I should have listened to the dog!

I got up nice and early, yesterday morning, ready to drive to Reservoir for my shift on the reception desk at the surgery.  I was ready to leave in good time. Went in to say goodbye to everyone - and Rupert came in from the garden and gave me a goodbye kiss, putting great big muddy nose prints all over the brand new pair of trousers I was wearing for the very first time.

Sigh.  Obviously I can't go to work wearing trousers covered in muddy nose prints. Not even if I am expecting to spend the day in my cupboard. Certainly not if on the reception desk.  I change into a clean, not new pair of trousers.

I am now running five minutes later than planned, but it's still quite early so all should be well.

And all was well. Until I reached the Calder Freeway when the traffic came to a complete standstill. It took about 30 minutes to do a distance that usually takes around 10.

Sigh.  But it's ok.  I should still be at the surgery on time.  I factored in time for delay.

Then I come off the ring road onto Plenty Road.  Drive through a green light, turning right, only to see that the traffic ahead of me is blocking the intersection.  If I keep going I will block the tramlines.  Blocking the tramlines is never a Good Plan.  So I stop, stranded in the middle of the intersection.  Fortunately, not in a lane where through traffic is going to go, but definitely in the lane where traffic turning onto the freeway will want to go.  I wait there until their green light comes on.  Fortunately, the lead drivers have seen me and let me get out of the way.

I am now late for work  and more than slightly stressed ;-(

I settle down at the desk.  Patients come and go. One of the doctors is also stranded in traffic so their patients are moved around to see other doctors so the late running one doesn't have an almighty queue when he eventually turns up.

The phone rings.  Someone claiming to be  an air ambulance bloke wanting to speak to one of our part time people, who won't be in until later in the week.  It's very urgent, apparently. Can I give the (alleged) air ambulance bod his mobile phone number.  Aside from the fact that I don't know the mobile phone number, I wouldn't give it anyway.  The caller might not actually be from the air ambulance!  Pass the call through to The Nurse who sorts it all out.

More patients come.  One elderly lady doesn't understand why her appointment has been shifted to another doctor.  She is Very Elderly Indeed and quite deaf. But she likes the alternative doctor so is happy to see him after the initial confusion.

The phone rings.  It's the emergency number wanting to speak to The Nurse. I find The Nurse and put the call through.

Immediately the phone rings again.  It's someone who wants a document faxed through to his solicitor, rightnowthisveryminute.  The Nurse wanders past so I give the request to her.  After all, we can't just go around randomly faxing things without written permission.  The person on the phone could be anyone.

I think The Nurse is beginning to wish I would stop answering the phone :-D

I get a nice run of simple phone calls. People wanting appointments, people cancelling appointments. I can deal with those. No need to trouble The Nurse.

Lunchtime.  And then I go into my cupboard to catch up with some scanning.  The Nurse expresses relief that I will no longer be answering the phone. One of the doctors ambles in.  Have I seen a document he wanted for one of his patients.  It hasn't been scanned yet.  Well no; it was only put in the box in the morning and I have three days worth of scanning to do. I  riffle through the scanning pile and finally find it just as the patient arrives.

Called back out onto the desk.  Answer the phone.  A lengthy phone call with someone I can't quite hear and don't really understand. The Nurse has temporarily left the building so isn't available for me to pass it to.  Eventually get the call sorted out.  I think!

Hop in the car later than I had meant and hit the after school traffic. The traffic on the ring road is horrible.  Finally get home to find Rupert, Hugo and Jim all happy, relaxed and pottering about.

I really should have listened to the dog.  Instead of putting clean trousers on first thing, I should have put my pyjamas on again and gone back to bed!!!