Thank you guys for the support and the laughs!!!!!! I mean, I know I was in the wrong to email her back, and I should have just not said a word, since it really wasn't any of her business on why I didn't participate. All carry-ins are VOLUNTARY, NOT MANDATORY. Ughhhhh.

@ rfranks: not sure why the boss had to get involved. All I know is that the night before the carry in, another person from that side of the room came over and asked us if we were participating in the carry in. My thought was that the person that came over was the "spy" for them. So, we told them no, we weren't participating (thought that it was made clear since our names weren't on the sign up list for the dinner), and that person walked away. Immediately, the instigator of the group/fight emailed our boss and said that we were "sabotaging the carry in by boycotting it."

Wow. I thought that drama like that was left behind when I graduated... or it was left to the professionals on TV.... guess not!

So, I came back into work today after dressing up a bit (my hubby said I looked like I should work in New York for some lawyer), putting on a bit of makeup, got my hair "did", and stopped and got some Chinese to bring my spirits up. She's come into work and hasn't even made eye contact with me. I think she knows she was in the wrong, and to me, that's gratifying enough

Still pondering if I should participate in the Christmas carry in now.........