It wasn't a very long or complicated trip today, but I'm still both glad to have gotten out somewhere like a normal human being, and exhausted!

Today's main objective? The last scheduled flu shot clinic of the season at the GP's. Which is a straight shot up the road, with no bus changes or anything. (One of the reasons I chose to go back with them, actually: basic accessibility! Besides just being one of the only couple of options AFAICT where we're supposed to be in their catchment area.)

They had a pretty good socially distanced vaccination production line set up, and that went smoothly enough that we were headed out of there maybe 5 minutes after joining the (short) line. This time, I even remembered to give them the arm that I haven't primarily been sleeping on! 😊

I was also hoping to get a couple of other paperwork things taken care of by the office while I was there, but reception was completely closed today. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Guess we'll have to go back during the plague-limited specified one hour a day to get that dealt with.

I still need to show them my expired passport and hope they don't look too closely or care ID to get properly signed up for the online appointment/prescription system, and also some code for the general NHS patient account login.

I also need to hand in a form to be signed for the NHS prescription charge medical exemption card. (Which is due for renewal every 5 years, because reasons. My previous one ran out.) England is the only part of the UK which even still has the essentially copay on prescriptions at all. It's currently £9.15 per item, which doesn't sound like much to someone from the US but I'm sure can pose a hardship for a lot of people who are not eligible for various exemptions. It's thankfully not really a problem for us, but I'll be glad to get prescriptions for free again anyway.

Once you do receive an exemption certificate, you can at least get a refund for any prescription charges you've paid over the last 3 months I think month. [ETA: They're supposedly issued backdated a month from the time the application is received.] We already have one refund form to submit, for £54.90, with more due soon. 🙄 Hopefully Mr. C can take another long lunch this coming week, so we can head back to the doctor's and hopefully get that application form to them, besides trying to get those logins set up.

I was very glad to have the practical and moral support with him coming along today, btw. Hopefully I can start getting out on my own again before too long, but today I really did need the support and help! Doctors' offices are scary places, y'all--besides "just" figuring out the logistics of getting out and about in the chair.

Anyway, after getting the flu shot, we headed to the nearby Sainsbury's on foot/wheels to pick up a few things before getting back on the bus toward home. Including some late lunch for him to have at home. I also wanted to stop by their pharmacy to hand in a somewhat pressing repeat prescription I forgot to ask for last time. (More insulin needles! 😬)

It had been as long since I was in any grocery store that wasn't the small one right up the street, as since I last went out on the bus. Though I was maybe pathetically excited to stop by Sainsbury's, I managed to somewhat control the amount of stuff I grabbed. 😅 Still glad for the chance to look at and buy some useful things in person.

Also, a couple of impulse buys on the way out!

Some hot rotisserie chicken parts, because I was getting hungry and they looked good. At around eye level when I was rolling past that hot food case. 😁

The store deli is not about to guarantee that anything they're selling doesn't contain All The Allergens. But, I said fuck it. Living dangerously here!

Also, out of a machine on the way out: Milo! 🐶

A new friend. Actually, the main reason I even paused to look at the capsule machines today was because I had found doggies in little tins there before. Not disappointed this time! 😁 This one is flocked for a slightly fuzzy feel, which is new.