Team events are generally a rarity these days.  I mean, who has the time to squeeze them in-between all the madness that is “work”?  Well, we were fortunate enough to make one happen.  Two of our colleagues were moving on to new projects, so we decided it was a good enough excuse to throw a shindig and send them off properly.  The evening would also double as a team-building event, so business was casually discussed early in the festivities. 

We actually had a team gathering back in September, but it was only a subset of the larger team and was kind of thrown together at the last minute.  It was a decent enough time, but sometimes these types of events just don’t fire on all cylinders.  I can say with confidence that this event clicked in every way.  It was put together by my colleague and friend, Meghna, and held at the Papillon Bistro & Bar in Mid-Town Manhattan.  An open bar, a nice selection of hors d’oeuvres and a very private area to mingle amongst the group made for a spectacular evening. 

A rather reserved group early on quickly lossened up as drinks of all shapes and sizes percolated through the crowd.  You know it’s a good sign when people smile a little longer and laugh a little louder at these types of events.  Pictures were taken pretty steadily throughout the evening.  The obligatory team pose was popular and no surprise.  Smaller groups of co-workers flashed their pearly whites, and we even managed to squeeze out a few silly candid photos.  continue reading »

We were fortunate enough to squeeze in a team outing this past week, which is always a welcome distraction.  The plan was to keep it a low-key affair, so any type of pretentious dining was ruled out.  A recommendation was made for a restaurant called 1849 which is known for its 20-cent wild wing specials.  There were no objections and I was OK with the choice as I had a great experience there maybe one month prior.  The time and destination was set so off we went.  There were about 14 of us.  When we arrived, a little after 6:30, the place was packed.  I mean, there were no seats at all.  Couple that with the fact that we did not have a reservation (tisk, tisk Derrick), and you have the making of what would have been at least a one hour wait. 

An executive decision was made to forego the wait and explore other alternatives.  We settled on a place called Off The Wagon.  It was another bar & grille style restaurant that offered up a similar wings special.  As we entered the restaurant, it became abundantly obvious how conspicuous our presence was.  I heard one group of people  mutter something to the effect of “Why are all these suits coming here?”  Too funny!  Even funnier were our seating arrangements:  Second floor, just beside two regulation-sized beer pong tables.  That’s right, beer pong tables!  Game rules on the wall and everything!  There was even a handful of serious competitors there, I might add.  Flashbacks to my college years instantly flooded my senses.  It was priceless.  All I could do was chuckle, take in the scene and await our snacks.  Conversation ensued with a great group of individuals.  The evening ended in a blink of an eye.  Good times was had by all.  Below are some photos from the evening: continue reading »