Thursday, May 20, 2010

Fun Things To Do On A Rainy Day

PhotobucketIt was raining cats and dogs the other day, and as I idly surfed the channels looking for something to watch, I paused on a news channel and saw the woman who is running against Harry Reid in Nevada. She was explaining her theory that instead of paying the family doctor in money we should barter. People used to do that all the time. (Yeah, back in the good old days known as the Great Depression.) She said they used to pay the doctor in chickens, for instance.

Then I got an idea. It was something a whole lot funner than watching daytime television, and would be amusing as all get-out. Why don't we all spend one afternoon calling the local doctors' offices and asking them how many chickens it would take to get an appendectomy? A hysterectomy? Botox? Face Lift? Any other lift? How about an office call for a bad cold? How many chickens would it cost for monthly checkups for Diabetes, for the rest of one's life?

If we get tired of being hung up on by the doctors, their nurses, nurse practitioners, bookkeepers and receptionists, we could turn to the hospitals. Call the CFO's office and see how many chickens it would take for, say an outpatient procedure. How many for an overnight stay after a procedure. How much for the ICU, the operating room, the lab, and how many chickens could the cafeteria serve in a day? That should be good for an entire morning.

If they are cool to the idea of chickens, how about the eggs? Or a combination of the two? A side of beef? Pork chops? Catfish? Bacon! Everybody loves bacon.

Harry, dear, you're looking better every day.

Stay tuned.

13 comments:

Peggy said...

Was that woman being serious? Bartering is great for the little stuff. It is just not practical for important things like your health.

Let's just say that you DID manage to pay for a routine check up with poultry. How will your doctor use that in the running of his business? Will his insurance company take chickens for his malpractice insurance premium?

Looking to the Stars said...

Loved your post! It may come back around where we barter but not now. Everyone is still having a love affair with money. And I agree with you Harry is looking better everyday :)

Darlene said...

Having seen that idiot I told my doctor that I forgot to bring the chickens. He was not amused.

Anonymous said...

What a great resonse to this ridiculous proposal. I hope she gets booed out of the election. What world to these people live in? Who has chickens to pay these bills with? I'd be forced to pay with...........ummmm........some flowers, maybe, in the summer.....

Arkansas Patti said...

Gee, since I don't raise chickens guess I'll just have to find a soft spot to die.

Grannymar said...

Some of my in-laws in the North east of England bartered for years. The guy with chickens gave a few in return for something you did... say painting or decorating. The person with the needles made a jumper in return for firewood for the winter and plumber was paid in free dental treatment. You used your talents in return for those of someone else!

I wonder how I would do with sheep? If nothing else they keep the grass down!

Betty said...

Peggy: I think she must be kidding, or just plain silly.

Looking to the Stars: I hope it doesn't come to bartering. I don't have a thing anyone would trade services for.

Darlene: Oh, well, doctors don't have a sense of humor.

always in the back row: I see you'd have as much trouble with bartering as I would.

Arkansas Patti: I know what you mean.

Grannymar: My dad used to accept chickens and other things for making house calls or treating patients in his office. This was a looooooooong time ago, though.

Joy Des Jardins said...

Chicken-less, sheep-less....
I'm @$@%&!@ed! I use to get a mouse once in a while... ~Joy

NitWit1 said...

How about 1 dog and 1 husband? Just checking for a rainy day...........

Galla Creek said...

Many a birthings have been paid for with produce of a farmer.

Betty said...

Joy: I'd say you're out of luck.

Nitwit1: The dog, maybe. There's not much market for husbands.

Sister-Three: My dad used to take produce in exchange for treating some patients.

Anonymous said...

Haha, I would be happy to nurse someone, or perhaps change a dressing, for one yummy roast pork...thankyou :)
Cazzie!!!

MarmiteToasty said...

I could do an amplitation for a beef roast lol

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