We spend so many hours together side by side tending to the daily slate of cases that never seems to uncomplicated. We face these challenges as best as we can. A lot of our chats get inspired by the characters we encounter as clients. We see the best and the worst in a clinical sense. Sometimes our results bring good news and in some not so good news. Many of my colleagues are new to me and to the department and many are those with whom I’ve worked with before my departure. It’s nice to be a part of this team. The week has been building up to this festive lunch.

  
This week has been one of those weeks from the beginning. I was scheduled to start at eight am on Monday but as I was getting my coffee I got a call saying that I’ve been scheduled to start at seven. Someone forgot to mention this fact after changing the start time on me. So I was rushing to work now. When I got there I was told that we were a person short. The boss called in sick. Still I was ready to get on with it. 

  
The next series of shifts were a blur. There were complicated cases that took a long time either on my magnet or the other. With the boss not being there we had to rely on our own individual and collective experience in order to complete the tasks that were on our slate. Being busy is good. It allows the time to move quickly during these shifts. Concentrating on the task at hand allows all the other worries to dissipate into the background. Not that I have much to worry about. 

  
Since the weekend was busy I neglected to do some important chores. Then there was continuing to write but I’ve managed to finish scanning all my photos. After work I ate and relaxed for a bit too. I also managed to get a hold of an old friend that I haven’t seen for a long while. We had a chance to catch up. We made plans for Friday. Thursday was the work lunch day and I also made some plans later on that day to have dinner with my brother. 

  
Thursday morning came and I’ve felt good at work all week. I know it’s been busy but having the confidence to perform at my work made me feel good. This continued this Thursday morning. I managed to be very efficient and even managed to squeeze in an extra scan from emerg. This way it’s a bit less worrisome that all of us left for a couple of hours to get lunch together. These magnets run seven until midnight most days of the year. Heck it’s opened New Years Day!

  
We went to a brew pub in Yaletown. The waitress came around asking us what we wanted to drink and everyone ordered something non alcoholic until our boss ordered a pint. We kind of all looked at each other wondering if we should have ordered something else but he announced that he was going home afterwards. He was on administrative duties today. The lunch started off tentatively but as we warmed up to being outside of work the conversation rolled. It is a good group to work with. Once we got back there was just a few hours left for me and those passed quickly. 

  
I got home and talked to my flatmate for a bit and then prepared to go for dinner with my bro. The rain was falling hard and it was kinda cold as I made my way to Q Shi Q, Hiro’s restaurant. I got there a bit before six-thirty our scheduled meeting time. My brother has been studying for his final on Friday. He had to take a break and this would be the last time I would be able to spend with him before he went back to the island. 

When I got to the restaurant it was still relatively empty. There were a few people sitting at the end of the long table that is the focal point of the restaurant. Tonight was my Friday and after the week that I’ve had I decided to have a beer. These aren’t the English pints that I’ve become accustomed to but I can always get another. Hiro and I as well as some of the staff chatted while waiting for my brother to arrive. We were going to have to sit somewhere else. There was a large reservation that was coming in at seven. It’s actually nice to have a seat to eat at. The whole place seemed to have been reserved that night. When we were finally together we sat and proceeded to eat our way through the menu. My brother has quite the appetite and as the night dragged on I eventually gave up trying to keep up. We did have a reunion of sorts. An old friend from back in the day has been working with Hiro. Alvin used to show up at the club back in the day. Through the extended group of friends we somehow became friends. He was finishing up his shift and afterwards we shared some beer and sake as we talked about the passage of time and the events that constituted that transition. My brother went to his place to finish studying. It’s tempting to keep on drinking and he needs to be responsible. I got a tour of the kitchen and saw some of the equipment they have there. 

  
I’ve been conversing with Barbs throughout the day and especially later into the day. She had a few things that she was involved with that day. Everything from work to a steam and then into the night as she was involved in some volunteer work. They were having a fundraiser of sorts for people who have been involved in a maligned industry. The fundraiser was hosted in a hotel that is in a long maligned neighborhood in the downtown eastside of the city. I made my way over there fully appreciating the beverages I’ve consumed up to this point. The weather still wasn’t nice. The rain and the cold as well as the distance necessitated a cab ride. When I finally got there I wasn’t fully prepared for what I saw. There was an old tranny musing into a mic about her life and times. I sat down after getting a drink and listened to the words she had to say. She mused about her start and being surprised at the size of some kids cock back in the day. As he had his way with her from behind he asked if he could get into her pussy but she replied with a wry smile that it’s going to cost more. The audience listening to this was small but considering the conditions outside not surprising. They got a chuckle out of that story and were wrapt in attention to the poem that came at the end.  

  
Next on stage was some tranny in a pink mini dress and a giant wig. She introduced this kid rapper who rapped lines “off the top of his dome” putting together syllables in a rapid fire fashion too quick to understand between the melodic interludes that he threw in there. He was a nice kid as we chatted later on outside laughing at the situation we find ourselves in. The people inside have lived a life that most people can’t imagine. Dealing with things that shouldn’t be wished on anyone all the while searching for an understanding of themselves. It was meant to be a fun show and there were performances of pop songs lip synced as well as sang. Barbs went up there to say a few words thanking everyone for attending. The only real woman I saw up there on that stage all dressed up for the occasion. We sat there during the intermission and decided to leave catching a cab outta there. 

  
I had another dentists appointment the next morning. As I got ready I felt last nights consumption. With coffee in hand on my treck i stopped into my place for a final dental scrub and floss. The hygienist was thoughtful in her recommendations and observations of the British dental system. I had my eyes closed for most of that appointment as well as the fillings that came afterwards. I gotta get all this stuff done here as it is still covered under my insurance from work. Pay now or pay later. 

  
 I contacted my friend for our meetup. He responded some time later saying that something came up and that he’d get back to me. By this time it was mid afternoon and the thought came to me that I should crash the Nuc Med Christmas party 😀. I haven’t really made or had the time to visit them. I have spent many years working with them. Some I’ve even went to school with. There have been a few that have had children and a few have moved on. Everyone is a personality and we have shared many laughs together. 

  
I got ready and made my way over there. The location was kind of nice right on the waterfront under the convention center they built for the Olympics. As I neared the location I spotted some familiar faces through the window. The place was packed but they had an area reserved in the back. I passed the threshold and was instantly noticed by some who came over and said hi and asked me what I was doing there. I was invited by Pam who comes through radiology to pick up some req’s to phone reminding them to come to their appointment. She always tells me that I should drop by. I know she misses me being in the department. 

   
I had many conversations about what I am about to do at the beginning of the year. They were all happy to see me and it was nice to see all of them. The time breezed by talking with everyone. There was the gossip about the way things were structured and how they have changed. There was the talk of how it is outside the country. There were games for prizes and I somehow won a coffee card. Yay!

  
It was time to go eventually. There were two very long days ahead of me. The dreaded weekend shifts 😐. I needed or actually wanted to get at least some sleep before the early morning rise. They were tough days but they are over now. Us low on the seniority were together working the shifts. We ground through the slate as well as some tough clients both from within and outside the hospital. At the end of the last shift before my break we shared a meal in one of the rooms and wished each other the best!