I'll start by saying I dislike my job for very valid reason! The union are involved about the mistreatment of me and the job itself is boring and poorly paid but I were made redundant two years ago from my preferred job and so far this is all I can find. So in short, I didn't want to go to the 'do' but I knew it would have reflected badly on me had I not.
I am currently sitting in bed in the hotel room awaiting my colleague waking up so we can get home.
I love my colleague, we have worked together before for a different company and we're close however she annoyed me yesterday.
I drove us both to the city where the do was held. Picking her up takes me an hour out of my way but i was happy to and said I didn't need any petrol money as the company reimburse and I would rather travel with her than alone.
However.
The motorway was gridlocked due to an accident. Nobody hurt fortunately. So we were two hours late.
I wasn't all so bothered because the mandatory 'training' yesterday from 12-1700 turned out to just be various people speaking about how well The company were doing and a new manager telling us all about his previous career moves. It felt like 'Well done for making us all richer! Thanks!' 😆(yes I'm cynical, maybe if I felt valued and loved my job it'd be different). But training it was not.
Then we had half an hour in which to check in, get to our rooms, get ready and be back down at the bar for them to present us all with a 'gift' (a pair of socks with the company logo on them).
Then to the dance hall/dining hall.
It was over £11 for a small glass of mediocre wine. If that sounds cheap, we're up north.
My (lift)colleague was buying one for another colleague and asked me to pay for that as well as her drink (my round, fair enough) but she never bought me one back after that and later on asked me to 'lend' her and buy her another drink as she'd ran out of money altogether. I will see if I get it back but I doubt it.
They forgot my dinner altogether! I had a starter (cup of soup and a bread roll) but no main. I did tell waiting staff but nothing came of it and I didnt want to eat alone once everyone had finished so I asked twice but then left it.
It was a large room full of companies on their annual xmas dos, VERY crammed in, and music so loud that my ears are ringing this morning. Not my idea of fun at all and I cannot wait to get on the road and get home!
Hotel room is nice though. I used the excuse of 'cant drink on an (almost) empty stomach so I am going to go now!'
Luckily I'd bought a sandwich that I hadn't had time to eat so I ate that and a bag of crisps in the hotel room when I got back to it last night. Rock 'n roll.
2026 is going to be about trying even harder to find a new job😆
Please share your tales, make me feel a bit better and less bored!