The Adults Are In The VA...

So being one of those AAA's (Aged American Adults), I found myself in need of a vaccination.  For a virus.  Unleashed by China.  Because it was pissed off we were kicking its ass in trade negotiations.  But that's another story...

Anyhoo, being an AAA, I found my in need of one of those shots.  An inoculation. To protect me against what they call the Coronavirus, and I call the Chinese Wuhan Killer Coronavirus.  I live in California, unfortunately, and so I'm forced to interact with those in charge of doling out this apparently uber-rare vaccine, purchased and paid for by the Federal Government, and given to the states to give to us.  And watching them try to do so, and I emphasize "try," in anything like an organized fashion, is reminiscent of that clown car you saw at the circus.  

Somebody cranked up a website by way of which we were supposed to register for the vaccine.  A bush-league website if ever I've seen one.  We were given a time that registration could commence, and a number of sites where the shots would be administered.  I dialed up the website, on time, as directed, picked a time and location, and set to work.  

There was five or six pages of medical questions we needed to fill out, one at a time, before we could continue.  And sometimes the wait for the system to acknowledge our request to continue, from screen-to-screen, was several minutes long.  And then, finally, after completing this never-ending questionnaire, the system would tell us...that all shots available for that day and time and location were all spoken for...and crash.  Sorrreeee! (NOT!).  

We then had to begin all over again, from the start, as if we'd just signed in.  I did this for 5 hours one Saturday a couple of weeks back.  Five hours.  With no luck.  Apparently, there were another 50,000 or so Riverside Countiers who found themselves in the same boat.  

We screamed bloody murder!  And they heard us, surprisingly!  And then a few days later they opened up another day of shots.  I signed in.  And the fun began.  Again and again, I would get almost to the screen where it would grant me a day and time for my inoculation.......and then DUMP!  Again and again.  For three more hours.  8 hours in all I'd spent trying to arrange a shot for this dreaded and dratted bug, and all without success.  Was I pissed?  Ummmm, yes.  Yes, I was pissed.  Pissed at this bug, pissed at the Chinese, pissed at our Boy Guv for presiding over this fustercluck, pissed at the teen-ager who must have written the dumbass computer program we all spent hours and hours trying to use, without success, and pissed at myself for living in a state where they would permit such crap as this to take place.  

And then make us all pay for it...

And then...  As if by accident, I happened to notice a blurb in my email that the Veterans Administration was offering a limited bunch of shots.  Those wishing to sign up were given a number.  I, being a veteran, and one who saved America from communism, almost singlehandedly if you hadn't heard, called the number.  I got the appointment post-haste.  I arrived at the VA in Loma Linda 15 minutes before appointment time yesterday, as advised.  I signed in and started to sit down.  They called my name before I could do so, ushered me into a treatment room, administered the shot, made me stay seated for 15 minutes to make sure I had no adverse reactions, scheduled an appointment for Shot No. 2 and turned me loose.  In and out - 35 minutes.  Notice something missing here?  Drama.  Just complete and total program professionalism.  On all levels.  Top to bottom.  Everyone knew exactly what they were supposed to do.  And did it.  No missteps.  No unnecessary motions.  Very military.  Thankfully.  Exactly what's missing in Sacramento these days.  

Oh yeah, and they valet parked my car.  

Somehow today made the pain I felt from those push-ups I did way back in basic training hurt just a little bit less...