It rained again overnight, as I observed at 5:30 AM Thursday morning. I made a pot of coffee, posted the Blog entry and watched the news for a bit.
After therapy, I stopped at the gas station, gassed up the car and checked the air in all the tires. Yes, it's another road trip today... I also stopped at Office Depot and bought another T-Mobile pre-paid phone car (my old minutes had run out).
Back home, I checked the oil in the car (perfect) and came inside. I figured while I was thinking about it, I'd get the minutes applied to the phone (in case I break down or something). And, that's were it all went wrong...
I called the automated number and went through entering my cell phone number and the secret code on the card (you have to scratch off the covering with a penny). The recorded message said it didn't recognize that cell phone number!?! WTF? I've done this four or five times now! I tried to call my cell phone from my home phone to verify I had the right number. The recorded message said the cell phone user was unable to take a call at this time (well, duh! I got no minutes left!)
So, I dug out the Nokia instruction booklet, hoping to find a support number to call in if you needed help. Why doesn't T-Mobile know my number? Nothing... I went to the Nokia website. Nothing... I checked out the T-Mobile phone card. There was a number, so I called it. Automated again and once I put in my phone number, it said it didn't recognize it and please enter my 4-digit pin. Pin number? I've had this damn thing for over a year and never knew nothing about no stinking pin. Since I didn't respond, it said a representative would be with me shortly.
Stupid music played that was interspersed with messages, assuring me how important my call was, please stay on the line and/or suggesting I go to their website for help. I tried that, BTW, holding the phone in one hand and trying to type with the other. No answers there on the web, either.
Finally, after 35 minutes of that crap (while I got more and more p*ssed), an actual human came on after the recording warned me this might be taped (to ensure quality, so it said. I think it was to avoid me cussing them out for making me wait so long!) She listened to my problem. She asked me for my pin number. I explained (forgetting for a moment I was probably being taped) and then she said, "Well our computers have been down since yesterday, so I can't really help you!"
JFC! Why didn't the automated voice tell me that so I didn't waste all this time?
So, the road trip will be sans cell phone. Now, as I am sure you know, "sans" is a modification of the Latin "sine" and means "without". Since you probably all know that, why do I mention it? Because of "doff" and "don." I read a lot of English literature written in the 19th century (mostly around the mid 1800's) and I've noticed they use those two words a lot. But, here in 2009, while we still use "don" every now and then, we never seem to use "doff" (unless we are saying, "He doffed his cap." But, that didn't used to mean just to take off your hat as a sign or respect). It meant take any article of clothing off. So, you could doff your coat, your shirt or your shoes... Why don't we doff anymore?
I guess I think about obscure things way too much...
So, annoyed, I swept the kitchen, the downstairs and the downstairs bathroom. Then I washed the downstairs bathroom and downstairs tile floor with Top Job and hot water. I dumped that (a disgusting brown colored water), redid the bucket and then washed the kitchen floor. I watched taped TV shows while it dried.
Anyway, I headed out about 2:45 PM. I figured the light rain would slow down traffic. However, I misjudged it again (it's so easy to screw up on these long rides and either get there way too early or too late) and got there at 4:00 PM (my appointment was for 4:30 PM, BTW). But since nobody was there, they took me right in.
I explained my problem to the nurse while she took my vitals. My blood pressure was 105/60, BTW. Then the doctor came in and I explained it all again. I told her there were no bruises (to suggest I'd fallen down) and no swelling; I just had a bone-deep pain that is magnified whenever I walk. She had me strip and her and the nurse verified I had no swelling and no bruises. So, they decided I probably didn't have any hair-line fracture (which is what I suspected).
I left with an order for an x-ray, (which puzzled me because her predecessor, Dr. McClellan had an x-ray machine down about four rooms from my exam room. My guess is she doesn't have anyone trained to use it), another for some physical therapy (groan) and a prescription for some pain medications. Our agreement was that unless she called me after the x-ray or it gets worse, we'll just wait and see...
Her best initial guess is bursitis in my right hip and the pain is traveling downward. At the risk of being repetitive, I must say anyone who calls these "the Golden Years" can kiss my old, wrinkly white ass!
I noticed on the way there at 3:00 PM that southbound I-94 was already jammed between I-75 and I-96. So, one the way back, I got off on Eight-Mile and headed west. That way, too, was a little more congested than I am used to, but I eventually got to Inkster Road and headed south. I stopped at CVS and got the pain medication. Then I went home.
I got home just after 6:45 PM (it took almost a half an hour at CVS), treated the cats and changed clothes. I got a call from my friend to see how the doctor's visit went. Then I made myself some dinner.
I boiled about a pound of penne pasta and heated up some of my pasta sauce. I drained the pasta, combined it with the sauce, plated it and topped it with some fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. I took the bowl into the bedroom and started watching some TV.
Regarding the pasta sauce, it was excellent. The only flavor I noticed was missing was bell pepper. I should have thought to add either diced green or red bell pepper when I was making it. Oh well, live and learn, I guess...
It was just before 11:00 PM and bedtime, when Caley and Scruffy started to fight on the bed. I ignored it, hoping they would sort it out themselves. That is until Caley, in an effort to escape Scruffy, jumped from the bed to the dresser and knocked over the glass of water I had sitting there from dinner. Water went everywhere and the glass rolled behind the dresser!
I spent the next hour mopping up water and trying to wiggle paper towels under the glass top (I can't pick up the aquarium) to suck up the water so it didn't wreck the dresser top. I so very vocal about how ticked I was so it wasn't until early morning when the cats dared to rejoin me on the bed.
I'll pull out the dresser and retrieve the glass tomorrow.