An exercise in the other side of the tracks

Nothing profound about my journey to the literal and figurative other side of the tracks since I wrote that last post and comment yesterday... just the usual surreality. I was exhausted after work Thursday night (which, blessedly, is the end of my work week), and needed a good cry to be ready to move on. Sometimes I just get so overwhelmed, not only with my clients' stories but also just the task, proving to be exhaustive, of learning how to do all the stuff that comes along with my job that I didn't learn in school (there is, apparently, a reason that most therapists I know say they don't feel like they know how to do their job until they've been doing it 10 years... I suppose teachers and doctors, etc, would concur).

Anyhow.... some days I just need a good cry to deal with the stress. So I had one last night, and then I drove over to Goat's office holiday party. The theme was Animal House, complete with togas, slippery nipples, Dance-Dance-Revolution, karaoke, fries and fried cheese sticks that waiters were passing out on fancy silver trays. We danced until well past midnight. This morning, I drove to Beverly Hills for a doctor's appointment, and then continued along a scenic route up Santa Monica Boulevard (scenic for exploring purposes) and over the Hollywood Hills, past stores where I could probably trade my paycheck for a sweater... and I kept on going to Burbank, having lunch with a friend from my program and doing a little holiday shopping. It was a lovely day.

Oh, and yes, my doctor's office is in Beverly Hills. I picked Cedars-Sinai as my medical center because:

1. It was in my insurance group
2. I don't care much whether I live in a seedy neighborhood, but dammit, if my insurance will cover it, I'm done messing around with medical groups who only take cash, who lose your referrals, who refer you to doctors in BFE who don't speak English anytime you need a specialist, and who weigh you in the waiting room.