Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I know, I know, I have to. But I am really uncomfortable just thinking about it! I have absolutely no one to talk to at this place, no one my age; the people I work closely with are 30-50 years older than me; I get really anxious in uncomfortable social situations; it's at a freaking bowling alley; I will have no one to talk to; it's like 5 hours of discomfort. K now I'm just complaining but dayum I really don't want to go. But obviously I have to bc guess what - it's on a weekday afternoon. So it's not like I can have other plans, bc the other plans for that day would be working in the office! Ughhhh.

I just hate when I get those all-of-a-sudden paralyzing migraines when I need to be somewhere important ;)

can't you just go for an hour or two then go home? I assume no one's going back to the office so they won't know if you're there or at the party probably. Office parties suck though, I feel your pain.

No, you don't have to go. Be a rebel.

Do you drink? Is it open bar? From what I can recall of bowling alley bartenders, they are usually heavy-handed, so a few drinks like that and you'll be everyone's friend. Assuming they don't keep you all holed up in the banquet room or whatever, maybe you can tell some folks to show up and "accidentally" run into you while you're there.

The last place I worked at stopped having off site parties two years before I started working there. The best we would get was a buffet lunch in the space between the office/factory and the warehouse. I know it's better than nothing, but I am actually kind of jealous of your bowling alley shindig. Try and have a good time, even if you only stay for an hour or so.

oh and just to make you feel better, I am bugging because I have to go on a forking teambuilding retreat for 4 whole days with my department and I can't stand the thought of it. Right now I would gladly trade a 5 hour party for that...but yeah it's all relative.

I'd call in sick that day.

Now that is misery.

Maybe you just realized you had a dentist appointment the day of and canceling has a 50 dollar fee

:( You don't have to go but it might be good to help you with your akwardness or anxiety if you have it. I am having the same dillema. (been off work for 2 mths and the boss really wanst me to go, not to mention my bf works there and he needs a date)

Have fun with whatever you decide to do. ((((hugs))))

Ugh. I totally feel your pain. I hate hate hate Christmas parties, even when they're really amazing, at great places, with fantastic vegan food. Because I hate interacting with my colleagues.

Sadly a huge part of being successful at lawfirms is interacting socially with the people who decide whether to staff you on deals and ultimately whether to make you partner.

Oh man that is terrible! Good luck with that. Do you get to stay at a nice place at least?


Darn it Tofulish, you always have to be the voice of reason that I know is right. :P

I think you should skip the party and come have dinner with me in the city. Especially if you want to become the kind of cranky old lady who spends all day on the PPK cackling at the screen like a lunatic.

I dunno yet, they haven't told us where we're going, it all seems so ominous. FML

Ominous and scary. Magical mystery hell teambuilding tour.

We did one at the Mohonk Mountain House which was superawesome. http://www.mohonk.com/ I skipped out on almost all the teamy stuff and enjoyed my superawesome room and lots of superawesome hiking. I'm basically a hermit.

I hope yours is fun.

The thing is I heard you have to share rooms, which seems super awkward to me.

Ugggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I feel your pain. I can't think of anything worse than having to share a hotel room with a colleague.

I know right? I'm doomed.

Anyway sorry to derail your thread RandiJM, but you should feel a lot better now that you know the hell that awaits me!

Derail away! I want to know how yours goes!

Mine isn't until the 16th so I have time to figure out how to handle it, I guess. The thing is, the place is in North Philly, in an area that everyone needs to drive to, so we're carpooling from the office. Meaning, how the f*** do I get out of there before it's over?? I CAN'T! That's what is scary, ughh.

Actually, though, having the bowling (I am assuming, with the venue) gives you something to focus on besides staring at colleagues or whatever. Could that be fun? Maybe?

I work from home so I am terribly uncomfortable with on-campus events, they always feel so awkward for me; everyone else has friends but me, it feels like. That said, I had an all-day thing last Friday (with vegan food!!!) and I just started talking with some folks I had never met before. It was enjoyable after awhile. I hated the part where I was standing around all by myself between sessions, so I do feel your pain, but in the end I was glad I was there and it was probably good for me to be seen at a campus event, too.

Make yourself feel better by calling in sick the next day and having a mental health day. <3

I was dreading a similar team-building event a few months ago. The bowling actually wasn't bad, everyone spent most of the time cheering for the bowler, so we didn't have to talk much.

at a bowling alley? I'm so sorry. Maybe you can make an appearance and then slip out rather quickly?

What everyone else said, go and make a cameo appearance, bowl a frame or two, and go home!