I didn't speak to the patient; I spoke to the call center worker who told me: "He needs a refill. He says it can't wait until Monday."

I replied: "He seemed to think it could wait until Saturday..."

Once more, I'm voluntarily giving up the various waters of life for a little while, for a number of reasons, mostly caloric.

All drink and no exercise makes Aristus a fat boy...

I love you all...

(And you thought I only said that when I was in my cups... )

I just got an e-mail from him in response to my request for time off in October for continuing education classes.

FWIW, I need fifty hours a year of continuing education in order to maintain my medical license.

I gave him two whole months' worth of notice for the time off; I also told him my formal 'request' was really just an FYI, because I'm taking the time off, come what may.

His e-mail said that he's having trouble finding coverage for that time period, and could I have the sponsors move the conference to a different week.



I shook my head wearily and e-mailed him back. "No. The conference is the conference. They're not going to move it just because I asked them to. If I don't get these hours in, I lose my medical license. Bottom line.

His response: Basically "Oh, okay. I guess I'll keep trying to get coverage."



This sort of thing never goes the other way. When the mainstream clinic is down three providers, or whatever, I have to pick up the slack, no matter how many patients a day that means. But sheesh! If I need some time off, the manager is never able to find coverage for that time period; it becomes this awful hardship and how come I never think of his difficulties?

I just want to shout at him: "You're the manager! MANAGE!"

If James Bond were a woman, 'Jane' Bond, for example, what kind of double-entendre names could we expect the men in her life to have?

You know, Bond has Pussy Galore, Plenty O'Toole, and so on.

I posted these names by way of response. What do you think?

Hunter Finecock, Dick Masters, Roland Bedfellow, Fondel Chesterhead, and Rock Hardbottom.

Any good?

Couple of tee-shirts. No bumper stickers. I just know how much the Trumpanzees like to key cars with Democratic stickers on them. I don't want my tires slashed, either. Hell, the idjits are slashing their own tires these days...

Satire so keen-edged, it wasn't even really satire...

I'm donating to the campaign, and I want to make sure I don't get a scam site.

Dug out my old cocktail shaker and gave it a whirl.

Good stuff...