I love parties but I really hate my office Christmas party which is always a very boring dinner where I have to make smalltalk to people whom I never work directly with and the wives of the people I never work directly with, and then no one dances except for me and about 4 other people, however, dancing provides the only refuge from endless smalltalk. Every year exactly the same people attend, and I suppose I should be happy that they are all still married to exactly the same people, but it sure makes it a predictable party. We never socialise outside work so this is the only time of year where we all go for dinner and smalltalk together, although they are all perfectly OK, just not my close friends. It sounds like I dislike my colleagues, which is not true, and I like many of them, but just don't have much in common with them. This year a lot of colleagues aren't even going and I wonder why I put myself through it and feel obliged to show my face. I went this year as a guest to a friend's very big very grand very lively office Christmas party where there was no room on the dancefloor 5 mins after the music came on and everyone was laughing and joking all evening. Aaaaah! Got that off my chest now as obviously can't say this to anyone at work !