Spain 6

Ok, so this is a long one, but it was a long day. A really long day. Here goes....

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6/23/92

What a day!

With my sleeping bag pulled over my head, I failed to see the rising sun and so I did not rise...until 10am!

Lezlie and I left at 12pm, too late for her hair appointment so we went to get our gamma globulin shots. A simple matter (so we thought).

Our appointment was for 2pm. I called and verified with a woman who spoke more Chinese (Japanese?) than English. Tried to get the appointment pushed back to 2:30pm. That didn't work. "Can you come tomorrow?" No. We're leaving tonight. We can't get in at 2:30? "No. We are full. Can you come tomorrow?" I have an appointment for 2pm....

Anyway, we left. Walked to the bus stop. HOT sun!! Caught the 161 (after waiting about 15-20 minutes) and rode down a couple blocks to where the driver said we needed to transfer. "The bus (245) will be along shortly." I'd hate to see his idea of long! 45 minutes later, 245 comes rolling along.

That driver was a real jerk! Started off on some poor lady because she didn't understand what he was saying about the fare & transfer. But that's another story.

No problem finding Dr. Hang's office. We arrived at 1:45pm to find the place locked. Out to lunch, I guess. Sure enough, at 2pm the door opens. We filled out the paperwork and went back to the little room (2:10). At 2:30 we're still sitting there. I'm beginning to wonder if we, along with our charts, have disappeared into some black hole or something. And some middle-aged asian man keeps walking back & forth in the hallway, smiling and whistling a merry ole tune. Yah, easy for you - you don't have somewhere to be at 3pm! Hey, are you the doctor or what?!

No, I didn't really say that, but I wondered. About that time I decided I needed to remind the receptionist of our existence. "It won't be much longer. He's just down the street now."

Just down the street? He's not even here?

I went to the bathroom. I emerged to find Lezlie in the hallway with our papers and the receptionist.

Down the hall, 2 doors to the right. Different office. I think the receptionist was just as irate with Dr. Hang as Lezlie and I. She sent us to someone else for the shots and called to let them know we were coming. "Okay," they said.

So there we went. New office. Same building.

The receptionist there? "I'm sorry. I'm new. I was wrong. You are new patients so you have to schedule an appointment. Then it will be $45 for the visit and $25 for the shot." Compare that to $30 at Dr. Hang's....Lezlie wanted to cry; I wanted to hurt someone. "I guess I'll take my chances with the hepatitis," said she. You should have heard the sudden inhalation of air coming from the two older ladies seated in the waiting room!

We went back in the hallway. Lezlie tore up our papers; I headed back to hang Dr. Hang. (Not the receptionist, mind you, she was very nice and helpful.)

"If Dr. Hang want to continue his practice, he'd better start thinking of his patients as more than an income!"

"I've been working here 12 yrs. and I keep trying to tell him that. If you told him I would be very happy."

I'm willing to do that!

Finally, he showed up - actually, just after we walked in the door.

Okay. We'll stay. Back to the little room. Might as well, we already missed Lezlie's hair appointment...again.

He walked in apologizing.

I had my sleeves rolled and ready.

He said something I didn't quite understand through his asian accent.

"What?"

"Can I give it in your rump? Too much for shoulder. Don't want to cause pain."

Pain, you say? After this wait?

I didn't know whether to laugh or hit him. Lezlie wasn't laughing, but she was smiling awfully big.

"I'm a little irritated that it's now 3pm and our appointment was for 2pm!" (And I couldn't get it rescheduled for 2:30?)

He apologized again while Lezlie went a little bare, and mumbled something about the bank.

Lezlie and I just about burst out laughing. It's hard to be indignant and angry with your pants down! (Actually, it was more of a hip shot).

"So sorry for delay. Have a nice day!"

Have a nice day? Really?!


3:30pm we finally hit the bank. There was some mix up with Lezlie's account. Did you know that it's illegal to deposit money into your own account from out of state? Strange!

4:05 and we're on the street again, walking toward a 161. The sun is still hot!

Finally get to the bus stop and 45 minutes later here comes the bus with our favorite, sweet bus driver. He remembered us from yesterday.

Lezlie and I part ways on Ventura - she to the salon, I to the house. It's 5pm and we were supposed to be picked up at 4:30 [by someone from AF].

There's somebody asleep in a car in the driveway. "Hi. Cassie? I'm Linda...."

She follows me into the house, very sweet and friendly. I rush around with last minute packing then sit down to eat a leftover, too salty burrito.

Lezlie, where are you?

I envision her sitting at a bus stop somewhere waiting and waiting and...there's something to be said for the Seattle bus system!

She finally made it back and we left for LA 45 minutes later (around 8:40pm). We pulled into a 3-story house with a locked chain link parking area- the center for Ambassador's Fellowship.

My first impression? People seem a little too nice. "Praise the Lord!"

Well, it's now midnight and I have to get up at, ugh, 6:30am!

Thank you Lord for getting us here safely. Guide us these next 2 months. Please!

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