I had the occasion to visit the Northridge branch of the University of Virginia Medical Center yesterday for an injury sustained Sunday in my soccer game. In good conscience, I simply could not operate my business the same way.

Showing up at 2:10 for my 2:15 appointment, I figured I would be in good shape to meet some of my afternoon appointments (including dragging Ella along with me!). Shown to the good doctor’s office about 2:20 – not bad, only five minutes tardy. The warm-up stalling act takes my blood pressure and temperature to ensure that my possibly broken toe had not affected anything else, then leaves, assuring me that she will be with me “shortly.” Doctor appears at 2:35 – twenty minutes late, pokes my toe and sends to me X-Ray.

X-Ray does not take scheduled appointments – first-come, first-served. The promise of “10 minutes” morphs into 15 minutes then 10 more minutes. I leave and return this morning at 8:25 because they don’t take their first appointments (I am not able to get one of those – wish they hadn’t told me I wasn’t special enough) until 8:30. Now I wait, because they already have a patient in front of me.

Hmmm … this doesn’t seem like a business at all! Let’s try this out – ME: “M/Mrs. Buyer, I’ll see you at the property sometime this afternoon. Just wait – I’ll probably be there. Probably.