Secret Santa Opening Ceremonies '07: Or How the Kiwis Stole Christmas

[Petra]

My Secret Santa is The Count, and she's in Australia, and they are only two hours behind us, so I think it makes perfect sense to forget that an EST ever existed as a time zone, because it's a completely made up one.

3 minutes. Ooooohhhh. :biter:

[Octavia]

Psssst! Petra, are you here?

[Petra]

Octavia! 1 minute! What are we doing?! :choices:

[Petra]

Are you hiding? :spy:

[Octavia]

It's Friday! It's Friday!

I have my pressie in my lap as I type, and scissors on the desk. Petra, I'll do it if you will.

We just won't tell anyone!

[Watser?]

:glare:!!!

[Octavia]

Are you hiding? :spy:

*small voice* was trying to whisper so liv didn't hear... *small voice*

[Petra]

Oh, :livpope: forgive me, for I am about to sin....

[Stormlight]

:twiddle:

[Deadlokd]

But....but Count didn't get her present yet. You can't open it yet. She'll miss out. Her lip is trembling. Won't someone please think of her lip?

[Watser?]

:tremble:

[Stormlight]

Oh, :livpope: forgive me, for I am about to sin....

She will hunt you down and kill you like a dog in the street.

[Octavia]

Oh, :livpope: forgive me, for I am about to sin....

Thank the IPU for that!

*rips off sellotape*

There's an envelope taped to the front of the NZ Post bag. Have ripped it off! Can see gold card inside...

[Watser?]

:mob:

[Shelli]

EST is TOO a real time zone. :glare: It's the ONLY time zone. :hmph:

[Petra]

Cool! :happy:

My Secret Santa was The Count, which I already knew 'cos it was on the envelope. :)

My gift is lovely, and I'll photograph it and put it up in the Gallery. I have a silver bracelet with red beads and a larger red stone in the centre. It's really sweet. But that's not the coolest thing. :cheerful:

My Secret Santa donated school books in my name to the CARE (http://www.careaustralia.org.au/) organisation. I think that is fucking awesome. You did a wonderful thing. Thank you. :powerglomp:

[Deadlokd]

They're very quiet. Do you think they're doing it? I get worried when my kids go quiet............

[Stormlight]

Cool! :happy:

My Secret Santa was The Count, which I already knew 'cos it was on the envelope. :)

My gift is lovely, and I'll photograph it and put it up in the Gallery. I have a silver bracelet with red beads and a larger red stone in the centre. It's really sweet. But that's not the coolest thing. :cheerful:

My Secret Santa donated school books in my name to the CARE (http://www.careaustralia.org.au/) organisation. I think that is fucking awesome. You did a wonderful thing. Thank you. :powerglomp:

:foocl:

You are sooo dead! :footgrave:

[Watser?]

:cry:

[Deadlokd]

Damn, now I'm tempted to do mine........Damn you Petra and Octavia! Damn you for tempting my tender morals!

[Petra]

The card is crap - didn't have time to look for a rillyrilly cool and witty one! :blush:


Sorry, the Count. Now I feel bad. Instant karma, eh? But I loved your gift, and the idea to give to CARE was genius! Just wonderful.

[Petra]

Damn, now I'm tempted to do mine........Damn you Petra and Octavia! Damn you for tempting my tender morals!

You have to wait another hour and 43 minutes! :glare:

[Count]

Cool! :happy:

My Secret Santa was The Count, which I already knew 'cos it was on the envelope. :)

My gift is lovely, and I'll photograph it and put it up in the Gallery. I have a silver bracelet with red beads and a larger red stone in the centre. It's really sweet. But that's not the coolest thing. :cheerful:

My Secret Santa donated school books in my name to the CARE (http://www.careaustralia.org.au/) organisation. I think that is fucking awesome. You did a wonderful thing. Thank you. :powerglomp:

Yay, I'm glad you liked it. I kinda sorta didn't read Teh Roolz and I only found out after I posted that I wasn't supposed to put my name on it and that I was supposed to say why I chose that gift etc. I blame dicklokd or whatever he is calling himself these days, he should have told me. He knows I'm incompetent and scatterbrained! :blush:


Now off to open my present. There, done. It's nothing, from nobody. :pout::girlcry::cry:

[Watser?]

It's pandemonium now...

:demon::undevil::demon2::devil::spinning::evil::buzzkill:

[Petra]

I'm sorry! :cheerhug:


Man, am I in big trouble now. :(

[Deadlokd]

The card is crap - didn't have time to look for a rillyrilly cool and witty one! :blush:


Sorry, the Count. Now I feel bad. Instant karma, eh? But I loved your gift, and the idea to give to CARE was genius! Just wonderful.

Huh? What card was crap? Why? What? Who?

[Petra]

I still love my present and am rillyrilly happy I satiated my curiosity, though, because I have oodles and oodles of excuses why I couldn't wait 24 hours. They're all bona fide, too.

