Me, Murphy 'n Mary

I really couldnt imagine my loooongest THREE (3) hours today! I have experienced MURPHY'S LAW at its finest! When i say finest, ive reached the point that i would really decide to quit residency training and abandon my duty today. My psyche was challenged to the fullest. My logical reasoning and objective thinking were measured. My emotional quotient was once again tested.

"ANYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG, WILL GO WRONG."

This WRONG happened to everything all at the same time. Starting at around 9 in the morning today, a cascade of events happened. An outpouring of Murphy's Law.

SCENARIO:
Date: September 8, 2007
Time: 8:30 am
Venue: A conference hall in Crap Hospital
Activity: 1st Post Graduate Interns' Conference , the brainchild of our Boss and consequently, our Department's project too.

1. Imagine a hall with jalousie windows in its entirety at 9 o'clock in the morning. Imagine how very well lit the hall was. Quite a nice venue for a conference alright. Catch is, we'll be using an LCD projector and the curtains that serve to render the hall dark were sent to the laundry.

2. The one assigned in that hall to facilitate things was off. It's a Saturday, remember? In short, have to look for someone responsible for the job. Finally, after calling the maintenance office, i was referred to the janitor who was supposed to put the curtains up.

3. The janitor who was tasked to do it was absent.

4. At exactly 9 o'clock AM, the supposed to be time of the scheduled conference, not one resource speaker was around yet. Good thing they havent arrived yet for...

5. After how many weeks of preparation for the presentation, the final slide presentation went pffft! Yep! After the main computer where the presentor was working on crashed.

Tintintin tintin tintintintintin tintintintin tintin tintin...it's almost equivalent to a wedding without the bride. The special character of the occasion. Okaaay! A wedding without a groom if as an opposite sex you felt offended.tee-hee

6. Called our boss to ask for a 30-minute allowance for us to solve the problem. It would have been worse if he comes to the venue without the presentation. The reason why i called him right away about the problem. The reply was a bit expected but i wouldnt have wished to hear. HE'S NOT COMING TO THE PRESENTATION! This is his brainchild and he's not attending it?

7. I am on duty. The emergency room was my post this morning since my junior had to make rounds to her patients. At the peak of my toxicity, i was receiving referrals from the ER nurses.

8. Out of the blue, the OPD nurse texted me too. There are 8 patients for consult. However, the doctor assigned at the OPD was on an emergency leave. Again?!!? What the hell! He once again left his post without a word.

9. Finally, a consultant came to attend. Finding herself alone however and knowing that the slides are being finalized yet, she eventually left. Great!

10. Didnt have breakfast, was hungry, was tensed, pressured, and disappointed. The food caterer was late for the appointment and couldnt be reached through her cellfone.

11. Tried to call her landline but the only available fone inside that hall has a broken pad. The number 9 pad was busted that i cant dial any number with a 9. Sheesh! The caterer's number has a 9 in it!

12. Planned to call her through my cellfone. After several calls and texts that ive made and received however, my fone was on the verge of draining. Not a single soul in the hall has a charger. Mine was in our conference room.

13. Called up our office to ask our secretary for my charger but she was not around. Called her up through her fone with the remaining life that my battery has. She couldnt be reached!

Aaaaargh! After all of these, I found myself standing on the stairway outside of the conference hall breathing some fresh air. I really was contemplating resignation. I have invested too much effort and time in this project too. By whatever force there is and whatever law of murphy or whoever, everything just screwed up! What's worse was that the man behind all of these decided to cancel everything! I felt like i was abandoned in the battle by my superior. I've supported him in this project, spent time with the interns too knowing that this project could benefit them. I've done the best that i could for the activity, the presentor prepared for this too and it was that simple for him to cancel everything? It's like all our efforts were doomed to drain. This was supposed to be a great project that's facing its death before it is even born. Hmmm, call it abortion?

While thinking of the most logical thing to do, i realized that i was standing right in front of the image of the Virgin. I remembered that it's her birthday today. Greeted her and asked her for whatever enlightenment. Asked her for comfort too. I was on the verge of crying but since i was in that public place, i dont want to expose my tears to whoever was around. I wished for all these things to stop from happening.

By whatever Divine intervention, all the wrong things that happened were corrected. The curtains were up, the food came, the slides were finalized again, my co-residents covered at the OPD and at the ER, after we've talked, the Big Man behind all of these decided to come to the venue and finally, the presentation was pushed through! Not only that, the Big Man was a bit contented with it. I was anticipating a walk-out drama should the presentation be a crap and couldnt meet his standard.

By 12 noon, while admitting patients at the ER, i received texts from our interns asking me to go back to the venue to eat. The big boss called me too. I guess he was already munching on that lechon that ive painstakingly (kapalmuks) asked from a drug company. Whew! All the while i was thinking that that pig will die without a purpose. Only to find out that its death was in celebration of a victory and the birthday of the one who countered Murphy - Mary.=)