The beginning of a new week

I hope it's a good one.

We've ended this week at the Zoo. In nearly 2 years we've lived here, Larry had never been to the Zoo.

We fixed that.

He had a procedure at the Hospital at Balboa on Friday. And since it required leaving the house at 6 am, he decided that he'd drive himself and I'd just mosey down there later to pick him up. Since there was 5 or so hours of observation afterward, I had plenty to time I'd be killing with the kids sitting around waiting.

So I'd told them I'd take them to the zoo.

And then decided that I'd just take them to lunch and drop them off at hourly care and go find Larry.

And while I have little nice to say about military medicine's patient friendliness... their hourly care ROCKS. Seriously- other hospitals should try it. You register you kid and pay $4/hr to drop them off. If you have 1 or 2 kids that's a fantastic deal. Those of us with 4, it's less of a deal. BUT... it's oh so convenient!!!  Nothing is quite as nice as not having to stress about finding a babysitter for the day so you can go to you dr apt. And you're not paying her 2 or more hours of your commute time, so it does actually end up to be cheaper, in general.  AND they let me drop off my 6 year olds. No questions asked. (well, they asked the first time, I told them we homeschooled and it was a non-issue) Pendleton's hourly care - not at the hospital and not specifically for that reason- doesn't let me drop off 6 year olds. And they don't always/often have 2 spots open when I need them. Sometimes they do. But they're a real care with drop in space on a space available basis.. the Balboa one is specifically for dropping your kids off so you can go to the dr.

It does have some downsides- it closes at 4pm. A bummer since if you make an apt at 2 pm or later, you run a serious risk that you won't be done before the day care closes.
And then they call you asking you where you are (ask me how I know this...)  even if you walked out before the dr finally came in to see you, explaining the day care your kids were at was about to close- you'll get stuck in lovely SoCal traffic and that's where you'll be at a traffic crawl, waiting for the police man next to you to pull you over for answering the phone when the day care is asking where you are.

But.. now that I know that, I can plan. And I PLAN on not having to use them very often and never for appointments after 2 pm.

But other than that... getting care there is just so much like going to the DMV. For example. I needed to get a prescription filled at this pharmacy. While Larry was waiting, I figured I'd kill an extra bird with this trip and go downstairs to the pharmacy. The fact that there were any empty seats told me it was less than at maximum business. The hold area is about twice size of the area you wait at the gate for your airplane to start boarding. And set up with half as much room to maneuver between the seats.  I find the deli-counter number dispenser, get a number, take a seat and wait. The overhead speakers blare "number 635 to window number 5" repeat it once and moves on to the next number/window combination. Like one of those Farenhiet451 scenes, only in real life. (on an aside- WHO decided that was required high school reading?! what made that a classic?)

Get to the window, hand the robotic person there my id and number ticket, without even looking at me, she starts clicking the computer screen. I have never seen what the screen shows, but in the time it takes her to find my name, I think she could have written the next 3 chapters in the weird sci fi book. Hands me another number and ID, still not looking above my waist level.

Sit and wait some more. Watch the screen since it shows your number before the computer says it, waiting for C0429 to be called. Which is pretty much all you are while you're there- a number of some sort. In this case it's last name initial with last 4 of your social security number. Watch the screen that shows the already called numbers and realize it's been frozen since some time in 1999. since none of the numbers on the pick up end change to the ones called. In fact it's the same number there from when I was there last month getting JM's prescription. I think the person died while waiting. Guess they don't need that heart medication after all.

When your number if called you get to wait in the pick up line. I think they're kidding themselves since the roped off section where the "line" is supposed to wait is 5 feet long- one of those little pole with cords long on both sides. The actually lines STARTS there, works it's way along the outside of the wall, across the entrance doorway and further down the wall in front of the people sitting in the chairs- just enough room to not step on their toes if you're careful, but not enough room if you have a walker, stroller or 4 kids waiting with you...  My kids of course thought the waiting in the line when it moved in front of the automatic door was a blast. As soon as it closed they'd dance around to make it open. Repeat.

And if you think that's fun, just you wait until the government's fixed civilian health care.