August 2009 Weddings
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QOTD Friday (holiday parties)
Does your office host a holiday party? Your DH's office? Are they fun or something you just grin and bear?
(If you have any funny or horrifying stories about past parties, please share!
Re: QOTD Friday (holiday parties)
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I think we do something at my new place, I'm not totally sure. But my old job always tried to arrange something--it was never fun, though. It was always a lunch during work hours, which everyone preferred. No one wanted to spend time after work with the owners.
Josh's office party last year was really nice. It was kind of a farewell party for their president, though, so I don't know if they'll go all out this year with the new president. But they'll probably have one, and his coworkers are great.
A story: One year at my old company, the president passed out Christmas cards. A coworker joked "Our bonus!" (We knew we weren't getting one--we hardly ever did.) The president then glared at her and said, "Your bonus is having the privilege of working with us." Yikes.
My company does a Christmas lunch on the last day of work at the Holiday Inn nearby.
Derek's coworkers get together and get drunk.
My company used to do a big dinner dance, but then the whole recession thing/automotive industry tanking thing happened, and that got canned. I may have gotten a weeeee bit too drunk the last year they had one. It looks like they're going to be going back to that next year though, not that I'll be around for it!
Our Christmas "bonus" is a cheese box. Would I prefer cash? Yeah, but the cheese is definitely fun.
We'll just not tell H about this little fact, m'kay?
We have a department wide holiday party, and it is usually a big booze fest. Oh my. It used to be "fancy dress" (i.e. costumes), but they held a drinking contest at the party last year to determine if that would continue. Thank goodness the anti-fancy dress team won so I don't have to dress up this year.
We also do Secret Santa, which are usually gag gifts bordering on the offensive. Like porn and edible undies are not out of place. And you have to sit on Santa's lap to get it. And we have an award for the best looking man, with engraved trophy and all.
I have to say, it's a lot more fun here because they just don't care about being politically correct. Which also means that it is actually called a "Christmas" party.
Cecilia arrived 12 October 2012
We have a pot luck this year, during lunch at work. It changes every year as people complain and put up a fuss. We used to do a gift swap, but too many people hated each other to want to participate.
DH's work usually does a big dinner at a local country club. This year it's at a really nice restaurant, so i'm looking forward to it. They do giveaways and talk about the year in review. It's nice as a spouse to hear what he's been up to.
We usually go out for dinner for Christmas. Since there is only three of us we go to a restaurant. Dh usually gets to come too.
Dh's firm does through a holiday party but it's during the day so I've never gotten to go. They have a Secret Santa so I get to help him figure out what to give.
Christmas horror story. In 2009 my work's Christmas party also happened during a huge event for the Italian kitchen side of my company. We went out to this great Brazillian place. We came home and found out we were robbed. :'( It was not a good year. Had we not been at the party we probably wouldn't have been targeted.
The last two years we've done a potluck lunch for Thanksgiving (on a day when the boss is out) but we didn't get it planned this year. For Christmas, we've done a Yankee swap before and had lunch brought in. It's usually pretty fun.
I'm not sure what they do at Jim's work. I'm sure they do something.
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Oh, I have a horror story. At my former employer (large CPA firm), there was an affair going on between a manager and a staff member who was about 15 years his junior. He was married with 3 kids, and EVERYONE in the office knew about the affair with the girl.
Well, his wife figured it out at the Christmas party, and confronted them in front of the entire office. It was awful, and I felt so sorry for her.
Manager divorced the wife, married the girl, moved away, and I have no idea what happened after that.
My office does a big holiday party every year with all the employees and spouses/significant other's. We rent a space and have a catered dinner and an open bar. Last year we also did a As Seen on TV white elephant gift exchange.
I couldn't believe the number of people that got completely sh!t faced at the party last year and did some really stupid things. One of the paralegals was full on making out with her date in front of everyone and she fell out of her chair some how and ended up flashing her lady bits for everyone to see.
One of the attorneys and her H (who is a cop) got completely drunk and started hitting on and dance floor grinding on other people's spouses...we are now all convinced that they are swingers.
This is the first Christmas that DH has been at his current job, so I have no idea what if anything that they will do.
My office does a party at a nearby hotel from 3 - 7. They have appetizers and drinks and give out awards. Last year, I was still really new at the firm, so I didn't know a lot of people yet. I'm looking forward to hanging out more this year, since I now know people. Unfortunately, the timing is really bad, as December is by far our busiest month. It's not uncommon for all the lawyers to stand around chatting and constantly checking their blackberries.
B's office doesn't have a party, but his department does, and spouses are invited. The past few years, it has been at the department head's house, but this year they are doing it at a pub, which is conveniently located across the street from my office.
As far as a story: The first firm I was at out of law school had a party at a local dance/concert venue. There was this one staff member who despite being fairly unattractive and overweight (I know that is mean to say, but true) wore the shortest Santa's helper skirt and hat and got on grinding and making out on the dance floor with the guy who ran the copy room.
We have a holiday party but it's for the employees only. We do the exact same thing every year so it's gotten to be fairly repetitive but it's still a nice event.
My boss also takes us out to dinner as a gift to us. She lets us decide on the place and we can bring our SO. That is always much more fun than our formal party.
I don't think they do anything at DH's job except for a small potluck.
This is my first year working at the University but I know for a fact that this year they will be having a party during the lunch hours in the lounge area for the staff only.
For my mariachi group though, we always have a gift exchange and a party at our managers house. I always look forward to this one because she always has booze and good food and none of us have to worry about making a fool of ourselves since it's not like our formal primary job.
At DH job they never have a party.
Right now I have 3 of my own different jobs that I have the opportunity to go to a Christmas party.
For my retail pharmacy, they do a big sit down dinner and dance for all the stores in the county. It's always nice. All the young-uns get plastered, though. DH is invited.
At the large hospital we are having a party at one of our co-workers family restaurants. It's appetizers and casual standing around. DH is invited.
At the smaller hospital, we are going out to a nice restaurant. Staff only.
For DH, they usually just having something at a co-workers houses after work on one of the last days of school.