Right now my company Christmas party is under way. I have decided not to attend this year. For no other reason than pure bitterness. I felt like every single one of us worked our asses off this year and didn't get so much as a thank you in return. So I boycotted. Do I think that this accomplished anything? No. Do I think I 'showed them' by not showing up? Not really. I am 100% positive that everyone is gyrating happily on the dance floor, or on their knees emoting intense burning desire while singing up at the one they love (yes, these things happen). Managers and admin alike are probably just beginning to bid their adieus before things really begin to get out of hand. I am positive those who are not there, are not missed.
I just didn't feel like schmoozing this year. On top of all the other crap we have had to do to attend these things. For the first two years the celebrations were held a few hours away from the city, and transportation was not provided. In 2007 we were required to be at the hotel for 9AM in order to attend all day long meetings and were given a full half hour before dinner to dash up to our rooms to get ready. The rooms we had to pay for. Not the full amount, but really? Who does that? Keep in mind we were sort of required to attend these meetings. At least the first party I attended they made it all about us. It was nice to be thanked for all the hard work we had done that year.
The next year we only had to attend a half day worth of meetings, which were just as boring, and just as pointless. And in my boss' thank you speech, she thanked everyone but me. The one who does all of her work for her. Who works with her directly. Great. I know it was a simple mistake on her part, but damn. I believe this foreshadowed the rest of the year and the fact that anyone involved in the company who has to deal with me directly always states, "I am sorry, I am unfamiliar with you. Are you new here?". Uh nope. I am the one that has been paying you every two weeks for the past three years though, the one you email relentlessly and belligerently if your paycheck is a fifth of a second late.
Also, that party was kind of lame.
This year I thought, "I don't really feel like hanging out with work folks, I don't want to have to pay for my room, and I don't want to rent a car to get out to whatever ridiculous location they are holding it at this year". Of course this year they held it only 45 minutes away and could be reached by TTC, had hired some sort of cab service for everyone, hired an improv team, are having a raffle, and I find out that some of the rooms that were paid for already were going to be empty and were just asking for people to sleep in them. These things were all mentioned to me AFTER the fact. When it was too late to take my boycott back.
Of course.
I suppose it would be lame of me to half ass a boycott. Instead I fell asleep on the couch for an hour with a cat tucked under my arm, ate homemade guacamole for dinner at around midnight, and caught the last half hour of The Fifth Element, a movie I can watch over and over again. I am not really sure why.
What did you do on this Friday night that is now over? Boycotted something I hope!
