Surprises

Tonight our church hosted a “red carpet” event for all the volunteers. It was a fun evening, but don’t be mislead by the “red carpet” description — it was not a formal affair. The organizers were secretive about the agenda so we had no idea what to expect when we arrived. Most of us assumed that it would be a dinner at the church, but upon arrival we learned that we were being ushered to some secret location for food and activities.

I have to be honest. I’m not a big fan of secret surprises. I tend to avoid events that don’t provide an agenda. It’s just not my thing — I like being informed and knowing what to expect in advance. However, it was neat that the church was (1) trying to do something different and (2) trying to create a sense of excitement. I applaud them for that. They were very creative and worked hard to honor their volunteers.

After hanging out in the “red carpet” waiting area, we began our adventure on chartered buses. It was fun listening to all the wild guesses about where we were heading. As we turned onto 35 from 635, it became obvious to most of the group that we were on our way to Speed Zone.

After an informal buffet dinner, we received putt putt golf certificates and event cards for games and go kart rides. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to ride the go karts. Even though I had dressed casual, it wasn’t casual enough (dang surprises…wish I’d known it was outside “sporting event” casual). I didn’t want to flash anyone in my short skirt while driving around the track, so I declined to participate which stunk because they’ve got some fun tracks. I also didn’t have my glasses (another side effect of the “surprise”) so I couldn’t play any video games. For those who don’t know, my glasses keep me from getting migraines when playing video games. I know it’s weird, but the graphics totally freak out my eyes.

Now that I’ve whined about the things I couldn’t do, I have to say that I had a good time. It was nice to hang out with our friends and fellow volunteers. We have such a great group of people. They are amazing, and I love them all. Seriously, you won’t find finer, more dedicated people anywhere else.

The ALC staff did a fabulous job of organizing a special event. It was a nice treat. I hope it becomes an annual thing, though I could do without the surprise factor. 😉

BTW, for those who are interested, Xander is doing much better today. The swelling is going down, and he is recovering nicely. Thanks for the kind comments and well wishing.