2006 Kickoff and Awards Dinner

Last night was the first Gala Event of the year for the company I work for, where we as Realtors get to pat ourselves and each other on the back and clap and clap and clap for each and every award. Then, at the end, the Rookies, those who have not been with the company for a year yet, put on a skit. The rules for the skit, don't insult any one person. Well, how funny can you be if you don't employ sarcasm? Lesson learned, not very. This year, we groaned inwardly as we laughed politely at the oldest camp skit ever... "Bring me the important papers!" All manner of 'important papers' were brought forth, until inevitably the last person brought.... you guessed it, the toilet paper.

I decided to embrace my hatred of "awards" functions by bringing along my Kodak Easy Share (which, by the way, I won at the same heinious awards function last year) and by snapping pictures of the dorky madness. Unfortunately (or thankfully) missing from this pictoral revue are any pictures of the skit, and any pictures of the 'grip and grin' awards presentation.

Herein are my peers who share my "love" of this tradition and have done their best to convey those feelings.










Above are Greg, Blee, Lanpher and Cat all duded and gussied up for our quarterly picture as well as for this here shindig we all love.





At the right, we see Matt trying to charm the bored-to-tears Robbie. Our Matty won Rookie of the Year and we got a chance to cheer and whistle and whoop for real!




What are the chances of three people wearing the same shirt in three different colors? Julie in black, Cat in red and Robbie in periwinkle. According to them, it was quite unintentional.

Conversation overheard between one of the more pinched and unhappy people we work with (not pictured) and Cat (in red):

"Did you work out your outfits ahead of time?"

"No, I guess we've just been friends too long, we must think alike."

"Looks like you need to get some new friends"

"OK, well I was just about to call you to see if you were free to get together next week..."

"Good choice, because I'd NEVER wear anything like that!"



A quick game of charades in between speeches helped to break up the monotony. Actually I'm not quite sure what Kim is trying to convey to Terry, Shawn and Cat, but apparently it's quite entertaining.



Meanwhile, arrogant women who use their maiden names to "ride on the coattails of a legacy" should probably not wear spaghetti straps which highlight their flabby upper arms and back fat. Long story... you had to be there.




In an industry where some of us still have to fight the stereotype of old men in plaid jackets selling houses like they were used cars, the idea of an awards dinner just rubs some of us the wrong way. Don't get me wrong, I'll take the bonuses and the plaques and recognition, but rewarding people solely for the dollar amount they brought in and not for how satisfied or dissatisfied the PEOPLE involved may have been, to me just seems wrong. I know, it's sales and you have to motivate sales people like that, but this is my forum and I can say what I want. So there.