Joel & Mrs. Young 01
Ahh, company Christmas parties, right? The one chance every year that anyone and everyone can pull the plug, let loose, make a fool out themselves and only regret it until about the next St. Patrick's Day. Even my big box home improvement store planned such a holiday party and it's well known that I love nothing more than to volunteer my time to the cause.
So, two days before the company party, I stopped into the store's front offices to talk to Mrs. Young from Accounts Receivable to see what party tasks were open.
"Well Joel, I appreciate your offer to help and all, but the girls in accounting and I have the hall rented, the food schedules, the beverages on order, the DJ and his music, the company gifts, the secret Santa gifts and the table and chairs set-up all ready to go, so basically the only thing two things left open are the hanging of the mistletoe branch and for me to find a dress to wear. So, Joel, would you like to hang the mistletoe?"
"Well, damn it, Mrs. Young, I was going to volunteer to perform any number of those tasks, but now it sounds like it's too late. I mean, my bad for missing the volunteer list of tasks and all."
"Hmmm, well, then I guess it's my bad for only posting one volunteer sign up sheet in every single department section, entry way and break area, right? Since November 1st."
"Fine, throw the garden area guy to the curb and pretend that he's not wanted at the party. Have fun."
What a witch, right? I mean, hah, Mrs. Young didn't post a single sign up until November 2nd and there was a misprint on the open task list, so she's a liar and I'm innocent.
"Alright young man, bring it down a notch. Joel, I apologize for my outburst and all and I know that nobody but you noticed that the dash between "sign" and "up" was missing and you got all confused, so I'm sorry. It's just been a stressful six full weeks of planning and prepping and I'm a little stressed out. So, I'm sorry, I don't mean to take my stress out on you."
"Apology accepted Mrs. Williams, although I may not be able sleep for the next two weeks. So, now that we clearly identified me as innocent because of the missing dash between "sign" and "up" on the tasks list, what can I do to help, Mrs. Young?"
"Well Joel, would you like to take full responsibility for hanging the mistletoe with one staple from the power stapler? I mean, you might have to stand a chair and all."
"Hey, I'm all about being an active volunteer, so I got this. By the way, mistletoe, right? That's like from the other end of eye of newt or something, right Mrs. Williams?"
"Ugh, Joel, let's forget the hanging of the mistletoe for now. How would you feel about taking care of my last task? But I warn you, you might think of it as weird."
"Please, Mrs. Williams! Not only is weird my middle name, it's my nickname too. So, Joel Jon Jones at your service. What can I do?"
"It's embarrassing, Joel, embarrassing I say."
"Again, we're running through my book of life, which is getting shorter with all this jibber jabber."
"Fine, but don't look at me when I say the word (sexy), OK? Anyways, a few of the younger girls in the Returns department were talking about dressing (sexy) and I thought."
"STOP! Mrs. Young, the word (sexy) has been printed in the dictionary since like two years ago, so you don't need to whisper the word (sexy) when using it in a sentence and I promise, you won't be arrested. So, you were saying that Cindi and Mindi were going to wear red fishnets under their short Christmas plaid skirts? Or something like that?"
"Fine, well, I heard them saying that they were going to some crazy (sex) clothes in Hillsdale and I'm not sure how to approach them to get an invite for the shopping trip. I mean, I have heard that the store has music blasting and black lights, so it's probably a druggie place and certainly not a place that I would go on my own because the cashiers and sales girls are probably hookers who cash you out while puffing on their hoochie sticks! Black lights, hookers and hoochie sticks, Joel, Black lights and the hoochie I say."