Holiday Party '21

I'm happy to resume a tradition here at Lamplight Drivel that suffered a year off in 2020 - the holiday work party.   Always so much fun to report them.  Those so inclined can scroll back.  The pandemic shuttled any plans for a December outing last year, and this year we put our heads together for the comeback.  Should we do a great teambuilding exercise like an escape room? Or maybe the currently popular axe throwing? For reasons of which I'm not quite sure, the eventual party was thrown together two days before.  Probably some disagreements about the cost of the thing?  This proved to be controversial as some staff members already had plans and could not attend.  One of my co-worker's daughters had a soccer game (actually, two back-to-back as she's playing varsity and J.V.).

The gathering was right after work last Friday.  Same building, but on the fifth floor in a small, vacant suite that had been a psychologist's office.  The same suite in which we had a baby shower for another co-worker a few months earlier.  Serves the purpose.  The food was catered from Lynora's, which has excellent Italian.   Pene a la voda, pizza, chicken parm, Caesar salad, and calamari.   And mini cannolis.   All terrific.  I've modified my diet over the past several months but had to splurge if even a little bit this night.

Two of our five ENT doctors attended.  One of them has been with the practice for almost twenty-five years, and he reminisced about some of the gatherings of old.  As I was listening, I began to realize this entry was writing itself.   I was prepared anyway to recall those grand old parties we had the first few years I was with this group.  The doc cited the year we went to a Greek place called Taverna Opa.  That was a particularly memorable party, perhaps the peak of  my experience here.  We all ended up on the tables by the end.   There was a tiny bit of wistfulness in his voice, then some sadness as we spoke of former employees, those who've passed on, others with whom keeping up correspondence proved fruitless.  That's life.

Gone too (at least for this year) was the off site soiree.  I couldn't help but think about the nice restaurants and country clubs we had gone to before.  But longtime readers will recall that six years ago we went corporate, and the family vibe (and party budget) we once had kinda went south.  

But last week was a nice time.  Some brought their children and one of them was fascinated that I can make farting sounds with my hands.  Someone brought several bottles of wine.   Towards the end of the party, the Christmas music gave way to salsa and a few of the ladies danced impressively.   They even cut the lights at one point as things got rowdier.   Four of them continued the party downtown, but I was beat and my wife was at home, waiting on the plate of goodies I gathered.  And I was fine with all that.  I was happy we at least had a thing, and again am grateful for my job and an environment, while very different than the one in which I started, still allows me to help folks.