The Christmas Contest

My work is so dorky. Every year we have a Gingerbread Decorating Contest, and this year the theme was "Favorite Holiday Song". While NG and I have been listening to Christmas music ever since it started playing on the radio, we couldn't think of a song. That, and I'm slowly making this girl my clone and she's realizing how lame some of these activities are that the company thinks we should do.

However, 2 people in my department decided to take the gingerbread kit and make one. Their song? Rudolph! And to be honest, they did a REALLY good job. The rules are you can't use anything but the gingerbread kit, with the supplies it comes with and the extra candy HR provides. Seems simple enough, but every year people get disqualified for using tape, or something not included. My co-workers display was impressive. The house was Santa's workshop, all the reindeers were made out of tootsie rolls and they even had a Santa in there!

They didn't end up winning - the contest is rigged and IT wins every year. Check out the photos of all the entries - there was the dreidel song, lots of rudolphs and grandma got run over.



And let's just talk about what everyone is thinking after looking at these pics. Forget the contest - look at those fridges!! I work for a billion dollar company and I can barely afford my apartment. I say instead of getting TWO stainless steal fridges, they could have gotten boring standard whites ones and use the money they saved on my raise.

... just sayin'!

Merry Christmas Everyone!
Love, Your Favorite Grinch :)

Here's your sign

I know I have spelling mistakes in my blog every now and then, but I can't help but laugh at this sign. It was posted by either Bill or Jim. I'm leaning more towards Bill, since he was kind of pissy when I pointed out the fail.

Naturally I took a picture and harassed him all day. 'Tis the season! ;)

Enjoy!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas time is one of my most favorite times to be a receptionist. Forget the screaming people on the phone, the annoying construction going on in the building, taking over someone's job while still doing my own, and the fact that my title is stilllllll receptionist, Christmas time is when everyone kisses up to me!

Vendors, especially those who come into the office regularly, LOOOOVE to bring me stuff. And really, what says Christmas better than free swag?!

The other day I got a fun purple notebook with pen from the FedEx guy. Today I got these 2 boxes delivered to me from one of the caterers we use just about every day. (See pic above. It had ribbons all over it, but naturally, I tore those off immediately.) So the catering lady brought one in for me, for being such an amazing customer and ordering from them all the time, and then she brought one in for the receptionist.

Oh wait.

That's ME! hahahaha, silly lady didn't realize I did it all! So what did I do? I kept both, I mean really, why would I share with NG? I'm "lead receptionist" and I do all the catering orders for the company.

So what did they bring me? Oh just some amazing delicious goodies. Of course, I dug in before remembering to take a picture, so I'm missing 2 pieces, but you get the idea.


Now is it worth being a receptionist to get these yummy treats? Absolutely not, but chocolate will always make this girl happy. Thank God for my gym membership...

Finn and Rachel break up

So you may remember that I posted about two co-workers dressing up as Rachel and Finn from Glee on Halloween for our Halloween costume contest at work. And in a very rare occurrence, I was wrong. They aren't dating. In fact, that couldn't have been further from the truth.

Finn is gay.

I'm usually so good at being able to tell when inter-office romance is going on! I'm losing my touch!

And how do I know this? All thanks to NG going to the office holiday "after party" last Thursday.

While I had plans to snuggle with my nephew, NG went to the local bar that our co-workers frequent for happy hours. She almost had forgotten the story until Finn walked by in the morning, being his usual quiet, nerdy IT self.

Apparently the night before Finn was out. of. control. I don't mean just drunk, I mean, spilling his cosmo, shouting about what men at work he, um... "wanted to get to know better", calling every girl "bitch" (in a loving way, of course) and acting surprised that "people didn't know he was gay". Umm... you're a quiet little IT boy that hangs out with Rachel, why would we know?!

Now, don't get me wrong, I just partied with a whole bunch of gay men on Saturday, and had an absolute blast. But to hear Finn being this crazy drunk gay man is so bizarre! I never would have guessed him to be gay. Or crazy. Or a drinker. ...And I guess that means that him and Rachel are just friends.

Who saw that one coming? Although, I guess him dressing up as a Glee character makes a little more sense.

