If It Could Go Wrong .....

 Keystone Cops

Have you ever had one of those days, where if it could go wrong, it did? Well, my friend had one of those days last week. 

A little background. My friend and I both have bouts of insomnia, we are early risers. Neither of us think it strange to text or call the other when sane people are asleep. I received such a text last week; "can you chat?" 

It turns out my friend had a doctor's appointment later in the morning that she was really nervous about. Not the appointment itself, but being out in the general public. Her exposure to people outside her immediate circle in recent months is non-existent in this crazy pandemic time. For the most part, so is mine ....except my weekly visits to the doctor's office for chemo and labs. I think anxiety is a normal reaction considering the circumstances.

I spent the next thirty minutes or more convincing her that the doctors and staff are taking major precautions to make sure patients, staff, and doctors are following or exceeding CDC guidelines:

• Masks are required in all medical facilities I've been to during the pandemic
• Only patients, doctors, staff are allowed in; no visitors or patient family members
• Many also have plexiglass to shield staff
• There is screening before you even get into the office
• Taking temperature
• Asking covid questions
• Once you get past the screening, you head to the office
• Patients and staff have on their masks
• Social distancing marks are on the floor
• Chairs are strategically placed for social distancing

I texted her around 8:30 and told her she better be at the doctor; "Don't make me come over there". She is there and says she will call when she if finished. I received a call maybe an hour later, thinking she would tell me she had nothing to worry about. I was wrong.

Doctor's office

The screening went as expected; people were social distancing as they were checking in. Then things  took an ugly turn:

• One of the check-in staff didn't have on a mask
• One of the patients decided he was tired of wearing his mask and took it off
• No one said a word to him
• My friend is getting anxious
• They call her back for her blood work
• She is sitting at a folding table right next to another patient to get blood work; no social distancing
• Anxiety level going up
• Bloodwork done, she heads to another level to get her flu shot
• The huge guy that called her back for the shot had on a mask that barely covered his nose and mouth; he was a big guy
• He was talking the whole time, not to my friend but to a co-worker, struggling to keep his mask in place; he didn't seem fazed at all
• Anxiety near panic level
• After shots, she takes the elevator to the bottom floor. 
• There are social distance "x" in the elevators; only two allowed in at a time
• In pops a girl that my friend had seen in the office
• She goes to the back of the elevator, then proceeds to tell my friend that she is continuing to live her life as normal and not letting anything like a little pandemic invade her bubble
• Near full panic mode now; who knows where this gal has been?
• Safely in her car and heading out.

The Bank

While she is out, may as well stop by the bank. The plan was to hit up the ATM and deposit a check.

• The ATM was broken and would not accept check deposits
• She has to go through the drive thru
• She masks up and puts on her gloves; drive thru it is.
• I think she is being very brave, considering this is her first adventure in months

Getting Gas

The bank wasn't so bad, so let's try filling up the tank. She pulls into the gas station, up to the pump, and starts filling up her tank.

• A huge truck pulled up next to her while she was pumping gas
• Out jumps a big ol' red neck man, no mask
• My friend is like "WTH?!" and jumps into her car while it finishes filling up
• Car gassed up and she heads home

Needless to say, I felt so bad when she called me and told me about her adventures. Here I am, telling her how safe it is, and every thing that could go wrong, did. Most of what she feared it would be came to pass. Luckily, she was laughing, mainly because of the absurdity of it all. 

She will never listen to me again 😏