...Bringing Slacking Back

In the blogging world, that is. Not in real life. In real life, I've been working my tail off for the past ... oh, month or so. 'Tis the season, and whatnot.

Actually, it's been so long since my last post, I had to stop for a second and think about my blogger password. True story.

Today was the Wesley-Rankin Christmas staff lunch at P.F. Chang's. One of the PT interns (Tre') works there on the weekends as a host, so he worked us a deal with the management, and thus the appetizers and desserts were complimentary. MMMMMMM lettuce wraps and banana springrolls -- I've been waiting for those for ages.

Last weekend was the Care for Kids Christmas event. Families who had completed their volunteer service hours came to the WR gymnasium to do their Christmas shopping. I knew there were going to be a lot of nice items set out for the families, because I'd helped unload many of the vehicles that came bearing the gifts, and I saw how full that little storage shed had become. However, I was still unprepared to walk into the gym Friday after programming to see it all set up, looking like I had just walked into a Walmart store. There were piles and piles, tables and tables, bins and bins of brand new board games, dolls, electronics, stuffed animals, books, coats, underwear, sheets, rugs -- it was amazing. Saturday became a 10 hour work day, as all of the WR staff -- plus at least 50 or 60 different volunteers from all over the Dallas area -- spent the day acting as "personal shoppers," helping the families shop and pick out everything on their lists, wrapping presents, providing "entertainment" to others with performances of badly lip-synced or sung christmas carols, and much more. But when 5 o'clock rolled around, it didn't feel to me like I had spent the past 10 hours working. Now, Mike would probably say that's because I "have no sense of time." (Whatever!! He lies.) Really, I think I was just having so much fun with my box full of gift cards and lotion bottle to "sing" into, and everyone who was there -- from the families to the staff and volunteers -- was in such a great and gracious mood, full of Christmas spirit and all that jazz, time just flew!

And finally, the latest of experiences I never thought I'd have: playing busdriver. Or, I guess there more accurate description would be vandriver -- vandriver of the 15 passanger Great White Boat, loaded down with senior citizens. Due to some unforseen circumstances, I ended up having to help pick up and take home some of the participants in the seniors program a couple of times in the last week and a half. Anyone familiar with my ... um ... absolute lack of any sense of direction will probably find this pretty entertaining. But yes, I've been driving the huge van, having to pretend I know where I'm going, occaisonally having to rely on my limited (but increasing!) spanish skills to get help (aka directions), and also learning how to deftly pull both three-point- and u- turns in that great boat of a vehicle, using only my large-and-in-charge mirrors. Pretty Sweet. Plus, driving the seniors has also helped me make a few new friends; there's a handful of them who always say hi to me now when I'm over at the church in the middle of the day, trying to sneak a snack, or other ... business ... related excersions!

And that about wraps things up here. Can't wait to be home for Christmas ... and in New York for New Years! But more on all that later (haha, hopefully!!)