waiting

i had a 2-hour lab test this morning so i had the opportunity to sit in a waiting room full of all kinds of people.  i had a book with me, but it was hard to concentrate with the pop country station blaring from the radio (not that i was complaining, because i realized i had most of the songs that were playing on CDs in my car) and the chatter of several conversations going on at once.

when i first got to the lab 5 minutes before my appointment, i was the only one there.  but within minutes there were 3 walk-ins, and by the time i got back to my seat the place had filled up.  the older man to my right sparked up a conversation with the younger woman next to him.  he asked if this was a work day for her or time off, and she said neither.  she expressed that she had been out of a job for awhile and that the market was tough, and they both said they had heard it was going to get better.

within the first hour, i saw a number of people shuffle through the lab, including an elderly couple who had scheduled their appointments one right after the other.  an older woman, a regular who apparently needs to have her bloodwork done every few weeks, started voicing to everyone around her, including said couple, how frustrated she was with the wait.  the 4th woman she encountered asked if she'd made an appointment, and she said no because she didn't have a computer.  the woman suggested a couple of options to making an appointment (over the phone, having her daughter make an appointment for her), but the regular seemed more interested in complaining, and rather loudly at that.  she went to the back room to call her husband and when she came back she claimed that he was mad... apparently because it was taking longer than she thought it would.  after a slight verbal scuffle with the only technician on duty, the woman waited another 30 minutes and left.

by the time i had finished out my 2 hours, a whole new group of people had started filtering in.  i'll admit, despite the circumstances, it was quite interesting to people-watch, hear the stories filling up the room from my little corner.  but, after being poked in both arms and giving up several vials of blood, i think i had had my share of entertainment for the morning.