Happy Weekend friends! How's your week been?
Here at Barlow Towers it has been full on this week, so quite glad the weekend has finally arrived.
On Monday, Mr B and I had our annual physicals with our new doctor (our old one left so we took the opportunity of switching to a new practice after further research and recommendations from friends). We were booked in for the first appointments of the morning, Mr B going first. As part of your annual check up here, they give you any 'preventative' vaccinations that may be due and schedule labs (blood tests) and any other screening procedures that may also be due.
Before Mr B went in, I reminded him
"Don't forget that you had a tetanus shot last year, so you just need your flu jab ..."
"Yep ... got it" he said confidently as he scurried off.
Some 30 minutes later he reappeared in the waiting area, clutching a bundle of paperwork on his way down to the lab to get his blood tests done.
"All good" he quipped cheerfully "she said I am super fit and providing nothing odd on blood tests she doesn't need to see me again for 3 years unless I have a problem in the meantime ... and I've had my tetanus" he added looking pleased with himself. Oh good grief **rolls eyes**
"Right, good. So that's two of those you've had then. What about your flu jab?"
"Eh? Oh, well I didn't really want to have two in one go so I didn't bother with that one because I can get it at work anyway ..." I have no words.
My turn next ... 45 minutes later, I reappeared with plasters on both arms (as I was due for tetanus and flu shots), a stretchy bandage from lab work taken (which threatened to cut off the blood supply to my arm at any moment) an appointments for an annual mammogram and ... let's see ... what else? Oh yes. After mentioning that I had been experiencing some pelvic pain over the last couple of months, an examination revealed that evidently there is a blue suture thread that has now embedded itself where it shouldn't have, left over from my hysterectomy FOUR BLOODY YEARS AGO! Cosmic. Oh ... soz if you were in the middle of your breakfast). So I can now also add to my list an ultrasound and an appointment with a Gynecologist surgeon. Yay me! Better get that cheque book ready again ... ker-ching!
I have to say though, that I am still amazed at the efficiency of both the appointment scheduling system and the speed of receiving any results. After an 8.30am appt. Mr B received a message on the 'patient online portal' at 4.50pm the same day with comprehensive results of his blood tests plus an accompanying message from the doctor confirming that he was indeed super healthy with no issues to worry about. Mine didn't appear on there until the following morning, (but then I was an hour or so behind Mr B to be fair), but even so, impressive. Back in the UK it was always at least a week, and then you were never actually given the test results. Just instructions to ring the surgery to check the results in a week and then either 'they were all fine' from the stroppy receptionist or "you need to make another appointment", invariably followed by ..."but we don't have anything until 2 weeks on Thursday ..." Let's just hope all my other appointments are dealt with just as efficiently.
On Thursday evening, Mr B and I had a date night with a difference - a couple's cooking class at the home of the lovely Maribeth Janssen of Making Memories by the Mouthful. I had attended one of Maribeth's classes previously with some of the ladies from the Newcomers group I belong to and it was a really fun event, so thought it would be something different for Mr B and I to do together. We were in a class with 3 other couples that we hadn't previously met, who were all friends/neighbours, and who turned out to be a fun and lively crowd. Like me, the ladies of the group had all done a class before but not sure the husbands knew quite what to expect. Let's just say I think they had all poured themselves a large glass (or three) of dutch courage before they arrived ... the remains of which they all arrived still clutching in large plastic cups!
We were all assigned different elements of the meal to prepare and cook in pairs, Team Barlow being responsible for the Warm pretzels bites with baked cheese (Soooo good!).
The other couples made Watermelon Salad; Pesto Chicken Sandwiches on Focaccia and Ricotta Cake with Lemon Glaze. Once everything was completed, we all sat down together to eat the fruits of our labour. It was such a fun evening and nobody left hungry, that's for sure!
On Friday afternoon we continued the Team Barlow cooking theme by helping out at the Homecoming BBQ at Ethan's school, where Mr B cooked close to 100 burgers whilst I served with a couple of other willing helpers. It was all a bit frantic and we smelt like we had just finished a shift at the Golden Arches by the time we got home, however, it felt good to 'do our bit' and be part of the Rancho Community (plus, as I'm on the PTO it wasn't really an option!).
Whilst we're on the subject of school, it turns out that Ethan has a new Allie. A fellow 14 year old Brit who has just moved over from Guernsey so that he can attend the affiliated Golf Academy (guessing he must be quite good then). During the first week of school, their history teacher asked him where he was from, and after receiving a blank look he added
"... in-between England and France" to which the teacher replied
"Oh, right. So you spend some time in England and some in France?"
"Er ... no ... it's literally an island ... in between England and France ..." **snort**
This week they were both giving their English teacher a run for her money as they discussed their class novel 'The Great Gatsby'.
