So the Hubs and I went to this office Christmas party last night for an office that employs neither one of us. I'd missed the school faculty party on Thursday, since I was fetching a kid from the train, and the Hubs had missed the party from his new employer since he was teaching that night. So this one was from the office he just left the week before Thanksgiving.
Here's the thing. First of all, as one or two of you may have heard, I work in Hell for a psychotic liar. And the Hubs had only worked for this previous employer for a year. Before that, he worked like a slave for the same company for about 19 years. His days averaged 6 AM to 6 PM, he worked almost every Saturday and holiday except Christmas and New Year's, and in his last few months there, he worked every Sunday, too, and Labor Day. In other words, he was Bob Cratchit. His boss there, seemingly a well-meaning idiot, kind of like Henry Blake, never quite got that what he needed to do was hire more people. Or give the Hubs the appropriate salary/recognition. When Hubs left there, the guy had to hire four people to replace him. No kidding.
So he worked there all those years, and was largely responsible for the excellent reputation that company enjoyed. (He is apparantly renowned in his field in this state, which is a legal/land use kind of thing.) He's still in touch with one or two of the others who work there, but the boss has never called him, emailed him, anything.
When he left, he went to a similar business, and worked there for just about a year, before getting a nice job in the same field but at a higher level just last month. Nevertheless, they invited him to the party. (Correction: the boss invited me, and said I could bring the Hubs if I wanted to.)
Oh. My. God. These were the nicest people in the whole world. The boss and his wife and every single person who works for them and all their spouses. I don't know when I've been in a room with less tension. Everyone got along so nicely with everyone, laughed, had a great time. Of course, I ended up sitting next to someone on my deaf side who was a) a low talker, and b) the resident space cadet in the office, who told me her entire life story in the first five minutes and I just kept nodding and smiling since I couldn't hear a freaking word. But I caught on in time.
And so many smokers! I had to stand at the bar with them just to have someone to talk to, between courses, and enjoy the second-hand smoke since I no longer indulge.
And then at the end, the boss gave this heartfelt speech of thanks to everyone, telling them that he loves them and they're all part of the family. When we left, he gave the Hubs a big hug and kisses on both cheeks, like the father of a big Italian family saying goodnight to his son.
Glad I went. Wish I worked for a human being.
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I'm watching no idea - kid has the remote
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