Drama on the Train

I take the train home from my Chicago law firm to Midlothian. The train is so superior to driving to work especially with the congestion that the Chicago roads suffer. The train system is called the Metra. The Metra has a bar car in it where you can get an assortment of alcoholic beverages.
I’m not a teetotaler but I have found that drinks like tea or chocolate milk are more refreshing and a hell of a lot cheaper than beer. That doesn’t make me better than others, just more boring, I guess.
Tonight on the train, there was a group of about 12 that had just been to a Cubs game. They were feeling the glow of a victory, their camaradarie and plenty of alcohol. They were loud boisterous and scaring a few of the quieter and timid patrons off the bar car. God bless them though the conductor was so preoccupied with them that she didn’t seem to mind that I forgot my monthly ticket at the law office. They were doing Jerry Springer type chants like "show us your breasts" but more often they were just egging on couples in their group to kiss, then french, then they would chant, "Get a room, get a room!" Now hearing all that isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but if you want peace & quiet you were free to leave the bar car. There were no fist fights, but there was some drama that there might be one, but as they say in certain parts, "No harm, no foul" No one got hurt only a few alcoholic induced shouts were made.
They were a good bunch of people, and this really hip woman named Sue who was a perfect stranger before but hung out with the group, was sweet looking and made witty remarks. One of the chants were "Sue & Vince!" as the group wanted us to sit together (we were sitting alone), but we were too reserved to do that.
I enjoyed them and after another stress filled day at work, it was nice to see where people were having some fun rather than the legal staff having long faces at the latest insult my boss lashed out.
Get this, dear reader, my boss wants to invite me and my 3 kids to a summer cook out the 1st Sunday of August. He’s been consistently dreadful so I think he’s doing it just to "blow smoke up my ass". What do you think??

That's a nice thing to say, but..........

I had a rather humorous encounter the other day at the law firm. We have an associate lawyer, George, who is 69 years old. There’s three reasons everyone admires him: one is that he’s an excellent lawyer; secondly, he is treated very well by my ogre boss (because the moment my boss treats him like he does everyone else, George would be gone like the cool breeze). Finally, he’s not a jerk.
So, anyway, since George was having some problems finding out some medical information about a physician, I directed him to a website where he was able to get extensive info on the Dr. in question. (In case you want to know what the site is just ask because it’s a nationwide site). So, he gets the information that he wants, then he turns to me and says, "I wish I had your brains!"
Oh, my God! Here’s a guy who graduated with a law degree from the very esteemed University of Chicago a year before I was born. He was the partner/leader of a law firm for nearly 26 years. He made a lot of money; he’s admired by many people in the Chicago legal community. Here’s a man of immense accomplishment, and he wants my brains!!? The brains of a guy who did not get a law degree and is barely making ends meet! Truly, I don’t get it !?!?
Mind you, I'm not saying I'm dumb (my self esteem isn't that low) but still what situation would a person rather be in between the 2 of us????

It's 1:30am, do you know where happiness is??

FEELING LIKE A NINE INCH NAILS SONG
(Or maybe a Violent Femmes song instead)
I’m sitting here working at the hospital at 1:30 in the morning watching the EKGs of 29 patients. As I sit here dead tired, feelings are washing over me: frustration, emptiness and cluelessness. Yes, I feel just like a person in a Nine Inch Nails song. If I felt more pathetic I guess it would be a Violent Femmes song but either way I feel pretty messed up. While I am lost in my misery, the other telemetry tech’s boyfriend has called her in the last 3 hours no fewer than 12 times (I’m not exaggerating) to tell her how much he loves her and misses her.
& what about me! The contrast could not be more different between myself and the other tele tech getting all these loving calls. Where do I turn to for a hug? How long can I remain stoic??!
After coming home Friday night from the bar, I called someone else and quickly got brushed off and dismissed. I hung the phone up in disbelief. Yes, I don’t know this person very well, but it still would have been nice to speak a little while longer. Will sadness beget more sadness? Does misery lead to more misery? Where do all of these misadventures lead to? I walked over to a nurse to talk about a problem with one of her patients and his bad heart rhythm. As I walked back to the telemetry room, I had the irrational urge to run headlong into a wall. My stupid, half-witted justification was that the pain would somehow make me feel better than I was feeling at the time. But I was correctly reminded of the truism "things can always get worse." Also, I did not feel like being the talk of the unit for doing a wild, bizaar antic like running into a wall.
I guess with this rational decision, I should end my pity party. I still wish that I wasn’t doing battle by myself. This is one night I wish I had someone to hold.