[wolf]

And so, being low wolf on the totem pole, I worked Independence Day.

Now, having nearly 20 years of mental health experience, I know what holidays are supposed to be like. Kick back, answer a couple of phones, maybe see a drunken walk-in or two.

I was wrong.

An "enthusiastic" cow orker worked Tuesday and scheduled seven freaking people!

When I got in the day shift person was pulling her hair out, because most of them had shown up, and some guy walked in shortly after I arrived.

No problem. We worked through the overlap, had mostly everybody ready to see the doctor, and she left.

Yikers.

Me and a room full of mainly junkies.

Just kind of coasted through it, at least I was ahead of the doctor as far as having things ready to just bang into the computer and call the unit.

Then later, this dude shows up, and he's so unconscious he can't fill out the paperwork. Tried to get the doctor to see him, but he wouldn't see people out of order, and every time I got the doc up front to at least eyeball the dude to maybe send him to the ER ... he would rouse just enough to show he wasn't dead yet.

Doc, come on here, I learned medicine by watching ER ... I couldn't wake him up without a ton of yelling and shaking ...

So I texted boss-dude for guidance.

What happens? boss-dude texts back ... "I'll be in shortly."

I wasn't drowning or panicking, just wanting some leverage with the doc, boss-dude.

Oh, and to top it all off, the CEO called me ... she was on grounds?! What CEO comes in on a holiday???? She asked me a couple of questions on the phone, stuff that she probably had, not sure if she was testing me or what.

So, boss-dude did come in, made a couple of insurance company phone calls, and noted that I wasn't overwhelmed by the activity. He told me to clean up what I was working on, and then I could go (so I got overtime on my holiday time).

He also asked me if i could work Friday.

I was supposed to be off on Friday and Saturday, I already agreed to work on Sunday, which was also supposed to be an off day. So I told him, "Well, I'm still waiting for you to complete my 90-day probation review, so suck-up mode is still in effect. I was going to go camping, but if you really need me ..."

He said he'd figure something else out, because I deserved to go camping.

Now, he doesn't know how I feel about camping. And bugs. And the wilderness. So I MAY go in there today and tell him how I've seen the weather report, and if I HAVE to work, that could provide a graceful out for me. I especially don't like camping in over 100 degree temperatures. It's not like I can just go down to the hotel-on-wheels and stay in the air conditioning. I would actually have to tend fire and be out in the heat and everything.

So, I get the last guy out of the lobby, and I'm all ready to leave, and ... seriously drunk chick and boyfriend stumble in.

Seriously drunk chick has a bottle of beer, which I took from her. She spent the rest of our time together saying, "You took my beer."

yes, I did.

"Can i have my beer back?"

No, nice try, though.

It never got old for her. We must have done that same routine another six or seven times before I got her far enough along in the process to be able to hand her off to the nursing supervisor. I then beat feet out of there.