That was iconic

It was my office Christmas party last night. The festive season has crept up on me. Every time I blink another year has flown past.

I forgot the Christmas party had a theme until 8.30pm on Monday night.

It was “Come as an Aussie icon”.

There had been vague talk at a team Christmas dinner last week about going as Bunnings employees.

Someone who knew someone who worked at Bunnings had procured a stack of straw hats.

But that’s all I had and there was nothing red in my wardrobe.

Then I remembered a friend had a daughter who worked at Bunnings. So I messaged her discourteously late at night and asked if I could borrow some merch.

And this was the result …

It turned out lots of other people at the party had the same idea, but no one had a genuine apron. There was a lot of envy in the room.

I couldn’t be bothered taking the uniform off to walk to the bus and ride home, but no one heckled me because …

Elderly Bunnings employee. Respect.

The party was organised by the office social club and financed through sales of Caramello Koalas and sausage sizzles throughout the year.

God bless the social club.

It was lots of fun to catch up with people from other departments. It took a while to recognise some of them because I was seeing them for the first time in real life, rather than via Microsoft Teams.

My favourite outfit of the night was the co-worker who went as a shrimp on the barbie. When she told me what she was planning, I thought she was talking about the Paul Hogan kind of shrimp on a grill, but it turned out she meant a prawn head-dress on top of a Barbie outfit.

Loved it. Forgot to take a photo.

The party was held in the shadow of the Resilient Lady, which is the first Virgin Voyages cruise ship to visit Australia.

I bombarded people with lots of useless information about the ship. I sounded like such a weirdo because I knew far too much about it, due to receiving the media release earlier in the day.

For example … Sir Richard Branson, the founder of The Virgin Group, welcomed the superyacht-inspired cruise ship from a classic wooden speed boat as it sailed through Sydney Heads.

He then climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge in an exclusive, Virgin Voyages takeover of the iconic BridgeClimb experience.

From the summit of the bridge, he welcomed Resilient Lady to Circular Quay as she pulled into the Overseas Passenger Terminal for the first time.

As you do when you are Sir Richard Branson.

Anyhoo, today will be much more ordinary. It kicks off with an 8am x-ray of my degenerating hip. Then I might treat myself to some air-con to combat the blistering heat that’s been forecast.

Wish me luck and stay cool!

Song of the day: Fergie “A little party”