Post-Holiday Party

I mentioned in my year end summary that our usual holiday party didn't come together in time for pre-Christmas cheer.  So...my co-workers and I met at Bradley's, a long standing institution along the Intracoastal Waterway in West Palm Beach (originally across the bridge in Palm Beach) for a little post-holiday get together last Friday night.  It was actually the second party in the past five years we've had there.  We had a little corner on the north side of the restaurant.  The least formal such gathering yet during my thirteen plus years with my ENT practice.  But nice.

Tasty sliders, ground beef empanadas, and truffle fries were served cafeteria style after a Mediterranean platter of olives, hummus, and pita was brought out.  We were given two tickets for free drinks.  Most of my work buds came out and just hung.  Including our new office manager.  Most everyone was dressier than their usual scrubs.  It was a very positive time, as even those who normally don't exactly gel in the office were laughing and dancing with each other.  Maybe it was the alcohol, but I like to think that away from the stress and urgency of serving our public folks are just themselves.  At least for three hours or so, everyone mingled.  A few shot some pool.  One of our doctors, rocking his Members Only jacket, laughed as he kinda got hustled on the felt by our audiology assistant. 

As always, in the midst of the frivolity, I began to think of the previous gatherings.  You can read about all of them on this blog.  Each wildly different, cuisine and otherwise, though all were pleasant snapshots in time.  Country clubs, culinary institutes, Irish pubs, bowling alleys, Drive Shack, Greek restaurants, etc.   I wondered where all those who had passed through my workplace were that evening.  One I didn't need to wonder about - a medical assistant who ended her fourteen or so years with us about two years ago - made an appearance.  She seemed happy.  I'm sure in part that she hasn't had to make a forty-five minute drive to work anymore.  We reminisced about my first day, when she gave me a Starbucks Via packet as a small welcome.  She was always really cool. 

There was the inevitable after-party, which I happily did not attend.  Some of the ladies wanted to take out our youngest co-worker (twenty-one y.o.) for some dancing at a restaurant/club nearby.  I heard they had a ball.  But before they splintered off, an audiologist (who I rarely see) from our other office asked if I wanted to drive the Tesla she just got.  Couldn't pass that up.  As she was excitedly showing off all the extras (some of which are simply fun things like music and light shows with rhythmically timed moving windows and side mirrors, and farting seats), she suddenly went from zero to fifty in about two seconds.  No kidding.  We rocketed down Banyan Blvd. and I almost had a heart attack.  Wholly unexpected.  But once I got behind the wheel, I did the same down a different stretch.  What a rush.  And the car automatically brakes.  I don't know how well Elon's vehicle is actually constructed, but I was impressed.

I walked another co-worker to her car.  She's new, and it was the longest conversation I've had with her thus far.  Still another, who let the parking meter lapse, was greeted with two boots on her wheels.  Cost seventy-five bucks to get 'em off.  Doesn't that suck?

As I said my final goodbyes that night, I remembered I once had a going away party within those very walls nearly sixteen years earlier.  I had just finished working at the local hospice, bound for my fourth year externship while still in grad school.  I wasn't even there a year and they threw me a memorable bash, one that was a bit rowdier than this one.  I've lost touch with most of those folks, save the occasional exchange on Facebook.  Where will my co-workers of today be when we have the next holiday soiree? Will I think about the ones who've moved on? Bet on it.