Green Room - Week 3 - Weekend Edition Part 2

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

It's the second weekend of Week 3. :)

The contestant-only voting is happening right now, so make sure to get those in to me: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/960470.html

***

I'm starting to get ready for the Christmas party at the yacht club. Yes, that's where Cynthia's work has their parties.

My work? We have them in the conference room and it consists of a cookie making contest. (this year there was also an ugly sweater and wreath making contest). We had it on Friday, which means extra cookies and getting to leave early for the day, so you can't really beat that - even with a weekend visit to "the yacht club".

Once a year I end up feeling *really* out of place, dressing up and going somewhere that wouldn't want me there any other time of year. :)

But it is interesting to see just what the inside of those places is like! I suppose that's probably a good thing, getting to see life from a different perspective.

***

Those with jobs where you go into an office - what are they doing the celebrate?

Others (or them as well) - what have been some of your favorite 'holiday parties' that you have gone to/heard about?

Comments

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

The only time I went to the yacht club I ended up with an injured duck in my bathtub.

In other news, it's 79 degrees. This time tomorrow it will be 34 degrees. Thunderstorms are coming.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

*pulls up a chair* How did you end up with an injured duck in your bathtub?

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

It had rained the entire time we were at the yacht club, so the party had been pretty boring, but I had to stay because of job politics. When I finally left, it was dark and rainy, and the road that led back to a main street was barely-lit and twisted through some pine trees.

I was focused on the road, and in my peripheral vision I saw a female mallard duck dart in front of the car ahead of me. She was hit, but she did not die, and they did not stop.

The fact that they did not stop still pisses me off. These are people who work in social service, and they struck and injured an animal and kept on driving. We're all lucky I didn't know who was in the car.

I pulled off the road, (in the pouring rain I'm reminding you) and walked past the tree line where I'd seen the duck go. She was hobbling really bad, and holding one wing at an angle.

I chased her around a tree or two and finally caught her. Happily there was no one on the road to witness me returning to my car, soaking wet, and carrying a duck.

I wrapped her in a jacket and set her in the floor board of the passenger seat and took her home to my unsuspecting roommate.

We checked her foot and her wing, and didn't feel any broken bones. She was still shocky and wouldn't put any weight on that foot. We decided to wait and see overnight. We lived in a one-bathroom house, but decided that we needed to make her as comfy as possible, and that she should be able to stay off that leg if possible and not risk neighborhood cats, so we made her a home in the tub.

It was often my practice to carry around a large bag of chopped corn in the trunk of my car, particularly in the winter, because I visited a local duck pond, and sometimes fed the squirrels by the courthouse. We had some large rocks we'd gotten on a trip to Arkansas, so I rinsed down the tub to be sure there wasn't any remnant of soap or cleaner, and we piled up some rocks on one end so that our duck friend could be out of the water if she wanted. We put some corn on the rocks and filled the tub with water and ta-da! Our new feathered roomie was pleased.

For several days we coordinated our showers so that we could take them back to back. The process was: remove the duck, drain the water, remove the rocks, clean the corn and duck refuse out of the tub, take a shower, wash all the soap remnants out, replace the rocks, add corn, add water, add duck. Every day.

Eventually she started making happy duck sounds and putting weight on her foot. So we took her back out to the lake (which was a much bigger challenge duck-wrangling wise since she was feeling fit).

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Injured duck? I don't think you ever told me about this...

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

Back in 2004 I wrote a series of LJ entries about injured critters in my life. We may not have known each other yet.

See my reply to Gary, above.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

I don't think we did because I know I would've remembered this story :)

[beeker121.livejournal.com]

I flew across the country to attend my office holiday party. They buy out a fancy restaurant on a Thursday night here in Pittsburgh where the home office. Sadly I'm still in PGH , my first flight today was cancelled and I think the second is delayed. So what's your favorite way to kill lots of time in an airport?

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

You should have seen if suesniffsglue wanted to hang out! :)

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I depends on how much of a problem it is to get to the main terminal and how big the airport is. If it's a big concourse then they have shops of their own. I mostly just wander around and take in the sights, and generally explore.

I try to research the airport as much as I can, if I know I'm going to be there for a few hours. It's how I found out about Rick Bayless place at Chicago O'Hare.

[beeker121.livejournal.com]

Luckily the PGH airport is nice with a largish concourse with lots to do - because I spent almost 16 hours there yesterday. We spent time exploring - and the the end of one of their gate areas is empty so we also sat in a quiet space and watched a movie.

I am not sure I've ever been so glad to sleep in my own bed.

[wolfden.livejournal.com]

Depends which airport. JFK has a great little store with all kinds of art supplies. We bought sketch books and pencils and such. It was good. I also read or listen to music or something.

[beeker121.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that would be nifty. The Milwaukee airport has (or used to, I haven't been in a while) a used bookstore that is fabulous.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Up until this year our department always went out for Chinese and drinks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. One of my old managers also did a Secret Santa, which was fun.

This year we have an acting manager. No Chinese and drinks. Besides, we're now a very whipped-looking 5-6 people compared to the 10-12 we used to have, and none of us have any desire to do much of anything except sleep.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

My team went out to TGI Fridays. It was pretty awful. Bad food and the worst service I've had in a really long time.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

UGH, Fridays :shudder: Never been a fan. Our local one is nothing to write home about.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

It was my first time in one. If it's up to me, it will be my last time.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

How can you mess up a concept like smoked sausage mac and cheese? Seriously? That should be a slam dunk.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I definitely seen/been through that, where someone new will take charge and suddenly there not only isn't the usual "perks" but the morale is just at the point where no one really cares.

