Today's affairs included a trip to the the A & E which is the Emergency and Urgent Care unit of a hospital, a round about journey by bus and train, a series of talks about relationships and dating rules counselled by yours truly and a special request dinner at the local pub.
So to break it down Ill begin by saying the previous days walking extravaganza did a number on my feet. Specifically the left one which has in the last couple months been sort of bothering me, but I just figured Id bruised it and have been putting anti-inflammatory cream on it ever since. The fact that I wear insensible shoes is probably the culprit. My flip flop addiction has really got to be put to rest, and now with only a pair of boots to get me around I'm kind of in trouble. I was trying to order some shoes online, because I can be such a picky individual (though if you confronted me about my finicky ways Id tell you I just happened to know what I like). Anyway, the shoes did not arrive and ended up becoming an internet scam, teaching me that I am to steer clear of promises of perfection and just go to a store the old fashioned way. So Ill be healing up before I find and settle for some so-s0 kicks.
Nichi insisted we go to the clinic, since the health care is free to all citizens I was a bit weary, but again she insisted. We took the tube and walked there, which was somewhat excruciating. When we arrived at Saint George's Hospital the clinic receptionist informed us that since it was considered an injury I would have to go to A and E, which was across the street. I got a little alarmed when Nichi told me what that was, and thought oh great I'm going to be in a waiting room with a bunch of bleeders and really desperate people and here I am seemingly fine except my foot is burning and sore. They had me fill out forms and took my passport to copy, and then I sat there with her for two hours. It was sickly warm and full of people and the pediatric unit was attached so I heard lots of children crying as well. The only entertainment was that we sat near the vending machines which people frequented out of boredom and if I wasn't concerned that Id have to use the loo before it was my turn I probably would have given in and got something.
When I was called inside the nurse looked at my foot and showed me some pictures and told me that the fibers in the foot can stretch and break and that it can become a spur or something. I wrote some notes but they are semi-illegible. She said pretty much what I figured I'd hear: "Get proper shoes, try to stay off it, elevate it at night, cold and warm compresses, and take Nurophen, which is Ibuprofen and Paracetamol (a drug like aspirin) So basically I was in there five minutes, I was expecting some crutches or a wrap up or something and instead I got "stay off it and give it time." This felt kind of annoying, but mostly because I know its my fault I ended up there, but also because I'm here in this beautiful city wanting to explore and I cant really walk.
We made our way home, got on a bus with a nice woman who let us sit next to her while we drove through a round about (yeah!) and listened to the school children gossip. "well you know she was on her period and she...." ha ha, it was too much. When we got off we were in the wrong neighborhood and had to take two different trains to get back. By that point I was starving and a bit cranky due to the days lackluster events. I felt awful I took one of Nichi's days off to sit in a dimly lit waiting room of ill people. So I took her out to the pub near her house that she likes.
Clarence is just down the street. The atmosphere is amazing, and everything I could want in an eatery. When you hear the word pub, you think bar, and because we are in the UK I just imagined some scruffy faced man in a newsboy hat, sploshing beer all over and serving up calimari or hot dogs or something. But Clarence wasn't this way at all. You got your menus from the bar area and picked out what you wanted to order. We both went for a lentil beet veggie burger with goats cheese and fries, Nichi wanted a diet coke so I went up to the bar to order that as well, and then when she asked me what I wanted I said an iced tea. She paused for a second and said, "Well I could brew some peach tea and put ice in it would that be ok." Sure, I said.
She was something out of an Irish novel, red wavy hair, pale freckled skin; stylish, almost like what a hipster would want to be, but on her quaint and fitting in a girly dress with well placed jewelery. She had a kind and soft demeanor, and I automatically felt a wave of guilt for being so American. When I came back to the table I told Nichi that I had been in the Midwest far too long because I ordered an iced-tea and they don't serve that here. "Are they going to make it for you?" she asked... yeah. "how nice". I felt a little VIP not going to lie, though I think it was because when she brought it out another server from the bar came over just to ask if it turned out ok. Seems I was the first person to make such a request. Kind of made me feel like I wanted to become a regular, Id be the iced tea lady, and soon they'd name it after me and put it on the menu! ;P
The food there was delicious, the music was good, the atmosphere... it is funny how something so simple as eating can make me a happier person ten fold. It was like the awful foot affair never even happened. It felt nice to actually be out and interacting with people too. Of course I couldn't leave before doing something again all too American and asking for a to-go box, which also became a special request as the red headed fairy went into the back and brought it back wrapped in foil. I must have looked like a diva with my to go package and my special beverage request.
Well that was my boring update for now. Stay tuned for more adventures at the flat as I will be in most likely.
No comments:
Post a Comment