I know I haven't been updating this thing like I should, but hey I have a real job now. Free time isn't the name of the game these days. I'm actually sitting in the ICU staring at a bunch of monitors, rooms 17-24, a doctor on the phone, several nurses running around, an ICU pharmacist, a few technical assistants, and of course the patients. There is a lot of beeping, blinging, chirping, overhead paging, hallway conversations, laughter, phone conversations, footsteps, chairs shuffling about, several different television stations emanating from the patient rooms, a radio with Billy Joel's "Piano Man", and even the sound of oxygen originating at the wall and ending up in a patient's lungs. I have always thought one could write a symphony of ICU sounds. Actually, I'm sure someone has probably already done this, as I can't believe I'm the first to think of such a thing. The ventilators are the best, as musical tones will alert the staff if the machine becomes disconnected or if the patient stops breathing. It's really quite an active place. Interestingly enough it can also be very tranquil and quiet, especially at night. Actually, since I started writing this it got very quiet. Funny how so much can become so little.