Honest. :swings:

[Octavia]

Lovely card, with nice message in it! I knew it was books! Yay! You don't know how the torture has increased, stuck in my Mum's house for Xmas in the middle of a very small town (Cambridge), knowing that I've read all the decent books in the house, and new and exciting ones were wrapped up and waiting for me!

Wrestled open the NZ Post bag. Had to use scissors on the last stringy bit. Present wrapped up inside in pretty Xmas paper.

*Rips!*

Tissue paper!

*Rips!*

Ooh, books! Neither of which I have! The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam - a lovely old copy with beautiful pictures published in 1946 (way older than me!) and The Passion of the Western Mind by Richard Tarnas. It looks like a history of Western Philosophy, and will be really helpful with my writing project!

THANK-YOU Secret Santa! Is perfect!

*Gives Petra big hug* :hug:

[Petra]

The card I put with Octavia's gift. It's lame.

[Petra]

Ha! Pleased you like them, m'dear, and that you didn't already own them. :D


I got the warm fuzzies going on. :cheerful:

[Stormlight]

:shocked:

The two of you can just hope that liv dies of a heart-attack before killing you.

[Count]

He opened his! Ha, I'm dobbing!

[Octavia]

There's a world of difference between dead and dead with decent reading material.

Will die happy. :)

And Petra, your card was lovely! You should have seen how I waffled on in the card with fragment's present! He'll think I'm half demented. But then, I'll be dead, so what do I care?

[Petra]

Ahhh, life is good, innit? :smoove:


Well, until morning, anyway. :worry:

[Plant Woman]

Oh deh bad.

* Plant Woman ducks and runs off to bed before the queen arrives.

[Petra]

He opened his! Ha, I'm dobbing!



OOOOh, at least Octavia and I waited till after midnight in our time zone. But you, They - youse a REALLY naughty boy.



(And thanks, you'll take the heat of us 'cos you didn't even wait till midnight. :haha: )


So, what did he get? :eager:

[Deadlokd]

He opened his! Ha, I'm dobbing!

Yeah, well I only did it to cheer Count up. Her poor little lip has been all a tremble since Petra and Octavia opened their presents so I opened mine to cheer her up. Am I babbling? Anyway, you all have to wait til 7am EST to see what cool things I got from someone who didn't include their secret FF identity.

[Octavia]

Hey! We waited until the 21st! And a few minutes after that. That's all that anyone can humanly expect.

Aussies are next, yes? Go, Aussies!

[Petra]

You should have seen how I waffled on in the card with fragment's present! He'll think I'm half demented. But then, I'll be dead, so what do I care?

:laugh:

I'll die happy, too. But not before linking the CARE org as my sig. :cool:

[BrotherMan]

It's another FESTIVUS MIRACLE!

:celebrate: :eager: :celebrate:
:eager: :celebrate: :eager:
:celebrate: :eager: :celebrate:

* BrotherMan stares at the unopened package.

Shut up, you! I'll deal with you later!

[Shelli]

:shaketea:

[Petra]

That's all that anyone can humanly expect.



Indeed, Octavia. Couldn't agree more. :thinkoutside:

[Octavia]

And am off to bed. May read for a while! Don't have to get up early in the morning, after all (yay holidays!).

Besides, must sleep to be awake for coming of the deathly glare of doom. Night, all! And a special goodnight to my SS, Petra!

[Petra]

I, too, must crash. Though it will be the sleep of the damned.

Heh. Heheheh. :muahaha:


G'night, guys. Thanks again, and Merry Xmas! :xmas::rudolph2:

[ChuckF]

:couch:

[Watser?]

:peek:

[Petra]

Oh, no! I was just having a pee and suddenly remembered that all this goes into a different thread! Uh-oh.


Uh. Oh.


* Petra runs off to bed and hides under it.

[Uthgar the Brazen]

23 hours, 38 minutes to go...

[Stormlight]

Oh, no! I was just having a pee and suddenly remembered that all this goes into a different thread! Uh-oh.


Uh. Oh.


* Petra runs off to bed and hides under it.

There is no sleep for the wicked! And they don't come more wicked than you. :nope:

:shakerudolph:

[Shelli]

:shudder:

[livius drusus]

Right. A couple of rat finks started early just because they live upside down, but don't let them suck you into their eeveel! Opening day is still tomorrow, starting at 7AM EST US time.

They're lucky they got such great pressies because THEY SURE DON'T DESERVE THEM. :glare: :shakegummibear: :glare:

[Shelli]

:lol: @ the title change, liv.

[livius drusus]

:bowing: And they still got off easy. I could have shaken a giant gummi bear at them.

[Sock Puppet]

You are a kind and merciful liv. Me, I'm a vicious old bastard, so:

From Houston's heart, I shake my CANE at thee! :shakecane:

[Petra]

There is no sleep for the wicked! And they don't come more wicked than you. :nope:

:shakerudolph:


He's right, y'know. I've been tossing and ...ahhh, tossing.... and I still can't sleep!

