Topic: Christmas party season

[mdxtasy]

I LOVE office Christmas parties.

This year I'm going to the Halliburton Christmas Party with a friend of mine. It's semi-formal and we've got a dance, a comedian, Toonie bar, steak and lobster dinner plus $15 000 in give-aways. I've got my dress and I have to find some cute shoes but I'm really pumped!

There have been some amazing shindigs I've attended.  In O&G town, the big players really do spend some money to get the biggest party to the staff.  Most of them cost in excess of $1 million dollars to put on, a mere drop in the crude puddle. 

[tortoise]

Working for a hospital in Ontario means no "company" christmas parties.   We tend to go out for a late lunch where we each pay our own way.  The people in the office are great and it's usually a good time.

Reading about the haliburton party makes me SO envious.

[Brig]

Don't like dining with the spouse?

  I don't have one yet.

The problem with the dinner is that there will be twice as many people and since we don't have to go back to work afterwards it will drag on longer. More smalltalk over a longer time equals

 

Is that how you felt about socializing with us losers on Go-Kart night, Wolfe? 

(And I can't believe you don't have a significant other, cutie that you are.)   

[The Fuzz]

(And I can't believe you don't have a significant other, cutie that you are.)

Would you like us to leave you two alone??   

 

Went to a "birthday party" on Saturday...beer was $6.00
Man, if you can't afford to treat your friends, don't bother, I say.

We went to a wedding in the summer like that. Cash bar @ 5 bucks a beer. WTF. "Come celebrate our wedding but pay for yourself....And where's the gift?"

Working for a hospital in Ontario means no "company" christmas parties.

I feel your pain. Our shift puts $5.00 per pay into a "fund" that we use to pay for gifts (wedding, baby, funerals) and then use the remainder at the end of the year to have a Christmas for 4 or 5 needy families and then have a drunken bash for us.

[mdxtasy]

I feel your pain. Our shift puts $5.00 per pay into a "fund" that we use to pay for gifts (wedding, baby, funerals) and then use the remainder at the end of the year to have a Christmas for 4 or 5 needy families and then have a drunken bash for us.

Good on you and your fellow officers for putting something on for those who have trouble coping on a daily basis.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

We held one (personal friends and family holiday/housewarming/get-together, non-corporate) last year and will be hosting again this year December 2nd.

Except ours will be fun 

In the midst of Christmasifying the house over the week-end and this week. With the right atmosphere, just adding the right mix of people, lots of food and drinks, and perhaps an activity/game or two. Really just a time to get together with people at least once a year.

[DriverJeff]

Previously I found the corporate xmas party thing to be rather tedious.  Last year, things changed.  The bosses decided to do it up right (in conjunction with whatever money the 'social committee' earned through summer time barbecue lunches, etc.) and we had a delicious dinner at a great place with the whole joint rented out for us.  Plus, free drinks... AND a fleet of limos to get people to and from the event.  It was a really great time.  It helps that the partners are still very involved in the day-to-day lives of pretty well everyone here too. 

Otherwise, I take out a few clients for Xmas lunches and have a mitt-full of friend xmas parties this year.  My brother throws an amazing "corporate" party for his company (which is he and his business partner and all of their friends). 

[quadzilla]

When I worked at the bank/insurance companies we always had big parties and lots of them.  You went to a team Christmas lunch, division Christmas party and then there was the city wide party.  I found all the parties to be great and the people that organized them put a lot of hard work into making it fun.  Of course, you only get what you put into it so if you were a stick in the mud you would have a crappy time.  I never blamed the food or dj on the organizers as I never wanted to do it and only went to have a good time and talk to certain coworkers.  Personally I always had a good time, before during and after each party.  I always told the people that wouldn’t stop bitching to sign up for the committee next year since you could do a better job.  That usually shut them up.

We also raised money for needy families but I had a problem with it sometimes.  I thought that our over generosity could do more harm than good sometimes.  We could and would fill a board room with gifts for only one family!  I suggested finding more families and spread it out to more people but that never happened.  I remember one year (10 years ago) where they bought a vcr for the family saying that everybody should have one plus more presents for the two children than I remember seeing one Christmas when we had a second family staying with us. I’m sure everybody wants to watch movies but wouldn’t you rather some food on the table first?  I always wondered how the children dealt with the next year if they didn’t get any presents after getting enough for 5 children.  Don’t get me wrong, it was a great deal by doing this but I felt that some people went overboard.

Now I work for a small company and I must say they threw the best party we have ever been to.  Since we are only 3 people we share a party with two other businesses that are small (the owners all know each other) bringing the total around 30 people with guests.  They hold it at an owner’s house and had it catered.  The food was amazing and the party was really enjoyable and relaxing.

[Wolfe]

 

Is that how you felt about socializing with us losers on Go-Kart night, Wolfe? 

Absolutely not! It was great to be able to talk about cars and not have everyone's eyes glaze over. Besides my coworkers don't have the smell of burnt rubber and spent exhaust fumes in their hair and clothes.

I guess I fit in with the "losers" I'm looking forward to meeting more CTC folks at the Autoshow.

(And I can't believe you don't have a significant other, cutie that you are.)

Aww Brigitte flattery will get you everywhere.

[Arthur Dent]

I really dislike big fancy parties but unfortunatly the wife does like 'em so we go every year. My company puts a mulit-million dollar event every year. Personally I'd rather a Christmas bonus to a Christmas party. The kids party is good though.

[mdxtasy]

I really dislike big fancy parties but unfortunatly the wife does like 'em so we go every year. My company puts a mulit-million dollar event every year. Personally I'd rather a Christmas bonus to a Christmas party. The kids party is good though.

Yes.  One of our clients puts on a party for the kiddies (lavish with individual gifts for each) and then a big one for the adults separated into 2 nights.

[ghost]

I too prefer a nice big fat Christmas bonus instead. But my wife likes the fancy dress-up parties. I'm ok either way. I have good rapport with my colleagues so it's never really a bore for me yet.

[quadzilla]

I actually received two bonuses last year.  One before Christmas and one after Christmas.  No complaints here. 

[safristi]

NEVER had a BONE_ARSE in Ma Life....feel like if'n ya KANT pay me wot I'm worff ALL YEAR well I'll just coast till  early November/December Company Partrees are Largesse at the EXPENSE of the STOCK_HOLDERS..I doan want NO pukin' punk & punkettes heavin' on MY DIME.......have A GOOD ONE... .........

[safristi]

Don't BE so PICKY Las ..................the TECK_SHEILA still has sh mee innish grasspshss....

[UmroAyyar]

3 years with this company, first year everyone got a token bonus and a get-together at a bar. Second year no bonus, but a very nice christmas party at the Academy of Spherical Arts.. we played pool tournament there and people won prizes, I got second.

This year, there were no bonuses and all the money earmarked for gifts to customers and party funds are going to Hospital for Sick Kids, finally.

[Arthur Dent]

I really dislike big fancy parties but unfortunatly the wife does like 'em so we go every year. My company puts a mulit-million dollar event every year. Personally I'd rather a Christmas bonus to a Christmas party. The kids party is good though.

Yes.  One of our clients puts on a party for the kiddies (lavish with individual gifts for each) and then a big one for the adults separated into 2 nights.

EnCana? 

[safristi]

NO IN_CAN Aaaaahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Jeebus YA don't LOOK a Day OVr 70

[ovr50]

That hot babe on the right with her foot in the air LIKES it... My wife actually has some photos of her parents at parties dressed just like that at about that time. Hilarious. 

[Brig]

I'm really loving those shoes myself...     Just beautiful.