Thursday I make a mistake that wipes out more than 4 hours of effort at work.
"In the scheme of things," my superior tells me, "it's not that big a deal."
"How did I make this mistake?" I ask myself. Not that big a deal? For you maybe.
I'm off on Friday. I'm taking my Siberian, Blue to the vet for some followup blood work. An appointment I made a month ago. The vet prescribed Denamarin because of elevated liver enzymes identified on a routine teeth cleaning in May. Elevated to 196 and after a month reduced to only 107, so she prescribed another month and another return visit for additional blood work.
I drop him off and fill out all the necessary paper work. I identify the reason for the visit. Blood work and a bath with brush out. He looks so good after a bath and a brushing. He is reluctant to follow the technician with me going in the opposite direction. I walk with the technician and Blue follows. I close the door and Blue disappears to the back of the building.
I drive back to my house.
The TV is on cable channel 88, MSNBC. I watch for a few minutes and switch to METV.
The Big Valley Season 1 Episode 10 The Murdered Party is on. I watch for a few minutes. The large locomotive filling the screen. It's very dark with only the light of the train locomotive illuminating the scene. Heath sees two individuals scuffling. One falls to the ground, it's the Colonel. The other flees and Heath gives chase, catching the suspect and after a short series of fisticuffs, the fleeing suspect gives up and says, "I didn't kill him."
The suspect is the oldest son of Jake Kyle. Jake has come to ask Jarrod to represent his son at trial. Jake's asked every attorney in the territory and they all refuse. Jarrod being a fair minded man will surely take the case, otherwise, his son will hang with no one to argue his case for him. Jarrod is at first reluctant to take the case since the defendant is the son of Jake Kyle and the primary witness is his brother Heath. But finally takes the case because everyone is entitled to representation when charged with a crime. Even a Kyle.
The tension is high between Jarrod and the other family members. Does Jarrod believe the suspect over the testimony of his brother? One is right the the other wrong and Jarrod has sided with the defendant. As the trial progresses, it's apparent that Jarrod will most likely defend the defendant successfully. But the prosecutor presents an eye witness who identifies the defendant as the killer and with no cross examination of the witness by Jarrod the defendant bolts for the door, exposing his guilt.
Jarrod has made a big boo-boo. Will the family ever forgive him? While the family is forgiving Jarrod, I walk to the kitchen for a beer.
Two hours and 3 beers later, I get a call from the Vet. Blue is ready to be picked up. I'm ten minutes from the vet. I drink another beer, find the keys to the Jeep and head out to pick up Blue.
Blue is ready and the young lady tells me I owe forty dollars. The blood test is forty dollars so I know a mistake has been made. Either she has under charged me or something didn't get done.
"What were the results of the blood test?" I ask.
"Blood test?" she ask.
"The reason for bringing Blue in today," I say.
"Just a moment, I'll have to ask," she says.
I wait for her to return with an answer to my question. While I'm waiting for an answer, a tech brings Blue to me on a leash. He has had a bath and a brush out but no blood test. He looks good after the bath.
Five minutes or so later she returns to tell me that the blood test is in the process of being performed and will take about ten minutes or so to complete.
I take a seat and wait. Blue whines like he does at 7am in the morning.
"Let me out," his whine says. But I'm interested in blood test results and pay no attention.
After five minutes or so my vet comes out from the back with a green pill bottle. She has antibiotics for the loss of hair on Blue's chest.
"Why was the blood test not preformed?" I ask, as the vet approaches and Blue whines and prances about the slick concrete floor of the nice building with a metal roof and solar panels.
"It's being preformed now," my vet says, " and we should have the results in a few minutes. Here are antibiotics for the hair loss, to prevent infection."
Blue has had enough. And with one last whine, he lifts a leg and begins to drain himself. "Blue, NO!"
I pull him to the door and apologize for his bad manners. "He really is house broken," I say as we exit the door.
When Blue and I return, the Vet is no longer at the entrance area.
"Sally is checking on the results of the blood test and will be back in in a few minutes," the young lady behind the desk says.
I take a seat and Blue promptly takes a poop. Only moments after the tech has cleaned up mistake number 1, Blue has made mistake number 2.
"I'm sorry," I say, as we head for the door.
I take Blue back to the area where dogs with no poop break all day have a chance to take that poop break. He sniffs for the perfect spot and I step in a pile of poop.
I clean my shoe as best I can and Blue and I re-enter the building. Sally, my vet is waiting for me with the results of the blood test. She shows the computer print out to me and I see the results of Blue's blood test are now at 48. The previous results are 107. Under 100 is normal.
I tell Sally that the dosage instructions on the first box of Denamarin, as was the second box, was hidden by the label placed on the box by one of her employees. I'm curious about what is hidden on the second box and peel the label off to see what the label is hiding. If not for the mislabeled box, Blue's results on the first test might well have been in range and the second test unnecessary. The cost of the Denamarin is 90 dollars for a 30 day supply.
"It's an observation," I say, " and not a criticism."
"I think it's a good idea if Blue has another bath within the next week," Sally says. "Another bath will be good prevention for the hair loss on his chest. Can you bring him back next Friday?"
"Yes," I say, "I'll make an appointment now."
I thank Sally and she disappears into the back of the very large veterinary clinic, and pay my bill.
"I apologize for Blue's acts of indiscretion," I say.
"Oh! not a problem," the girls say in unison. "It happens all the time."
Taking hold of the leash we walk to Jeep for the return trip to my house.
I leave Blue outside with Lakoda and Dingo. The two Australian Shepherds never have health issues, except for getting old.
I enter the house and close the door.
I get a beer from the refrigerator and walk to the living room.
The TV is still on METV and i switch back to MSNBC. The discussion is freshman Congressman from Florida who has mistaken two government officials for Indian citizens. The internet is ablaze with headlines like "Congressman Mistakes Two Senior US Gov't Officials For Foreign Indian Gov't Officials."
I read a few paragraphs and I'm thankful he isn't a Democrat. The Democrat with the mistake of the week is the sitting Senator from Montana.
Well, in the scheme of things I guess it's not that big a deal.
Especially when you consider that John McCain chose Sarah Palin to be his vice Presidential running mate.