on my Elvis purse. I notice when ever I have it with me I either get very young woman saying they like it, or older women asking me if I bought it at Graceland or in Las Vegas. They are always surprised when I say I bought it at the little dumpy mall downtown. Maybe I should fib and say I did get it in Vegas ?



So I gave my tribute of blood and was out of there in less than half an hour, not bad.
In the evening we went to see the movie "The Happening". Tuesday is cheapo night at the theater so I'm willing to go see a movie I might not pay full price for. Strange coincidence that I had just read that article about plant communication a couple of days ago . You'll know what I mean if you see the film. I don't want to be a plot spoiler.

Now I just have to wait for letters confirming appointments for the MRI and EVP.