Thursday’s Gallivanting

Thursday I went for a doctor's appointment.

Of course, I arrived in the area too early and had time to drop by and have lunch at Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs. I haven’t eaten a Brandi’s chili burger in quiet a while so felt adventurous. Somehow, the burger I was eating knew how keep the heat in - both heats were kept in: the spicy heat and the temperature heat. I am salivating just remembering how good it was.

I was at Brandi’s at 11:00am and only a hand full of people were there. Brandi and her co-workers were just leaning against things talking, with nothing to do but talk about casual things like what their kids said that morning going out the door, etc.

After I finished eating, I still had plenty of time before my appointment so I visited my friend Jerry McB at a nearby nursing home. That same morning I printed off several pictures of him and his niece that I took from my movie camera New Years Eve a t the Strand Theater. He was very appreciative.

As I walked down the busy corridor of the nursing home I ran into a 95 year old family friend sitting in her wheelchair. The last time she seemed to talk in perfectly sense. This time she was talking about stuff that made no sense to me. Like was I ready for the big change they made? What change? I asked. “You know!” she told me.

Jerry hadn’t had many visitors lately. Maybe it is because the weather has been very cold. Maybe. If you know Jerry he would love for you to drop and visit a spell.

Then I proceeded to my appointment. The receptionist told me I was an hour early. I would have to wait an hour. So? I forgot my book but they had plenty of magazines. They had plenty of SOUTHERN LIVING magazines, which I flipped through. If the Varner’s Reunion makes it in those pages, Monty would have pulled off an amazing feat.

While sitting waiting and reading I overheard the receptionist talk to a couple with a very thick foreign accent. They wanted to know how much the visit was going to be. She left and came back and said about $150 to $200. Then, later, in the inter offices I heard them asked the doctor out in the hall how much will treatment cost. He said he had no idea, they would have to talk to the business office. Us people with insurance and Medicare forget doctors visits and treatments cost money, big money.. and if you are not covered, it is really big money. At least they were thinking in the terms of paying for it themselves.

Then the doctor checked my oil, if you know what I mean.