Rat Race

noun Informal.

any exhausting, unremitting, and usually competitive activity or routine, especially a pressured urbanworking life spent trying to get ahead with little time left for leisure, contemplation, etc.

Origin: 
1935–40,  Americanism

 Woke up on monday to find that we had had a large snowfall during the night, enough for skiing. If only it would last. I wouldn't have time for skiing until Sunday. In fact, this week I haven't had much time for anything. No time for meditation, or working out, or anything other than driving to work, work, driving home, cooking, eating and sleeping. I had 2 day shifts and then 2 night shifts. Theoretically I would have had some time after the day shifts, but after getting up at 5 I am so tired by the time I get home that I end up just watching "Modern Family" with Husband until bed time (around 9 pm). Work is hectic as usual. The hospital full to the gills. On thursday evening as the night shift started there were 26 beds (most in corridors) and 47 patients in the ER. The pictures were taken on monday evening as I came home from work. It was dark when I left, dusk when I returned.