So, yesterday I added yet another "life experience" to my growing collection. I had a Thallium Stress Test, to evaluate how the blood flows to my heart muscle. For years, I have considered my heart muscle to be somewhere between Popeye, and Ah-nold Schwarzenegger. In about a week, I'll find out if it's more like somewhere between Olive Oyl and Don Knotts...

It's quite a process, and a time-consuming one as well. You arrive early in the morning, well before many roosters even crack open an eyelid. We passed lots of early worms, lolligagging around, on our drive to the clinic. The early birds were still deep in slumber.

Anyways, we get to the clinic, and after fasting since midnight the night before, Mrs. That Dan Guy had to help support me, as we shuffled up three entire flights, in the elevator.

Once checked in, I was eventually ushered into a set of semi-private stalls, where the medical technicians drove a steel needle into my arm, for an IV drip. This allows the eventual injection of Thallium, a nuclear fluid which allows them to track the blood flow in my body.

It also allows them to read pamphlets in the dark, while was nose was glowing. If that situation continues into this winter, I'll enlist my services to replace Rudolph this year.

At any rate, once you're all dolled up and ready to go, the next step is some treadmill work. The one in the clinic doesn't have a single particle of dust, or old clothing on it. What, do these people actually USE them??

After you've EXHAUSTED yourself for 2-3 minutes of totally brisk walking, you are sent on your way, to kill FIVE HOURS before returning, for more testing. Now I know how those poor frogs must have felt, in my high school biology class. Well, maybe not so much, considering some doctor isn't wearing my lungs as a hand puppet...

So, in a week or so, we'll see how well the ole ticker is working. In the meantime, I'm saving a few pennies on my electric bill, having unplugged the night light in our bedroom. Seriously, my nose is glowing like a LED display...

Chow for now!!