Christmas Cracker!

I've had the blessing of working as the Office Manager for a consulting firm (who even knows what that means!)... that's not exactly the blessing... but the open plan office certainly is... I feel like I'm living out the dream that is an episode of "The Office" (I never thought I'd say this but the American version is far superior... don't tell the Brits ;-)

Each day is full of characters going about their daily life and humouring me... whether they know/like it or not!

As it's December and the silly season that is Christmas is setting in I, being the office manager have introduced a few things to humour the 20 or so staff we have in the office... it started with Secret Santa and continued today with a Christmas Tree being set up in our office. Because my job means I basically spend other people's money to do what I want (Insert wicked cackle here) I organised for our plant company to bring in a tree and set it up... decorations and all!!!

I've had this day highlighted in my diary for weeks - "December 8th" and everytime the doorbell rang or a stranger walked in I thought my wildest dreams were being realised - I even asked a courier who brought in a vacuum cleaner if he was here to set up the Christmas Tree - and by 3pm I was actually a bit concerned borderline mental episode that the tree may not arrive!!!

On the edge of my seat, about ready to pick up the phone and give the plant company an earful for delaying the delivery of Christmas a friendly bohemian strolled in asking... where to set up the Christmas Tree - Get in!!!

This is exactly the kind of photo stand that used to occupy the space of our Christmas Tree... go on... say it... I know what you're thinking... kitsch!

I quickly moved the photo stand and made room for the blessed tree!!! I don't really know what I was expecting - I was already taken back by the friendliness of the young, Christmas bearing green thumb and then - he had two assistants bring in all the goodies - there was a pack of people bearing Christmas.

I was happy, things were under way. I found myself very distracted and kept on gazing over at the tree as it was unwrapped and decorated... I admit... I could be found half smiling with glazed eyes looking at that tree...

After a while I noticed that one of Santa's Little Helpers was quite cute... bonus... so now I had two reasons to stop working and gaze over to my left. While gazing I was caught by surprise...

Overwhelmed by my surprise I quickly opened up a group chat on my skype account with a few of my colleagues... this surprise was too good...

"Howdy, I doubt any of you have taken the opportunity to gaze at the Christmas Tree as I have. I hope for your sake you have not repeatedly caught the eyeful I have every time I've looked at the young whipper snapper decorating the tree. It seems we have a new contender for plumber's crack... Christmas Cracker"

Yep that dark haired cutie was flashing his smile at both ends!

All it takes is for one person to laugh and I'm gone... thanks to my friend Bindya (from India!) my giggles were off and racing. The jokes flew around the communal online chat (Covent Garden Pants, Putting the pants in plants, Making you smile this Christmas...)

Bindya from India

Finally the tree was decorated and the original bohemian returned after "parking the van" (for 40 minutes mind you) and asked the office if we could check that the tree had been set up appropriately... everyone said "The office manager, Larissa"... oh dear... I knew I couldn't go near that tree or that bum bearing decorator without laughing so palmed off the responsibility to our marketing manager claiming that she needed to make sure the tree was to our firm's standard!

The Final Product

The team trekked out and then my Director and such asked why I was red and why I wouldn't go and look at the tree... after all... I had been waiting all day for this!!! So we all began to explain what had happened... that the decorator had been flashing more than lights... then all of the sudden my collegue starts giving us the eye and trying to subtly hush us ... turns out our boy was on his hands and knees cleaning up pine needles from the ground - we all threw our heads on our desks in shame... as red as Rudolph's nose... then he left!!!