I really should be writing now...

...but, I was taking a mental break. I enjoy reading blogs, and other things that update frequently. It occurred to me that other people might enjoy that kind of thing too, and perhaps might be disappointed when they click on the link to my blog and the only thing that's there is a picture from last Tuesday with a caption that reads "more coming soon!" Yeah, a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes, you'd rather have a thousand words than a picture. It's like receiving a blank postcard in the mail--you don't exactly know what to do with it.

Like I said, I have ESSAYS to write. Long, harsh, cruel ones. Actually, I'm almost done, just one more left to tackle. The only problem is that my weekend keeps getting fuller. We'll see how this tale ends up :p This particular essay counts from my entire grade, which is a little nerve wracking. I try not to think about it.

My NHS problem is just about over. I think I figured out how the National Health System got started. Let my digress with a short, but woeful tale...

Once upon a time, there was a very unsuccessful phone company. Despite the fact that they were a major part of communication in our fast-paced world, they failed miserably at it. Each employee was secretly a recluse trying to stay alive with a crummy job answering calls from frustrated customers. Every time a customer would call, they would stare at the phone, terrified of picking up. In a move of solidarity, they set up an automated system to send callers to different departments and through machine-generated message loops so that they wouldn't have to talk to anyone that ever called their shabby office.

But, as I said, they were a failure. Within a few years the company folded due to a lack of communication between the employees themselves. Desperate for work, they immigrated to England and took government jobs. With these new jobs, they were almost guaranteed that they would not have to speak to anyone for more than a few seconds at a time--just long enough to transfer the caller to a different department. They knew that this way, they never would have to solve any more frustrated callers' problems again. The End.

Can you guess what this government job was called?

In reality, my conversation went something like this:

Automated message: you are number 15 in the queue. please wait patiently until we can take your call. *cute elevator music plays in the background*
Lady: Your patient number please?
Name? date of birth?

Me: I would like to cancel my appointment.

Lady: One moment please. *click* *annoying busy signal for ten minutes*

Another lady: Hello such and such department.
Me: I would like to cancel my appointment because--
Lady: one moment please *click*

Automated message: you are number eight in the queue. *more cute elevator music*
Lady: patient number? name? date of birth?
Me: I would like to cancel my appointment because I'm going home and I need the paperwork mailed to me.
Lady: oh, I see. Let me give you the number of the such and such department so they can sort it out for you.

After I hung up, it occurred to me that I might just be stuck in the twilight zone. It all worked out in the end. I called them several times with no answer and finally someone called me today. Whew! Well, thanks a lot! Now I have two and a half minutes left on my phone.

Now it's off to bed for me with tons of work tomorrow. Cheers!
--Mary