:blush:

[Petra]

Someone else open one, quick! :eager:

[Sock Puppet]

He's right, y'know. I've been tossing and ...ahhh, tossing.... and I still can't sleep! That's okay, you've been a tosser for years.

[Petra]

I know. :blush:

[Stormlight]

He's right, y'know. I've been tossing and ...ahhh, tossing.... and I still can't sleep! That's okay, you've been a tosser for years.

:rofl:

[viscousmemories]

I blame dicklokd or whatever he is calling himself these days
:lol:

[Caligulette]

Someone else open one, quick! :eager:

:powershakefist:Vile Temptress!! !

[Crumb]

:stunned:

[SharonDee]

Oh, this is my favorite part! I love reading about what everybody got for Giftmas.

:hyper:

[Caligulette]

I...um....can't say anything else or everyone will know my shame......

[Octavia]

OOH, she has been merciful! Petra, we are lucky, lucky kiwis.

But I still say it's not our fault that Santa comes here first! Blame the Earth's rotation, don't blame us. Besides, I hear that when he comes over EST way, he gets cookies and milk. WE send him on his way with alcohol! Mince pies and sherry. Or beer. No wonder he comes here first! Anyone who had to spend a night outwitting the space-time continuum would want to do it drunk.

[livius drusus]

You make a good point, Octavia. Santa, you hopeless reprobate, I'm very disappointed in you. :tsktsk:

[Ensign Steve]

I've always given him a cup of seriously leaded egg nog. Then again, I grew up on the west coast of the US, so he probably could use a little hair of the dog by that point anyway.

[Plant Woman]

Gee, I thought more non-conformists would have their pressies open by now. No such luck. Good thing, no one did.:xmaseve:

[Uthgar the Brazen]

I love that smiley! :)

[Count]

Oi Petra! I tried to respond to your PM but your box is full *snigger* so I'm just going to copy and paste it here.

You're welcome. Sorry I didn't do it properly, I really should have read the thread but it was so long and my attention span isn...oh look, that dog has a puffy tail! :sheepish:

Basically, I chose a present that I would like myself - I've found that that is usually a good way to go. And I did a search of your posts and it does appear that you have a social conscience so the CARE gift seemed like a good idea. I love those kind of presents - it's a claytons present but it still feels good to receive (and give).

Hope Liv doesn't get all psycho on your arse :whup: for being a premature unwrapper (I'm sure there is a nasal spray for people like you :wink:)

Happy Santa's Birthday to you! :D

[Deadlokd]

I blame dicklokd or whatever he is calling himself these days
:lol:

:glare: I've already glared at Cunt in real life.

[Kevlar]

For a minute there, I thought there was going to be xmas anarchy.

You know, I'm just about as curious to find out what Watser's three ton (give or take) present is as I am my own.

[Plant Woman]

Bricks! :woohoo:

Mine is so light weight, it can't be a motor. I was so looking forward to defectiveness.

[wei yau]

Given my likely offline status over the next few days, I'm going to show solidarity for all my brothers and sisters who have not yet received their gifts. I swear that my Secret Santa gift will be the last one to be opened.

[Uthgar the Brazen]

Mine's flying open as soon as I get home this afternoon; I'm just not going to say anything 'til tomorrow morning. :shiftier:

[Sauron]

But....but Count didn't get her present yet. You can't open it yet. She'll miss out. Her lip is trembling. Won't someone please think of her lip?

:grinch:
And all the Kiwis down in Kiwi-ville will cry boo-hoo-hoo.....

[Sauron]

I love that smiley! :)


:xmaseve:
That smiley should be renamed to :livpatrol:

[ShottleBop]

Poor http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/images/avatars/ganesh2.jpg. He is :sick:.

He is :house: in :bed:.

He is very :sigh:.

What could :cheer: him up?

:chin:

:idea:!

Mayyyyyyyybeeeeeeeeeeee . . .

opening his :secretsanta: :apresent: would :cheer: him up!

:yup:

What kind of :grinch: would make http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/images/avatars/ganesh2.jpg :twiddle: another :afullday:?

[livius drusus]

This kind.
:cbird:

Awesome post, though. :golfclap:

[Smilin]

:lol:

[freemonkey]

Nice try, ShottleBop

[Ensign Steve]

Given my likely offline status over the next few days, I'm going to show solidarity for all my brothers and sisters who have not yet received their gifts. I swear that my Secret Santa gift will be the last one to be opened.

You should defintely open it now, instead. :yup:

Also, ShottleBop's post was so amazing, he deserves extra presents. :applaud:

I found out I'm getting out of work tomorrow at 1 pm. 19 more hours till vacation and present time for me! :hyper:

[Octavia]

And all the Kiwis down in Kiwi-ville will cry boo-hoo-hoo.....

