arkady got her blood sucked this morning and I went with
her. They used to have the phlebotomy centre at Whipps Cross, but now
it's been farmed out to clinics across the borough. Thankfully they appear
to have merely moved the competent bloodsuckers out to the clinics, rather
than just dropping the load on the clinics to save a penny or two. We went to the one near St. James's
Street Station. It's a depressing late '60s-early '70s once-modern socialist NHS
clinic, with a prominent sign warning to secure one's pram as pram thieves
are known to operate in the area. That impressed me. There wasn't actually
a queue for blood tests, and the phlebotomist was both very nice with a
good manner for patients and ruthlessly efficient. So the patient is
treated like a personally processed cheese slice.
In a further salubrious sign, there's a Cash Converters opposite the station.
(Yes, Australians, the same chain, except there's no sane local reason for
Douglas Mawson in the logo.) Most of the stock is DJ
equipment (no hifi turntables, annoyingly) and riceboy car fittings. I had not known
until today that they actually make LED valve stems, let alone sell them on plastic bubble
cards. Arkady ogled the musical instruments — there's a very nice
Fender acoustic in the window for £139 if you're looking.
We also stopped by the pet shop, where they have a lovely fat rat. The
guy said he'd sold him and the owner had brought him back a few months
later. He's albino and really big and fat (probably about a kilo);
Arkady's guess is he's about eighteen months old. Too stroppy to
put with other rats, and definitely one for an experienced rat owner (Arkady
was so wishing she could take him on — "I could make him cuddly in a week"), but
if you're looking for a new lone rat ...
Today is also delivery day.
redcountess's new K750i
and a pile of linen from John Lewis arrived early, and Liz's G4 showed
up just now. I shall drink my coffee, post this and we'll have a play
with it. I think the only gadget left is a new camera for me.
This evening we shall be helping
allezbleu with her extreme age.