Escaping the Christmas Party

[JoitheArtist]

You know, the first year I was here, the Christmas party was fun. We shut down the office, met in the warehouse for food from El Pollo Loco, and had a good time.

But now they want to keep doing outside parties. No offense to any of my coworkers, but I really don't care to give up any of my spare time to go to an after-hours party at someone's house and try to make small talk with my co-workers' families. And play holiday games. *shudders*

Yeah, no thanks. So when the receptionist came around asking for rsvps, I told her I thought I might have something else that day (which is true: the date for my alma mater's Christmas party--which I NEVER miss-- hasn't been set yet and could very well be that night) and not to plan on me coming.

She scoffed, and said, "Oh, JtA, you never come to anything!"

Gee...could it be because I see enough of you guys at work, you spend a lot of time teasing me because I'm the only under-30 person in the office who doesn't get drunk every weekend, etc, etc?

Sheesh.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I'd go. Good chance of picking up some choice blackmail material.

"Have so-and-so do such-and-such for me, or else I'll tell the big boss what you did under that table with the intern and that tube of toothpaste. And while you're at it, I'd like a raise."

[The Gatekeeper]

I'm skipping my company's Xmas bash this year. They always rent a hall and such. I am currently looking for a new job, and really don't care to spend time with the same people who have tried to make my life as difficult as possible. I've gone in past years, but I really don't feel like it this year.

So when I got the email requesting my RSVP I replied "I will not be attending". No explanation, no apology. If anyone asks I'm just going to give some excuse about scheduling.

[JoitheArtist]

I'd go. Good chance of picking up some choice blackmail material.

"Have so-and-so do such-and-such for me, or else I'll tell the big boss what you did under that table with the intern and that tube of toothpaste. And while you're at it, I'd like a raise."

Not that kind of a party, sadly...all of the annoying without any of the blackmail material....sigh. The worst I'd get is "I saw you pulling those sexy dance moves while hyped-up on sugar," which isn't that different from a normal day, anyway.

[mharbourgirl]

I miss office Christmas 'parties' during office hours. Much as I like my current job AND my co-workers, I spend 9 hours a day with them, 5 days a week. So I turn down 'get-togethers' at a pub near the office when they happen, and pretty much anything else social outside of office hours, like last year's 'curling debacle'.

This year's Christmas party is being combined with that of the other local office of my company (same company, different division). It is being held at a nice hotel with a pretty good kitchen. About a 3-hour drive from my house. So I'm supposed to get dressed up (barf), bully my husband into dressy clothes (I think I'd rather take up ostrich farming, it's easier), and drive us into the city, across the city, and out the other side to this hotel to eat food that the Hubster is probably mostly allergic to or just hates, schmooz with people I already see too much of, plus a whole bunch of people I don't actually know and neither does my husband, and then drive another 3 hours back home.

Or I could rent a couple of movies, get a case of beer, make some pizza, and snuggle on the couch with my husband and my furbaby.

Whatever SHALL I do?

[Kiwi]

K's work party is this friday night

they are taking the office and partners to a nice place in town (private room) with an open bar and we can order anything off the menu

this is the first time we have gone together (Im usually busy with a christmas play or out of the country) and apprently both of his bosses get paraletic they are so drunk

one started crying last year (the one who was on the art gallery council) about how much he "loved you guys" referring to the other cad monkeys

K only goes because its an office of 10... kinda hard to ask for a raise if you cant attend the one team building excersise a year. Im going because its free food and grog.

you heard me.... free alcohol and kiwis there in a flash!

[powerboy]

The new management team is having a party and they want everyone who attends to chip in for a gift for the management team. I am not going, just because I hate the new management company they have.

[wagegoth]

I'm not going to mine either. The office manager we got a few years ago changed things around. Previously, they rented a room at a restaurant across the street, and whenever you could you wandered over to graze the buffet, chat, and sing karaoke. I thought that was a great idea and was looking forward to an office party for the first time. However, the next Christmas we had a new office manager who thought we should have this huge party and set it up in a really beautiful but distant and difficult to get to location. Everybody had to dress up, too. Forget it.