No we won't! We has The Hobbit now, precious.

I'm not crying with another early Xmas pressie like that. :)

[Julie]

you know if my present was here I would have so opened it last night....cause you know I am a kiwi too. I can't let me kiwi girls get in trouble without me!

[freemonkey]

You're a kiwi, I'm a kiwi, we're all freakin' kiwis.....

[Smilin]

I wanna be a kiwi too! lmao....

[fragment]

Well, I was going to wait. I wasn't even online last night - I was enjoying myself at a gig instead. But, hell, the ball's started rolling, and who am I to get in the way of rolling balls?

About to open the gift...

[Ensign Steve]

:hyper:

[Brimshack]

Speaking as an honorary kiwi (I was made one last night; let's not discuss the details), I would just like to say that I am shocked and appaled that my fellow folks from down under would violate trust and confidentiality in such a brazen manner.

I think it is safe to say that spankings are in order.

[Qingdai]

Naughty spankings, no doubt.

So, Brim, How's the sheep?

[fragment]

Wow! Cool! It's from Octavia, and it's a fossil! Pics in a minute...

[Brimshack]

Naughty spankings, no doubt.

So, Brim, How's the sheep?

Martha is doing just fine, thank you very much.

[livius drusus]

:harder:

[fragment]

Here we go... two stages of unwrapping and the fossil itself.

Octavia says she got it in some place called Pigeon Valley, in Turkey. What part of Turkey is that in? She boldly carted it round in her backpack through a number of other countries, a few of which I haven't been to myself, although I would love to. So it's come to me across the world as well as who knows how many millions of years...

Octavia guesses it's a leaf or starfishy thing... I'm inclined to go with the latter. Can anyone round here enlighten us?

Thanks for the great gift, Octavia! I do like fossils, and always resisted buying any overseas due to the weight factor. I'm glad it didn't deter you!

[fragment]

:harder:
Ooh! Naughty boy gets spankings! I'm SO going to open early next year too...

[livius drusus]

Wow, that is really cool. It reminds me of a sand dollar. I love that it has led as peripatetic a life as you have recently, fraggles. :vibes:

[Uthgar the Brazen]

I lied in a prior post.

I'm so gonna tell. I think 12 hours prior to "official" is pretty good for my record (I'm a "as soon as it gets here in the post" type).

I am laughing my ass off, ChuckF, so alas, your soul is imperiled. I'm sorry that I damned you to Hell for Christmas. But hey, I'll be there!

We can snuggle.

If it's any consolation, I probably won't be masturbating to the album cover pics of Kathie Lee Gifford, Jerry Falwell or Jimmy Swaggart. Maybe Jimmy's..

[fragment]

Yeah, Octavia really managed to pick something appropriate for me.

Thanks to you too liv, for the massive task of putting this together, and putting up with us mischievous kiwis.

[livius drusus]

Damn it, Uthgar. :powershakefist:

STOP THE MADNESS, people! Don't let the Kiwis drag you down.

[Uthgar the Brazen]

If/when I stop laughing, I promise to be contrite. :blush:

[freemonkey]

Wow, that is really cool.

I was thinking the same thing.

It reminds me of a sand dollar.

I was thinking the same thing.

I was also thinking, "I want a fossil!!"

[Octavia]

Am so pleased you liked it, fragment! Was hoping very hard that it wouldn't break - hence the layers of bubble-wrap, which was previously wrapping bits of my telescope (bringing it down to Dunners next year - not having it when the comet was there earlier this year was not clever, not risking that again).

[Octavia]

Speaking as an honorary kiwi (I was made one last night; let's not discuss the details), I would just like to say that I am shocked and appaled that my fellow folks from down under would violate trust and confidentiality in such a brazen manner.


Oh please. Sheep initiation aside, you're not a proper kiwi unless you learn to violate trust and confidentiality too. :P We're a stroppy bunch - probably because no-one can be bothered to fly the stupidly huge amount of hours that separates us from the rest of the world in order to forcibly ensure our good behaviour.

Yay for the tyranny of distance! :D

[Uthgar the Brazen]

:giggle:

[curses]

If I wasn't jealous of you, Uthgar, I'd be laughing too :glare:

Nice fossil, though. I agree, I first thought it was a sand dollar as well.

[Brimshack]

Speaking as an honorary kiwi (I was made one last night; let's not discuss the details), I would just like to say that I am shocked and appaled that my fellow folks from down under would violate trust and confidentiality in such a brazen manner.


Oh please. Sheep initiation aside, you're not a proper kiwi unless you learn to violate trust and confidentiality too. :P We're a stroppy bunch - probably because no-one can be bothered to fly the stupidly huge amount of hours that separates us from the rest of the world in order to forcibly ensure our good behaviour.

