Half a Tank of Gas and a Traffic Ticket

Today was challenging.

Since it takes upwards of three months to get an appointment with doctors, the medical facility set up a system where if one needs immediate care, a Nurse Practitioner can be contacted by video or phone.

Still experiencing some difficulties after the morning I awoke with a BP of 173, I decided I’d better contact the medical center for a phone visit.

The Nurse Practitioner seemed knowledgeable, said she’d contact my primary that I needed an appointment sooner rather than later; and, in the interim, gave me a prescription for something or other to help relieve the symptoms until I see the doctor.

The medication is good for 56 days, no refill, so in my mind it’s a horse race ……… will the 56 days come and go before the doctor gets around to seeing me.

At any rate, I headed a few cities over to the medical center’s nearest off site pharmacy and, just as I exited the gate and was driving down the street, I saw my old buddy Apache walking down the street, appearing to be heading for the complex.

He waved for me to pull over, so I did.

I would have hugged him but, after hearing of Ruthie’s bed bugs, I’m leary of touching anyone.

I don’t know whose bed their boots have been under.

Apache was indeed heading for the complex, so I said, "I thought management had banned you".

"They did, but it’s Saturday, none of them are around; and besides, I’ve been there a lot lately. I helped (paraphrasing here because I don’t remember the names) so and so and so and so and even walked so and so’s rent check into the office the other day".

Apache says he’s looking to move from where he is, back into the complex.

That would be great, because Apache is a ton of fun, but there’s the issue of having been banned from the property.

Inasmuch as he says he’s been hanging around lately, it’s possible current manager is unaware of the ban.

We had a different manager back then — Jack the Tyrant.

We now have a different Maintenance Crew so, unless Apache has someone here that doesn’t like him and will snitch … bring the previous ban up to management — like the male resident he threatened harm to over jealousy of that resident talking to the female resident Apache was dating at the time (which threat got Apache banned) he just might be able to pull off a return to the complex as a resident.

EXCEPT, Apache says he’s been calling the office, "but they never answer the phone".

Well, isn't that interesting.

Office personnel doesn’t answer the phone, they want us to sign up for Rent Café so they don’t have to process rent checks, what do they actually do?

Another job for President Elon … send the office one of his questionnaires asking them to list five things they accomplished last week.

So anyway, after catching up with Apache, I was back on the road headed to the pharmacy which, when I arrived, saw no cars on the lot, learned they closed at noon — it was 12:45.

After calming down, I checked the phone for the hours at the pharmacy all the way back to where I started and over to a city in another part of town.

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but the first pharmacy’s door indicated, "closed at 12 noon", so when the second pharmacy’s website indicated "closed at 12 pm", that to me meant midnight.

Evidently, I was wrong because, after that long drive, they too were closed.

They’ll be no relief, no medication today. Tomorrow, I’ll have to drive all the way to the pharmacy at the main medical center, hope the website is correct in indicating "open on Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m." or suffer until Monday, when the first pharmacy I drove to reopens.

At any rate, driving back to the complex, I saw the freeway exit to Macy’s, where I had an order of makeup and perfume to pick up.

That particular Macy’s is only 7 miles from complex. So, after picking up my items, I took the streets back.

Who did I see but Bicycle Boy.

He bicycled right by my passenger side door, so I was sure I’d gotten a good shot of him on the plug and play dash came for you; BUT, I’d forgotten to plug.

By now, I’d been on the road way too long, used half a tank of gas driving from one end of town to another, was tired from driving, not feeling all that well, had forgotten to set the dash cam, and was coming up on a light flashing yellow. Something in me said fuck it, so I gunned the engine thinking I could make it before the light turned red.

I didn’t. I drove through the red.

I’m sure the traffic cam caught me and I’ll be getting my very first traffic ticket.