My root canal--the most fun I've had in a month

That's an exaggeration--but at least while my mouth was open and my dentist's hand in it no-one could call and ask me to take a phone survey on behalf of the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, various individuals who were running for office, etc, ad nauseam.

The last month has been full of frustration.  First there was the long (25 days) struggle to see the cardiologist about Mr Charm's pacemaker.  Fortunately neither of us was bleeding heavily, so we lived through it, saw the cardio (nothing wrong with the pacemaker, see the neurologist) and received a profuse apology from the practice manager.

Yesterday, it was apparent that everything was going to go wrong, including a nervous breakdown on the part of the GPS.   I sensed that things were going to continue to go wrong.  The gods of petty annoyance were picking on us, and would continue to do so until they were tired of us and went to pick on somebody else.

We were late for the neurologist appointment, but signed the patient attendance sheet and were assured he would see us, as soon as possible.  We sat there watching other patients go in and out.  I managed to read a whole issue of the New Yorker, a relatively recent one .  More patients come and go.  Some come while we are sitting there and go while we are still sitting there.  I ask the female at the desk what is happening.  She informs me that he is trying to fit us in, but she can't ask him because he is With a Patient.   Short of calling her a liar, there was nothing I could do, although I was pretty sure her story would not hold up in a court of law.  She then deserted her post.  No-one took her place.

At last the office is deserted except for us and Deborah from Billing, sitting at another window and doing something, possibly to do with billing.  I finally collared her, and told her we had been waiting.  I was afraid the neurologist would decamp from another exit, which he was actually about to do.  But she caught him and Mr Charm had his exam.  The doctor told us he did not know we were there, and I believed him.  I actually knew this from the start, but it took three hours for it to be apparent to everyone else.