I remember when...

I recall years ago as a young student & later staff nurse we worked the 'long day shift'. How it worked was like this: You'd go on duty at 1:30pm on a Friday afternoon. Work through 'til 8pm. You then begin Saturday mornings shift at 7am & finish at 8pm, the same hours you'd work on Sunday. On Monday however you'd begin your shift at 7am & go off duty at approx 2:00pm dependant how long the 'handover' took.
My point is this: After a sometimes gruelling Saturday 13hour shift you go to your room in the nurses home have a wash, get changed & either go to the staff social club then on to a party or get the bus into town & end up at Rebecca's night club (or maybe even Barbarella's. Having little or no recollection on how you got back home you'd have another drink then fall asleep on the snooker table in the male nurses home common room. It didn't matter a toss that your room complete with its comfortable bed was only some 20feet away from the common room, the snooker table had a strange appeal & calling! (I neglected to mention that lunch was taken in the social club.)
You'd then get up at approximately 6:45am grab your white coat from your room and stumble onto the ward to begin your next 13 hour shift with a hot cup of tea.
The same routine would be repeated on Sunday night but you'd stay local & more than likely sleep in your own bed but you'd be pissed.
Now though, O dear God. I stay up til 15 minutes past midnight & I completely buggered the next day! I can hardly keep my eyes open let alone maintain a decent therapeutic train of thought to see patients!
God, I am getting old & past it! And I have to go out drinking tonight to! Where has all the old staying power gone to?!!