Losing it

Persimmon trees are full of ripe fruit throughout the valley now.  The persimmons are ready to pick when there isn't a single leaf on the tree and only the dark silhouette remains, sort of like Christmas balls left on and forgotten.  The branches are gnarled and the bark is a series of mosaic patches.  I would love to have such a tree, but alas, there's no space to plant one.

I went postal today, something I try to save for maybe two special occasions each year and I don't think today quite qualified.  I wasn't feeling well so Steve drove me for a nadir blood draw - the time in each chemo cycle when my blood counts are lowest.  I keep feeling like I'm going to faint, something I've only done once, about a month ago.  I was standing by the car hanging on to the door until the sensation passed and then we walked into the lab.

We chose after lunch because that's a time when the fewest people are around and I'm not supposed to be hanging out with sick patients in a waiting room.  Sure enough, there was no line at all - but the registration person walked out of the room as I walked in.  So I stood and waited and waited and waited until she returned.

She came back with a giant economy bag full of specimen cups.  She opened the bag, dumped the contents into a special bin, leveled the array and disposed of the bag.  Her housekeeping task completed, she answered the phone, then called me to her desk.  She took another phone call.  A technician walked by at that moment so she turned to her with a "You won't believe who that was...." and they discussed the call.  Then she took a third call.  Someone walked by and they had a little chat.  By then I'd had it.  "I hope you have time to register me...." I began.  And when she answered defensively I threw a mini tantrum - "You have no customer service skills whatsoever!" and, of course, all the sick people in the waiting room turned to look.  I was so very angry, wishing I had one of those mean Juvie kids with me to jerk a knot in her tail.

I only have one more special occasion left in all of 2012 and it's only January.....