Xmas Work Festivities

So Yesterday we had this Holiday sweets potluck at work. Since they've taken away our Christmas party and have tried to take as much cheer out of us as humanly possible lately.
I helped in the planning process and other than some scheduling issues I think everything went pretty well. Here's some pictures.

The Cake I baked: (Amaretto Cake with Green Food Dye in a Christmas Tree Bundt Shape)


We decorated by hanging up Stockings with people's names on them (had them from years gone by) and we had a fake tree that we printed out pictures of everyone and hung them up like ornaments. Came out pretty good looking if I do say so myself.

Then we did both Secret Santa and White Elephant. Secret Santa I'm happy to say went off without a hitch. Everyone remembered, no one was left out. It was all good.
Now... White Elephant on the other hand I wasn't nearly as pleased with. Most people took it seriously this year... There were wonderful things under the tree... An ITunes gift card, Chair/Back Massager, Afghan Disney Blanket, Electronic Sudoku, etc etc... There was really only 1 gift that ended up being opened that no one wanted... Guess who ended up with it...
That just SCREAMS Me doesn't it?... /sigh... Maybe next year.

Halloween

Nathan's first Halloween.
I went as Harley Quinn and Nathan went as Eeyore! He was so cute.

The Thursday before Halloween we had a costume contest at work. Here are a co-worker and I that won the contest.


Then on Friday I dressed as Harley Quinn and won another costume contest. Here's me and little Eeyore.
My niece went as Batgirl and she was adorable too

Compulsions are Bad

But sometimes funny as hell...
Even if no one else in the office gets it.

So my work is having a company picnic next Saturday. And they decided to have a Baking Contest. So in order to encourage participation they've put up fliers around the building. See Below.


Anyway... Sooo Needless to say to most of you. The picture of a Cake greatly resembles the cake from Portal. Therefore for the last week I've been restraining myself from blurting out "The Cake is a LIE!" every time I pass one. And Thus... Today my compulsions get the better of me.

Work Reviews... Disturbing...

Ok... so normally I laugh at my annual performance reviews. I think I've only Once had my review done by the manager I was under for the entire year and who actually knew what work I was doing.

My first annual review 2003-2004... Well... I was a temp and I think I had like 4-5 managers that year... Hell my first manager I met then he went on vacation for like 2 weeks after I started and then was either fired or he quit... I was never quite clear.

I ended up getting hired on permanent a few months afterwards anyway.

2004-2005 - I think our new manager had just started like a month before my review. and I think I ended up getting a promotion here too... so he really wasn't giving me a review so much as notifying me of my pay increase and making a pretend attempt and being concerned with my career development.

2005-2006 - So despite the fact that I remained under the same manager this whole year... I was working on a special project. which wasn't under him. Sooo he really had no idea What I did. but he did my review anyway... Oh except it ended up being our team lead that gave em anyway. And it really didn't matter anyway because I ended up going on disability and then being moved to a different job when I got back anyway.

2006-2007 - Yay! Finally my actual manager does my review!

2007-2008 - Well... My manager Pei decided to return to Cisco the week before I left on Maternity leave. Sooooo yeah... Now I'm back and it looks like everyone did their self assessments while I was out. And my new manager is on PTO for like a month...

Now for the disturbing part... Through all of this I'd always at least been reviewed by my new managers... You know... the people actually directly above me. This time... Since my manager is on PTO... My Boss's boss... Is doing my review... and not only that... but keep in mind that these have to be approved by the next level up... So Now I'm having my review basically done by my Boss's boss's Boss... I'm not even sure he knows who I am...