Completely halfing the staff is brutal.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

In our case, the person who's acting manager was basically forced into it. Whwether our actual manager returns hinges on whether the manager she's filling in for returns from medical leave.

Our new-ish assistant had quit when she worked at another location. What's Now Current Employer convinced her to return.

I've heard worse stories at other stores. If the scuttlebutt is correct, things become worse payroll-wise after the holidays.

[fannishliss.livejournal.com]

I haven't been to the yacht club, but one of my friends was the commandant last year, which sounds pretty awesome!! The closest I've come is listening to Swallows and Amazons on audiobook. :D

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

If you ever get the opportunity, it's definitely an interesting experience. In surroundings, if nothing else.

[j0ydivided.livejournal.com]

We were supposed to have a holiday party, but due to inclement weather up and down the west coast, the party was canceled and the office closed early to send everyone home. There's talk about holding it again at another time, but somehow I don't think that will happen.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

That really sucks that it won't. Do you think they will do something else to make up for it, or just scrap it altogether?

[zhent.livejournal.com]

We're a pretty big place, so each department is responsible for their own party. There's a holiday party for the IT department on the 21st. Unfortunately they're doing it in a conference room during the day, and since I work nights the chances of my making a 30 mile round trip for it are ZERO.

When they're done they might remember that some of us don't work a regular schedule and bring us leftovers...

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

The people who work from home at Cynthia's work decided not to make the trip in for the party tonight. I don't really blame them.

Any chance the night crew will do something on their own?

[zhent.livejournal.com]

Probably not for Christmas, but my team works on New Years Eve, so we may do something then.

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

I'm in a school. We went to a craft brew place! Hub's office...the workers all go out for lunch. That is all.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Working for a school = a need to go out and drink! ;)

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

My branch did a secret santa exchange and a dinner out to Hibachi's, this year. Last year, the holiday party was at our assistant manager's home.

The branch is like a dysfunctional family in its own right and it's interesting being around everyone outside of work, hah.

[ryl.livejournal.com]

I'm going to continue my 3-year streak of not attending the company Christmas party. I went for four years before that and was bored out of my mind every year. This year my excuse is "I live 30 minutes away and don't want to get caught in the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad rush hour traffic on I-Too Narrow." Previous excuses have included, "I just don't feel like it." and "Would rather die, thanks."

Nice people, my co-workers, but I don't want to see them unless I'm getting paid to.

[ellakite.livejournal.com]

At my workplace, every department throws their own Holiday Party. The only "special" thing we used to have at our department's parties was that employees with younger children would bring them in for the day, and all other employees would bring in small wrapped presents for the kids to pick out of a "grab bag". Sadly, this year we were forbidden from bringing guests: officially because some floors in our building are undergoing renovation and management is worried the kids might get injured... but it's an open secret that the real reason is that management has gotten so paranoid about security that they won't even let ex-employees in the building anymore unless they're coming in for actual business reasons...

[kschlotwrites.livejournal.com]

This year my call center did a Secret Santa gift exchange. I was one of the organizers and it ended up being quite stressful. Some people forgot to bring in a gift. One person brought a gift for the wrong person. Such a pain in the bum.

[my-name-is-jenn.livejournal.com]

My office has a semi-party. The managers order pizza and pasta from the pizza place across the street and the employees decide whether or not to bring in desserts. Then, all the food is in the break room and you just sort of help yourself to food, which you take back to your desk and continue working.

So not really a party so much as free food.

I've only been to a handful of holiday parties and none of them were anything to write home about. I'm not really one for large social gatherings and I don't drink much, which rules out 95% of holiday parties.

[messygorgeous.livejournal.com]

I caught some Pokemon in the parking lot of the Sanibel Island Yacht Club on vacation this summer!
(Solidly middle class. That was the closest I've been, ha.)

At the library, we do a potluck luncheon. It was last week and there were enough leftovers for me to make three meals out of it! For anyone so inclined, we also offer for staff to meet up at a local restaurant after work one night during the holidays. That way we can have booze!

I'm sick this weekend. My son tested positive for strep on Thursday and my daughter started throwing up yesterday... Now my stomach is a mess too. The one good side is that at least we'll all be well on Christmas?

[jake67jake]

Since it's just me and the boss ... we don't do much ... tomorrow will be my first day back in 8 days -- I hope I can SEE my desk... Tuesday is work, doc appt, then home to pack and back to parents :(. Heartily sick of the 8 hour drive.

[tinylegacies.livejournal.com]

I have been sucking hardcore on actually participating in Idol things. Sigh.

BUT, my office is going to dinner tonight and then going to Painting with a Twist and I'm super excited :)

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

We've had some fancy ones (the whole building) in profitable years, and some less expensive ones (local golf club) most years. Also parts of a restaurant, in the harder years. All of them beat the one held in-office where the whole room was filled with the smell of gas from the burners below the food trays, and the eggs tasted like that. :O

My favorite has been the smaller ones with White Elephant gift exchanges, because those are just weird.