What I like about the less distant throwback posts is how the writing isn’t any different from my current stuff. My personality had been established, whereas the posts I wrote as a teenager were sociopathic and somewhat unpleasant to re-read. Empathy changes a person.
I still don’t enjoy doing Christmassy stuff at work. I agreed to bring cookies next Tuesday because I want people to like me, and the cookie recipe will make people forget about my otherwise bah humbug attitude. I’ll wait until Christmas Sweater Day to disappoint them by wearing a tasteful sweater.
Anyway, could you’ve guessed the below post was written ten years ago if I hadn’t mentioned it?
Dec 8, 2010: What are bananas in?
I’m all for themed parties, and enjoy an excuse to dress up, but Pajama Day is a terrible idea. It’s dressing down, especially if your pajamas are t-shirts with gaping holes in the armpits and cotton bottoms splattered with bleach damage, like mine are.
Therefore, I draw the line at Pajama Day.
Others didn’t. It was borderline creepy seeing my colleagues head-to-toe in flannel. One of them wore carrot slippers, because his feet are “naturally pointy”.
The snacks provided for this special day were s’mores and popcorn. Coffee was the beverage of choice, while hot chocolate drinkers were ignored completely. Someone put a small thing of apricots in the middle of the table, the loser snack. I happily chewed on a few pieces.
I was a wet blanket at a pajama party.
It’s all an attempt to get everyone in the holiday spirit. Someone made an advent calendar out of a two-foot tall cardboard house, using window shutters to conceal the image of two people in the office, usually crudely photoshopped over another image. As in usual advent calendar fashion, one shutter is opened each day.
The house originally resembled a prop from the movie Science of Sleep but yesterday another girl and I gave it a coat of purple paint. The house is now mad pimpin’. I have dubbed it Crown Royal Manor. In an attempt to be clever, I made a little College Pro Painters sign to stick in front of the house.
Two names are drawn daily, and the winners each get a large candy cane and their photo
behind the window shutter of the day. I haven’t gotten my candy cane yet, but it’s only day 8.
I’d prefer apricots though.
The next upcoming holiday thing at the office, that I know of, is a “Guess Who’s With Santa” contest. We’re all to bring in a photo of ourselves as a youngster posing with a strange old bearded man in a tacky costume. Everybody gets to match the bright, hope-filled faces to the jaded bunch they work with.
As my parents are still renovating their new house, a lot of their stuff are still trapped in boxes. For me, this means no access to old Christmas photos. I submitted a photo of me from when I was 16, posing with two friends. It’s obviously me in the photo so it’s not going to be much of a challenge.
Ideas for future office holiday events:
-rum and eggnog
-double rum and eggnog
-rum balls
-rum cake
-gingerbread pot cookies
-bouncy castle
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