Greetings and happy Friday! It's been another whirlwind week, and I still can't quite convince myself that it's February! That said, it feels like March (no complaint here... Thank you, mother nature, for this mild winter).
I leave for yet another business trip this Sunday and will be gone until late Wednesday night. After this trip, I will have flown ~ 5,000 miles in the first 6 weeks of the year. Ufda. I'll be returning to Charlotte for our National Sales Meeting, followed by a Customer Conference. I am taking the earlier flight on Sunday so I will have time to fit in a late lunch with Charbelle! I wasn't able to see her on my last trip to Charlotte, so I am glad it works out to meet up this time around. Then at 6 pm I head to the Superbowl Party, which will kick off our National Sales Conference. I am looking forward to putting faces to the names of many of the reps I talk to on the phone.
It's my birthday on Monday, but I'll be putting in a 12+ hour day of work, so I am doing a low key early birthday celebration this weekend. It will involve chicken chili, a chick flick, and quality time with 2 of my closest girlfriends. I usually like to host a big get together for my birthday, but honestly the first month of the year exhausted me between all the travel I've done + surgery/recovery + CFA studying. So quietly ringing in 31 is just what I need! Plus, I had a huge party and that whole trip to Paris last year, so I am probably due for a quiet celebration.
I'm hoping to keep the fact that my birthday is on Monday from the attention of others... Mostly because many of these sales reps/traders like to have a good time (read: they drink like they have a hollow leg), and I am sort of envisioning round after round of drinks if word gets out that I am celebrating my birthday. We'll see what happens! Last trip it worked well to switch to tonic water with a lime early in the night as it appeared that I was still drinking. And sometimes appearances are all that matter. I'm still the new kid on the block that needs to win over these reps, so appearing to be fun is important, as silly as that sounds. Suffice it to say, it's hard to explain! That said, I think my boss has already started to tell people... so... yah.
To start off my birthday celebration, I brought some granny smith apples & apple dip to work to share with my co-workers and I also am planning on buying some macaroons for an afternoon snack! Yes, I am almost 31 and I still bring birthday treats to work. I work with all men - if I don't bring my own treats, no one else will!
I'll be back on Monday with reflections on my 31st year! It certainly was an amazing year!
What are you up to this weekend? Do you bring treats to work to celebrate your birthday?
Aww, I like that you bring your own birthday treats. Last year my friends from work bought me cupcakes with ice cream in the middle. We sat in the middle of my classroom and ate them and the kids were like "um... what is that? can I have some?" haha- it was actually pretty mean since we are not allowed to share food with them at all, oops! :)
ReplyDeleteI can definitely understand how the whole business world thing works... and I sometimes use those tricks when I am out with Eric's friends haha. Happy Almost Birthday!!!
I've never brought my own birthday treats to work before, but some of my co-workers do it for their birthdays and I love it!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great weekend and nobody finds out about your birthday. ;)
"I work with all men - if I don't bring my own treats, no one else will!" Ha! I hope your trip goes well and that maybe your day isn't *quite* as long as you think it will be on your birthday so you can at least get a good night's sleep!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend celebrating your birthday! I didn't bring in treats this year, but one of my co-workers made me cookies which was surprising and really nice : )
ReplyDeleteYum! Chicken chili! Tonic and lime=good idea.
ReplyDeleteSafe travels!!!
I am off to infinity scarf class!
Aww have a great birthday! Sounds like you know what you need to do to celebrate this year. Plus if you get a hankering for a party later (maybe after the CFA exam?) you can always throw a big one for your half birthday!
ReplyDeleteHope your trip is memorable! The super bowl part will be interesting! I hope you meet lots of fun & interesting people and enjoy your evening with Charbelle!
ReplyDeleteBon Voyage once again!
Wow that's a lot of miles.
ReplyDeleteWe'll actually be driving through Charlotte on sunday as well! Going to visit the parents in Greenville SC for the weekend, and charlotte is about halfway between Greenville and Raleigh. Text me 919-710-6738 so I'll have your number and we'll try and meet up as I'm driving through. I'll have Kelley and the kids with me of course, and it will be mid- to late- afternoon on sunday.
