One reason I miss the office at the Holidays

[jjquantz]

Each year, DW and I host a holiday gathering for friends and acquaintances. DW always prepares way too much food and it's almost all junk (good junk, but junk.)

Before ER, I could always dump several tens of thousands of calories on my fellow employees. Now it is all sitting in the house looking at me. We mailed off a bunch to distant relatives, but...

 

[okie]

I am still a working 30 something, but I get grossed out by the "pot luck" holiday parties at work. Everybody brings they're own dish that was made at home with they're unwashed hands. It grosses me out every year. Nothing is healthy really. But the holidays are about indulgence. Everybody knows that... Just exercise every day to keep the blood flowing.


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[Senator]

I am still a working 30 something, but I get grossed out by the "pot luck" holiday parties at work. Everybody brings they're own dish that was made at home with they're unwashed hands. It grosses me out every year.

I am glad I am not the only one who feels that way. And people with younger kids always will let the kids help. Yuck. Not much more gross than a kids hands.

I am looking forward to missing the office myself....

Now when they bring in the kids wrapped Halloween candy, I am all over it...

 

[LitGal]

Was going to say, "Sorry, can't think of any."

But then I remembered those nice Christmas envelopes passed out by the administration to each of the teachers, with our holiday gift that made shopping easier.

It wasn't a lot, but a lovely thought in the midst of private school rigors.

We all enjoyed that. And the fun brought by that envelope is one thing I could "miss."

Oh, and the sweet cards and gifts from students and their parents.

Appreciation does make a huge difference.

 

[jollystomper]

I am still a working 30 something, but I get grossed out by the "pot luck" holiday parties at work. Everybody brings they're own dish that was made at home with they're unwashed hands. It grosses me out every year. Nothing is healthy really. But the holidays are about indulgence. Everybody knows that... Just exercise every day to keep the blood flowing.

Pot luck holiday parties stopped at my office after about a dozen folks got sick within aa few days of one. Fortunately no one seriously ill, but given the cluster of sickness and the symptoms the likely culprit was the party. After that Megacorp increased the budget so that the parties were either professionally catered or in a restaurant.

The gift grab bag is nice, though. We can submit a list of up to 5 gifts ideas under a certain dollar limit (which varies on how well the business has done). The managers then combine the lists and have items purchased and wrapped, and everyone draws a gift. If you get something you don't want you can see if someone else wants to trade.

 

[Dash man]

I used to work a job that required teams to be on station 24/7/365, and my team had Christmas graveyard shift for a couple of years in a row. This was the main Christmas meal for many of us, so everyone contributed and we all gorged ourselves. Afterwards, we did a Pollyanna gift exchange by putting all the wrapped gifts on a large table, then drawing for the order to pick a gift. We could pick any remaining gift on the table or select the gift the previous person chose. It was actually me of the most memorable Christmases I'd ever had with a great group of people.

 

[davismills]

I don't mean to be bah-humbug, but I don't miss the office potlucks. I always used to gain about 5 lbs during the holidays, but now I just increase my gym attendance. My wife still bakes the cookies, but she gives them all away to the neighbors. My office friends were good people, but the cook off contests I could have done without.

 

[JoeWras]

We used to have pot lucks but MegaCorporate quietly squashed them a few years ago with a memo to stop, apparently from legal. Don't want any sickness spreading.

I don't miss them.

I do have to laugh at the OP's post. Here at MegaTechCorp, I see a lot of pure crap put out in the breakrooms. I swear engineers will eat anything. It always gets swarmed on like a bunch of flies and is gone in minutes. It doesn't matter what it is. If it is free, somewhat edible, they'll eat it.

This kind of recycling is good for the environment.

 

[timo2]

Bob Porter (played by Paul Willson): "Looks like you've been missing a lot of work lately."
Peter Gibbons (played by Ron Livingston): "I wouldn't say I've been missing it, Bob."

Great movie and TV quotes about working - Boston.com

 

[freebird5825]

We used to have pot lucks but MegaCorporate quietly squashed them a few years ago with a memo to stop, apparently from legal. Don't want any sickness spreading.

I don't miss them.

I do have to laugh at the OP's post. Here at MegaTechCorp, I see a lot of pure crap put out in the breakrooms. I swear engineers will eat anything. It always gets swarmed on like a bunch of flies and is gone in minutes. It doesn't matter what it is. If it is free, somewhat edible, they'll eat it.

This kind of recycling is good for the environment.

The engineers' consumption rate is exceeded only by that of techie summer interns.

