The Nature of Holiday Parties

It's that time of year again...Holiday parties.
I admit that the biggest draw of most holiday parties is the free food, however sometimes, the parties are so horrible that the free food is not a draw at all. This is the case with most of the parties at the University..and it may be that the parties aren't that bad but more to the fact that I can't stand it when people dress themselves up as Christmas trees and drape themselves in bells. And that Christmas-Dress sickness is a pandemic in many offices, including mine. Maybe it is the fact that we don't put up Christmas trees (we are the Middle East Center after all), that certain co-workers feel like dressing "festively".

I am going to go to the Job 3 Christmas party because I am curious to see what a Christmas party with computer geeks would be like. Plus, they are holding it at a nice hotel downtown, so the food must definitely be good.

Anyway, this year I managed to avoid the University Christmas Party but still reaped the benefits of the free food. My tip (and secret to my success): Offer to answer the office phones so that everyone else can go to the party and enjoy themselves. It worked marvolously and I am currently eating two heaping plate-fulls of food brought to me by grateful co-workers. Yum...