Monday, July 02, 2012

admin for grown ups


It's one of those weeks where I have to plough through lots of life Admin. Chores. Crap that's got to be done or you get fined/something bad happens.

Admin comes in peaks and troughs. There'll be months where you don't see the back of a bank queue or a notice from the NHS asking you to appear for your next pap smear.

They do that here. They send you letters to book an appointment for a pap smear. I think it's a nice touch.
"Dear Miss O'Toast. It's that time of year again! Please schedule your next consultation for a (then in the perforated line)...PAP SMEAR....Yours truly, The NHS."
Very responsible and significantly only something something you'll expect from a first world country like England.

Anyway, so I tend to leave Admin for as long as I can until it builds up significantly enough to warrant writing off an entire weekend to do it.

My list looks a little bit like this:
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Drop off dry cleaning. (For fuck's sake.)

Sort out equity. (Jesus, you have no idea. Stocks/shares. Trading windows. And with that comes the inevitable question from "free" money. Do I use it to buy an amazing [Audi] car? Or do I put it in a high yield savings trust for my future child's elocution lessons/private education?
Car or tertiary car or tertiary car or tertiary. Car or Mulberry handbags or tertiary.
The latter. Obviously because it's the "right" thing to do. Wince.)

Research best savings accounts (Interest rates in this country are raally raally bad. My future child won't be going to Eton any time soon.)

Register at new doctor
In the UK, you can't just willy nilly go to any doctor. You have to register and prove you live in the same postcode as the doctor's practice. I still [illegally] visit my old doctor on the other side of Battersea when I need, say, flu medication. But it's a shit practice, and it services the council estates that surround it. I need to register at the one closest to our house, as it's closer, and it's 8000% cleaner.

Once registered, get on the pill 
Oh my flat, flying focaccia bread. Managed to successfully dodge the pill since I came off it in 2005. Now, I was told by my endometriosis surgeon that it's better for me to be on it back in January. I am only doing this in July because I'm scared it will turn me into a psycho bitch from hell. (So where's the change then?). But for the sake of my ovaries, I'm going to try it again. Anyone who deals with me here on out is brave and virtuous. 

Pay the cleaner
Don't forget to draw money on the way home

It occurred to me that this list of Admin is very boring and grown up. Gah. Equity, cleaners, pills and high yield ISA savings accounts?
Fuck.

Just seven years ago at the tender age of 25 my 'admin' would look more like this:

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Buy party supplies on way home (vodka, chips, mixer)
Pay traffic fines (I never did. Until I got subpoenaed.)
Buy airtime (R30 everytime. Enough for two phone calls.)
Send an email with holiday snaps to friends/family (Facebook hadn't really hit South Africa yet in 2006)
Get photos printed (Dude. Real photo prints for real photo albums/scrap books, which I'd studiously make after holidays)
Get Zoo Lake Bowling Club membership (R10. You got to park inside.)

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.....Back to learning about the stock exchange.


5 comments:

Kerry said...

Peas, they all tell you that about the pill. I had one of the worst cases my doctor had ever seen and I didn't listen to her. I go for yearly checks - with the third gynae now due to moving - and twelve years on so far no regrowth. If I had taken the pill for the last twelve years they would have said, See, it works. I say your body, your choice. Just make sure you go for the checkups.

Peas on Toast said...

Hey Kerry!|

I am SO confused now. When you say 'one of the worst cases,' you mean endo right?
I am so torn as what to do. I'm feel a bit panicked to be honest.

Kerry said...

Yes, endometriosis. I think I wrote before about one ovary having to come out. I didn't want to go on the pill as a "preventative" measure so I decided to play it by ear. Year One went by fine, Year Two, etc. When the gynae scolded me for not taking the pill the first year I made up porkies after that and told her my doctor was prescribing it. :) She was happy and I was happy and whether it was luck or not, I saved myself from being hormonally controlled for the last twelve years. I am not saying you must do what I did, but I wanted to share my shory.

Kerry said...

P.S. In the beginning I had to go for checkups every six months. Now it's yearly.

Peas on Toast said...

Shit Kerry, I do remember that now. I think I'm going to go for a second opinion anyway, as I am utterly paralysed by choice.

On the one hand I have done what you have until now, really not wanting throw myself into the turmoil of hormones, and on the other listening to what the medics say I should do.

It's awful!
Will report back on what I find and decide though. And thanks for your advice too - it does help to know I am not alone! xx