I have spent the last 36 hours or so being subjected to our health care system. To make a long story short, I went to the ER with some scary symptoms. They checked me out, all came back fine, but they insisted I stay overnight so they could do some more tests to make double-dog sure.

I estimate that I spent, maybe, three hours total getting one of the many tests, vital sign checks, medical history interviews, etc. necessary for my care and diagnosis. The rest of the time? I waited for things And waited, and waited. Bored does not begin to describe my state of mind. I even turned on that devil’s workshop, daytime television, for a bit before I came to my senses.

I normally spend my days with too much to do – never enough hours in the day. But when I found myself in this medical holding pattern, I was unable to remember anything that I needed to do (or at least anything that I could do from a hospital bed).

It seems like I should have been able to figure out how to spend the time productively. But not so much. I checked Facebook several times, and Twitter several more. I cleaned out all my unread email messages, and sent a few emails. I looked up a couple of things on the Internet. Read a few blogs. And way too much navel-gazing.

But I would not call any of that particularly productive. My typically too-full mind was totally blank. Tomorrow when I return to work, I will think of a dozen or more things I should’ve, could’ve done. And I will probably kick myself for not thinking of them today.