Get used to disappointment...

I had two things I wanted to do this week while Dennis is up north checking out our home in the village.  Dentist visits for the girls, and a doctor's appointment for me.

Dennis and I have this joke.  He says that if I lower my expectations until they are already met then I won't ever be disappointed.  Sounds like a phlegmatic thing to say, doesn't it?  It works, but it is also boring.

However, I'm considering taking Dennis' advice again.

Twice now I've tried to get my kids in to the dentist and have failed.  I started by going to the office to figure out the procedure for getting in.  I was told the dentist's hours start at 10:30 am every day, but they only take walk-ins.  Ok.  Sure.

So, two days ago, at 10 am we showed up. "Sorry, the dentist won't be here until 1 pm, ma'am.  But normally the dentist arrives at 10:30 every day."  Having kids that were tired and hungry, I decided to just go home.

This morning I was smart and called ahead at 10 am, just to be sure.  "Yes ma'am.  We don't make appointments, but the dentist might come at 11:30.  You must come to the office at 11 because it is first come, first serve.  Today, ma'am, maybe the dentist will get here by 1 pm.  But if you come at 11 then you will be first on the list."

Two hours early just so I hopefully will be first in the queue?  There's got to be a better way.

Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment, just for me.  I had called ahead on Monday and scheduled it.  "Yes, we have you down for 2:30 on Wed."

I get my kids watched so that I can go.  In a taxi at 1:30, fighting heavy traffic the whole way there, I arrive at 2:15 at the doctor's office.  "Oh!  Valerie Easton!  I'm so sorry, but the doctor is at a convention today."  At least I could enjoy the air conditioning in the taxis there and back again.

So, if I followed Dennis' advice I guess I would just never make an appointment, or maybe just expect that it won't happen the way I want it to?