Newp. We can get away with long going-away lunches, and the occasional workplace-wide somethingversary/event, but no provisions have been made for this. In the past, they always held them on days off.

yeah I can't imagine that. oh wait are you a contract employee?

We're all technically under contract to big gov't agency, but I really don't know if I'm thinking contract the way you are. Beholden to the taxpayers, must account for all the beans.

Ah, the government thing. There's a lot of stipulations about what time can be billed to their contract, and I'm not surprised that wouldn't count.

But I sure wouldn't be planning to go.

We're going to the racetrack for our group outing. It was a vote between that and Ravinia.

Years ago I worked for a place where there was an annual, semi-mandatory, picnic. Invariably held on a Saturday, always seemed to be the hottest day of the year, usually took most of the day, and always involved a loooong drive to the boonies. No provisions made for those of us who live in the city and don't have cars - we were responsible for lining up transportation with a co-worker. After several years of suffering this, I just stopped going. The head guy didn't like it, it caused some problems, but I just couldn't face it any more.

There is seriously no way I would go to an inconvenient "social" work event on a day I had off. I can't even imagine it. And I like my coworkers! Just, no.

What I don't like are the specific tasks I am committed to finishing by tomorrow. I just don't wanna! And I'm leaving a little early today for a dentist appointment (woo hoo!).

I hope we don't have social events like that here. Not that people aren't fun to socialise with, it seems. I just get hivey.

At points in college I had measurements thrown out in rap songs

Me? NEVER. No song. Always pissed.

Didn't Cameron Diaz dance to Baby Got Back in one of the Charlie's Angels movies? I know it was in a movie within the last few years.

Last night I decided to tackle cleaning out my coat closet. I had a couple of boxes of stuff I had left with my parents until they moved. I can't explain why, but I had all my school newspapers from HS. (The hair band conversation is especially funny in that context). There were movie reviews for Breakfast Club and 16 Candles, tons of concert reviews and fashion articles! Ha! Most of those papers are in the recycle bin now, but I did hang on to the one that talked about The Day After and interviewed a number of faculty and students about their opinions on nuclear disarmament. I also found a David Bowie poster that I still think is hot.

Speaking of picnics, we have a black professor here who won't let the students have a "picnic" because she feels that it is a derogatory racial slur. Does anyone know anything about that? I assume she is talking about picaninnies, but is that where picnic comes from?

Also, Baby Got Back was a plot point on Friends.