They’d enjoyed a summer bathed in warm sunshine with cool drinks of water and Miracle-Gro.
However, after months of tender loving care that produced one — yes, just one — tomato, I finally decided to evict the Better Boy and Supersteak plants potted on my patio.
A green thumb I am not, and they were just taking up space.
But my tomato plants decided to fight back, with a one-two wallop of pollen, dust and who knows what else that made my allergies go berserk.
After a day, the symptoms were unbearable. But, I didn’t get off work until after 5 p.m., when my doctor’s office was already closed. The earliest I could request an appointment would be the next day.
Instead of waiting — and going through the mountain of Kleenex my runny nose would have required — I decided to try a MinuteClinic .
Located in select CVS pharmacies, MinuteClinics are small offices staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants who can treat a variety of common illnesses, including allergies, ear infections and athlete’s foot. They also dispense vaccines, perform wellness checks such as camp physicals and treat skin conditions such as poison ivy and cold sores.
The clinics take many forms of health insurance, and for customers without coverage, prices range from about $30 to $110 depending on the service being provided. Most of the common illnesses treated are in the $60-$70 price range.
The plus is that the clinics are open later than most doctor’s offices and on weekends. They don’t require an appointment, meaning that patients in my state have a chance at relief during off-peak hours.
To be sure, quick clinics aren’t meant to diagnose and treat every medical illness. Serious conditions warrant a trip to the doctor or the emergency room.
But for my one-two tomato punch, I didn’t even need a turn in the clinician’s chair. When I was signing in at the computer check-in station, the practitioner stepped out of the clinic, asked about my symptoms and recommended some over-the-counter medicine that did the trick.
If only it had been that simple to doctor my tomato plants.
Linens ’n Things takes steps toward liquidation
Could Linens ’n Things become a thing of the past?
Earlier this week, the New Jersey-based store filed a request in U.S. Bankruptcy Court asking for permission to begin a going-out-of-business sale at its 371 remaining stores .
The chain also was expected to reveal the lead bidder for the company, but a spokeswoman said the fate of the business was far from certain.
“There’s a number of other bidders who’ve expressed interest, and there will be a court-supervised auction Oct. 14, and that’s when the other bidders have an opportunity to emerge,” the spokeswoman said. “This isn’t a done deal.”
But analysts who follow the company have been betting that the chain’s owners will decide that it’s time to throw in the towel, rather than keep the struggling company alive.
Greensboro has one Linens ’n Things store on Bridford Parkway.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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