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| WATCHING AND WAITING |
I am in the ambulatory unit of North Shore LIJ. A routine wait for a routine surgery. Not mine. I am accompanying the patient. There are a series of waiting areas each designated for your specific type of waiting. I find a seat in my designated waiting area.
It is facing the TV so I can watch if I want. I shouldn't have to as I have a kindle, iPad, 2 books and my blackberry.
I can perform multiple functions on several. After I feel comfortable that I have claimed my territory I head off to the restroom. I take my backpack and bag.
I leave our coats draped on one seat. I believe they are not trendy enough to be stolen. A very quick visit. I return to find a woman sitting on the hoods and sleeves of our coats.What!! I don't know how she and they became a threesome but they now are. I count 27 of the 32 seats free and yet this person is sitting on parts of our coats. I try to pull them out from under her but she is on her cell giving me her back. Doesn't she feel the furry hoods, clasps and Velcro underneath? After much tugging, I succeed in freeing them. I move to an end with a large tree like the one pictured here.
I am tree protected on one side and in back of me is a glass partition separating the play area from the waiting room. One child is playing and he has an older guardian. I decide to write about what is happening. I take out my iPad and start a blog story. The coat woman starts listening to her messages on speaker phone.The speaker phone is loud as are her responses. We all now hear and know every one of the exchanges. I decide I need a photo to accompany my story. A waiting room photo. However, when I stand to focus my camera the boy in the playroom knocks on the glass and announces "I am playing, sorry if I am bothering you."
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| AM I BOTHERING YOU? |
His guardian joins him in being sorry for any disturbance. I explain to both I am not standing to complain about them, but to take a picture to include in my blog. I then complain to them about the coat sitter and tell them that she will be in my story. I think the little boy wants to be in it also. He is now.
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| MAKE A NOISE, MAYBE I WILL TURN AROUND |
I decide I must have a latte or something like that. This will involve a very long walk to a little kiosk like cafe indented in the hospital wall. I fear they will come out to announce the successful completion of the surgery while I am gone. I leave the coats again, confident that they are not theft-worthy After a long walk through all the waiting rooms I arrive at the cafe. I check out the cafe supplies and spot some hazelnut coffee. The procedure seems to be that you pay for your cup and then go get your coffee and accoutrements. The cashier is facing away from me. How to get his attention without scaring him? He continues to face the register. This is going on a few minutes. Suddenly he turns and staggers back "Wow, you scared me, maybe you should have made a noise" A noise? What kind of noise? He explains he is not sure he would have heard even if I did make a noise.
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| YOU SCARED ME |
He asks "Do you believe in selective hearing?" I say I do and because Paul is in surgery I use him as my example of a selective hearing person. I pay for my cup. Then go to the stand for the hazelnut. The carafe is almost empty and I only eke out a few ounces. I then add some regular, bringing the level to half. full. Oh well. Then I take the half and half. Empty. I am screwed. I have to scare the cashier again as he is back to facing the register. What noise should I make? Woof, woof?? I pick words. "Oh hello, any half and half?" I say without a noise. He turns and brings a container. I guess that is selective hearing. He will selectively hear the question "any half and half? and turn around. I now know the password.
I make it back to my waiting area. Our coats are there.
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| IT IS GOOD TO HAVE THE CORNER SPOT |
I get settled, raise my cup of half hazelnut, half regular and half and half and at my first sip the tech comes out informing me that the patient is in recovery. "May I take my coffee?" I ask."Try it. They'll take it from you if it is not okay."
It is okay. Everyone in recovery is drinking. Hydration. I see Paul. I am tempted to say "Any half and half?" and see if he looks up. I'll try that line at home. Time to pack up and go.
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| RECOVERY AT HOME |
Watching and waiting over.
Woof, Woof
It is facing the TV so I can watch if I want. I shouldn't have to as I have a kindle, iPad, 2 books and my blackberry. 
I can perform multiple functions on several. After I feel comfortable that I have claimed my territory I head off to the restroom. I take my backpack and bag. 
I leave our coats draped on one seat. I believe they are not trendy enough to be stolen. A very quick visit. I return to find a woman sitting on the hoods and sleeves of our coats.What!! I don't know how she and they became a threesome but they now are. I count 27 of the 32 seats free and yet this person is sitting on parts of our coats. I try to pull them out from under her but she is on her cell giving me her back. Doesn't she feel the furry hoods, clasps and Velcro underneath? After much tugging, I succeed in freeing them. I move to an end with a large tree like the one pictured here. 
I am tree protected on one side and in back of me is a glass partition separating the play area from the waiting room. One child is playing and he has an older guardian. I decide to write about what is happening. I take out my iPad and start a blog story. The coat woman starts listening to her messages on speaker phone.The speaker phone is loud as are her responses. We all now hear and know every one of the exchanges. I decide I need a photo to accompany my story. A waiting room photo. However, when I stand to focus my camera the boy in the playroom knocks on the glass and announces "I am playing, sorry if I am bothering you." 
