So little time...

...so many ridiculous things that seemingly need my attention. Okay, well maybe not entirely ridiculous, but they are the sort of things I'd rather forget all about and then a few months later curse my own laziness and ask myself "Why didn't I do this months ago?".

My optician keeps sending me reminders to get my eyes tested. Yes, I know it's been over two years. Yes, I know I can't use my PRSI to get money back. Yes, I know that as a contact lens wearer it is incredibly important to look after your optical health. I just haven't gotten around to book an appointment. Now I'm being pestered by green and white envelopes and very polite voice mail messages. I'm sure I'll go soon, I quite fancy new, cool designer glasses...
My car is due its annual service. Or moreover, was due its annual service last month. I couldn't get it booked into the garage I normally use, and to be completely honest, I'd rather have Mr S with me when I do go. He can articulate the things that need checked out far better than I can. They're more likely to respond to the "Can you check the shocks and suspension?" than my "It makes a clunky noise when I hit something. I mean a pothole. Or a bump. Not a person. Or an animal...". I'm sure you know what I mean.

I need to shop around for car insurance. The constant ads on telly and radio have me convinced that my current insurance company is ripping me off. For the last two years I have quite happily just rang them at the time of renewal and given them my credit card number. No more! I'm sure I can find a better dea l by listing the hundreds of insurance companies and brokers and shopping around a bit. If I do this online there's always the danger of me just stumbling upon things rather than doing actual research. If I do the shopping around on the phone there's always the danger of Mr S exploding when he sees the phone bill. Rock. Hard place. Insert me in the middle.

I need to find a dentist. I have been living in Ireland for 6 years or so, and I still don't have a dentist here. I went once and swore I'd never go back. I don't think it's acceptable for the dentist to leave you there mid-treatment and go off to tend to another patient before he's finished with me! I don't know if dentists do that on a regular basis in Ireland, but I was shocked. And since I still go to Finland roughly once a year, I kept the dentist I have there. Ridiculous, I know, but for something as uncomfortable as a dental visit, I like to keep things nice and familiar for as long as humanly possible.

The one thing I have managed to do was to take Lily the cat to the vet's for her annual check up. That's one thing I wouldn't leave until later. It's not my health and well-being at stake but an animal's I've taken the responsibility for. She wasn't happy being shoved unceremoniously into the cat carrier and then transported in Mr S's jeep on very icy roads for full 20minutes longer than it normally takes. She has survived the ordeal, gotten a clean bill of health and is currently sleeping beside the radiator. Happy kitty.