Frazzled Visitors and Chaotic Trips To Town

I've been under the weather quite alot lately and for the past few weeks just sitting at the computer in the morning has proved a huge effort. Finally made an appointment to see my doctor last Tuesday which meant a 45 minute trip into Napier. I had made my appointment for 11.15am so left here an hour before. Although when I arrived I was the next patient due to go in I could see Bernadette rushing to and fro from the nurses' station down the back of the building. Turned out three of her patients had suffered fractures and these needed to be attended to which meant I didn't get in to see her until 11.50am. Bernadette decided to do a few tests and sent me down to the nurses so they could take bloods. However they were busy making sure people were being plastered in not such an enjoyable way and couldn't do my test for 40 minutes! In the end they did it in the waiting room which wasn't too great for the other patient waiting for his test since they took seven phials of blood. I joked to the nurse that she'd left me with an empty arm.


After this I had a trip into town for an x-ray. Arrived at nearly 1pm to be told the radiographer was having her lunch. However only waited five minutes before she took me which was very lucky as apparently they were holding a clinic that afternoon and were not taking any more casual arrivals. She took five x-rays of my spine so that evening I had no need of a night light as I was practically glowing!

Then decided to go to Office Products to buy some cellulose packets which I use for my brooches and cards. Mentioned to my brother that I hoped I didn't get the really stupid woman who had served me last time- well the law of attraction did its thing and she was the one who served me. First she told me they didn't have the packets I wanted any more, then she went into the back for ten minutes before returning with a catalogue of packets they could order. I tried to show her what size I wanted which she couldn't understand whatsoever so I grabbed an envelope and showed how it needed to be that wide by that long. She still couldn't make head nor tail of what I was saying so in the end she had to draw the smallest size they could get which turned out to be the one I wanted. But then she said I would have to order a box of 1000 at $80! Well that wasn't going to happen and I was about to leave when she went back to the office again for fifteen minutes before returning with the news that they could break a box for me.

Well I was beginning to feel a bit stressed at this point, especially when she went into my account on the computer trying to find when I had last bought packets. This took another ten minutes when suddenly she discovered that yes they actually had them in stock. So off she wandered for another 15 minutes and just as I was about to leave she arrived clutching 200 cellulose packets to her chest. It then took her another ten minutes to make up a docket for me. All in all my inquiry took ONE HOUR! How's that for service? That is the last time I go back there.

I had more essential shopping to do (each job taking longer than the last) and by the time we returned to Hastings to collect my sister in law from work and drove all the way home it was 5pm. Didn't make me any more fond of going to town.

Thursday friends said they would drive out to visit at 1pm. Mary had worked with my Dad years ago and had stayed a friend of our family ever since. This was her first visit here so I carefully explained how to get here. By 2.30pm Mary, her husband Bob and their neighbour Bev (my Aunt Kathleen's sister-in-law) who had come along for the ride still hadn't turned up so I tried ringing their number but no answer. In the meantime Ian had arrived for a fourth attempt at finishing the hedge.

At 2.45pm I saw Mary and Bob drive past so rushed out to the gate. Did a bit of weeding while I waited for them to return but when they did they drove right past and never saw me waving like crazy. Did a bit more weeding and heard them drive out of the neighbour's place. I went right out into the middle of the road and did some semiphore and this time they did see me. Apparently they had spent two hours trying to find me and had ended up at the main part of Smedley Station down Smedley Road. From there they rang a lady from my art group who is married to Mary's cousin and she gave them exact directions to my place which didn't help them find me either. By the time they got here they were hot and frazzled and ready to call it a day and drive all the way home to Napier.

I made a cup of tea for everyone and then Bob went round with his digital camera and took some snaps which he is going to print out and send to me. They had also brought along everything that belonged to their dear Siamese cat Sasha who died last week- all her food, bowls, electric blanket, two beds and three sheepskins. They had also brought home baking and lots of vegetables including new potatoes and asparagus. By the time we caught up with everything and they had a quick look round it was 5pm and beginning to get quite cold so they hopped in the car and left. I don't know if they'll ever risk trying to find me ever again!