Company picnic - attendance mandatory

Here at the office this week everyone is gearing up for the big company picnic to be held at Lake Chabot on Friday afternoon. But I guess it's not really a "company" picnic. It is, in fact, an organizational recreation event. In the nonprofit world, I have a feeling you'd get raised eyebrows by making the suggestion that we work for a "company".

Anyway, today there was a picnic committee meeting, the distribution of food and bev checklists, and recommendations for carpool schedules going around all day. I kept getting interrupted from doing my very important work (cough, cough).

With the picnic comes responsibility. I signed up for condiments. A visit this evening to the Berkeley Bowl ensures a proper dose of ketchup, BBQ sauce, mustard, and mayo will be present at the event. I wonder if these people will balk at the full fat mayo I bought? Damn healthwise nonprofiteers.

So the picnic is mandatory. I guess it should be, considering it begins at 12pm on Friday in a somewhat nearby park. I wonder if there will also be mandatory activities, like volleyball or frisbee challenges. That could be good and bad. I like picnics, but I get a little anxious when I feel like there are expectations extending beyond eating and socializing. Perhaps I will volunteer to man the grill - that would probably make me exempt from having to play capture the flag. Plus, as the resident grillmaster you have the opportunity to wow people with your coal-related cooking talents.

I didn't see any alcoholic beverages on the food checklists, though. What's up with that? A BBQ near a lake is the perfect place to enjoy a nice beer, in my book.