Yay for the tyranny of distance! :D

Oh come on now, I betrayed Petra just by criticizing you guys after pretending I wanted to participate. That's got to count for something. And besides, Martha is tied up to the BBQ grill, and I'm checking my Christmas recpie book. Now if that doesn't spell betrayal I don't know what does.

[Plant Woman]

Thanks Fragment for letting us all know your name and address!

Oh wait, I already knew it.

Cool fossil. Fossils are the coolest thing on the planet!

[fragment]

Hmm, overlooked the address thing... but I'm moving out of this place very soon anyway... and it's not the same one as last year, PW...

BTW, for a size comparison the fossil is slightly larger than a CD.

[Plant Woman]

:foocl: Hate it when you move and make me wrong!

[Petra]

The tyranny of distance has it's benefits. :D


Great present fragment/Octavia! Now I see why you were hoping that fragment's pressie wouldn't break en voyage. Though if it were to arrive in pieces, it would be strangely apropos for his username. :cool:

More cool that it arrived safe and sound and very much intact, though. :w00t:

As to the rest of you early receivers....cheeky devils....I know you've already opened. Share the love, arseholes. :beaugest:


:squee:

[Petra]

And to echo a previous post: thank you, livius drusus. You are the hostess with the mostess, and your efforts are greatly appreciated. It's a wonderful season and you celebrate it with such grace and poise, forgiveness and fun, care and love. Thank you, livius drusus. :)

[Dingfod]

That's not going to help.

[Petra]

Is, too!

Though I won't find out till tomorrow - I got a friend coming from Hamilton, and I gotta go!

See you cool cats, tomorrow. With peeks at pressies, I hope. :wink:

:kiss: :wave: :love:

[Deadlokd]

I got two little Japanese gods. One is called Ebisu, and is a fisher and merchant god and the other guy, from my research, is possibly Daikokuten, the god of wealth, commerce and trade.

Ebisu is also a character in the Naruto series, but Naruto is American, so it probably wasn't him. I hate mysteries without enough clues.

Come on, fess up! Who sent me the cute duo? They're currently sitting on top of my 'puter case blessing my posting.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w190/Deadlokd/Santa.jpg

[Dingfod]

I'm feeling rather inadequate right at this moment.

[Deadlokd]

That's okay Ding, I'll forward you an e-mail where you can get viagra for only $1.95.

[Dingfod]

Per pill?

[chick]

There is no sleep for the wicked! And they don't come more wicked than you. :nope:

:shakerudolph:


He's right, y'know. I've been tossing and ...ahhh, tossing.... and I still can't sleep!

:blush:

:ffgiggle:

[Dingfod]

Per pill?Cheaper than this substitute.
(http://jalopnik.com/cars/detroit-auto-show/2009-chevrolet-corvette-zr1-revealed-officially-334923.php)

[Anastasia Beaverhausen]

My Santa didn't send me one of those. :sadcheer:

[Plant Woman]

Is it pressie time yet, two more hours till tomorrow! Is it pressie time yet, Huh? Huh?

[Sauron]

I feel awful - I have a bad feeling that I sent the wrong gift. :worry:

[Ensign Steve]

It's already tomorrow here, iffn you want to go ahead and open.

[Plant Woman]

You are such an enabler. But I live closer to liv than you do and I wanna live! :unnod:

[Caligulette]

I got socks and chocolate and a dreidle with candy in it and a book of Yiddish proverbs from Qindai....Um....that's what it sounds like when I shake the box, anyway...:blush:

[Qingdai]

All I can tell from my box is that it is a really light defective motor.
Cheater!

EST, that's like 4 AM real time? No wonder you people are so damn chipper in the morning when you come out here.
I may be awake.
Chunkmediocrites will be, because he has to work, hahaha!

[Caligulette]

Cheater!


I was afraid it was a puppy and might be hungry- a hungry puppy! A hungry puppy!
:beagle: I am hungry! I am a hungry puppy! In a box! Let me out for some food!

[Qingdai]

Would I send a puppy, especially a hungry puppy?
No.

It'd be a hungry toddler!

[Caligulette]

Even more reason to open the box! And if you'd folded him up to fit in there, he'd be all crampy and need to stretch!

[Qingdai]

Nah, he'd break out, then yell, "I want to play!!"
He's got the thighs of a Tonya Harding, I tell you!

[Caligulette]

Scary. But if he kicked me he would apologize and give me a kiss, too, so it would be ok.

[Qingdai]

I don't know, his kisses are getting wetter and there are "hugs" which are mostly head butts.:ninjalove:

I hope mine is a book about training toddlers ninja skills! That'll shut up all the other mommies on the play ground!

I want to open mine now!

[Caligulette]

Who am *I* to stop you?

[Qingdai]

Must. Use. Willpower.

"You can keep willpower Frog. I am going to bake a cake"

From "Frog and Toad are Friends."

[BrotherMan]

It is openings day times nao!

