The Weirdness of It All

This year is starting off on a strange note, or maybe I am just having odd perceptions. I went to an urgent care center today -- nothing super-urgent, but my doctor wasn't in and it was concerning enough that I wanted to be seen -- and the doctor there directed me to a website that shows an episode of a TV show he was on. At first he said he had a TV show, but it eventually came to light that he was on an episode of someone else's show. I couldn't tell you whose; I haven't looked at it yet. Is is ethical for a doctor to promote himself/his "other work" during a sick visit? It doesn't seem so. The guy was weird. He asked if I was married or single, and I paused a moment before answering. It turned out he wondered whether I snore or not (I was having a throat problem), but that was a strange way to ask it.

While I waited to see the doctor, I was talking to a young woman who was also waiting. If you know me, you know I'm almost always up for chit-chat while I wait. I talk to everybody. Part of our conversation was about fingernails (she asked if mine were real, which they are). She showed me her ring finger on each hand, and explained that she didn't have a nail on either because "something happened" that ripped off her acrylics and whatever it was took those two nails with it. It hurt just to look at. I don't think that's what she was there for though. She had a bunch of scabby scratches on her face -- maybe part of the same event that ripped her nails off. As we talked, I noticed her t-shirt had a thought bubble and I tried to read it without being too obvious. It said, "So many fuck boys!" on it, and there was a cartoonish figure beneath. Maybe it was a reference I just didn't get.

And in my last bit of weirdness for the day (I hope), a client who wanted to meet for coffee -- off the clock, I'm sure -- had her assistant contact me last week about when I could meet. I thought that was rude -- we've talked by phone and emailed directly many times -- but I got something set up for tomorrow morning (even though my inclination was to have her assistant contact my assistant (I don't really have an assistant, but I'm sure I could recruit someone to pull it off) and let them arrange something. Then, at 6:30 tonight, the client emailed me herself to see if we could meet closer to where she is going to be tomorrow. There is just so much that's weird about that I won't even bother listing it all. The meeting will happen as planned, where planned. And I'm not entirely sure why we're meeting, but I'm taking along her latest invoice. She might pay a little quicker if I hand it to her directly.