The next year, the location was better, but I don't like dressing up. So, again, forget it.

This year, they decided to go back to the restaurant idea. However, they moved it and it isn't as convenient and the restaurant they picked has the rudest waiters ever. Besides, it's on a Friday night. I've got better things to do on a Friday night.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The two Christmas parties I went to were at local supper clubs. We had a sit-down dinner and entertainment.

Both years the entertainment was a really crappy magician. Jester could probably do much better than him with his top hat tied behind his back.

The first year, there was also a ventriloquist, who decided to make one of our managers her "dummy" and in so doing failed to generate one honest-to-Gord belly laugh.

There were also drawings for door prizes. The first year I won a boombox, which doesn't work anymore.

The sitting at the bar drinking and BSing with fellow coworkers was the most memorable part of both parties to me. We haven't had another Christmas party in over 5 years.

[Iris Kojiro]

Aside from the occasional in-store potluck, we've never had a party. As far as I can remember, we have never had any parties off-site (and this includes both jobs).

[The Gatekeeper]

Oh we're doing a potluck for the office staff the day before as well. No I haven't signed up for that either. And the gift exchange? Well it's a different kind of gift exchange where you draw gifts and can trade up or something...I don't really get it, but I'm sure I'd get the suckiest gift anyway, so nope not participating in that either.

Gee and they say I have a bad attitude, and am too distant from my co-workers. Really? What ever gave you that idea? Maybe if I didn't have to curb my urge to set the lot of them on fire, on a daily basis I'd want to play their reindeer games more.

[calulu]

I weaseled out of the big fancy company party at the country club. I don't care to hang around with a bunch of assholes that are just going to fire us one by one as the economy tanks.

[wagegoth]

In some places we did a lunch outside the office with a White Elephant gift exchange. The gift had to be a white elephant costing under US$20, and we competed to bring in the worst item. There were some memorable gifts. A singing fish was big one year. Another year was a snowglobe with the face of the managing partner pasted over Santa's face with a slightly salacious comment balloon. I ended up with a hand-painted sweatshirt of a Christmas Tree with miniture toys attached as ornaments; it was beyond awesome. One year I brought in a clock that apparently when designed was supposed to be a hunting scene, but somehow became a dalmation next to a Halloween tree with owls that hooted the hours.

[persephone]

I wouldn't feel too bad. I don't mind doing "parties" that are like lunch deals or something but when it's something outside of work hours? Only if I really REALLY like you.

My son's birthday is in December. So a few years ago (his first birthday), his birthday actually fell on a Saturday. So we planned his party for that day. I knew I was going to have a full house (as neither my parents nor hubby's live here, so they were going to be staying with us) and I was going to be exhausted after the day. We had this planned for a month and a half so that the grandparents and uncles and aunts could make travel arrangements to be there.

So when the "Holiday Party" invites from work come out (party, on a Saturday night at the CEO's house), I realize it's on my son's birthday. I automatically send an e-mail to boss's secretary saying I won't be there. Big boss comes and asks why and I tell him that's my son's first birthday so we're having the party and spending the day with him.

Know what he did? He had the audacity to get mad at me cause I was missing the party! He actually said "He's one -- he won't remember that you left after his party!" I don't care! I'LL know!

I did NOT go to that party. I actually left that job pretty soon after. Never feel bad about not wanting to go. There's nothing wrong with that!

[Catwoman2965]

This will be my ninth Christmas at my current job, and I've attended 3 parties. They are held after work, and are the same, each and every year. And having 2 jobs, I honestly don't want to spend what little free time I have with my co-workers i already spend 8 hours a day with!

No one really says anything, and if they did, too bad, I have plans. Fortunately, the last few years its been held right around my birthday, on a friday night, so my excuse is that I have plans with friends, to celebrate my b-day and another friend's whose is a few days after mine. Ours is this friday, and my plans are to go home, eat some really unhealthy snacks, and hang out in my jammies.