:flowerdance: :giggle: :celebrate: :applaud: :propeller: :applaud: :celebrate: :giggle: :flowerdance:
:giggle: :frolic: :cheer: :ffdance: :larrybounce: :ffdance: :cheer: :frolic: :giggle:
:celebrate: :cheer: :bubbles: :hello: :sugarhi: :hello: :bubbles: :cheer: :celebrate:
:applaud: :ffdance: :hello: :toyhorse: :eager: :toyhorse: :hello: :ffdance: :applaud:
:propeller: :larrybounce: :sugarhi: :eager: :secretsanta: :eager: :sugarhi: :larrybounce: :propeller:
:applaud: :ffdance: :hello: :toyhorse: :eager: :toyhorse: :hello: :ffdance: :applaud:
:celebrate: :cheer: :bubbles: :hello: :sugarhi: :hello: :bubbles: :cheer: :celebrate:
:giggle: :frolic: :cheer: :ffdance: :larrybounce: :ffdance: :cheer: :frolic: :giggle:
:flowerdance: :giggle: :celebrate: :applaud: :propeller: :applaud: :celebrate: :giggle: :flowerdance:

[Watser?]

:hypno2:

[Shelli]

Awesome smilie braid, BrotherMan! :clap:

[SharonDee]

Okay, it's 7:51 EST ... you people start showing off your shit!

:order:

[Legs]

:foggy:

[biochemgirl]

C'mon where's all the opening madness?? :hyper:

Entertain me damn it! Don't leave me hanging!

[BrotherMan]

I'm at work. :sadcheer:

[Legs]

biochemgirl, I wish you had participated, I would have so bought you some I :heart: llama socks (http://www.nose-n-toes.com/sox.htm) :pleased:

[inland wave]

Yes it is and while it may not be the correct time, Ding and I made a point of doing the honors together.
Free Monkey is my SS and the gift is wonderful. A book called Proud Horses, Proud Riders--the historical accounting of horses and riders, I will most certainly be reading this on my vacation next week. A small ornate wooden box and glass horse statue which both are going with me to work this morning and set prominently in my new office. The cards are wonderful. I love to write notes and letters to people. I can't wait to use them during the winter, the floral motif will certainly brighten my recipient's day. The earrings OMG they are as cute as they can be, The horseshoe nail earrings are great!!!! So unique, and what they represent to me--lots of time scraping shoes, farriers, shows...yeah, good memories...The rock earrings will go perfect with a couple of outfits I have in my closet, I can't wait to wear them. The card and message, thank you. I enjoy and support local artist in our community. I will frame it and add it to my collection. Thanks again, FreeMonkey !!:cloud9:

[BrotherMan]

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Another Festivus miracle!

[biochemgirl]

biochemgirl, I wish you had participated, I would have so bought you some I :heart: llama socks (http://www.nose-n-toes.com/sox.htm) :pleased:

I know, I'm wishing I would have now. Llama socks will have to wait till next year....:llamaglomp: will have to get my by till then!

[SharonDee]

Oh, wow! Freemonkey did a great job on IW! :appl: Plus, those give me ideas for my sister, who's another horse lover.

[biochemgirl]

:aww: inland wave!

[Legs]

inland wave! what wonderful gifts :vibes: way to go, Freemonkey!

[SharonDee]

I know, I'm wishing I would have [participated] now.Nah, this way is more fun! We can ogle the pretty gifts without having had to deal with meeting deadlines or with not getting our prezzies yet.

Vicarious living through others is the way to go. :hellyes:

[Sock Puppet]

Sure, everybody, have fun. Open your gifts. Don't wait for me to get mine. I can be ... strong ...










:cryhome:

[SharonDee]

:comfort:

[Dingfod]

From someone whose name starts with Kevin from North Carolina, home of the finest BBQ porkers in the world, so I hear, I got a BBQ tool set with a long spatula, tongs, fork, knife, basting and cleaning brushes, kabob skewers good for hot dogs or marshmallows as well, and corn-on-the-cob holders all in a handy-dandy faux-leather ABS plastic brief case perfect for carry-on luggage.

I was actually thinking about buying a set just like this one. Good thing I'm a procrastinator.

[Legs]

Sock Puppet, I'm so sorry :sigh:

[Sock Puppet]

That's okay. I know it will take awhile for Leesifer's iPod Nano to get to me.

[Legs]

Try getting those kabob skewers through airport security, Walter :giggle:

Great gift!

[Shelli]

Yayness is finally upon us! :excited:

Awesome gifts so far everyone! :^^

I'm hoping for you :sockpuppet: :hug:

I won't be opening mine until around 4 or 5 o'clock tonight when I get home from work. :eager:

[Ensign Steve]

Me too! I'm off to work now. See you in just a couple hours cuz it's a short day! :bai:

[seebs]

I am an ANTI-KIWI, and I am going to let my present sit until I get back from work. HAH!

