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You'd be a generally angry person to if your job involved moving blips around all day for little pay

Not to mention the worst part of it... constantly talking to people... it's terrible....

For non-precision approaches, you can generally expect to fly straight in (circle-to-land and some approaches bring you in on other than runway heading). There is no standard downwind, base, etc..

If you have to go missed.. there will be a holding fix (nav-aid or intersection) that you'll climb and fly to.

I flew the VOR-A ( "A" meaning your inbound course is not runway heading (or close to it)) at Urbana, Ohio the other day. If it's flown perfectly, you reach the decision point pretty darn close to a 45-degree, downwind entry (assuming the wind favors that runway). These kind of approaches make me nervous. They assume enough visibility for you to negotiate some sort of pattern. Most approaches have you set up so when you "bust out" of the clouds.. there isn't much else left to do, except make an adjustment and land.

As a rule.. there is no standard pattern for instrument approaches.

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Oh, I know it's stressful... and believe me, I've dealt with some controllers who were also very calm, patient, and just plain friendly. One early Sunday morning at KTEB, I was greeted with "Nice day to go flying!", etc. by a very nice controller... he actually sounded like he was enjoying himself.
On a related note: Sunday before my flight, I turned on my old scanner to check the KEWR ATIS, and decided to listen to the tower freq. for a bit. Just as I tuned to the tower freq, I heard the controller testily repeating a ground instruction (to an airliner pilot), with an added reminder: "and don't use that word on the radio!". He sounded angry... I wish I'd heard what the pilot had said!!

To a point, yes. But especially in light planes, and especially turning base.. the wind has more to say about it all than nearby landmarks. You've always got that big stretch of pavement in sight.. even well before you enter a pattern. If you use something like a building or road as your primary mark for transition from downwind to final.. you'll find yourself back on the throttle.. or worse.. dumping the flaps, slipping (sometimes not a good combo).. even S-turning to get down to the runway.

Taking off is another story. I fly out of a pretty busy, class D airspace airport (KOSU). More times than not.. you'll be given take-off clearance for runway heading, regardless of the direction you requested, just to get you off the ground. Some times you'll get,  "turn on course approved".. sometimes you won't and have to wait till you're clear of the airspace for a frequency change (or own navigation). With the two main runways (9/27 L/R) being parallel.. it's VERY important to stay ON runway heading.. not drift or P-factor your way into the other departure sector. As soon as I'm off the ground.. I pick a spot on the horizon and fly to it. That's easier than guessing at the wind or gauging the P-factor. It only takes a couple of minutes to clear the airspace.