Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Ahead of the Game?

Every once in a while, you get a ridiculously true, and sometimes unbelievable recount of my day.

Yesterday, I knew it was going to be hot.  Think 100*, hottest day so far this year (summer) hot.  I'm still waiting on my A/C, which means lots of showers throughout the day and planning ahead to get things done in the slightly cooler (think 85*) parts of the day. 

So yesterday morning at 9:30 (to beat the heat), I headed off to the pharmacy three blocks away, and the supermarket another block farther.  I stopped in at the pharmacy, and the usual pharmacist wasn't there--just a teenager [warning sign] tending the store.  My ears have been bothering me for a few weeks, and after starting with some dizziness Sunday and Monday, I figured I should do something about it.  She gave me three options, two with antibiotics in the drops and one with hydrocortizone.  I chose one with a lesser amount of lidocaine but still having antibiotics and set off for the super market. 

On the way home from the super market, I bought a newspaper to read, and hiked the 3 blocks up the hill to my little house.  I quickly changed clothes to something cooler, put the refrigerated (now lukewarm) grocery items away, and sat down to the internet, only to discover that the girl had sold me eye drops.

So I changed back into street clothes and walked 3 blocks to the pharmacy.  Teenager said she would call the doctor to make sure she was selling me ear drops this time.  She picks up the phone and says, "Tio..."  Tio means uncle in Spanish.  So I left the store with ear drops, after reading the directions inside the box to make sure for myself I had the right thing--it's heating up outside, I'm not feeling amazing, and I reeeeally didn't want to walk three blocks again (when really, the coming and going is 6 blocks.) 

I got home, quickly changed clothes again to something cooler, and pulled out the ear drops to put them in my ears.  I glanced at the bottle and noticed that not only was the seal broken, but the cap itself had been screwed back on so tight the tip popped off.  And you know what I did?  I considered using it.  For about 15 minutes I just sat there staring at this bottle, wondering about the damages of using an open bottle of ear drops with Cipro and Lidocaine, and if something like the Tylenol scare would happen inside my ear.  (After all, this is why we're so seal-savvy in the U.S.)  Since my life pretty much revolves around language learning and hearing, and I need what little hearing I have left...

...I changed back into street clothes and walked 3 blocks to the pharmacy.  Teenager said, "You're not convinced?"  I said, "No, I'd really like these, but the cap is broken."  She had sold me the last one--which of course is why that one happened to be on the shelf!--so she returned my $5 and told me where there was another pharmacy.  A nice, big, shiny, name-brand pharmacy.  At the second pharmacy, I took the bottle out and examined it, checked the expiration date, and made sure the bottle matched the box.

I got home and changed into cooler clothes, and settled down for the horribleness known as putting ear drops in your own ears. 
Start time: 9:30a.m.
Starting temperature: 85*
Final arrival time at home: 11:15a.m.
Temperature upon arriving home: over 90*
City blocks covered: 24.   
Farthest distance from my house: 4 city blocks.

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