Small Places : Nick L Belardes [64 of 128]

• Tortured, sits the receptionist, Joyce. She's a Jehovah's Witness. Joan knows this. She hangs cards from Joyce's desk, says,
• "Oh Christmas." Tinsel is spread on branches. Plastic gold ornaments dangle like costume jewelry.
• Glitter-glue-named Stockings hang misspelled and empty.
• There's nothing redeeming about a plastic corporate tree used to lure a false sense of cheer among workers year after year.
• Real trees are different. Even our marketing manager Milt Butterlink said, "We could use a really freakin' cool flocking live tree."
• But then Buildicon workers learned he wanted an eggnog sort of tree-cutting hoedown at his home in the mountains. Who wants that?
• If I wanted to socially network with coworker types, I would crash corporate Christmas parties all over the city.
• Or do some people do that? Mulani faked sick: "Mountain air makes me break out in hives." Milt's beady eyes stared:
• "There are no beehives on Butterlink Ranch." So here we are once again. Not enough tinsel from 1982 cabinet supplies.
• Not enough 1994 Kmart ornaments. It spins like a dying NY ballet.