At the monthly staff meeting, the hospital director brought up the
head nurse's accusation that Dr Smith had addressed her in a rude and
vulgar manner. "We must censure this sort of behaviour," the chief
pointed out. "Have you anything to say in your defense?"
"Let me explain the extenuating circumstances," requested Dr Smith.
"First of all, my alarm didn't go off. So when I saw how late I was, I
jumped out of bed, caught my foot in the sheets and fell over,
smacking my head into the bedside table, which broke my lamp.
Clambering to my feet, I stepped on a piece of the lamp and cut my
foot. As I was shaving, the doorbell rang, caught me by complete
surprise, and I cut myself. It was a young fellow selling
encyclopedias, and I had to buy A through G before I could get rid of
him. I'd forgotten my bagel in the toaster oven, so it was burnt, and
my coffee was cold by the time I got to drink it. On my way to the car,
I slipped, bruising my knee and tearing my coat, and then the battery
iin the car turned out to be dead. It took forty-five minutes for the
serviceman to come over and get the car started, which cost me
eighty-five dollars. I should have taken a cab anyway, because in the
hospital parking lot, the snowplow ran into my car, totaling the front
end."
Dr Smith took a deep breath and continued, "And when I finally got to
my office and sat down at my desk to collect myself, Nurse McMahon
burst in and said, 'Doctor, that shipment of six dozen thermometers
just arrived -- where do you want me to put them?' so I told her the
first place that came to mind..."