[Shelli]

:chuckle: @ seebs

[Watser?]

Great gifts everyone.

My giftee hasn't received anything yet :(

I can't believe it takes so long, the post office person said it would be on time.

[lisarea]

Ha ha! I woke up early today, so I opened!

I got a WINTERGREEN ALTOID BOX with a little black velvet bag full of buttons, a whole bunch of cancelled stamps, and the tiniest ever little glass bottle, which was dug out of a trash ditch! I love that. Also, I just got my sewing maching out a couple of weeks ago, so I am SO READY for buttons.

YAY!

Plus: I got TWO Booker prize books! One is The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut, which I don't know of; and the other is Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre, which I've read (and really liked) before, but I think I had a library copy, so I totally will be able to read it again, this time without as many cooties. Also, the Little Muffin has recently been reading books with a ridiculous vengeance, so I can also use these to keep him occupied too.

YAY!

Oh, and your tale told out of school for today is that Wildernesse has perfect, pretty, tiny, meticulous handwriting.

Thank you, W!

[Shelli]

:^^

[cappuccino]

I opened mine after waking up, taking a shower, and getting dressed...actually my boyfriend ripped it open but I did unwrap the presents inside the box.

My Secret Santa was One for Sorrow! She sent me dvds of the Simpsons and Family Guy which are shows I always enjoy watching and she also sent me The Silmarillion too!

I've been timid about buying The Silmarillion but now I've been gifted with it, I gotta take the plunge and read it.

Thank you, One for Sorrow! :forcehug: I've often thought about you and WinAce so it was a lovely surprise.

Oh and she also included a lovely card too, she has a beautiful handwriting I can verify that.

[Chris Porter]

Finally! The time is here, and I am writing this as I open my box. I'm pretty sure it's from Ensign Steve, from the return address, but the card says open last! In the box are four wrapped items, which must be why it rattled and sounded like paper at the same time.

1st: a mini tub of playdoh, color: yellow. Smells like the playdoh I remember, but doesn't quite taste like I remember playdoh tasting.

2nd: Soaps, cause I'm a dirty girl! Some interesting handmade stuff: Southern Blossoms, Wisteria, and Kudzu. I'm gonna try that Kudzu stuff in a moment.

3rd: OH MY GOSH! It's "Starship Titanic" by Douglas Adams and Terry Jones! I've wanted to read this for the longest time, keep seeing references to it on the net-there's some sort of game involved-as an offshoot, or the book is the offshoot of the game, don't know. Just know that I had flagged it in memory to check out some time.

4th: 4 CDs of music I've never heard of. So I can't say too much about that, because other than the Christmas Carols, I'm totally ignorant of the other artists, so will have to try them out.

And finally, the note: A very proper and good-looking Christmas card, so you folks that made your own or got schlocky ones, you have no excuse! (That would include me, I'm afraid). And it is indeed from Ensign Steve! Thank you so much! Crikey! Reading the letter: The card is hand made! It's extremely well done.

I'm really delighted with my haul! Thank you again, E.S.!

[Shelli]

:giggle:

[ShottleBop]

I received, from maddog:

1) U.S. House of Representatives folio [how does one get one of those--did maddog do time as a Congressional page?]

2) silver-plated copper dish [about 11 in. across, with cut-out border designs and stamped design inside]

3) microfleece car wash mitt

4) "American Express" pen and pencil set, with a red-leather snap-corner pencil tray [going to work with me]

5) arm-holster for a cellphone, into which she tucked . . .

6) the first-year's set of Presidential dollar coins (Washington, Adam, Jefferson, Madison, both P and D mints)

7) a couple of pulp paperback mystery novels ["The Hearing", by John Lescroart (legal thriller), and "The Big Dig", by Linda Barnes]

:cornucopia:! Thank you, maddog!


P.S.: maddog also has very neat handwriting, and included an inventory of contents from which I cribbed shamelessly for my report.

P.P.S.: maddog--I had fruitcake for breakfast!

[Kevlar]

From someone whose name starts with Kevin from North Carolina, home of the finest BBQ porkers in the world, so I hear, I got a BBQ tool set with a long spatula, tongs, fork, knife, basting and cleaning brushes, kabob skewers good for hot dogs or marshmallows as well, and corn-on-the-cob holders all in a handy-dandy faux-leather ABS plastic brief case perfect for carry-on luggage.

I was actually thinking about buying a set just like this one. Good thing I'm a procrastinator.

Hey! Glad you like it!

I loaned it to my neighbor once, so it's slightly used. When I peeked in the box, it seems like the brush was a little dirty, but other than that I hope everything was fine.

[rigorist]

Even Secret Santa gets me books! Am I that transparent? :D

Anyway, "A Secular Age" looks interesting. Thanks, DavidM!

[vremya]

My SS is Roland98 and I got a gift card for CHEESE!! (And wine to go with the cheese!)

