Monday I went to a new lab for a round of blood tests.  My oncologist hoped to discover why I was so tired other than being 72 and deep into the annual winter blahs.

Note:  Turns out I am fine, just anemic.  Easily dealt with.

The waiting room held several very ancient people.  Okay, more than several.  Quite a few staggered in and out of the doors to the exam rooms.

When my name was called, I followed a 40’ish woman through the door to a small, open area in the hallway.  As she entered my five pages of orders into the computer, I watched as more very, very old patients managed somehow to navigate past.  One woman stopped and, leaning on her cane, stared at us.  She was obviously annoyed at having to wait her turn.

The lab lady, clearly out of patience, told her to go to the waiting room and wait to be called.  Which she did, but not without huffily announcing her displeasure.

The lab lady rolled her eyes at me (we were wearing masks, per order of the hospital group) and muttered something, which led to me say, “I’ve never been here before.  There are an awful lot of elderly people in this place.  Is it because it’s so close to Brightview?”

Brightview is a nearby complex of Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care buildings.

She shrugged and started feeling my arm for a good vein.  “I don’t know.”

“I mean, I’m no spring chicken, but there just seems to be a lot of very elderly people.”

She stopped, needle paused above my skin.  “What?  Spring chicken?”

“Yes,” I repeated.  “I’m no spring chicken and I have the white hair but I like to think I’m a little–”

“Spring chicken!  That is SO FUNNY!”  She started laughing.  I mean, really laughing.  She eventually apologized, took a deep breath and stuck the needle into my arm.

“I’m sorry,” she said, shoulders shaking.  “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time.”

“That’s okay,” I assured her, realizing she had never heard the phrase  before.

She laughed through four vials of blood and putting on the band-aid.  When I stood to leave and grab my coat, she thanked me for making her day.

And then this spring chicken walked in a lively manner down the hall, through the waiting room and down the stairs to the parking lot.

Who knew that a blood test could be so hilarious?