Christmas...land of discovery: real and imagined

Ah....Christmas...land of the party and the secret meetings between odd pairings of office mates. Yes...drinking too much with your adversary....worthy...or otherwise...and having that heart-to-heart. This always seems like both a good idea and filled with new information that will create a bonding "team" moment - but really only gives them amunition to use against you at an opportune moment when it will cause you the most personal and career damage!

As we get older...and hopefully wiser...it is one of those things we hold to our hearts and remember: the "walk of shame" to our desk on the day following our "great" night out!

I have been in an odd situation for many years prior to moving to the United Kingdom. I have never really attended a work Christmas "do". So when I first began where I work I did not actually know how to get on. I spent a lot of time drinking - as one does when one is still in the college frame of mind - like a savage. I got quite drunk and was my usual self but with a difference. The difference being that the group of people I was with were not using the opportunity to drink themselves full...but they were using it to maneuver and climb and basically reenact various scenes from The Prince or The Art of War.

My first year in the current job...I made an ass of myself by staying at my bosses place and being the last to leave. I must admit that I have never managed to get back into her good books.

So this year I have approached the Christmas party season with a far more professional approach and have decided, in advance, the kind of behaviour appropriate to each of the events I am planning on attending. I have decided that at the party where the big wigs will be in attendance I will be the wing man to my newly instated colleague who I want to make into a friend - and prevent our boss' fumbling and cringe-worthy introductions from happening...and allow her to prevent me from making a shit-faced looser of myself. I have decided that at the luncheon on the Friday which is our section Christmas "do" I will have A glass of beer or two (at the most) or a cider even...but leave it at that...and then later on that day...dance my ass off at the "fun" party everyone is looking forward to where there is a DJ and my husband will be coming to meet me!

Planning...all events which successfully executed cannot do without it!

My next installment - my ire at being piped to the post at being the first to send Christmas cards! Darn that efficient cousin in Scotland!!!