It’s been far past time for my annual eye exam, a fact of which I was reminded a couple of weeks ago with some moderately scary symptoms in my right eye – the bad one. So today I accompanied D&L on one of their pilgrimages to the big town about fifty miles away, which they thoughtfully rescheduled just to accommodate me.
Seems I had a little tissue separation on my retina, nothing to get alarmed about, but it made itself known with a floater the size of a theater curtain and some bleeding, which has now healed. The eye doctor determined this, in part, by getting far too close to me and poking my eye with things. This went on for a very long time, seemed like. I took it as calmly as possible – there were no casualties – but I did not like it at all. I may have actually been microaggressed against, or something.
In fact I did not like the whole “go to the big town” experience, which seems to become more like an ordeal every time I do it. No sooner was I in the truck than my gut started to rumble.
Also, once the exam was finally over and I stepped outside, I noticed a sign on the doctors’ brand new building that hadn’t been on the old one…
Which was a darned shame. If only I had known before, what a tragedy could have been averted.
And it’s not as if I was getting away with anything – When the assistant wanted to take my blood pressure I took off my jacket and rolled up my sleeve in front of God and everybody. She’d have needed some of her own services if she didn’t see it. But this is the place it is, and nobody got their lab coats in a twist. I assume it’s an insurance thing, or something.
I also officially spent a whole bunch of money on building materials but more about that tomorrow. It’s after seven and I only just now finished feeding dogs and chickens, and I’m tired.
Rules are made to be broken. Especially the rules one finds on signs; they just cry out for it.
Building materials is good news. Looking forward to hearing more. Anything you can do to keep the eye issue from happening again?
“Dangerous ordinance?” I tell you, those folks are not taking any chances. I’m pretty sure that would discourage any “terrorist” – if they read English, anyway. And no, it’s not an insurance thing. It’s a socialist, gun grabber, prohibitionist kind of thing. Doesn’t seem like the assistant is in that class, which is good.
The doctor should have put some drops in your eye to numb it before doing any poking.
You have “scary symptoms” in an eye and then you take two weeks to get help? FYI: For certain types of eye “scary symptoms”, time is very important.
It’s possible you haven’t fully grasped all the ramifications of “penniless desert hermit.” Or do you think it’s just something I put on for the blog? I had no transport before yesterday, and I had no $90 for the appointment anyway because I have no insurance. That’s why I call it ‘life on the edge.’ If push comes to shove, that was my bad eye anyway.
Curious: Where do they get that it’s “illegal” to carry a gun at your doctor’s office? That’s not just some private owner’s private “no guns” sign. Is the doctor in some kind of gummint building, or the back of a bar, or what?
I wondered the same thing, Claire. Best guess is that it’s illegal to carry a gun into a building if the owner posts a sign saying it is. Either way, they didn’t seem interested in enforcing the law yesterday.
Curious- if this is still in Arizona, and if the law hasn’t been changed, that’s not actually a binding sign. It isn’t the ‘official’ sign, which is the only one that actually makes it illegal.
“In which Uncle Joel gets nervous, breaks a law.”
Only one? Clearly you’re not trying very hard. Isn’t three the commonly refered to target?
The local small regional hospital(where I seem to spend more time than I’d care to) has 2 front doors. One with a no weapons sign and one with a no dogs except service animals sign. Not being in the habit of carrying my dog around, I use the door that says nothing about weapons. I figure that if they don’t take it seriously there’s no reason why I should.
PS. I hope the eye thing is a minor glitch.
I love it!! The “sign” only on one of the doors? Heck, that’s the one I’d use too. LOL
Only two “no guns” signs that I’ve noticed in this town. One of the two dentists has a large on on his door… so it makes the choice of dentists easy. The other guy had zero problems with my openly carried gun. The senior center tried posting signs too, but I seldom go in there. If I need to, I’m happy to CC and ignore their signs. The worst they could do is ask me to leave.
Joel:
Did you go with the laser spot-welding? If you did, then there is no need to tell you it looks like a nuclear bomb goes off inside yer eyeball. If you didn’t have it done, then forget I said anything. I’ve had extensive lasering done; it’s an experience that beats the alternative. Hang in there.
ML: Our only dentist in town put up a binding “no guns” sign after the state said we could CCW. It came down after there was an armed robbery nearby at the pharmacy. I hesitate to address this with him as he puts sharp things in my mouth… I’m thinking pocket carry and don’t ask.
Good thinking, Robert, if there isn’t another dentist around. The fun thing is that I’ve carried openly for the last ten years here, and am very well known as being armed always. I do cc at times, but I’m just as apt to have someone ask me where’s my gun. 🙂 Aside from the occasional tourist, everyone knows I’m carrying, whether they can see it or not.
The dentist I did see is an avid shooter and hunter and we would have talked guns a lot more except he had other patients to see. The chairside assistant and the receptionist were eager to talk guns too. It’s great here in Wyoming. 🙂
My CC instructor called that a civil request and unenforcable. They can ask you to leave and then you must or you would be tresspassing but of course they cannot ask that if they do not see the concealed weapon. Some states are cracking down on these sings callng them illegal. That is they feel that the legislature and no one else can make gun laws and to place such a sign would be illegal.