Happy NOTHING!

Today is my company's holiday party. Big deal. The parties have gotten progressively worse since I have been at this agency, so there were no high expectations this year. But seriously, could it get much worse. In the past, we've had grand affairs at the Copacabana and Cipriani (the place where Puff Daddy, I mean P. Diddy, I mean Diddy has hosted a party or two at). Food, drink, illicit affairs. Even though we would have the party in January, after the holiday season when things were a little cheaper, at least they were parties. The day after always was a great day for office gossip. We were all happy and content.

Now, things aren't looking as great on the financial front, so we have been having our parties in the office. I spend enough time here. At least, when I'm out of the office, I can pretend like I'm at an event with people other than my co-workers. Last year was the same old catered food and drink, but they changed one conference room into a karaoke station and a lot of people really enjoyed it. Our group hosted our own party in our cubicles, as we did the year before, and it was a hit. People had fun.

This year is different. Originally, the party was to begin at 4 and afterwards, our group was going for dinner and drinks in Little Italy. Then the transit strike happened. Yesterday, attendance was low so to make things more convenient for those of us who can actually get to work, they changed the party start time to 1:PM, canceled the DJ and donated half the food to a very good charity (City Harvest). Well, attendance is a little better today now that everyone has found a way to get to/from work. The line for the food was as long as the lines people have been waiting on to get their trains home (lucky me, I can walk) and when we finally made it to the table, the only thing left was cheese.

Note to my fellow co-workers: do not cut the line. We all saw you and that is so rude. Why are you more special than the rest of us waiting for the only thing that could be considered a "holiday bonus" around here? Pathetic as it is that it is a plate of cheese, you should be ashamed. Do not contemplate for 5 minutes which piece of chicken looks better than the rest. Just take a piece and move on down the line!!! Do not load your plate full of all the "good" food when you see the rest of us starving folk waiting in the longest line ever just hoping there will be a cracker left. Take a little and go out and get yourself a sandwich, like I now have to do. I hate you all. I hate this company. But thanks for the cheese.