diff --git a/cards/preprocess.rb b/cards/preprocess.rb
index ec89fa8..3f31ee7 100755
--- a/cards/preprocess.rb
+++ b/cards/preprocess.rb
@@ -94,9 +94,9 @@ File.write($cards_csv, "name,type,text,illustration\n", mode: "w")
 # optional deck labels
 $label = options.deck_label
 
-# Occasions
+# Occasions (with text escaping...)
 def write_occasion(line)
-  File.write($cards_csv, "#{line},O,#{$label},img/o_card.svg\n", mode: "a")
+  File.write($cards_csv, "\"" + %Q[#{line}] + "\"" + ",O,#{$label},img/o_card.svg\n", mode: "a")
 end
 
 # Qualifiers
@@ -117,10 +117,20 @@ when "txt"
   File.foreach($cards_q) { |line| write_qualifier line.chomp }
   File.foreach($cards_v) { |line| write_verb line.chomp }
 when "ods"
-  puts "reading descriptions from ods file: " + options.input_file if options.verbose
-  ods.column(1).each { |line| write_occasion line.chomp }
-  ods.column(2).each { |line| write_qualifier line.chomp }
-  ods.column(3).each { |line| write_verb line.chomp }
+  if options.verbose
+    puts "reading descriptions from ods file: " + options.input_file
+    puts ods.info
+  end
+  # filter empty cells
+  ods.column(1).reject{ |n| n.nil?}.each do |line|
+    puts "1> " + line if options.verbose; write_occasion line.chomp 
+  end
+  ods.column(2).reject{ |n| n.nil?}.each do |line|
+    puts "2> " + line if options.verbose; write_qualifier line.chomp 
+  end
+  ods.column(3).reject{ |n| n.nil?}.each do |line|
+    puts "3> " + line if options.verbose; write_verb line.chomp 
+  end
 else
   puts "input format not supported."
   exit