In Spain, bringing your own treats or buying everyone a round of drinks is a birthday custom. Just think of your macaroons as being part of a European custom.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful birthday weekend!
Happy early birthday to you Lisa! Hope you have a great weekend and that your business trip goes well :)
ReplyDeleteI love bringing treats on my birthday! It's such a nice way to give yourself a little pick me up.
ReplyDeleteI think that keeping your birthday a secret from the guys while you're traveling is a very good call- and spending your time celebrating quietly with your close girlfriends sounds just perfect :)
Wait, the celebration tomorrow night is for YOUR birthday? How did I miss that last year - I'm usually so good about that. Let's chalk it up to having a newborn in the house and I won't ever make that mistake again.
ReplyDeleteI think you should tell your boss that you're nervous about this whole drinking thing, since you're not supposed to drink alcohol due to your sinus surgery (not until your sinuses completely heal). Yeah, that's the story I'd go with and I'd stick to it! =)
Oh yes, I forgot about the drinking component of your work trips. Yup, that might get VERY interesting on Monday night!! Ha!
ReplyDeleteI think it's great you brought your own treats to work! I work with women and they are wonderful at remembering birthday's and I've received a card and a cake or some sort of treat every year for the last 3 years I've been here!
Enjoy the macaroons this afternoon :) XO
Happy Happy early Birthday!!! I love the tonic and lime switch. I wish I had thought of that when I was forced to hang around people who judged non-drinkers....very sly!
ReplyDeleteHave a great trip and enjoy your low key birthday celebration, those are the best kind!
I sent you an email a little while ago...and you pretty much just answered my questions! Oops!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I hope you have a great time with Charbelle and the work folks. Stay away from the Stoli Dolis! I love that you use the tonic water switch. I have used that one before so I know what you mean about it being important for appearances. Even though it seems like it would be easy to just tell people you don't want any more drinks, it is harder than it sounds! Especially with men; they are notorious for buying round after round!
I don't bring my own treats, because I don't really tell people when my birthday is, nor do I really celebrate it. I am not a big birthday person really. I prefer to keep it low key with a couple of friends.
Our sales rep come into town in a few weeks and like years past we'll probably all head out. The whole drinking situation is just awkward. I'll need to drive home, and when I'm driving I really make a point not to drink. But it's just awkward when each rep wants to continue to buy drinks. Last year I wound up carrying around a half empty glass most of the night, although this I might just order non-alcoholic drinks on my own instead.
ReplyDeleteHave fun on your trip, Lisa! And happy early birthday, hope you have a great one. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never worked on my birthday (or gone to school) so I've never brought anything for anyone on my b-day... I've just never been ABLE to work on my birthday to be honest, I like going out for breakfast & spending the day with friends/family! Maybe eventually I won't have a choice anymore, but summer birthdays have always had the tiny perk of being an easy day to take off, haha :)
Hope you have a fun trip!
ReplyDeleteI am going to a wedding today!!!!
We have a birthday list at work so coworkers bring treats to celebrate each others birthdays.
Ha! I can't believe the stuff I asked you on Twitter was right here. Ugh, so behind on blogs!
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you for being worried about the round after round of drinks! Hopefully that doesn't happen and they just refill your class a couple times. No shots.
Sometimes I bring treats, I was going to bring cookies or something to my night class on my birthday, but I already knew that prof would have something there for us since it was the first night (and she always has goodies for the class - such teachers.)
I forgot about your trip to Charlotte and even worse I knew it was coming up. Sorry I dropped the ball on that.
ReplyDeleteHappy early birthday, friend! I like Nilsa's idea of telling them that you're still recuperating from sinus surgery. Drinking tonic water is genius though.
Have a safe trip!
Happy birthday for tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteI don't work on my birthday, ever. If I did I would take treats though. (I am given a small party on the closest work day to my birthday by the kids too).
I hope your days of much talking and many colleagues are ok. x