A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Verification

The Holiday Toy Store Parking Lot...
at an empty time...the upper right is
usually how it looks.

The months of November and December are the busiest at VEAP. We have a Holiday Food Program and a Holiday Toy Store in addition to all our other programs. It is also when the largest amount of our donations come in. One of the tasks that need to be completed is the verification of donated gift cards. The paper backing needs to be ripped off, the silver flaky stuff needs to be scratched off, and the amounts on the card need to be double checked. The last step is entering all the gift cards with their identification number, amount and who donated it entered into a spreadsheet. It is a long and messy project and my volunteers are very happy when it is over. Every year one volunteer is disappointed she didn't win something in her scratch off games and the others are joyful the process is over.

This year will bring extra celebration as one volunteer told me today, "So I was trying to verify these gift cards. You can't do these online so I called the number. There was a recording that said the number had changed. So I said, okay and wrote do the number they gave me, 11-11-8000. Then I proceeded to dial the new number. 9 (to get out) 1---1." Opps!! So in the end those gift cards will not be verified. Hopefully those donors are more honest than the one who donated a $25 gift card with only .50 cents on it. Yes, it because of those people we have to double check each one of the hundreds of gift cards that arrive at VEAP this time of year.

Everyday something crazy happens here. The parking lot is just scary to peer down at. Actually it is mesmerizing and it makes it very hard to want to work on anything productive. Clients are continually coming close to collision status. Watching them is like watching a train wreck; you can't help but stare and wince. Only one more day and I have a nice 5-day weekend. I am looking forward to that!

Deck the Halls

This was a great weekend filled with holiday spirit.

It kinda started on Thursday night attending a Christmas concert at Calvary Baptist Church with some friends.

Then I had a date on Friday (not so great, but good company nonetheless). Which is a whole other topic right there. But, we went on a trip to the Science Museum, coffee at my favorite cafe -- Ninas, and then topped it off with an Ethiopian dinner. Later than night a good friend from college came visiting from out of town.

Saturday, on a dark and snow less December night some of us seminary students decided to go caroling. We went to the homes of faculty and staff, as well as, random homes in the surrounding neighborhood. We received spirit filled thank yous, treats and even three bottles of wine! And had a little party with yummy treats and steaming hot chocolate as we tried to dethaw. The Dean of Students joined the group of caroling seminary students, and questioned where we could have possibly gotten those LBWs.

Sunday was no different. I slept in, had a good work out and then my out of town friend came back from visiting others in the Cities. We got together with some other people and had an evening of Ethiopian food (2x in one weekend! Yessss.) And wound down the day with a Holden Village service I really enjoy at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Now I am sore from working out and tired. Joy to Mondays...