birthday cakes

There was a debate in the letters section of the metro newspaper a while ago which discussed the tradition of bringing in cakes for your co-workers on your birthday. It turned out that this was not a universal tradition and in many other countries the co-workers clubbed together to buy a cake for the birthday boy or girl.

I think I like it our way better. This way the clubbed in money goes towards a nice prezzie (or a not so nice one which you can exchange for something your really want) and everyone still gets to enjoy some cake . . . unless you work in my old office where you were expected to bring in cakes and all you got was a cheap card from the newsagent round the corner filled with insincere greetings from people with whom you share a mutual and barely concealed contempt for. But I digress.

There used to be a girl who worked here who everyone loved and I hated. She was a cheapskate, pure and simple. She didn't like spending money on anyone but herself and consequently the cakes she brought in were always the supermarket value brand or from the £1 shop on her local high street. Fair enough if you are a graduate struggling to survive on a crap wage and pay of a student loan or a single mum paying extortionate child care. But she was neither, she was quite flush and extremely cheap.

Tony the vegan brings in cruelty free cakes and treats but they're still laden with sugar and fat, so we don't mind. Most other people bring in a bag of supermarket doughnuts and a couple of boxes of Mr Kipling French Fancies.
Everyone always thinks I'm joking when I suggest that for a change people should swap one of the boxes of cakes for some fruit. I'm not!
I'd love to not have the temptation of all those goodies thrust in my face every time I leave the office. A nice bunch of grapes to pick at when I go past would be great.