Well, I guess a 40 minute wait for a bus is hardly a "moment", but there I was ... standing out in front of the Jewel, waiting for some sign of the Division bus. In order for me to go along as a "chaperone" on Daughter #1's trip down to Springfield this May, I've had to jump through all sorts of hoops, with most of the paperwork needing to be in last week, the one part they said we had a bit more time for was a TB Test! ... since we've been operating with crappy medical insurance, I've avoided going in to the Doctor for well over a year (knock on wood that I've not gotten sick), and I didn't want to rack up either the cost for an office visit, test scrip, and test, or run the chance of something "pre-existing" (in regards to us getting better insurance once either The Wife or I land a job) turning up, I was casting about for a way to get this taken care of. I eventually found a listing from the CPS (school system) of city clinics that (used to) offer the tests for free. Well, I was a month or so late for that deal, but I figured that the $20.00 charge they were applying was probably my best bet. So, I take a look at the options, and decide that the West Town clinic (out on Division) was probably the easiest shot, and they recommended that I get in as close to opening (at 8am) as possible.
Anyway, that's why I was standing out in the drizzle at 7:45am waiting for the bus. Now, we are at the farthest east extension of the Division bus' route, so you're not watching for your bus, you're watching for the other side of the street (before it does a 10-block loop). Finally at 8:30 there is a bus ... and a bus ... and a bus ... and a bus. Nothing like making everybody (by the time they showed up there were probably 50 people waiting!), stand in the rain for the better part of an hour while you have four busses running a convoy ... a classic "CTA moment" for sure.
At least the bus drops off right in front of the clinic ... and I was able to get a return bus with less than 5 minutes wait (and was still in the transfer time). I have to go back on Wednesday morning to see what the test results are (I'd know if I had TB, right?), and hopefully that will be the last of all this.
The TB test involves giving a shot right under the skin on the left fore-arm, but I've been feeling ooky all day ... I don't know if that's from "general malaise" or if it's a reaction to whatever they pumped into me this morning.
