| Office parties |
Dec 12, 2008 8:31 am
4357 Views |
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What are your thoughts on them?
Personally, gross. We had our office-wide holiday party a couple days ago. It was weird. We have them in the building, during office hours, in the boardroom. It was scheduled from 2:00-4:00, but I'm like, am I really gonna stand around and make idle chit chat for two hours? Do I have to?
To liven things up, they had a quiz for us to fill out during the festivities. It featured questions like, "You've filled out your expense claim form and obtained the necessary signatures [yes, that's plural]. Which department do you now submit it to?" I started to answer it and then I fell asleep mid-response. Actually that is an exaggeration. What actually happened was I put my half-completed quiz back on the table where the blank ones were and wandered off to find someone to make more socially awkward small talk with.
At my old office, we used to have the holiday party at a nearby restaurant. I was frequently drafted to the party planning committee, and we came up with awesome themes and games. One year we did an 80s nostalgia thing. We got everyone to bring in a pic of themselves from that era and I scanned them all and made a great big bulletin board display for people to guess who was who. That was fun. I also went to the Goodwill and bought an 80s prom dress for 10 bucks, and did my hair with a curling iron and wore black eyeliner and purple eyeshadow.
Another year we did a game show theme and we did variations on Match Game, The Price is Right and Family Feud. I downloaded a bunch of mp3s of the original game show music and we did the "Come on down!" thing for new contestants. It was a riot.
But at this office, the parties are (to me) just something to be endured. Stiff. I appreciate the thought and all, but, after I made a half an hour appearance, I went back to my desk.
Okay, but check this out. Within my department, the Big Boss wants to have a party at someone's house (a nice enough thought) but the person lives in a suburb of Toronto that takes 45 minutes to get to by car. If you're on public transit, nightmare. And she wants to hold it on a SATURDAY. And we just had a party at her house (in the same remote suburb) just a few months ago to celebrate a bunch of departmental milestones. At least that one took place during office hours - we got the afternoon off to go up to her place.
But... a SATURDAY? It's scheduled from 2-5. When you add in transit time on both ends... it's practically the whole fucking day! And if I say no I look like an ungrateful asshole. Which, okay, I am, but fuck, man! Do you want to give up a Saturday to venture out into the January tundra (proposed date is Sat Jan 31) in order to spend time with people you see all week?
Pass.
("And humbug us, everyone!") |
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23 Comments
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