Pre-Christmas madness
 

Killing time here . . . nobody wants to work . . . we are all giving out last minute gifts . . . divvying up the cookies, baklava, fruit, chocolate, and unidentified sausage gifted us by our clients. . . traffic is crazy . . .

Man, I worked for a company one year that had "clients" who gave us corporate gifts--the loot was amazing! The best part was the decision-makers couldn't care less about the stuff, so all of us underlings got to eat the incredibly expensive truffles and whatnot.

I never got diddly squat. I spend maybe $25-$30,000 a year on computer stuff for my employer. But I'm lucky to see a Christmas card from most of my vendors. Meanwhile, printers and accountants are sending all kinds of stuff to my counterparts in the P.R. and business offices respectively.

Fortunately for them I don't care--the only Christmas present I want from them is for the crap I paid for to work without a hassle.

$25-$30K in computer equipment?

No offense Steve, but that's not much in the grand scheme of computer sales, especially if it's not all with one vendor. Mr. Clod (well, him and his department of 3-4 other people) was the spender of at least a million a year for his previous employer, and all they got was taken out to an expensive lunch on occasion.

I just got a Coach money clip made of water buffalo calf skin. I got this from a vendor that I rarely use. It's pretty nice, if you like money clips. Maybe I'll give it to my brother in-law. This time of year is pretty awesome when it comes to the bribes, I mean gifts, that vendors send to me. And it works for them in the sense that I ponder on the name of the company for a moment or two when I open them and send a thank you e-mail, but that's about it.

In no particular order:

I got a gift card for Ticket Master from one agency I use a LOT. This is cool, because although I don't go to many concerts or shows, this can be used at the Baltimore Aquarium and also the science museum up there. Take the whole family!

I got a gift card for AMC Theaters from another agency. It's enough to take my family of four to the movies and get snacks too.

Got a real nice gift basket of chocolates and stuff from an agency I HATE and will never use again if I have a choice.

I also get taken out to lunch about 3-4 times a year. I could probably increase this dramatically if I whored myself out, but I really don't like dining with strangers trying to sell me stuff. I only eat with people I like.

I send out about a half million in business each month. Roughly $6 Million a year. I don't generate that business, I just control where it goes.

My salary is rather unimpressive, but at least I get the Christmas bribes.

*snort* I just re-read that and have to laugh. I don't know where I got those figures. And I was so sure of them as I wrote them. It's more like $1.5 million a year.

Oh, I know. But we spend proportionally similar amounts on things like printing services, accountants, office supplies, etc. and those folks all get fruit baskets, gift cards, nice boxes of chocolate, etc.

I went into a grocery store last night... stuuuuuuupid.

I got a $200 bottle of red wine, some groovy goblets, tickets to the Aust Open Tennis, 2 nites accommodation at the Sofitel in Melbourne and an iPod.

I like my job occasionally

:eek: just heard on TV that Mervyns (a dept store here) is going to be open the next three days from 5 am til 2 am

DuckNuts, wow! Big haul there. I couldnt accept any expensive gifts from clients like that due to ethical rules.

But that's okay. My boss gave me a beautiful print he brought back from Italy and had framed, a necklace, and a $150 department store gift cert. My secret santa gave me luggage (a weird fucking present if you ask me, but . . . ); I got 2 bottles of nice wine, too.

Guess your SS wants you to visit them Cloud

I work in commercial real estate management, the accounting side. The contracts with our owners involve 2 aspects. First is the property manager, who hires vendors, does collections from tenants, and keeps the building in good condition. Then there is the accountant, who pays the vendors, records deposits and bills the tenants, and prepares the financial statements.

So the owners, the vendors, the mortgage companies, etc. all send gifts of chocolate, wine, food baskets, tickets to events, and cards etc...usually addressed to the property manager as the one they have primary contact with.

Now, do you think these property managers shared a single chocolate or card with the accounting side? We are in the same office, opposite sides of the floor. In fact, they took the gifts and hid them in cabinets and then divided up the unused food and baskets and took them home.

The good news is I got a $2500 year end bonus this year, which is more than 98% of the rest of the company got... I'd rather have financial recognition than some chocolate and wine!!

A fellow accounting side co-worker actually brought it up to a PM, and I quote, "The have-nots are knocking on the haves door, and we WANT IN"...lol. Not that it made any difference.

