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The Deteriorating Lawrence J. Ellison Parking Garage Elevator
Out of all the times I have encountered the Lawrence J. Ellison parking garage elevator while visiting the Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Center, the name never dawned on me. The dawning, of course, is that the Lawrence J Ellison Ambulatory Center of UC Davis was named for Larry Ellison. You know, the Founder of Oracle or, as is more familiar to me, the guy who paid $300 million to buy the island of Lanai in Hawaii; all but 3,000 acres of it. Because it’s something I wish I could do, buy an island. Only trouble is I don’t have 300 million. And I don’t think there are any more Hawaiian islands to buy.
I had an appointment yesterday at UC Davis for a guided ultrasound steroid injection through the pad of my right foot. It’s such an odd thing, the doctors at UC Davis do not seem certain as to the cause of symptoms. Fortunately, there is no pain associated with this dilemma. It’s just a feeling like I stepped on a wad of gum. The doctors suspect Morton’s Neuroma, but to be sure, they decided to stick a needle into my foot, right by my second toe. This wasn’t a procedure I was completely on board with, especially since there was no pain associated with it.
Also, because my second toe is not bigger than my big toe, which is a sign of Morton’s toe. But it could just present a deeper space, which it does. And the pain usually occurs between the second and third toes, while my sensation is more at the base of my second toe. Well, Thursday is a day off for many Sacramento Realtors. If complications arose, at least I wouldn’t be bombarded by work.
These thoughts ran through my head as I headed into the Lawrence J. Ellison parking garage elevator. The whole thing just seemed unnecessary, and although insurance pays for it, I wasn’t sure I should do it. As I stepped into the elevator, I was unprepared for the scene before me. Look at the condition of this elevator. Its floor is strewn with loose material; there are wadded up Kleenexes in the corner. Super gross. Unsanitary. And the elevator’s walls looks like they have seen better days. Like the paneling is wearing thin. I suppose most of the doctors park on the first floor so perhaps they never enter the Lawrence J. Ellison parking garage elevator to witness this disgrace first hand.
Now, I know people who pooh-pooh naming UC Davis as their primary health care provider because they are afraid a novice will care for them. It’s true that UC Davis is a teaching hospital, and they do train residents. So, you might have a less experienced person drawing your blood or hooking you up to an IV. But I have never felt like I was exposed to rookies. Not to mention, they conduct research at UC Davis. I feel as though they are on top of breaking medical discoveries, more so than a non-teaching hospital.
When I asked the doctor if she felt this procedure was a bit over blown given the fact I am not in pain, she said to think of it as exploratory. Although my pain is zero, after the injection, the feeling of gum stuck to my foot should go away. If it doesn’t, then it’s something else. That sounds logical. Guess I’ll find out in a few days if the sensation is still there. I can tell you getting an injection of lidocaine into your foot or between your toes sounds a lot more painful than it is. I am a wimp. A big wimp when it comes to pain. My pain tolerance level is very low. I get put out for procedures others stay awake for.
However, the upside is if you ever need to get an injection in your foot, it probably won’t be as bad as you imagine. Just hope if you go to UC Davis, the hospital maintenance crew will clean up the Lawrence J. Ellison parking garage elevator.
The Land Park Chihuahuas Go Home
Even the most optimistic people in the world like this Sacramento real estate agent can have a day when her belief in a positive outcome begins to wane. Take those darn Chihuahuas from Land Park, for example. I’d say please, take those Chihuahuas from Land Park except that my husband and I were successful. Yay! I had almost given up hope. We began calling rescue groups as we passed Day 7 of the lost Chihuahuas, when we found the owners of those lost dogs! Just minutes before a representative from a Chihuahua rescue group from Elk Grove was due to show up on our doorstep and take them off our back porch.
Just for the record, as some Chihuahua rescue groups were unaware, dogs taken to the SSPCA or the Animal Shelter stand about a 50% chance of being killed. These are NOT no-kill shelters.
Tracking down the owners was due in part to a client of mine. I’ve been running into my real estate clients lately in the oddest places. You know how sometimes you don’t expect to see anybody you know, and therefore you don’t recognize them when you spot them in a place where you don’t expect them to be, right? I’m not talking about a brothel or the police station, either. I mean, like, oh, say, a waiting room at Ellison Ambulatory on the hospital campus at U. C. Davis.
I was waiting for my physical therapist yesterday when a hospital employee strolled in front of me and began a long conversation with two patients. She was saying, NO! You don’t take off your leg. Never. Do I take off MY leg? Does your wife take off HER leg? You can’t help but look up when this kind of conversation takes place right in front of you. It was a huge argument. I found out that an artificial limb costs $80,000. As the discussion continued, I realized I knew the people standing in front of me. They were former clients to whom I had a sold a home near Land Park a few years ago.
Finally, I couldn’t stand it any longer and I spoke up. I said, “Would you like to hear my opinion?” But they did not recognize me. Which was too bad because I had a pretty good opinion about the matter. The hospital employee realized she should probably not be standing in public having this very vocal conversation with these two patients, but that didn’t stop her.
In this very same lobby hangs a photograph of a hospital employee who died a long time ago. It is a memorial to this employee with a plaque under the photo. I asked the receptionist behind the counter if it bothered her to have a photo of a dead person looming over her desk or if it was OK because the death wasn’t recent. I was curious. That’s when I found out this particular memorial for this individual is hung in many departments in U. C. Davis. That seems a little creepy to me, but maybe I’m just overly sensitive. But then I don’t work at U. C. Davis and I don’t have a little sign in front of me that says if I’m talking my lights will be illuminated. Although, as a Sacramento real estate agent, I guess I’m free to wear a reversible sign around my neck that says “out of service” when I’m talking on my Bluetooth.
After the patients finished their conversation and began to leave, I yelled: “Goodbye, John” (not his real name). They kept walking. I followed it up with: “Goodbye, Susan.” Wait a minute. They paused. Turned around. “Do we know you?”
See, this is what happens when you change the color of your hair.
Even my former client who came by the house yesterday with the two Chihuahuas in her car almost didn’t recognize me when I opened the door. She lives a few blocks away in Land Park. Those darn Chihuahuas had escaped from my yard while I was filling their bowls with dog food. But my neighbor had recognized the dogs from a flyer we had taped to a lamp post and brought them back. She suggested we call a person who might know who owned the dogs, and gave us a phone number.
Sure enough, just before dinnertime, the owners of the lost Chihuahuas showed up. They even brought a photo to prove the dogs belonged to them. See above. Aren’t they cute? I did not tell the woman and her daughter that at this point just about anybody who said they would love those dogs could have them. I also put the mother’s cell phone number in my address book, just in case those Chihuahuas make a second appearance.
If you’re looking to buy or sell a home in Sacramento, please call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916 233 6759. You never know where we might meet up later.
