Work Holiday Party
We're limiting expenses at work. Cut out of the budget for year-end were department Holiday parties. Last year, our department went to Dave & Buster's for games and food on a Friday afternoon. I was sorta planning on doing something of the same sort this year (I am the party planner) but, with no money, that was out.
Some of the other departments decided to have potlucks. We're not so much the potluck department. Too many "I'll bring chips and soda" types. Our boss very nicely offered to buy lunch for everyone out of his own pocket so we catered in food from Acacia Café. Very good food, too.
Trying to find some sort of activity for us, I suggested to my buddy Dave (the other IT Manager) that we buy a selection of small gifts, wrap them and then have a White Elephant like gift exchange. You know, where you can either open a gift or steal one from someone else until everyone's had a turn.
He agreed so we did some shopping yesterday. I offered to wrap all the gifts. It was fun. I tried to disguise some of them in boxes or gift bags and I think I could have done all 18 of them in different wrapping paper or bags if I tried. I'm a Christmas wrapping paper junkie so I have lots of it to choose from.
Of course, I had some help from George.
She ran off with three different rolls of ribbon, two bows, some raffia, a piece of tissue paper, some loose wrapping paper and also gnawed on a full roll of wrapping paper and one of the gift bags. There was a lot of "George, put that down!" being yelled at my house last night.
I wish I'd had my camera out for the cutest photo opp. I was putting the wrapped gifts into a big cardboard box. There was one corner of the box still empty so George climbed in and positioned herself in the open area.
Adorable! It's that kind of stuff that keeps her alive.
I locked the presents in my closet overnight for their safety. My lesson learned is that I'm going to have to take everything I wrap over to my parents right away this year to store them under their tree. Their cat just hides behind the presents, she doesn't maul them or drag them off.
Everyone had a good time and there's only one present that I regret getting (so far). It's a dancing chicken that plays a Christmas song then segues into The Chicken Dance. That's going to get old, fast. I'm also a little worried about the two sets of Nerf pistols. I can see projectiles going over cubes at any moment.
