Company Party

Finally, I work at a company that gets it! Well, at least where holiday parties are concerned. We had a quaint little luncheon today that was very tastefully done and probably didn't break the bank. We moved some chairs, pulled some tables together and busted out the red table cloth. We didn't rent out some expensive venue. We didn't hire somebody to bring in some poker tables and roulette wheels, nor did we have a harpist playing Deck the Halls. We didn't spend the payroll on a frivolous party.It was at noon, so only a couple of "significant others" were on hand, but it was still nice. It felt like a family meal.

The food wasn't bad either. The caterer had carved a ham and a turkey and produced the obligatory dinner rolls. These were no ordinary rolls though. They looked like a cross between a flaky, layered croissant and cornbread muffin. For the vegetarians, there was a tray of squash and a meatless rigatoni dish. There was also some stuffing. I refrained from launching into a diatribe about how we call it dressing or how that speaks to more than the distinction between whether its prepared in the bird or not. It wasn't half bad though. The fruit tray was more impressive than the one at my Caribbean hotel earlier this week, complete with a few of my favorites in papaya, mango and pineapple.

Even the conversation was stimulating. We ranged from funny stories about kids, to assault rifles, to vacuum cleaners and their inability to corral pet hair, to,um...roadkill. Yes, this was indeed at the table over a meal. There was hardly any discussion about work. It was great. I felt like I had just come home from college and connected with family and friends.

When it was over, we went back to work and finished the day. Morale was high and spirits were good. Oh, by the way, I even made a plate to take home.