Kap'lah.

Not feeling particularly inspired to share my thoughts today, so I'll keep it clinical. 

My company's employee recognition awards went really well. 

Inspiration

The CEO skipped an entire section of my script. Fortunately, no one noticed. Unfortunately, the missing part was the servers' cue to parade out with the salads. So I had a full line of servers standing rather uncomfortably with heavy trays of Waldorf salads and heavy utensils resting on their shoulders, waiting for a cue that never came. Small fiasco, but that was it. The open bar was popular. Lots of selfies around the "Oscar" statue and focal points. People wanted to take their stars home with them. I hadn't considered that, so I'd thrown away the backings. The brave people chanced it and peeled the stars up from the floor and gingerly placed them in the their trunks, hoping they didn't stick to anything. I was particularly worried about the slideshow that on-clicked each employee's name onto the screen.

The CEO thanked me by name during his closing remarks.  I'm not bragging, I just didn't think he knew I existed considering how I have to fight him to speak to me every morning.  I got invited for drinks with the execs afterward. Unprecedented and scary. So I wasted time as much time as possible debating about it. 

The "old Hollywood" theme worked really well. I don't have photos of the decor's effect once the lighting and candles were in place, but our photographer did an awesome job of capturing everything. It really was beautiful. I'm especially proud that I stood up to the decor vendor this time. I meet with him with clear goals, concept design and a budget. He spends the entire meeting talking over me and hinting that I don't know what I'm talking about. He wouldn't even stop by to see the room once the vendors left, or answer my calls. After the event (and the CEO's public "thank you"), he was suddenly Mr. Friendly. He went from walking away at the shrimp cocktail station when I approached him to ask about a purchase order to following me around like a puppy dog and inserting himself into whatever conversations I was having with others, But I gave him no quarter for debate this time, and worked with a new decor vendor I wanted to try. And they were amazeballs. And it was about $7k cheaper, including gold-tipped roses and bedazzled rose corsages & boutonnieres for the 74 honorees. The honorees also got $1000 each and $125 gift bags.

So back to the bar thing. I limped my way down to the bar (my feet were killing me) and kind of just stood behind the tables of execs, trying to decode all the inside jokes and roastings, being mostly ignored. I was annoyed and tired and hungry (and my elbow was sore from leaning against the backs of their chairs), so I limped out to my car and finally home. 

I'm glad it's over, but we have another smaller employee event next week, and then California/ Washington/ Canada at the end of next week. 

I need a beverage.

Blessedly filtered. Sans Klingon forehead et al.