Ha, who knew. Not this girl!

Walking in heels

Let's discuss the email I got from Bossboss. I got it Tuesday morning, and I have finally calmed down from the reading it, so now is the best time to share! Plus, I had a meeting with Bossboss today, so I wanted to wait until after we had talked to see what else she had to say. Below is the email, my comments are in purple.

Hi Ruby,

Let’s discuss ways to increase your visibility off the board. As we discussed at our last one-on-one, we need to get you out among the buildings, talking to staff and administrative personnel. (uhhh what? WHY?)

I have asked Jim to begin a project with the conference rooms. Why don’t you work with him this week to finish it. (Oh HELL no)

Please set up a meeting with us and Kathy to review the meeting transition from travel to office services/reception. (Why? I already know how to do her job, and Kathy is leaving on the 30th. She could care less about any sort of transition)

Can you or NG begin walking the buildings and help with the kitchens, mail room and meeting spaces? Can one of you please water the plants in the second floor café??? (Excuse me, we have plant boy to come in water the plants, he can continue doing so. And you want me to clean kitchens, a what what?!)

We need to keep you both as busy as possible. I am getting some feedback about having two receptionists and don’t want people to think we are not busy. Can you put some thought into this and send me some ideas?

thanks

That's it. No signature, no you're doing a great job, I appreciate you, no nothing. What the hell? And hiiiiiiii, you're the one that hired a second receptionist, how is it MY problem that there are two of us sitting at the desk?! Where else are we supposed to go??

Why do I have to walk around to do office services things? Why do I have to walk around to LOOK busy, even though I'm swamped actually doing things at my desk? This week alone there are 14 meetings. But sure, let me walk around to all the buildings and make sure kitchens are clean and that printers have paper.

UGH.

I don't understand why she just won't change my job title to something other than receptionist. I don't understand why I can't just take over Kathy's job. Why does it have to be absorbed by reception? Why does this lady hate me so much!?

My meeting with her started 20 minutes earlier than planned. She cornered me in the kitchen (while I was cleaning out coffee pots - oh the joy) and make me walk around the office with her, having her point out things she hated and wanted me to do. Then when it was actual meeting time, I was stuck in her office while she blabbed on about how people don't understand why we have two receptionists, so I need to make myself more visible so people see I do more than just reception.

Uhhh that's great and all, but all it keeps coming back to is why did she hire another girl full time if there's no need for her, other than to cover me when I deliver lunches, do Kathy's job and my lunch break?

And has she completely lost it? She wants me to team up with Jim about a conference room project??

Ok, maybe I'm still annoyed about it. I almost feel like she keeps throwing all this shit at me in hopes that I just quit and that NG becomes "lead receptionist" (that's her new term for me. Lead Receptionist. She also likes Senior Receptionist, but I made her stop calling me that)

I'll keep you all posted about how my walking around the office turns out. I guess on the brighter side of things (and look at me being positive!), all that walking in heels will be great for my legs. Summer isn't that far away... ;)

The attack of the onions

So everyday shiz niz is willing the poll right now, so here you go :)

As many of you might know, I loathe onions. The smell, the taste, the texture, the whole smelly thing. If you gave me the choice to starve or to eat an onion, I would die. My family thinks its SO hilarious to tease me about this. Ha, ha. The joke never gets old!! :)

So imagine how happy I was when not only did I walk into the office to hear that freaking alarm STILL beeping (Yes, if you remember from a previous post, it's the SAME alarm. It's been months. SO FUN!) but to see a lovely breakfast delivered on my desk. Bagels, muffins, fruit... the usual. And if that wasn't fun enough, I got to encounter a platter of onions. Yes. You read that correctly. They sent over a PLATTER OF ONIONS.


Of course I took a picture of it. How else would you believe that there was a PLATTER OF ONIONS?!?!?!

Ew. I want to vomit.

I can still smell it. Do you people really eat onions in the morning on your bagels?? I shouldn't complain, we have a breakfast on Wednesday where the people requested HARD BOILED EGGS. Seriously, who do I work with?? Why on earth do people want these smelly things in their meetings?!?!

Ugh. Gross.

...Hope you're having a happier Monday than me! :)