Holiday Party '18

After a year layoff, we're back.  The work holiday party post mortem.  Faithful readers may recall the absence of last year's entry, as I had not attended due to a trip to New Jersey.  It was the first I had missed in eight years.  I heard a little about it afterward.  Curiously, these things are quickly forgotten.  Rarely do people talk about them the following Monday.  Just another event to evaporate.  May we blame the alcohol? But, you have me to pick up that slack, invisible audience.

The 2018 party was again fairly low key.  It took place at a popular restaurant downtown that has plenty of outdoor seating and sits across from the Intracoastal Waterway.  The food was decent: beef and pork sliders, quesadillas, salad, chicken wings. I had two drafts of Lagunitas.  The wildest thing to occur that evening was the chattiness of one of our ENTs, who ordinarily says little and avoids eye contact.  But outside of work, his doctor game face drops and he acts like a regular guy.  Especially when he's had a few.  This year he was downright loud, even offering a holiday riddle for that last bag during the white elephant gift exchange.  During that, I unwrapped a nifty White House Christmas ornament (not Trump related), which thankfully was not confiscated by those who drew higher numbers.

Speaking of curious, the first person I saw when I arrived was the founder of the original practice, the ENT who started it all in 1968.  He retired nearly three years ago. I was very surprised to see him.  He was in a full suit, tie, and slacks.  His cognition had markedly declined during his final year at the clinic.  This night, it was even worse.  Sad to witness.  One of the other doctors had to help him with nearly every movement.  The elderly doc did remember me after a little prompting, a reminder that under my beard of two years was one of his old faithful audiologists.  Speaking of, another such person, who retired four years ago after three plus decades of service, also attended the party.  She's living the life, going on frequent dives and whale watching expeditions and not missing audiology one bit.  She gets to spend plenty of time with her dog.  But she, like our founder, looked haggard.  Is that what retirement does to you? Nonetheless, their presence was welcome in a sea of increasingly new faces.

We all sat and talked and ate.  No dancing, even with a live band.  Discussions of marathon running, Los Angeles, CA, Wellington, FL, and Elton John concerts.  I heard that some of the twenty-somethings who work up front hit some other bars/restaurants downtown and after-partied 'til 2 AM.   I left at 9:15, eager to get home and hear how my wife's night of Christmas caroling had gone.

Our shindig was enjoyable, but again, a far cry from those parties back in '09, '10, and maybe '11 and '12.  I've written about them on this blog.  These parties are a time to reflect on the year, which like most others saw the departure of some employees, one of whom was a fellow audiologist.  That was sad and tough.  Another was a medical assistant who had been at the office for over twelve years.  I also sat and thought of all those who had cruised away in years gone by.  Almost like deaths, of which there have been far too many actuals of people close to me and dear friends this year.   Time marches on.  If only I could say more about my workplace.  You'll have to meet me for a drink to get anything further.

Happy Holidays!