I sometimes hear stories about working for the big corporations was like back in the old days. Stuff like “company trips” and “expense accounts” and all that stuff. It seems like a dream, now. Like something that only happened on Mad Men (and surely that show exaggerated things!). But, sometimes, I hear from one of the old guys that speech from The Force Awakens:
My company still does a corporate party. We go to the restaurant and the boss will pay for the apps and for dessert but we pay for our entrée and any booze we drink (the CEO thinks that booze at company parties is just asking for trouble and he ain’t gonna be responsible for that sort of thing). What’s nice is that there are enough appetizers that you can make a meal of tapas and just pay for your lemonade or whatever and tip the heck out of your waitstaff and get out of there with a full belly and knowing that you won’t have to wear a Christmas Shirt for another 360ish days.
Which is what happens tonight. We’ve got the corporate Christmas party. I have to go and walk around the room and gladhand and see spouses that I haven’t seen since the last Christmas party and… whew. I’m already exhausted and I’m not even there yet. (Maribou lucked out… one of her friends is in a play and so that’s what she’s doing tonight instead.)
Tomorrow is going to be one of those dead days because that’s the day that approximately 80% of my co-workers are taking off.
And so, this weekend, will be sluggish and full of the last of the pre-holiday obligations. The nephew who is getting cash… did we go to the bank? The nephew who is getting a lava lamp… did that arrive from Amazon? Did mom’s Alan Jackson DVD show up? Did her favorite soap show up? OH MY GOSH HOW IS CHRISTMAS NEXT WEEK.
It’s fine, it’s fine. The lava lamp is here. I can go to the bank tomorrow on a leisurely lunch break. Saturday will have a leisurely gaming night on Saturday. OH MY GOSH I NEED TO GET GIFT CARDS FOR MY GAMING GROUP. Then a leisurely Sunday and then… The Holidays are here).
So… what’s on your docket?
(Featured image is “headwear for the enlightened” by deepwarren . Used under a creative commons license.)
Having an office part on a weekend or maybe even after hours seems to totally defeat the point. The entire idea of the office party is that its’ supposed to be a treat from the boss and a break from the usual work day to build moral. If you do it on the weekend it comes across as a chore even if its’ swank with good food and alcohol in an extravagant venue.Report
“Mandatory Fun” was the name of Weird Al’s last album and it seems suitable for this sort of thing.
I am very lucky insofar as I have co-workers who I enjoy working with and look forward to seeing after a few days of not seeing them at all. As such, it’s nice to sit together with them and share a classy sit-down meal (as opposed to yet another sandwich eaten while making powerpoint slides and catching up on email).Report
Saturday will have a leisurely gaming night on Saturday.
**leisurely doubles the hit dice of [monster name redacted]**Report