LJ Idol, Season 9: Week 5 - "Build a Better Mousetrap"
"It's not right," Elsa said from the comfort of the overstuffed chaise lounge. "Everybody always makes the same assumptions about me, and I'm sick and tired of it," she groused.
Dr. Little nodded and jotted a few quick notes in her iPad. "Can you give me some examples?"
Elsa rolled over and sat up. "For one thing, just because I'm fat doesn't mean I'm lazy," she replied vehemently. "It also doesn't mean that I overeat, or consume too many sweets. I'm vegetarian, for the love of Pete, and I don't even like cake or pie or ice cream. Okay, fine, I enjoy an occasional Snickers bar, but still..." Elsa sighed and slouched down. "I get frustrated."
"That's perfectly understandable," Dr. Little said, pushing her tortoiseshell glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "What else has been bothering you?"
"People seem to think that I'm incapable of running or swimming or doing any vigorous exercise. I'll have you know just because I'm big doesn't mean I'm slow-moving like a snail. I do more than sit around on my ass all day. I love going for a run or a brisk swim every now and then. Granted, I'm not a marathon runner, but I can hold my own in a shorter sprint, and as for swimming - well, gosh I love a good swim when it's hot out. Don't you?" Elsa sighed as she smoothed out a wrinkle. "I may not be built for jumping, but I've got an excellent sense of balance."
Dr. Little took more notes while Elsa composed her thoughts. She enjoyed her job, and was glad to let her patients open up at their own pace.
"People assume I'm a loner, that I don't have much of a social life. But in fact, I have a full schedule and quite a large, tight-knit group of friends and family," Elsa replied, glancing down at her wide feet. "I'm very close with my sisters and my mom, and have quite a lot of nieces and nephews that I enjoy spending time with. I'm not married, nor do I have a steady mate, but I'm still relatively young and enjoy playing the field."
Elsa paused and glanced over at the young doctor, who was tapping away at her little silver device. She reached for the bowl of peanuts on the table in front of her, and popped a few of the delicious legumes into her mouth.
"Is there anything that you're scared of?" the doctor asked after Elsa swallowed her treat.
Elsa blinked, then shook her head no.
"What about mice?"
"Oh, hell no!" Elsa trumpeted. "Not that old chestnut again. I don't know why I keep getting caught by that ridiculous belief. I have never, ever, been afraid of mice. Why should I be? They're cute and tiny. I mean, really, if something small just pops willy-nilly into your field of vision unexpectedly, you'd be startled too, wouldn't you? It's not mice, per se, it's anything tiny and quick - like a snake, for example. I'm not at all fond of snakes, but I'm not afraid of them either, when it comes right down to it. Just like mice." She stomped her foot vehemently, and the coffee table shook a little.
A low, repetitive beep sounded.
"Thank you for your time and your honesty, Elsa. I think we're done for today," the veterinarian stated as she rose from her chair.
Elsa stood, and allowed Dr. Little to scratch her behind one of her floppy ears. "Thank you for listening to me, Dr. Little. You’re the only one who does."
Dr. Little laughed. "Honestly, I think I'm the only one who can, now that my father has finally retired," she replied kindly. "But I enjoy my job, and it's always a pleasure to speak with you," she added, patting the elephant's thick hide as she escorted Elsa from the room. "Will I see you next week?"
Elsa blinked her long-lashed eyes and smiled. "Of course! Ten o’clock every Wednesday. You know we elephants never forget!"
Dr. Little watched Elsa trundle off then turned to her receptionist. "All right, Abby. Send in the hyenas. Let's see who gets the last laugh in this week."
Dr. Little nodded and jotted a few quick notes in her iPad. "Can you give me some examples?"
Elsa rolled over and sat up. "For one thing, just because I'm fat doesn't mean I'm lazy," she replied vehemently. "It also doesn't mean that I overeat, or consume too many sweets. I'm vegetarian, for the love of Pete, and I don't even like cake or pie or ice cream. Okay, fine, I enjoy an occasional Snickers bar, but still..." Elsa sighed and slouched down. "I get frustrated."
"That's perfectly understandable," Dr. Little said, pushing her tortoiseshell glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "What else has been bothering you?"
"People seem to think that I'm incapable of running or swimming or doing any vigorous exercise. I'll have you know just because I'm big doesn't mean I'm slow-moving like a snail. I do more than sit around on my ass all day. I love going for a run or a brisk swim every now and then. Granted, I'm not a marathon runner, but I can hold my own in a shorter sprint, and as for swimming - well, gosh I love a good swim when it's hot out. Don't you?" Elsa sighed as she smoothed out a wrinkle. "I may not be built for jumping, but I've got an excellent sense of balance."
Dr. Little took more notes while Elsa composed her thoughts. She enjoyed her job, and was glad to let her patients open up at their own pace.
"People assume I'm a loner, that I don't have much of a social life. But in fact, I have a full schedule and quite a large, tight-knit group of friends and family," Elsa replied, glancing down at her wide feet. "I'm very close with my sisters and my mom, and have quite a lot of nieces and nephews that I enjoy spending time with. I'm not married, nor do I have a steady mate, but I'm still relatively young and enjoy playing the field."
Elsa paused and glanced over at the young doctor, who was tapping away at her little silver device. She reached for the bowl of peanuts on the table in front of her, and popped a few of the delicious legumes into her mouth.
"Is there anything that you're scared of?" the doctor asked after Elsa swallowed her treat.
Elsa blinked, then shook her head no.
"What about mice?"
"Oh, hell no!" Elsa trumpeted. "Not that old chestnut again. I don't know why I keep getting caught by that ridiculous belief. I have never, ever, been afraid of mice. Why should I be? They're cute and tiny. I mean, really, if something small just pops willy-nilly into your field of vision unexpectedly, you'd be startled too, wouldn't you? It's not mice, per se, it's anything tiny and quick - like a snake, for example. I'm not at all fond of snakes, but I'm not afraid of them either, when it comes right down to it. Just like mice." She stomped her foot vehemently, and the coffee table shook a little.
A low, repetitive beep sounded.
"Thank you for your time and your honesty, Elsa. I think we're done for today," the veterinarian stated as she rose from her chair.
Elsa stood, and allowed Dr. Little to scratch her behind one of her floppy ears. "Thank you for listening to me, Dr. Little. You’re the only one who does."
Dr. Little laughed. "Honestly, I think I'm the only one who can, now that my father has finally retired," she replied kindly. "But I enjoy my job, and it's always a pleasure to speak with you," she added, patting the elephant's thick hide as she escorted Elsa from the room. "Will I see you next week?"
Elsa blinked her long-lashed eyes and smiled. "Of course! Ten o’clock every Wednesday. You know we elephants never forget!"
Dr. Little watched Elsa trundle off then turned to her receptionist. "All right, Abby. Send in the hyenas. Let's see who gets the last laugh in this week."