I'm not used to extremely busy days - busy as in running around. Yesterday was busy.
It started with my husband telling me when he got up around 7 that he had a tooth really bothering him. Considering we're leaving in a few days the tooth had to be looked at soon. Complication - we had a 9 am appointment in Santa Fe at the Hyundai dealer to have a filter put in and we'd been told it would take about 2 hours. It takes us about 45 minutes to get there from home. So I told him to call the dentist at 8 when they opened and see if they could see him in the afternoon. After a couple calls between them (along with one from my TOPS co-leader) he was set up for 1:10. Complication - we also had three stops to make in Santa Fe beyond getting the filter, four if you count lunch.
We left and were driving away from the house at 8:16. Traffic wasn't too bad until we got into Santa Fe then it seemed like every light we came to was red. (Of course, when in a hurry, the traffic lights can sense this and, being perverse by nature, they turn red just before you get to them - close enough that you would OBVIOUSLY be running the red if you tried to sneak through.) I outfoxed the last one at St. Francis and Pacheco; I stopped then turned right, went down a block, turned left and made it through the next one easily. Still got stopped by one more light on St. Michaels but we pulled in front of the service check-in at the dealership at 8:59. Fortunately we got out of there in an hour. Even more pleasant, we didn't have to pay since we'd already paid in November when we had the 90k service done. They hadn't had the filter then and it had to be ordered.
Now it was a question of logistics and timing. We had to drop off some glasses for donation, buy two CO monitors, get John a new pair of jeans and eat lunch and be on our way home by 12:30 to make the 1:10 appointment. The furthest place we had to go to was Santa Fe Place (formerly Villa Linda Mall) where there was an Eye Associates. On the way was a WalMart. John said the place for jeans was Boot Barn located in DeVargas Mall which is located on our way out of town.
So I stopped at WalMart first - it took us a while to find the CO monitors but we finally did. I also picked up a magazine. I chose the second open cashier, the first one had several customers, the second one was taking care of one customer, had another waiting with maybe three items so I figured it would be quick. Complication - the first customer was buying gift cards and each one had to be a separate transaction bought and paid for. She had three of those gift cards. Suddenly I looked over at the first cashier and saw she was free so it was a quick ten steps and I was there checking out. We got back to the car and were on our way at 10:16.
Next stop the mall. John wasn't walking very fast - his arthritis doesn't appreaciate 10 degree weather ( neither does mine but I can still walk fast if I have to.) So I parked near the appropriate entrance and left John in the warm car. I went in and something didn't seem right - it was kind of dark where Eye Associates was - yup - they weren't there any more. Just as I turned to go back I saw there was a Boot Barn in this mall. Good! So it was back to the car to get John so we can buy him jeans. Complication - we couldn't find any in his size; neither could the sales associate. Reason - someone had been messing around with the stock and John's size was mis-stacked. John found two pairs, grabbed them, paid and went back to the car. Bonus, now we didn't have to stop at DeVargas Mall.
Wendy's doesn't start cooking the lunch menus until 11 - that's why we chose to go get as much done as possible and work our way back. We got there about 11:02. Since we didn't feel quite as rushed we could afford the time to stop for gas before heading back; we were down to 1/8 of a tank (we'd lost a little of our gas due to have the filter put in - it was in the tank.)
We got home by 12:15 so John could brush his teeth and we could let Peaches, our dog, out of her cage. She was only free about 20 minutes before we had to be on the way again.
John had his appointment and the dentist said that the nerve in his tooth was dying. Complication - John needs a root canal - we leave in 4-5 days. But - there's an endodontist who was in town today - they set up an appointment for 4:30.
We go home. So, thinking that if John has to have a root canal done I'd better get the grocery shopping done that I was planning on doing Friday (Christmas dinner with my father is Saturday at our house) because I didn't know if we would have to go to Santa Fe on Friday or at what time. Complication - we already had an appointment at the Vet to get Peaches her bordatella vaccine at 9 on Friday. So we went home and let the dog out for a few minutes while I made up a grocery list - at least for the Christmas dinner.
Then we went to Smith's to shop. Back by 2:45 and let the dog out of her cage again.
We put Peaches back in her cage for the fourth time and left at 3:45 to go to the endodontist appointment. Every time and new customer came in, s/he let in a blast of frigid air (I think the high yesterday might have been 32.) After John went in the rest of us (three more besides me) sat and froze. Finally I had to pull the hood up on my sweatshirt and one of the staff noticed and asked if we were cold. We all said yes so she brought a heater over. It didn't help much. Then I mentioned that it might help if they closed the blinds on all the windows. Gee, what do you know, covering four or five 8'x10' glass windows actually helps keep the room warm. They knew to put the shades down in the summer but didn't think about doing it in winter. Go figure. John came out around 5; the dentist had drilled a hole in the side of the tooth which allows it to drain and relieves the pressure/pain. A follow up appointment to complete the work is scheduled in January. So, with prescriptions in hand it was back down to the house with a stop at Smith's again to get them filled.
We were home by 5:45 after a very long, busy day. And Peaches didn't have to get put in the cage for a fifth time in one day. If she didn't get into mischief while we're gone we wouldn't have to cage her. Dumb dog.
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