Birthday Lunches

This issue came up today. As I sat there listening two things popped into my head:

1. This will postpone my original subject I would be blogging about.

2. Where do I begin and how do I articulate what a mess this is.

I guess I am going to start at the beginning and plow through.

My department has this tradition of taking people out to lunch on their birthday. It is a fine tradition except that it has become a Rocky V size debacle.

From when I started last year up until my birthday everyone was taken out and no problems occured.

Then my birthday happened. We were going to go one Monday during the following week but, the head lunch hen, Nancy, was not going to be in the office and there was no way in Detroit it was going to happen if she was not there.

Well, the rest of the week was out due to other issues with other people including myself. Well ok, to be honest I did not care much and it did not happen. I still continue to sleep soundly at night.

Well, Cheryl had her birthday a couple of weeks ago and still no lunch. One day as she was walking by I said:

"When are we going out for your lunch, how come we haven't gone yet?"

"If it was Nancy's birthday we would have gone last week."

"I guess you are not high on the pecking order."

I was just having a touch of fun but, this did open up a can of worms that I did not realize existed but was delighted to find out about.

Cheryl agreed with me whole hearted and I am not quite sure she knew I was joking.

So today, as far as I knew lunch was scheduled for this Friday but, it was canceled since Cheryl was not going to be in the office. Not a big deal since it was her who was not going to be around.

Not a big deal until I heard this exchange between Cheryl and Marcela:

C: Only certain people she (Nancy) sweats the lunches with.

M: (silence)

C: It's ok, I do not care.

M: mumbling...

C: I appreciate it but it's ok

Good lord, such drama over a celebration.

I have a plan to save the birthday lunch and plan to implement it. Here goes:

1. Have one lunch a month for anyone who's birthday falls in that month.

2. Announce the date at the beginning of the month so everyone will have ample time to find excuses not to go.

3. If someone is going to be out of the office on that date, oh well.

There, that is it. Simple. Everybody wins.

Happy Birthday!!!