A Date with a Needle…

I and Carolyn met at the Waffle House this morning to eat breakfast on my way to get my injection. She insisted on paying which was a treat as I normally have to ante up. Yes, I and Carolyn are usually old school about such matters.

Carolyn has decided to take the job at Wal-Mart it seems. I can’t say I am exactly happy with that, but will be okay with it if she is happy. I have my doubts she will be happy with it though in the long term.

“Do you think I am making the right decision?” She asked me over a cup of coffee after our meal.

“I just don’t want you to be disappointed when there are just as many goobers down there as at Fat’s,” I replied.

“I know, but the extra money and benefits are enticing,” She said. “And I will be working days again. I am so tired of third shift.”

“So, I guess this means I will no longer get my free morning cup of coffee,” I replied facetiously.

“You shithead,” She smirked with a disgusted look on her face. “That is all you are worried about, isn’t it?”

I held up my hands signifying surrender and said, “You know I was just kidding. Jeez, you women are so touchy and so damn serious. Take a joke.”

“I am just not in a playing mood,” She replied and then finally broke out into a smile.

We spent the rest of the time just making small talk until it was time for me to head down to the doctor’s office to undergo the rigors of being poked in the derriere with a three inch long needle. Carolyn and I then both went our separate ways. She was going home to sleep after working all night.

I managed to get my favorite nurse, Michelle, this morning. I and Michelle went to high school together and are very comfortable around each other. Michelle also has a deft hand with giving me my injection.

“You know that shot you are preparing costs $265 dollars,” I told her.

“Dammit, don’t tell me that,” She said as she laughed. “You are making me nervous.”

Michelle managed to prepare the shot without any mishaps.

“Okay, which cheek do we want to poke today?”

“I’m a leftie so I prefer the left one,” I replied.

“You always want to get it in your left butt cheek,” She said. “We really should switch it up every two weeks.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Just inject it into the left,” I replied as I pulled my shorts and underwear down to the side and turned around.

I told Michelle goodbye and thanks, set up my next appointment and then headed to my father’s pharmacy which is just a few hundred yards up the highway. The drugstore had only been open for an hour and things were already batshiat crazy. As soon as my father or one of his technicians would hang up the phone, it would immediately ring again. My father looked at me signifying to wait a moment as he rolled his eyes. Finally, he broke free from the phone.

“Did you get it done?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I replied. “I got Michelle this morning so things were cool. Okay if I get some diet cokes?”

“Help yourself,” Dad replied.

I got a case of diet cokes and loaded them into my Honda. I then walked back inside to say goodbye. All my father’s employees commented on how much weight I have lost.

“Come on. Let’s weigh you,” My father said.

I stepped upon the scales and weighed 183. I have lost two more pounds since my hiking trip a few weeks ago. It worried Dad that I have lost so much weight lately at such an alarmingly fast rate. I can’t say it worries me though. I actually feel better these days being slim and trim.

I drove on home not knowing what I was going to do for the rest of the day. Maybe, a few books will entice me into picking them up and get started reading. I will have to visit my parent’s garage aka “The Library” with it’s collection of thousands of books my mother gathered over the years as a career school teacher and voracious reader. Hope you all are doing well. Thanks for all the comments and emails during my absence. I am signing off for the time being.