New Post: How to Write to a User Profile Property

// profile properties that are pulled in from active user
var thisUsersID;
var thisUsersCustomPostalCode;
// hardcoded values for testing
var zipPropName = "UserPostalCode";
var zipPropValue = "12345";

$(document).ready(function() { 
    getUserProfileProperties();
    alert(thisUsersCustomPostalCode);
    $(".pp-ButtonWrap").append("<span class='gaView'><a href='#' onclick='modUserZip(thisUsersID, zipPropValue)'>Update Zip</a></span>" );
});

//Start user profile property update function 
function modUserZip(thisUsersID, zipPropValue){
	var propertyData = "<PropertyData>" +
"<IsPrivacyChanged>false</IsPrivacyChanged>" +
"<IsValueChanged>true</IsValueChanged>" +
"<Name>UserPostalCode</Name>" +
"<Privacy>Public</Privacy>" +
"<Values>" +
"<ValueData>" +
"<Value xsi:type=\"xsd:string\">" + zipPropValue + "</Value>" +
"</ValueData>" +
"</Values>" +
"</PropertyData>";
alert(propertyData);
$().SPServices({
operation: "ModifyUserPropertyByAccountName",
		async: false,
		//webURL: "/_vti_bin/UserProfileService.asmx",
		accountName: thisUsersID,
		newData: propertyData,
		completefunc: function (xData, Status) {
			var result = $(xData.responseXML);
			alert("wierd one" + result);
			alert(thisUsersTest);
		}
	});
	alert("UserPostalCode = " + thisUsersCustomPostalCode); 
}

//get various profile properties of current users
function getUserProfileProperties() {
	thisUsersID = $().SPServices.SPGetCurrentUser({fieldName: "ID"});
	thisUsersCustomPostalCode = $().SPServices.SPGetCurrentUser({fieldName: "UserPostalCode"});
};

It's a simple example but it fails.  

A few things to note is that at the "weird one" alert, I'm getting back an [object] [object] value.  

I also thought it may have to do with the fact that I'm using a custom user profile property instead of an out of the box one; not the case. It's busted with both.

Any thoughts or suggestions?