Warning! Rantfest Ahead!

So our day today started out with little Nora crying off and on starting at 5:30 a.m. She doesn't usually wake up until 7:30-7:45'ish. That should have been my first clue that she was sick and today was going to be very looooong. We had a slow, uneventful morning, but she was definitely "off." I thought maybe she was just bored, so I started making a mental Christmas list, brainstorming what new toys would challenge and engage her.

I put her down for her nap after lunch and 15 minutes later she was crying like she did at 5:30. Assuming she had pooped, I went up to change her and put her back down, only to discover she was warmer than usual and had little red bumps all over her chest and legs. My first thought went to 12 years ago when I though I was having an allergic reaction to wearing a shirt that had been bleached, when in fact I had strep throat (Throat felt fine! Had no idea it was strep except for the rash!). So I called the pediatrician, and of course, at 1:30 p.m. on a Friday they had zero appointments left, so we were recommended to urgent care. Yehaw! Just where I want to spend several hours with my sick baby. So I packed a bag of books for her and off we went. Two hours later (Not bad seeing I was preparing myself for 4), we left with a diagnosis of ear infection and possible strep. Spared her the throat swab since they were recommending antibiotics for the ear anyway.

Here starts the rant:

• Why, when the kind nurse takes you back to the exam room (after you've waited an hour and half already), after she's gotten some basic info from you, does she smile and say "Ok, the doctor will be right in to see you?" When I hear that, I think, "ok, right in, she must mean pretty quickly. Alright, maybe this won't be so bad after all..." Since when did right in mean 45 minutes later?!?! Why not say "The doctor will be in after he finishes up with the 3 people in front of you?" That, I can handle!
• Does liquid amoxicillin have the street value of some addictive drug? Am I missing something? I mean, is it in that high of demand? No? Then why did the urgent care feel it necessary to call Nora's prescription into the pharmacy to avoid "prescription fraud" (their words)? And why did it take 2 hours, 3 phone calls to the clinic and 2 trips to the pharmacy (1 with Nora) to finally see that the pharmacy received the prescription? And to think I thought that the N.P. who saw us was trying to spare me from waiting in the grocery store pharmacy with my sick child (convincing her that her beloved mechanical penny horse ride was broken while shielding her from seeing other children on it, to prevent her from spreading strep throat to every child who would later ride that horse).
• Why, and this is my favorite, oh why, on a windy day (gusts to 40 mph) would someone think it is ok to empty their grocery cart and then push it up to the front of your car between MY car and another??? This is one of my all-time top 5 pet peeves, and I finally caught someone doing it. I am very proud of myself, because I said the following, very politely to the older gentleman I busted in the act, "I don't think it's a good idea to leave your cart there, it's windy out today and it's likely your cart will blow into my car." He actually smiled at me and then turned to put it in a cart corral (only 3 spaces over). Hello people! Take the nice baggers up on their offer to help you out with your groceries if you're only going to ditch your cart so that it bangs up someone else's car!

Despite all this, and despite Nora being fussy all day (rightfully so!) it always could have been a lot worse, and I am grateful for that. I was also grateful to pass Nora off to Murphey's loving capable hands so I could go out and enjoy a movie night with Ginger. We saw "The Jane Austen Book Club." Great chic flick, highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, we're going to have to miss a Halloween get together tomorrow night with all of Nora's little buddies. :( Oh well, if she's up to it, maybe we'll dress her up in her costume, take a few pictures and give you all a sneak peek at her. :)