 

[aja8888]

Engineers designed and made the stoves and microwaves for a reason,,

 

[harley]

I do have to laugh at the OP's post. Here at MegaTechCorp, I see a lot of pure crap put out in the breakrooms. I swear engineers will eat anything. It always gets swarmed on like a bunch of flies and is gone in minutes. It doesn't matter what it is. If it is free, somewhat edible, they'll eat it.

The lab I worked in had a lot of contractors from other countries (non-US), and talk about a horde of locusts. At a BWW happy hour once one of my coworkers ordered the hottest wings available. None of us could eat them (they chemical burned my fingers just touching them). So he took them home, and brought them to work the next day and put them in the refrigerator. Not only did they disappear, but nobody even commented on the heat.

I can't think of a thing I miss about the office and the holidays. Or about the office and any day, for that matter.

 

[photoguy]

I worked briefly at a place famous for free food and if I brought stuff (like leftover Halloween candy) it was gone almost immediately. However the company had tried to move to healthier snacks so I guess mini chocolate bars were more desirable than dried unsalted edamame.




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[Redbugdave]

I remember the Christmas luncheons. They were nice with the idea of family and friendliness. The idea was good. You had to know the rules and be friendly with everybody. But, for me it was always hard because I had two lives. One was my work life with work "friends", and the other was my real life with my "real friends". It's like dealing with matter and anti-matter. And you cannot make matter from anti-matter. Now...my whole world is composed of just matter. I don't miss the anti-matter.

Oh, and about food...leftovers and such...the dog is happy to get all that.

 

[unno2002]

[FONT=&quot]For fifteen years or so, our office did a "Western Christmas on the Range"… We met the the local outdoor shooting range and burned up some ammo… No food or drink allowed, due to no restrooms… A few hours in the open air, some friendly competition, then home to the family.[/FONT]

 

[Redbugdave]

[FONT=&quot]For fifteen years or so, our office did a "Western Christmas on the Range"… We met the the local outdoor shooting range and burned up some ammo… No food or drink allowed, due to no restrooms… A few hours in the open air, some friendly competition, then home to the family.[/FONT]

Now, that sounds nice! I would have enjoyed that. I do some shooting myself. But alas, I was employed with some of the more academic types.

 

[martyp]

I don't miss the office holiday party because I never went to it.

 

[MRG]

Now, that sounds nice! I would have enjoyed that. I do some shooting myself. But alas, I was employed with some of the more academic types.

Alas some of my co-w*rkers refused to go shooting if a particular person would have a weapon. His nickname was 'scary guy', never had to explain it to anyone that met him. I'm sure he was harmless just very odd.

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[LoneAspen]

I don't like team potlucks. I don't cook - I eat out frequently, or bring something home. So for me to participate in a potluck, I'd have to swing by a grocery store or restaurant before the potluck and get something and bring it back to the office.

I finally stopped doing it, because people always bring way more food than the group can eat anyway. Most of it got thrown out or carried back home, so my little contributions to it weren't missed anyway.

As far as company holiday parties go, I haven't been to one of those in over 10 years. I prefer not to socialize with people from work. I have my own circle of friends outside of work.

My rationale is...I have to work with these bozos for 40 hours a week, I don't want to have to socialize with them, too.

My new manager went to the holiday party and said afterwards that he thought it was lame. No good food or entertainment, and one of the cofounders (whom I think is very socially inept and has very poor social and speaking skills) got up and gave a speech, and it was horrible. I go so far as to head in a different direction when I see him walking toward me in the hallways, he's that socially awkward. To hear him give a speech would be torture.

Glad I didn't go.

 

[Amethyst]

This is what is referred to, in our home, as a non-problem Baking is one of my hobbies, and I'll go on a baking frenzy now and then, creating many containers of cookies, cakes, loaves, bars...these go into the downstairs freezer, and are doled out over several weeks. Butter-based items freeze really well, and 20 seconds in the microwave makes them taste almost like they just came out of the oven. It's fun to put together a selection of "goodies" for dessert or treats, rather than just one kind.

But I sure don't miss those office pot-lucks. No "free food" when you work for Uncle Sam; it's all got to be donated by employees. Either you chip in and the office manager buys food, or everyone brings something. Anything decent gets gobbled up immediately, while the taco casserole lingers accusingly for days until somebody throws it out. Nope, don't miss that $#!+.

Amethyst

DW always prepares way too much food and it's almost all junk (good junk, but junk.)

Before ER, I could always dump several tens of thousands of calories on my fellow employees. Now it is all sitting in the house looking at me. We mailed off a bunch to distant relatives, but...