Wednesday's Question of the Day: holiday parties

swampwitch

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Happy Wednesday, Friends! 'Tis the season for parties, both for work and with friends.

Do you go to many parties over the holidays? Have you been to some goods ones (or particularly bad ones)?

We usually go to my husband's work party, which is pretty fun. This year it is in a pub so that will be different. We have some neighbors down the street who throw a party every December, but after going to them 4 years in a row we now politely decline every year. They were so horrible - every light in the house is blazing, and the food is bad, and they don't even have any music playing. I'd always bring some appetizers so we'd have something to eat. They really discouraged drinking so if you brought a bottle of wine they usually couldn't open it, or you'd sip it out of paper bathroom cups. 

There's an annual party we love going to and we try to make that one every year. It's a lot of fun with interesting people and the food is always great! Lots of wine flowing, too, hey it's the holidays.
 
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Winchester

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Our planning commission has a dinner after the December meeting and we are expected to attend that. It's pretty nice, actually. Delicious food and a nice holiday atmosphere. Another planning commission also has a bit of a party during and after their December meeting (complete with mulled cider) and I always make an appearance for a few minutes before heading home. The dinners can be fun, but spouses are not allowed (I don't really agree with that) and I feel kind of weird being there without Rick. But it's expected that we are to attend and, while I can give regrets, I think it would be frowned upon. 

We have a large holiday luncheon for all employees here, but I've never attended that as I'm usually out walking. But I may go back to the cafe later on in the afternoon for a piece of cake or something like that. It's catered, so nobody has to cook.

Our planning department (all six of us....
) will throw a small luncheon and we all bring a little something. I'm expected to make my crock pot beans and my pizza dippers. I make pan-fried onion dip, too. And I always bring in cookies for dessert. One of my GFs no longer works in the building, but we invite her to our lunch anyway and she has to bring her Buffalo Chicken Dip (that's why I have my dippers); she doubles the recipe because one of my co-workers and I can pile the stuff on our plates and eat it with a spoon, it's that good...the heck with the dippers  
. The guys will bring in cheese and bologna, stuff like that. There's a lot of chips and pretzels about, too. Our boss is an avid hunter, so he'll bring some venison bologna. Our secretary has a decadent brownie recipe and she'll make potato salad. It works. There are only six of us, but, trust me, nobody walks away hungry.

We have some friends who like to throw a holiday bash.....that one can be downright hilarious. We usually wait until mid-February or so for a get-together at our house. It's not a holiday party then, more like a "Is spring ever gonna come???" kind of thing. By mid-February, I'm climbing the walls, waiting for warmer weather and I'm tired of being caged up in the house. The holidays are over, my birthday is over (birthday is mid-January), the Super Bowl is over, and it's just plain dark and dreary. 

I always say, "There's a reason I look like this!" It's really hard to keep the weight off during the holidays! 
 

sivyaleah

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My office always throws a big bash for the holidays.  Typically, we rent a private room in a nice restaurant, unlimited bar and fancy nibbles which are somewhere between cocktail fare and dinner.  Very casual - nobody really dresses up because it's right after work.  I usually don't stick around - 90% of the staff is way younger than me and at this point in my life, I really don't "get them" - I'm sure some will understand.  All very nice people but still, not my thing. And to complicate matters it's hard for me to stand around in a noisy, crowded place for a couple of reasons; one is the knee issue I'm dealing with and 2nd, is I have a partially paralyzed vocal cord.  That makes it difficult to communicate in that kind of atmosphere - have to shout too much to be heard and my voice disappears. 

Plus, (another plus!) I have to commute back to NJ from NYC, and be up really early to get in on time.  So, I show my face for an hour or so, have a drink and a nosh and then head home.  There is also an "After Party" for the people who really can hang hard - they will pick some trendy bar to go to afterwards.  I can't tell you how many people show up for work the next day hungover because of that.  One of my bosses takes great glee in making those employees a little miserable the next day lol.

Personally, nobody I know throws parties for friends this time of year.  Or at least, none that live close by.  My sister usually does a New Years party which we're invited to but we prefer staying close to home.
 

jcat

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We have a teachers' meeting on a Saturday in early to mid-December, with a Christmas party afterwards - usually a buffet. Somehow it almost always manages to snow that day, and everybody worries about getting home, so it breaks up by around 9 or 10.
 

kathyfromcanada

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They cut out the Christmas party at the my husband's workplace. Not sure why, could either be expenses or just plain not wanting to be

liable for any people getting drunk and driving. They cut it out where I work just due to being cheap, period! My niece usually has a Christmas

Eve party which is quite nice. Just family and some friends. So we attend that. Always enjoy it! 
 

MoochNNoodles

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A couple from our church usually host a couples party and it's been a lot of fun!  They have a large enough house that they can set up tables for everyone to eat at.  This year though; it's a family party, and I'm a lot less excited to go with my kids in tow. It's nice to have a reason to go out just the 2 of us and spend time with other couples instead of chasing kids.  I'm not sure if we'll go.

DH's company never does a party.  They are too busy this time of year!  
 

peaches08

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I'm just about worn out from Thanksgiving and all the birthdays clustered together! But, I'm glad to get invited and to go...I don't know how next year will be with a new job and all.
 

mservant

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Don't know if dinner round at a friend's house last Friday counted - it wasn't for Thanksgiving or Hanukkah or anythingn but of us got together for great food and a laugh? Not much else other than meeting one or two friends at a time for a coffee before I leave my work in a couple of weeks time, then a meal out with other volunteers from ths shop I help out in some time in January.  I don't drink alcohol which makes most work do's and parties pretty  
..........
 

mani

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I'm not at all a party type.  But I do have quality catch-up times with good friends.
 

luciafernanda

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my last job had awesome christmas parties...they'd take us to a good restaurant and there'd be an open bar from 3pm til midnight, and a raffle where they give away iPads and microwaves and stuff. my current job the christmas party sucks...they take us to a fancy restaurant but it's a fixed price menu and the vegetarian option is a salad (not even a good one, no dressing or protein!) and the only alcohol that's free is red wine which i hate. and THIS year they're doing the party on a work night so we all have to come to work the next day...yeah...i don't think i'm going ha.

but this is a big city and there'll be some good parties at bars and clubs...i like ones sponsored by liquor companies...open bars galore :D
 

tara g

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The only holiday party we will be going to is my company party. This year they are having it at a resort on one of the local beaches. Open bar means I'm in! :lol3: And we get an $80 discount on a room if we stay at the resort, so we figure why not stay on the beach too? Its only about 35 miles from our apartment, but it would be nice to relax two weekends in a row (this weekend is our 2 year anniv). This is my first holiday party at this company. In the past we had pretty good ones - the job I was at for 5½ years used to keep it simple - BBQ and oysters, sides, and a beer truck with a bonfire in the parking lot next to the building. It was always a lot of fun too :)
 

sivyaleah

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Don't know if dinner round at a friend's house last Friday counted - it wasn't for Thanksgiving or Hanukkah or anythingn but of us got together for great food and a laugh? Not much else other than meeting one or two friends at a time for a coffee before I leave my work in a couple of weeks time, then a meal out with other volunteers from ths shop I help out in some time in January.  I don't drink alcohol which makes most work do's and parties pretty  
..........
That's my problem also.  I get migraines when I do.  I might have a small glass of wine or beer, but really not even worth mentioning.  Sitting around watching other people get drunk isn't my idea of a fun way to pass time.  My apologies to all the party people out there haha 
  I've had the word curmudgeon used for me more than a few times.  The thing is, I did all of that and more when I was younger, so now it holds no interest for me.  
 
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