Wednesday 8th November - Staff Christmas Dinners

One of the consequences of working in several schools is being invited to several end of term celebrations...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/timelines/zw79kqt

I've just signed up to my second staff Christmas "do" for the end of this term (five-and-a-half weeks to go, and yes, I AM counting).

At the first Christmas Meal I shall have a complete Christmas Dinner. We have to choose from the Christmas Dinner Menu, and if I am having the smoked salmon starter I don't want salmon wellington (??) to follow. I can't remember what I chose for pudding - luckily we write our choices on a list in advance so my memory lapse won't matter on the night. We are also having a £5 "Secret Santa"... that's a bit of a fun challenge.


At the second one, we have been offered two menus. There's the "Celebration" menu, which is very similar to the first place - three courses, take-it-or-leave-it, choose from the list. Or, we can order individual items from the usual menu. I don't want to eat another great three course Christmas meal  less than a week before The Day, but I have discovered a possible work-around.  I overheard a colleague saying that she wants the turkey meal, which is only on the full three course Celebration menu, and a pudding, but doesn't want any of the starters. My cunning plan is to get her to choose the cold starter from her menu, and give it to me. I'll save it until the main course arrives, and eat it then. When it comes to dessert, I'll choose something from the normal menu.

If she agrees, she will pay £21 for her menu, I'll give her the price of the starter, and then just pay for the pud. Sounds like a plan to me; I just need to convince her....