"You need to lose weight and then your hip won't hurt"

This is when you have the "With all due respect, Doctor: bullshit" conversation. Which starts, "Let me be clear, I'm not asking for painkillers." Where you point out that you are indeed trying to lose weight (lie if you have to) and since you don't have a car, you walk more than 20 miles a week (make up an approximate number -- I bet it adds up). Also, if it actually is the start of arthritis, wouldn't it be better to start treating it now before it gets disabling?

Then, if the doctor still isn't forthcoming, ask for a referral to a doctor who will look into it.

Thanks, Theo, for following up with actual good ways to combat the horrible healthcare ignorance, which is more productive than my HULK SMASH reaction...

Yeah, very nice, Theo. I am heavily into rage-avoidance mode, which often results in issue-avoidance.

Damn, it's been 20 years since I was in the USSR.

I was going to say -- hasn't it been 20 years since ANYONE was in the USSR??

I once ran into a smart-ass young doctor who told me to lose weight and lectured me about what I was eating. At the time, I was waiting for a permanent crown on a molar and had to be careful - I was pretty much living on canned soup. After his talk about how high in sodium the soup was, I asked him what he suggested I eat. After some thought he said, "potatoes?"

I got through to his supervising physician and explained the problem, pointed out that this was, at the best, insensitive, and that I was in pretty much constant pain (from what turned out to be arthritis in hip and spine). Seemingly, I wasn't the first to complain about smart-ass doctor; supervising doctor gave me a prescription for something that actually worked, I cut back on the canned soup, and got to see another doctor. Still not doing well on losing weight, though.

Oh, no. This is back in stock at Modcloth.

Timelies. CJ's 7:15am text that he was back at HQ woke me up. I'm just waiting for him to grab his gear, then home and maybe back to sleep.

Oh phew, Suzi.

I just realized why I'm weirdly obsessed with buying new clothes for no reason -- it's just because it's getting toward the end of the season and I'm bored with my summer clothes. I do this twice a year. I just need to hold out another month or so, and it will be like all new clothes! On the other hand, I do need a couple of new blouses, but I do NOT need several dresses from Boden.

Bah, I do not want to go back to work this morning. OTOH, being on vacation since last Tuesday has done wonders for my attitude. Who knew painting patio furniture and chasing toddlers around could be so relaxing?

I hereby resolve to treat the Nemesis with the attention she deserves, which is minimal.

Steelcut oatmeal:

ita, that coat is adorbs! I don't think I could pull it off, it's too pale. And I have a bright red trench I love. But you should totally get it.

I brought up that page, and it said, "ita's Candy Connoisseur Coat".