Nov. 16, 4 p.m.
Dear Diary:
As I stand on line in the drug store, waiting to pick up my prescription, I perhaps seem a bit more eager than the others. Is it that:
A. I am conscientious about my health.
B. I am late getting to an appointment.
C. My left temple is pounding like high tide on Oahu.
4:10 p.m.
The waiting line ahead appears, if possible, to be longer. I can’t understand it, but I merely chalk it up to:
A. Bad timing
B. A mix-up behind the pharmacy counter
C. The work of Screw Richey Inc., a multinational cabal whose single mission is the continued and escalating aggravation that has been the foundation of my life for the last 30 years.
4:17 p.m.
Two of the pharmacy consultants have gone on a dinner break, and there are still six people ahead of me. Thinking quickly, I:
A. Head off into the store to make non-prescription purchases
B. Make sure I have my insurance card with me
C. Whine like a 4-year-old
4:43 p.m.
During my whining jag, my cell phone rings. It is my good friend, Zippy. She’s a terrific lady with an optimistic outlook who always does her best to cheer me up. However, the only way to cheer me up is for her to:
A. Sing one of my favorite songs
B. Relate a humorous anecdote
C. Contract an unsightly and hard-to-reach skin ailment.
4:57 p.m.
Only two people are still in front of me, and the other two pharmacists have come back from their dinner break. And just at that moment, my headache feels as though it is lessening in intensity. I can attribute this only to:
A. A drop in my blood pressure
B. Relief at the line getting shorter
C. Temporary amnesia after tripping a customer ahead of me.
5:09 p.m.
I have finally received my prescription, and the pharmacist is processing my order. Unfortunately, it appears that the cash deposit I made on Saturday afternoon has STILL not been posted in my account by my bank, Galactic Rough Trade Mutual Trust and Check Cashing. My left temple has restarted its methodical pulsing, so there’s only one solution I can think of:
A. Go home and rest until the headache goes away
B. Shrug my shoulders and say with a smile, “Oh, well! That’s life.”
C. Find some ointment to treat the unslightly rash that is breaking out in a hard-to-reach place.
Contact Rodney Richey, 640-4861, rodney.richey@heraldbulletin.com. Bring some Gold Bond powder.
