You'll always find 3 things in the OR lounge: food (free but fatty), coffee (so strong you can stand your spoon up in it) and TV (talk shows, soap operas, movie reruns).

Free food. Most days there are food freebies, usually starch- and sugar-laden snacks that would make any diabetic shudder. Food endowments vary depending on the birthday, the special occasion du jour or the sometimes long-awaited retirement. Philly soft pretzels are commonplace in my neck of the woods. Sadly, they have the nutritional value of cardboard. The birthday cakes are usually low-grade monster concoctions with enough icing to give a cow a coronary. Bagels come by the bagful, but by the time I get to them only the onion-flavored or previously sampled remain. All these snacks tend to put me to sleep within 10 minutes, so I generally steer away.

Don't forget the candy bars from the latest charity cause at school. The beneficiaries are usually noble and well-intentioned organizations, but seriously, how many foot-long chocolate bars can one family handle?

A cup of joe. Coffee is universal and, sadly, universally bad. I can't figure it out. I see that the filters are clean, there is name-brand ground roast coffee present and the machine seems to be in working order. Why is the coffee always so brutal? Truth is, most coffee generated by the lounge coffee machine is fusel oil grade. Perhaps this is because Philadelphia tap water may contain everything from arsenic to amoebas? Or perhaps because the coffee machine came with the building? Or the coffee pot has not been thoroughly washed since Sir William Halsted used it?

What's on the tube? TV program selection depends on the time of day, with talk shows dominating the morning and soaps the afternoon. Talk-show subjects usually range from the interview with the latest pyromaniac to an expose of the sordid affairs of married Hollywood celebrities. Talk about negative energy! Do I need to hear this before the big shoulder case?

The soaps are the same recycled drama one would expect. 'Erica' has not changed much in the last 30 years — and neither have the plots. If my day goes late, which it commonly does, I may be subject to movie reruns. I wish the staff would choose the news or sports channel rather than Spike. Seriously, how many times can one really watch Rambo: First Blood?

Despite all the misgivings, the OR lounge is a cool place to hang out between cases. In fact, it is an essential for a positive OR culture. I am able to visit with the staff in a much more relaxed and "chill" setting. We see each other in a different light and we can discuss so much more than the patient's blood pressure. Friendships are forged in the lounge and the team spirit is strengthened.

I just wish we would outsource our coffee!