Another Gift Exchange? - Tues., December 16, 2014

After our Sunday cookie exchange fun day, I worked for Snelling staffing as a temp office assistant on Monday, December 15, for an insurance company in north central San Antonio.

At noon on Tuesday I had my hair trimmed. Tuesday evening, River City Seafood and Grill in north central San Antonio was the location of our Randolph Roadrunners Volksmarch Club Christmas Dinner and Gift Exchange. Bob and I had a meeting with our financial adviser at 3:30 p.m. and decided to go directly to the restaurant afterward. One never knows what kind of traffic may be encountered around rush hour in San Antonio.

Our drive was slow for a short way, then flowed freely. We arrived at the restaurant an hour early. The banquet room was set up and ready for our group, so they turned on the lights and let us in. We had our own private waiter for almost 45 minutes. Bob brought in his Michael Connelly novel to read while I drank two glasses of wine and had a shrimp cocktail. (I hadn't had lunch and was quite hungry!) By the time the club members started arriving, I was feeling pretty good.

We had 30 people present at dinner. It was not catered, we ordered off the menu. I had a strawberry, pecan, feta cheese salad with grilled chicken. Yummy. Our dinner service staff was exceptional.

My friend, Susan M., with her wreath halo. LOL.

Susan M. and her son, Travis.

Travis listening attentively

Susan M. and Travis

Gift exchanges are fun to observe. Gifts were to be around $10 and we could wrap them as prettily as we wanted. I guess I was still on the brown paper bag band wagon from the RV park gift exchange. I wrapped one gift in a brown gift bag, stuffed the bag with three colors of tissue and tied the handles with dark brown raffia. That was the bottle of chocolate covered almonds. The other gift was wrapped in blue and white dove Christmas paper and had a bunch of shimmering blue, silver and white curled ribbons tied on it. That was the book "Unbroken."

Our gift exchange numbers were in a treat bag we had been given when we arrived. "No looking in the bags until we tell you," the organizers instructed.

When the time came, we opened our treat bags so we could start the gift exchange. No one had #1, so I started with #2. That meant at the end I could steal someone else's gift if it hadn't already been stolen twice before. I don't remember what my gift was - something I didn't want or need. Bob had #3 so he went right after me. His gift was a Ghiradelli hot chocolate gift bag complete with mini marshmallows and chocolate stirring spoon. Yum!

Below is our American Volkssport Association (AVA) Southwest Regional Director, Joanne Forinash. Her gift is so perfect. It's a turquoise and silver charm necklace with hiking boots, a walking stick, AVA letters, and a roadrunner (for the Randolph Roadrunners club). The necklace was made by Susan Ives, one of our club members. Everyone loved it (and wanted one, I think).

Speaking of Susan Ives, she offered to assist me with Publicity duties for the Randolph Roadrunners Volksmarch Club which is perfect. She specializes in radio and TV media, I specialize in print and online media.  Woo hoo. Thank you, Susan. (And, yes, there were three Susans sitting near each other at this party.)

Joanne Forinash, SW Regional Director for AVA

By the end of the evening, I was chomping at the bit to steal someone else's gift. My first choice would have been the movie gift card, but someone stole it for the second time almost at the end. My second choice would have been the necklace, but it was too perfect for Joanne and a good gift for all the hard work she puts in at AVA.

Bob got to keep the hot chocolate gift bag. I chose an insulated lunch bag that looks more like a purse. A big insulated pocket is for your lunch fixins and another big pocket is for other purse stuff. Plus there's an exterior smart phone holder with a snap hold down and a zippered outside pocket. It came with a plastic lunch container that has a part you can freeze to keep it cold in the insulated compartment. There's even a smaller plastic container that will be perfect for a serving of salad dressing. I love it and use it for lunch when I'm working.

Insulated lunch bag/purse on left, my current purse on right.

After a lovely evening, we all made our way back to our cozy abodes.

Travel Bug out.