Adrenaline and anticlimax

I AM: avoiding my lengthy to-do list...

Yesterday was interesting. Spent the day at the hospital's simulation centre, which is indeed as cool as it sounds, revolving around a £750,000 plastic dummy who responds like an actual person. It's really really useful practice to be given the chance to deal with acute, life threatening situations for the first time in this 'safe' way. The instructors set us a series of scenarios, and we each had a turn being the doctor while the others sat behind a one way screen and watched. Very very unnerving, initially because you know lots of people are watching you, and later because once you get into it, it feels real. You completely respond to the situation as if there were a person in the bed in front of you - just because they're plastic not flesh and blood doesn't mean there's anything artificial about the feeling of panic that rises in your throat when you watch their blood pressure tail off to nothing and they stop talking to you.

My evening was occupied with a concert in Shepherd's Bush, which although a last minute arrangement, had good potential. Unfortunately, said potential wasn't fulfilled. It turns out that not being able to see the band even a little bit makes a big difference to enjoyment (who knew? Not me. I can only ever see a little bit, so thought I was clued up about this!). Spending several hours being able to see nothing but the ceiling and the shoulders of the man in front of you is no fun at all. They compounded the problem by shining the stage lights in my eyes every five minutes (why? WHY?) and having the bass turned up so loud that my ears hurt and my insides juddered in a very unpleasant manner.

Now, I might expect to be jostled and squashed and not be able to see at a rock or metal concert. I'd expect it if I went to the front to fight for a better view. But I was at the back, and the band? Lifehouse. Not so very hardcore, then...

P.S. Apologies to my friend S who invited me to take up a spare ticket. I don't mean to sound so ungrateful, and I'm glad you enjoyed it at least!