Speedy Floor Installation and not so speedy appointment desks

Here is the time lapse video of Saturday's floor installation. If only all the work around here went so fast. (There is a lull in activity about halfway through, when we were eating dinner, but it picked up right after that.)


Today being Monday, those of you who know my routine know it is laundry day. The old Maytag was back in business this morning as were the washlines. Despite an early start though, I didn't get the laundry out soon enough to dry. Tomorrow is another day, barring rain, it will dry then. Teddy dog also had a much-needed bath and haircut this morning, too.



I had to make numerous phone calls today which always take up alot of time. First I had to call the hardwood flooring place to order another box of wood so we can finish the floor. The owner figures the oak will not be on this week's truck, so we'll have to wait until next week. Oh, well, we can wait a week or so.

Then I had to call and arrange for thyroid lab work for my upcoming endocrinologist appointment this week Thursday. The endo is with Aurora Clinic out of Two Rivers and my family doc is with Bellin in Seymour. The usual routine was to have my blood work done in Seymour and fax the results to Two Rivers.

Unfortunately, also part of this usual routine was the loss of 'standing orders' for blood work at Bellin. I'd show up for lab work, only to be told they had no orders from any doctor for me. I'd have to go home and put a call through to Aurora Two Rivers to confirm there is an order. Then, with orders in hand or a fax number, etc, I would have to schedule yet another appointment with Bellin for lab work all over again.

After that whole rigmarole was settled, the actual blood work would be done at Bellin with the assurance Bellin would fax the records to Aurora. Upon my arrival several days later for my appointment with the endocrinologist in Aurora in Two Rivers, there would be no results from Bellin, necessitating Two Rivers to contact Bellin and then we'd usually have to wait in the exam room for 20 minutes for the results. This happened several times, groan.

So, I thought why not skip the middle man (Bellin) and switch from Bellin to Aurora for the blood work and possibly a new family doctor? Sounded easy, right? You guessed it, no such luck. (First off, if you made it through the preceding paragraphs and followed what I wrote and weren't confused, then you have a better understanding of my brain than the poor receptionists who had to deal with me!)

I girded my loins, picked up the phone and prepared to explain myself to whoever would take my call. I dialed Aurora Clinic in Seymour who said she couldn't help me without the standing orders being faxed from Two Rivers. I called Two Rivers who said the doctor's nurse wasn't in today, try his Marinette office. I called Marinette only to be told the doctor's nurse wasn't in there today either, so can I call back later? Since I'm on a bit of a time crunch here, needing the lab work done by Thursday, I explained my plight and was transferred to two more people before the third lady said she'd see what she could do.

I have to say, all the receptionists I dealt with today were polite and courteous and even though I confused them greatly at first, and by 4PM my lab work orders are now officially waiting for me to drop in (believe it or not WITHOUT an appointment during regular working hours!) at Aurora in Seymour. Now all that remains is to see if this works, ha.

Since my former, favorite family doctor moved to Iowa several years ago, (I sincerely hope it wasn't because of me) the new clinics have moved in and they've been ok, but you rarely see the same doctor twice. It's rather disheartening, really, but the wave of the future. Gone are the days when your doctor asked you how your spouse, kids, parents and pet dog are doing and called them all by name. Now you're a number. Somehow I don't see where the change was for the better.

Oh, wait, someone needs my soap box, gotta climb down...

Other than laundry, large amounts of phone calls and the usual cooking, cleaning and whatnot, I accomplished absolutely nothing in the gardens today. Carl is still thinking about how to fabricate some type of curtain support for the living room, and I'm still thinking about finding new fabric to make curtains to match better. Consequently, we are still without curtains on the living room window. (My apologies to the neighbors, I will purchase Carl a bath robe at my earliest convenience.)

Drumstick Primula

When Carl came home tonight, we took a look at the gardens and tried to figure out what we should work on first. Adrian Bloom calls spring and early summer 'the busy seasons' and he's right about that, especially if you have GADS and garden like we do and have way too many irons in the fire. The new spring growth on many of the pines and spruces is coming on fast now, and so many of them will need pruning to control eventual size. Spruce can be pruned pretty much anytime, really, but pines have usually one main flush of new growth that must be dealt with while still in the candle stage and we have LOTS of pine trees to candle.

There are a few daffodils still blooming well yet.

Right before supper, Carl and I were finishing up our garden walk and looked at a nearly bald spruce tree which is very close to the shop on the east side of the driveway. We started discussing the future of the garden beneath it if we would saw the tree down. The spruce next to it isn't very attractive either for that matter because both of them are in the shade of our massive willow tree. If the two sad spruces were gone, we could plant our balled and burlapped understory Ironwood trees in the area and move a few dozen hostas and stone walls a bit and change the area for the better (we hope).

Joel came out of the house and asked, "Which tree are we cutting down now?"

Both of his parental units eyeballed him in amazement and said, in stereo, "How did you know?"

"Any time the two of you stand around in front of a tree for more than five minutes and kick the dirt around, I know the tree is history," Joel said with a grin.

Kinda creepy when your adult children know you that well.

(It was too windy tonight, so the trees were granted a reprieve. However, there is always tomorrow..........stay tuned.)

Epimedium