August 27, 2008

• Yesterday

  Many of you already know that our church runs a food pantry on Tudesday mornings right next to the University of Texas campus and I am usually involved in it up to my neck. Parking is at a premium around the campus area, so we have this deal with the UT Coop book store that works pretty well for each of us since our peak usage times rarely occur at the same time. We have learned the hard way not to schedule any Saturday activities on UT home game days…

  Well, yesterday, I parked on the 4th level (which is normally deserted) because that is what church volunteers have been instructed to do during the week, it just it’s a whole lot faster than searching for surface parking and there’s an elevator if I feel lazy, loaded down with stuff or it’s too hot to take the stairs. We had more than 100 families come for food (almost a record for us, but not quite) and did not get finished giving out food until nearly 1:00 pm. With the Labor Day holiday next week (Where DID the summer go????) on Monday when we usually get canned goods and do a lot of the set up work we had to plan ahead and get extra food that had to remain stored elsewhere until after we finished that morning so it would not be given out by mistake or by a soft hearted volunteer that might not be mean enough to say no when asked. (This, too I have learned the hard way.) Anyway, it took a bit longer than usual and I didn’t finish working until almost 4:00pm before everything was shut down properly for other activities to commence in that same area of the church later this week. I figured I had better hustle out of there so I wouldn’t get stuck in rush hour traffic on the freeway…

  The parking lot guy at the gate even said something to me the day before as I scanned my pass, but I still was not prepared for the impact first day of classes for UT would have on me. The line to get OUT of the parking garage was backed up past my spot on the 4th level! I took this opportunity to pass out some business cards as I walked the line back to see how far it went and get a sense of the speed it was moving. I never did find the end before I ran out of cards and nearly gagged on exhaust fumes, so I figured I would just take the flattened cardboard boxes I had hauled up in the elevator to drop in the recycle dumpster behind the parking garage on my way home right back down on foot and by then the line would be shorter so I could be on my way…

  I got back to my car and even started it, though the line was still past my spot, figuring someone would let me in. (Ohhh, that a/c sure felt good after hauling those boxes around in the heat of the day!) Well maybe there was someone there who might have eventually let me out and maybe they just didn’t even know I was there on the other side of that corner, but I got tired of waiting after about five minutes, so I decided to head over the the campus area, pass out the remaining business cards I found in my car, find somewhere to get a cold drink and maybe a bite to eat, too since I had been looking at food all day but had not eaten lunch yet…

  On the way over the the campus area, there is a vendor market area and I stopped to chat with a guy who was selling these lovely earrings with a Celtic theme to them. I complemented him on his work and I could see the question on his face that he knew better to ask (Well, I do look a bit older than the typical college student.) so I told him about our food pantry and my parking garage situation. It turns out that he had been a vendor for quite some time in that spot and has a lot of concern for the street kids that usually end up being exploited by the drug dealers in that area. This is also a concern of our Micah 6 coalition of university area churches, so I found his insights very valuable. He was also just as bad (possibly even worse) at sticking to the subject as I am, so we talked until my legs and feet sent me the signal that if I didn’t sit down soon, I might be paying for it dearly later on. By this time, I figured I could go get my car and munch on my emergency snack bar since I would have plenty of time to sit and rest while waiting in the traffic on the way home, thus saving the money I would no doubt pay for overpriced food on campus…

  As I climbed the stairs to my parking space, I am STILL seeing cars backed up on the first few levels in the garage, so I did a U-turn on the stairwell and headed back to campus for the cold drink & bite to eat I promised myself earlier. Surprisingly, the food places weren’t that crowded. (I guess they were either anxious to try that dorm food or perhaps still in line to buy books and/or get out of the parking garage.) I met two very sweet young ladies working at the Chipotle where I had my salad and gave them each lip gloss samples before I left to take another shot at getting out of the parking garage…

  By now, it is past 6:00pm and I am encouraged as I see NO LINE while ascending the stairs. WooHOO!!! I make my way to the bottom gate, but with many of the incoming drivers who haven’t yet realized this is a two way driveway, I have to take the last corner so tightly that my arm isn’t long enough to swipe my pass at the gate. I ask the attendant to do this for me please and he groused at me for cluttering up the garage with church people earlier in the day…

  • 1:05 pm
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