from the files of “this stuff REALLY happens!”

i went to the department Christmas party on Saturday, mostly because it was only a few minutes away and i was a victim of peer pressure. i really had no excuse since the party was not down in NOLA, and i figured since i didn’t go last year, i’d just go this year. it’s the same vibe at every work party. nobody knows really what to talk about except work, because everyone is mainly engineers. there’s alcohol of course, which loosens people up to talk to each other about work. there’s also a dance floor, but it mainly gets use for the slow dances.

i showed up about 8:20 and met up with some friends. it was very loud in there, but i made my way to a seat being saved for me by Chad’s wife (i was her ‘date’ because Chad was the photog). the guy sitting across from me recognized me right away. he had seen me in the parking lot one time and commented on my Clemson sticker because at the time his daughter was going there. i found out Saturday that she is now at LSU because she didn’t like Clemson (and she wasn’t doing very well). anyway, the food was alright, but there was not enough of it. the drinks the bartenders making were strong, which was fine because we had prepaid $38 each. it was held in a golf course clubhouse, which seemed really small, so it made it feel really crowded. we left about 10:40 or so. little did we know what would happen at the end of the night (after the party ended around 11).

when i got there, i saw Kind of Creepy Old Guy (KCOG) sitting at one of the first tables as i walked in and he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt. the party was semiformal, and it was December, but he shows up like he just got back from a cruise. i want to say he also had a wooden necklace, but i can’t remember. anyway, i saw him there, and he was by himself and quiet. apparently as the night wore on, he started hitting on a lady who was dressed as Mrs Claus. my friend Jim dressed as Santa and handed out gifts to the managers, so he had helpers. anyway, KCOG is making comments to the lady throughout the night, and she was just ignoring them. she was married and her husband was there, but she knew KCOG was basically harmless, and drunk. later however, he said something to the effect of “why don’t you dump that ‘zero’ (term replaced) and come back to my hotel room?” she told her husband, who doesn’t speak much English, but enough to know when KCOG had gone too far. as they were leaving, the husband punched KCOG in the face! in front of people! he apparently hit the ground pretty hard and doesn’t remember what happened.

upon hearing this story this morning, almost everyone’s reaction was “i wish i’d have seen that!” “how did no one get that on video???” seeing that happen would have made it worth $38. KCOG isn’t exactly the easiest guy to work with, and he got punched in the face at the Christmas party. these are all adults mind you, at a work party. most people have hot chocolate, good conversation, and presents, but we had awkwardness, alcohol, and a melee.