Thanks, Maeglin! I still lurk around quite a bit, and I occasionally succumb to the Posting Bug. 
Man what kind of place do you work at? We have pretty good parties where I work. The division party is actually an end of fiscal year party in October. They have always been open bar at a hotel or nightclub that is rented for the night. Maybe I have a high tolerance for drunken silliness but I have never seen anything close to what I would call a drunken frenzy or even people acting particularly drunk. My wife works in a different division that has similar parties but during the holiday season which also manage to not involve a drunken frenzy.
That thread was one of the first that really drew me into regularly reading the board (did it make Threadspotting, perhaps?), so I’m happy to see you still around too.
What a kind thing to say, Denise. Thank you!
Last year we had a catered luncheon in the conference room for the entire company (about 200 employees). It wasn’t too bad except that the company didn’t order enough food and my coworkers and I made the mistake of sitting in the back. By the time we got to the buffet there was hardly any food left. The bosses immediately sent out for more food, but it didn’t get there until the party ended.
My boss already RSVP’d for me this year. Her logic is that if I’m working that day, I’m going to the party. No excuses. Nothing makes the holidays better than mandatory fun!
I work in the office of a large warehouse; the warehouse staff work hard and play hard (apparently). The punch up is no exaggeration; there are rumours that this is the ‘last chance’ (to be invited to a work party) for some quite longstanding members of staff.
I have a question of etiquette. Is a department Christmas lunch at a restaurant supposed to be paid by the company? I don’t know. We are encouraged to attend, but we don’t have to. (At least I don’t think we have to, as I have a policy of blanket refusal and haven’t been fired yet–hmm, come to think of it my raises haven’t been all that big). But, we have to pay our own way if we do attend.
I am totally incompetent and uncomfortable at making inane small talk across a table EXCEPT, if I know and like the people present… A serious defect in today’s business world, I know.
I always feel like I did when I smoked pot (decades ago, please) … Like I was watching the situation out of body and am astounded by the surreal nature of the artificiality.
sx633, yes, the company should pick up the tab if they are hosting a Xmas lunch. It’s in poor taste to invite you then expect you to pay.
So did anyone bellydance?
:::crickets chirping:::
If only I could provide a link. 
Of all the threads lost in the Winter of Our Missed Content, I miss that one the most.
milroyj: I love to bake, but I’m perfectly aware that not everyone does; I feel bad for you and anyone else who’s being forced into a “cookie exchange”. And I think I’d balk at being given a quota. Seventy-two cookies exactly? Listen, pal, if Cookie Monster could see the size of my Ghirardelli’s chocolate chip cookies, he’d shoot his load. I get about twenty out of a batch. Hell if I’m making four batches, and I don’t wanna make 'em smaller, 'cause that’s my gimmick. I’d stretch it to twenty-four and put two in each bag. Two cookies from someone who bakes from the heart are better than six from someone who despises the task.
Homebrew: Talent show? Is this some kind of teaming excercise, where you’ll all work together if each of you has been humiliated in front of the others?
diku: Wait’ll I tell that to Mr. Rilch. I wonder how long it’ll take him to stop laughing.
Billy Rubin: Where the fuck do you work?!
I went to the office holiday party Friday night. It wasn’t too bad, except a guy at my table found a worm in his salad.
The talent show was … interesting …
A couple of departments had really lame skits. A couple of women sang; one in particular was enthusiastic yet very out-of-key (any key). She practically screamed into the mic about how good Jesus is. :rolleyes: My department and another department had lip-syncing dancers (ours was YMCA, as mentioned. The legal department did Soul Man a la The Blues Brothers. There was a break-dancer and a chourus who did a parody of the 12 Days of Christmas mocking different company officers and “quirks” of the corporate culture.
Went to my girlfriend’s office Christmas party, and it really kinda rocked. They had four different tables of food, each with a different theme. There were German, Southern, Mexican, and Italian dishes. Each table had its own seperate beer selection…Abita and Dixie Beers for Southern, St. Pauli Girl, Beck’s, etc. for German, Sol, Corona, Negra Modelo, etc. for Mexican, and Peroni, Moretti, etc. for Italian. There was wine and champagne as well. The band was a cool rockabilly/surf rock combo, and the door prizes were fantastic. The prizes ranged from free oil changes to a DVD player, a personal GPS unit, and a plane ticket for two to anywhere in the country. I, of course, won none of these things.
Ah well. At least they didn’t give away a machete, cause that would make three years running, and that would just be too much.
Oh, and it was located at the city’s Museum of Fine Art.
Look at it this way…
The United Way Campaign is JUST around the corner!