Something Squirrelly this Way Comes

Today is our Christmas Luncheon or Holiday Luncheon - it depends on which email you read. Enough people said that they wouldn't go to the Luncheon at the country club in middle-of-nowhere Maryland, even with free transportation provided. So the home office switched their plans. They're taking each office out to lunch. Today is my office's turn.

Last week we found this all out and one of my supervisors came by and told everyone that she had decided that we're going to a seafood restaurant. She said that she didn't want to go to any of the other multitude of restaurants within walking distance because she was "tired of going to those". It never crossed her mind that some people do not eat seafood (like me) or that people have severe allergies to seafood (again, like me). When I told her that I won't be going because I don't eat seafood (it's an environmental choice for me so even if I weren't allergic, I wouldn't eat it). She had the nerve to call me a Party Pooper and say that everyone else was fine with it. I said that's fine, I'll stay here or go somewhere else to eat. To which I was treated with an eyeroll and sigh. My other coworkers razzed me about it too. Explaining that I was allergic did nothing to improve the situation.

I asked my other supervisor this morning if we were going to leave right after lucnh, or if we had to come back after eating. He said that we'd be coming back to the office (I used 'we' so as not to alienate him and possibly alter his answer). Then I explained that I wasn't going and when he asked why not (he truly sounded concerned), I explained that I don't eat seafood and that I'm allergic. "I don't want to spend the holidays on drugs, in the hospital or dead." Admittedly the chances of my dying are slim but it's a possibility nonetheless. Plus I wanted to impress upon him the seriousness of it.

He said, "Oh. I bet K [other supervisor] didn't think of that. Did you tell her?"
"Yeah, I did. She didn't seem to care. Said that she didn't want to go to any of the other restaurants. And that everyone else was fine with it."
"Oh. Okay." A slight pause. "Oh Good! Now I won't have to put a note on the door! You'll be here!" There go my plans for loitering in the mall.

And a Merry Happy ChrismaHanuhKwanzaa to you!