"...so what do you think the writer meant when he says they were 'conspiring against him'?" asked the teacher.
"It means they were going to dob him in" offered Guernsey
Blank look from teacher ... "Sorry ... dobimin?"
"He means they were going to grass him up" added Ethan helpfully.
"Grass ... what?" asked the teacher, now even more perplexed.
Here at Barlow Towers it has been full on this week, so quite glad the weekend has finally arrived.
On Monday, Mr B and I had our annual physicals with our new doctor (our old one left so we took the opportunity of switching to a new practice after further research and recommendations from friends). We were booked in for the first appointments of the morning, Mr B going first. As part of your annual check up here, they give you any 'preventative' vaccinations that may be due and schedule labs (blood tests) and any other screening procedures that may also be due.
Before Mr B went in, I reminded him
"Don't forget that you had a tetanus shot last year, so you just need your flu jab ..."
"Yep ... got it" he said confidently as he scurried off.
Some 30 minutes later he reappeared in the waiting area, clutching a bundle of paperwork on his way down to the lab to get his blood tests done.
"All good" he quipped cheerfully "she said I am super fit and providing nothing odd on blood tests she doesn't need to see me again for 3 years unless I have a problem in the meantime ... and I've had my tetanus" he added looking pleased with himself. Oh good grief **rolls eyes**
"Right, good. So that's two of those you've had then. What about your flu jab?"
"Eh? Oh, well I didn't really want to have two in one go so I didn't bother with that one because I can get it at work anyway ..." I have no words.
My turn next ... 45 minutes later, I reappeared with plasters on both arms (as I was due for tetanus and flu shots), a stretchy bandage from lab work taken (which threatened to cut off the blood supply to my arm at any moment) an appointments for an annual mammogram and ... let's see ... what else? Oh yes. After mentioning that I had been experiencing some pelvic pain over the last couple of months, an examination revealed that evidently there is a blue suture thread that has now embedded itself where it shouldn't have, left over from my hysterectomy FOUR BLOODY YEARS AGO! Cosmic. Oh ... soz if you were in the middle of your breakfast). So I can now also add to my list an ultrasound and an appointment with a Gynecologist surgeon. Yay me! Better get that cheque book ready again ... ker-ching!
I have to say though, that I am still amazed at the efficiency of both the appointment scheduling system and the speed of receiving any results. After an 8.30am appt. Mr B received a message on the 'patient online portal' at 4.50pm the same day with comprehensive results of his blood tests plus an accompanying message from the doctor confirming that he was indeed super healthy with no issues to worry about. Mine didn't appear on there until the following morning, (but then I was an hour or so behind Mr B to be fair), but even so, impressive. Back in the UK it was always at least a week, and then you were never actually given the test results. Just instructions to ring the surgery to check the results in a week and then either 'they were all fine' from the stroppy receptionist or "you need to make another appointment", invariably followed by ..."but we don't have anything until 2 weeks on Thursday ..." Let's just hope all my other appointments are dealt with just as efficiently.
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| Some of the husbands seemed to do more drinking than cooking ... nice apron btw |
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| Pretzels from scratch ... Not bad eh?! |
The other couples made Watermelon Salad; Pesto Chicken Sandwiches on Focaccia and Ricotta Cake with Lemon Glaze. Once everything was completed, we all sat down together to eat the fruits of our labour. It was such a fun evening and nobody left hungry, that's for sure!
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| The grill master at work ... |
"... in-between England and France" to which the teacher replied
"Oh, right. So you spend some time in England and some in France?"
"Er ... no ... it's literally an island ... in between England and France ..." **snort**
This week they were both giving their English teacher a run for her money as they discussed their class novel 'The Great Gatsby'.
"...so what do you think the writer meant when he says they were 'conspiring against him'?" asked the teacher.
"It means they were going to dob him in" offered Guernsey
Blank look from teacher ... "Sorry ... dobimin?"
"He means they were going to grass him up" added Ethan helpfully.
"Grass ... what?" asked the teacher, now even more perplexed.
I can tell they are shaping up to be a good double act - watch this space, LOL!
This evening, we are all off to a Newcomers social event at 'Escape the Room' where you are locked in a room with a group of others and have to find and solve clues for your given scenario (ours is called 'The Dig') in order to complete the challenge and ... erm .... escape the room. Let's hope that we can muster a complete brain between us or it could be a very long night ....!
Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again next time.
TTFN
Bev x
This evening, we are all off to a Newcomers social event at 'Escape the Room' where you are locked in a room with a group of others and have to find and solve clues for your given scenario (ours is called 'The Dig') in order to complete the challenge and ... erm .... escape the room. Let's hope that we can muster a complete brain between us or it could be a very long night ....!
Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again next time.
TTFN
Bev x
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