Oh well. I guess it says a lot about the people who refuse to share.

Slip some Ex-Lax in their box of chocolates.

Today at my grocery store Jewel Osco the register computers and intercom and front end telephones all died for 20 minutes. Woo, talk about a line pile up, mangggg. At least that wasn't on Xmas Eve!

My gifts arent from clients, Cloud...I get cards, chocolates and sleazy lines followed by phone numbers from them :)

Thats from our finance company and warranty company.

Can't stay long today, but wanted to wish everyone a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS Hope you all have a great one.:D

Merry Christmas Jester!

I just sent Mr. Clod to the grocery store. Ha ha ha. Sucks to be him.

It's his own fault anyway, when I went on Friday I made sure to ask him what he needed for the pumpkin pie he was making, and he completely failed to mention sweetened condensed milk.

The deviled eggs, stuffed celery, and banana cream pie have been made. The kid has been fed and put down for a nap, and only then did I mop and scrub the whole kitchen, so he will not have another chance to filthify it before family starts arriving in another 4 hours. In another 45 minutes, I will begin prepping the turkey. I have never ever made a turkey before, but I have a set of instructions/recipe that I have been told are absolutely foolproof. Plus, I have deliberately chosen all the remaining side dishes to be items I have made a million times before, so I can't possibly screw up the whole meal, at the very least.

Sounds perfect, fob, well done. Hope you get a chance to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Don't overdo it. :)

I just barely escaped with my life from Albertsons.

I didn't feel too bad, though, 'cause I just talked to Daughter No. 1 and she was at Wal-Mart. :eek:

I had just two words for her: You fool!

Clod you know I love you.
But you've made the menu of my worst nightmares.
Well, devilled eggs are okay, but for the record I'd prefer Cloud's Eggs Benedict, even if she bastardising it by cutting up teh muffins ;)

BTW, talking bout Christmas Madness, the buses in Aylesbury stopped running at 15.00 today. The shops shut at 16.00. Yeah, well done Aylesbury Vale District Council. We got a taxi home (I would have walked if alone) but I bet there were plenty of surprised and disgruntled shoppers.

Bah humbug!

Lil' Griff's main present ended up being back-ordered, so I found myself in the music shop on Christmas Eve. The upside was that I found pretty much the exact djembe I was looking for and was in and out in about 15 minutes.

still wrapping presents this morning, ugh!

P.S. I want a djembe! Lucky Lil Griff!

I want a djembe too


not opened anything yet, but haven't noticed anything that shape under the tree....

Your plight has moved me Monster.
I will sit down this afternoon and pen an award winning novel of great poignancy called, "No Djembe for Monster" and start a foundation for your benefit from the profits I make.

Oh, SG, I am only indifferent to the celery, and I can see how if you don't like banana flavor a whole pie might be a bit much.. but deviled eggs have to be one of my most favorite foods ever! I'd make them even if I were the only one eating them (and sometimes I am.)

For the record, the turkey and fancy gravy turned out absolutely awesome! I was so proud. My dad and brother stayed until 1:30 AM, which I am regretting this morning, but was it was so nice to get to sit and talk with them. Fortunately Minifob is too young to know what day it is, so we were only woken up at the normal time at least. :)

Round 2 begins in three hours.

Merry Christmas Everyone :D Happy and Safe for all.

Hey Clod, when the silly season is over....will you please post your Banana pie recipe please?

Oh heck, it's barely even a recipe:

Frozen pie crust
1 banana
Nilla wafers (I don't know if you have them in Oz, but if not, it's basically just a vanilla flavored shortbread cookie...)
1 box Banana or Banana Cream pudding mix (I use Jello Cook-n-Serve)

Thaw crust. Stab a few times with a fork, and pre-cook it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about ten minutes, or whatever the instructions say for your particular pie crust. Slice banana thinly and layer the slices along the bottom of the crust. Prepare banana pudding according to package directions. Pour half of pudding into pie crust, then gently float a layer of cookies on top of it. Pour in the second half of the pudding, and allow to set in the refrigerator. Top with whipped cream.

You can in theory insert more layers of bananas or cookies, depending on how deep your pie crust is, but I'm lazy. :)

Thanks Clod, my kids are 'nana mad...I will substitute the banana custard for chocolate pudding mix....choc-nana is my favorite.