matchbox cars and broken windows oh my....

Just wanted to share a blog for work that will be posted shortly on my job website.
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Not in a Partying mood? Bah Humbug! November 24, 2008
I think it’s safe to say, we all at one point in our lives, have heard the chit chat surrounding 'middle child syndrome'. Ramblings such as "Oh she’s so cranky, must be a middle child" or "She craves attention and is so dramatic, I bet she’s a middle child." Let's be serious, the only people spreading these absolute truths have to be those who got lucky in their birth order; the older sister, the baby brother. or my favorite, the only child (dum, dum, dum!)

You’ve probably guessed it by now, I am in fact a middle child. I not only fall after my ‘can do no wrong’ older sisters, but I am also the Jan Brady to my 'perfect' younger brothers. I am often cranky, I crave attention daily and I will gladly label myself the drama queen. I truly believe because I do fall into this category I have channeled my thoughts and feelings in other ways. I have 14 journals on a bookshelf at home that I’ve collected since the age of 12. I am no stranger to writing. I have documented years of my life with a simple pen and paper. I’ve talked about topics ranging from the Bill Clinton scandal in the 90’s, my thoughts on the color purple(the crayon not the movie) and the time I threw a matchbox car through my brothers window and happily blamed him for it. All of my writing has always been safely tucked away in a box under my bed or on a dusty bookshelf. I am excited, nervous and extremely anxious to take the journey out of my journal and onto a blog. Here goes nothing…
A proud native of Hoboken, I am blessed daily with views that bring tourists thousands of miles away from their home to see. There is nothing more beautiful then a NYC skyline, in the heart of December, luminating into the Hudson River all the way down to the George Washington Bridge. Up until last month my eyes have only seen good ole New York from lands end. That is until my ‘can do no wrong’ older sister surprised me with a ticket on The Spirit Cruise Line. It included dinner, dancing, and a three hour tour down the Hudson where we would come face to face with Ms. Liberty herself. This also meant I could play dress-up and become the center of attention among total strangers. For a middle child that sounds like a perfect evening out.
Upon entering the vessel we were shuffled off into first class and welcomed with a glass of champagne. As I took a sip I could not help but think that this was how my older sister was treated on a daily basis. I told you I could be dramatic. We immediately befriended those sitting in first class with us. I took notice right away to a 75 year old woman dancing by herself. She shined and radiated a kind of youth that no one on that ship would argue. She was the hit of the ball, just as she should be. Couples celebrating anniversaries, a sweet 16, friends out for the evening, you name it and they were on that ship. Then I saw a table of 45 people. I was trying to figure out what the occasion was. They all seemed fairly close and friendly, but I didn'tthink they were related in any way. My curiosity got the best of me as I mingled towards that side of the cabin. Making conversation with a friend, I kept my eyes on the party of five, plus 40. It wasn’t long before a few gentleman from the group were standing next to us in deep conversation. I listened intently ( I know that’s rude) but I had to know why they were there. I heard the words copy machine, fax, party and vacation days and that’s when it hit me…this must be an office party!
After partaking in a conversation with one of the employees, I got confirmation that this was in fact their holiday office party. The company decided they would have it a little early this year because the rates were cheaper. Pretty clever! It got me wondering if fewer companies would deck their corporate halls this holiday season or sacrifice their holiday parties due to the slumping economy. Last Monday we had our annual holiday meeting where we discussed ideas for our own party and thankfully the Grinch will not steal our holiday spirit here at LPR. In past years, we ventured out to restaurants and indulged in hearty meals and heavenly chocolate desserts. Last year we opted for a more personal ambience. We took the party to our bosses house which is a hop, skip, and a jumpaway from our office. Gathered together in her living room, we unwrapped our grab bag gifts, leaving a heaping pile of wrapping paper. . We stuffed our faces, listened to eighties music, and stuffed our faces some more. The atmosphere was warm and the company relaxed. It was a great way to celebrate the holidays should your boss allow. We decided this year we would do the same thing. Next week we are picking names out of a hat for secret Santa and agreed on a 20 dollar limit to ease the financial pressure a bit. We’ll decorate the office with our fantastically pink Barbie tree and hang our very creative home made stockings on our makeshift fire place. Every day a little treat will be added to each stocking, making it rather heavy to lug home come the start of our winter fiesta. The Holidays at LPR are very much something we all look forward to and we always end the year on a good note.

This year, that note will be sometime at the end of December, in my bosses living room, making a complete disaster with festive wrapping paper, a plate in one hand filled with yummy goodness and a drink in the other filled with whatever makes you happy. This year I am going to suggest a dance off. It will allow me to show off my moves in the center of the room while everyone looks on. What more could a middle child such as myself ask for.