I don't share the PPs' hygiene issues and gladly participate in potluck family gatherings/picnics with friends etc. But having to lug a big dish to an office building and then sit in a conference room making small talk over it with coworkers is miserable.

I'd prefer everyone brought a store bought meal/item. Not eating anything you people make.

Anonymous wrote:And brings 2 packs of those butter/ shortbread ring cookies that usually sell for 2 for $3 in grocery stores. Is that tacky?

Hello at least she bought that. Other people have their stanky cats jump on the counter, take a shit and don’t wash their hands, sneeze and cough on the food they make in their disgusting house which they never clean because they are too busy biaatching about other people. Yeah don’t eat that shit. It’s a potfuuucck not pot luck.

Anonymous wrote:I love potlucks and my company is the government, so “work” can’t cater. I think people who don’t like them shouldn’t feel required to attend so the rest of us can enjoy. I also don’t care about the coworker bringing the store bought cookies; who cares; eat them if you want and don’t eat them if you don’t want. None of it is worth complaining about. OP must be leading a charmed life if this issue rises to the level of typing it out.

I do not agree with you, but I like your positive attitude.

I love potlucks and my company is the government, so “work” can’t cater. I think people who don’t like them shouldn’t feel required to attend so the rest of us can enjoy. I also don’t care about the coworker bringing the store bought cookies; who cares; eat them if you want and don’t eat them if you don’t want. None of it is worth complaining about. OP must be leading a charmed life if this issue rises to the level of typing it out.

My boss does that! All the employees bring food items and the boss brings things thar cost $3 or less. For a recent brunch potluck he brought orange juice thar was open and half empty. Not surprisingly, he’s also cheap with bonuses. Sooo tacky.

We only throw potlucks because her managers never do anything for anyone, so potlucks are the only social option we have.

Potlucks are tacky.

I'm going through a lot of difficult things right now. I unexpectedly lost my father, I have a cancer diagnosis, had a difficult surgery the other week, major drama in my nuclear family.... Not everyone knows all the details of everything.

And sometimes you worry, things like, does another mom think that I'm shirking because I asked her to pick up my kid from camp an extra time and didn't reciprocate last week? Is a colleague annoyed that it took a little longer to turn around a memo then I intended? Are co-workers judging me for bringing store bought to a potluck?

And every kind, reasonable friend you talk to says.... Decent people give the benefit of the doubt, and they don't assume that you're trying to use them or take advantage. Just try your best and ignore hateful people.

OP. You are hateful people. You are the person who people we who are struggling have to be strong enough to ignore (on top of everything else), when we are trying to get through difficult things in their lives. So just chew on that for a minute.

I wouldn't bring those particular store-bought cookies, but I would not avoid store-bought all together. I would probably grab some two-bite brownies from Whole Foods or the Trader Joe's frozen macarons.