The Invoice Number Game

I can’t imagine having a job that is 100% data entry. It would drive me nuts!

One of my duties as the person in charge of Accounts Payable is entering invoices into our accounting software. We get a lot of invoices. Usually about the time I finish entering my current stack, more come in the mail.

It is a tedious, monotonous job. Enter the Invoice number. Enter the date. Enter the items. Enter the quantities. Enter the prices. Save. Enter the invoice number. Enter the date. Enter the items. Enter the quantities. Enter the prices. Save. Enter the invoice number. Enter the date. Enter the items. Enter the quantities. Enter the prices. Save.

Get the point? Now repeat that process about 50-100 times everyday.

It doesn’t really take that long, but it does. If I stick to it and enter them one after another until I’m done, I could probably finish in an hour to two hours. I can’t do that. After 5 or 6 invoices I go stir crazy. I’ve got to do something else to break the monotony.

That something usually ends up being one of 3 things: Facebook, an online game, or writing my blog. This time I chose the blog. Obviously.

I try to find things to make the process more tolerable. My favorite is the Invoice Number Game. I have yet to win. I check every invoice number hoping against hope that it will be a round number. #4000 or #40000 or #450000. I'm pretty sure nothing could compare to the excitement of finding such an invoice. Imagine the excitement of watching your car's odometer roll over to 100,000 miles. Now multiply that by 100,000,000. That's what it would feel like.

A few weeks ago as I entered invoices I noticed the number on top of the SBS stack was 399981. It was a pretty big stack. Oh God, please let them run numerically. I entered and turned to the next invoice: 399990. We’re getting closer. I input the information. 399994. My pulse quickened a little. Entered. 399997. My mouth was watering. I typed in the info. As I reached to turn to the next invoice I noticed a quiver in my fingers. 399997. I typed quickly. I licked my fingers. I could feel #400000 coming. 399998. Yes, they are they are starting to run consecutively. Number. Date. Items. Quantities. Prices. Next.

I hesitated slightly as I flipped the invoice over to see the next one. I knew this was my moment. I’d finally won the Invoice Number Game. I flipped the invoice from the face up stack on the right to the facedown stack on the left. I looked back to the face up pile. My chest bubbled with anticipation and excitement.

As I looked at the number, time stood still. I realized I’d been holding my breath. I exhaled. I let out a long slow breath. The hiss of failure passing through my teeth. #400011.

I looked at it briefly. I felt disappointment popping the bubbles of excitement. Stupid game.

Back to the keyboard. Number. Date. Items. Quantities. Prices. Flip.

Oh, look. Southern Pipe invoice #3134989. Game on!