Get Out Of The House, Get It Done, Get Home

Yesterday I pulled out my September tickler file to see what would be going on for the next 30 days. Not surprisingly there was much less activity than there would be if life was normal. Since I already knew they were cancelled I moved the sheets that reminded me of recurring volunteer commitments straight to October. (I'm guessing at the end of this month they'll go straight to November's file, but I hope I'm wrong.)

One thing I do have scheduled is an annual physical, along with blood work the doctor asked me to have done ahead of time. The blood work required me to fast. Since that also involves forgoing my morning cup of coffee I don't do it well. In order to minimize the amount of uncaffeinated time, I decided this morning I would get out of the house quickly and get it done.

This morning when the alarm went off I was really tempted to turn it off and go back to sleep. My bedroom window faces to the west. Even at the height of summer the rays didn't come in right away, but for the past few weeks it's pretty gloomy in the room when I get up. This morning the sun was behind the clouds, which made things even darker.

After I rolled out of bed I threw some water on my face, put clothes on, and brushed my teeth. In the kitchen I put my breakfast in a tote bag, filled a to-go cup with coffee, and walked out the door. The doctor had sent the request straight to the hospital's outpatient lab, which meant I didn't have to remember to bring anything but my purse and the all-important mask. Total time from feet hitting the floor to feet walking out the door was 20 minutes. (For comparison, on a normal day it takes somewhere between 90 minutes and two hours to be ready to leave.)

For the first time in months I navigated rush-hour traffic. The hospital is surrounded by multiple medical buildings, each with a lab. Yesterday I researched the hours and realized that each lab had a different start time, ranging from 6 am to 8:30 am. As I drove I mentally calculated the time it would take me to arrive so I knew which one to head for. I had no problem finding a place to park in the parking garage.

This my third visit to the facility this summer, so I knew the drill. The associate at the door screened me and gave me a sticker indicating I was safe to enter. At the lab I had to stand in the hall until someone invited me in, to complete the check-in procedure. When it was finished I was instructed to take a seat in the waiting room. Based on past experience I was ready to wait for a while, but there were only two people ahead of me; I got the blood drawn and was walking out to the parking lot twenty minutes after I entered the building.

I don't know what tasted better, the food I pulled out of the tote bag or the first sip of coffee. Both were gone before I got home.

Five years ago today: No Thank You! I Mean It.