Yay and thank you Roland98!

[biochemgirl]

I know, I'm wishing I would have [participated] now.Nah, this way is more fun! We can ogle the pretty gifts without having had to deal with meeting deadlines or with not getting our prezzies yet.

Vicarious living through others is the way to go. :hellyes:

:yup: Although someone HAS to get something llama and then all will be right with the world!

Such nice secret santa gifts so far! Keep the opening going people!

[Kevlar]

:woohoo: I hauled it in!

My SS was Shelli, and she hooked me up nicely. She divided the gifts into three of my favorite categories: motorcycles, books, and drugs.

She gave me polish, buffers, and gas treatment for the bike. I actually was going to buy some gas treatment today, so she saved me a trip to NAPA. The books look very interesting, they are: "The Wisdom of Insecurity", "Cynic's Dictionary", "The Hero With a Thousand Faces". On top of all that, to help enhance the enjoyment of the other gifts, she sent me a box of kava, which I am preparing to consume as I type this.

Edit: My mouth went instantly numb when it took a drink, which means it's the cronic kava.

[Shelli]

Yay! :hyperb: I'm so glad you like everything, Kevin! :glomp:

What do you mean by "cronic" kava?

[livius drusus]

The awesomeness abounds. Keep it coming, y'all. :hyper:

[Kevlar]

cronic is a cannabis term that means the "good shit"... or so I hear... :innocent2:

[LadyShea]

My Secret Santa included a little guessing game. Upon opening the box from Canada I find a poem (with cute images from classic Christmas claymation)

Merry Christmas from across the miles
I hope these presents will bring you smiles
Place them 'neath your Christmas Tree
#3 holds the clue to me

The first gift was addressed to the Kiddo and is a white tiger puppet! Perfect, perfect gift choice!

The second item was addressed to me, and is a kick ass cookbook of 400 Best-evah soups! Not only are the recipes yummy sounding, it is beautifully photographed. I don't think I've ever mentioned how interesting I think food photography is, so bonus for me

The third item was addressed to "Mr. Lady Shea" and the aforementioned clue to the identity of my SS, and it is this

http://www.80stees.com/images/products/Leg-Lamp-ornament.jpg

I love ornaments, I love that movie, and it revealed my SS cleverly. So fun!

Thank you so, so much Legs, everything is just awesome and so perfect for us!

[livius drusus]

OMG leg lamp! :rofl:

[Kevlar]

Very classy ornament. Looks like a major prize!

[Chris Porter]

I've seen a leg lamp before: in some movie? Anybody got a clue?

[BrotherMan]

F-R-A-G-I-L-E! It must be from Italy!

Though, and don't hate me, if that gift is a clue to the gifter, wouldn't it be from "Leg"?

Wokka!
:fozzie:

Chris: It's from A Christmas Story (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085334/).

Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.

[Legs]

:vibes:

Everyone is getting such great gifts. We can all push lisarea's buttons now. :giggle:

I think my Secret Santa is Julie :vibes: but apologies to my real ss if I am wrong on that.

Inside the little wrapped box was a precious Snowbabies tree ornament. :aww:

If you have seen my photos you know we love Christmas ornaments at our house. :heart: With being so busy these past few weeks with my trip and our business I didn't have time to buy our yearly new ornament ~ so this gift is perfect.

Also, it reminds me of the :ff: because it is a certain admin's Holiday avatar.

http://www.oaklanddrugs.com/acatalog/sb67914l.jpg

Look, that snowbaby has Rudolph in a :squeezle: !

By the way... it plugs in and :rudolph: 's nose really glows :giggle:

Thank you Secret Santa!

LadyShea, so glad you liked the presents! I read your post on white tigers so I knew the little puppet would be perfect for your little guy. There are two pages marked in the cookbook - recipes that I have made that were delcious. Enjoy.

[Kevlar]

"fra-gee-lay" :giggle:

Legs needs a real one of those lamps.

[seebs]

I've seen a leg lamp before: in some movie? Anybody got a clue?

Christmas Story.

A Christmas Story (1983) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085334/)

Did someone edit that URL for me, or does vB do that automatically to IMDB urls?

[Julie]

I'm glad you like it Legs. I saw that and knew I had to get it for you, the light up nose just rocks.

It was a toss up between this one and the snowbaby hugging the horse, but that light up nose! *squeeeeeee*

LOL If I can find my camera I'll post a picture of your card heh.


*edited to add Sock puppet you and I and the other late gift getters can open our gifts together when we get ours!

[Legs]

Yay!! I knew it was you, Julie! THanks so much and I hope you got a huge discount off the price sticker that was still on the bottom :faint: That is one expensive gift.

Thanks again, it's perfect :vibes:

[Chris Porter]

A Christmas Story: thanks folks, that must be it. I don't recall that part of the movie, but looked on IMDB, and I have seen it, so that's the likely source. Strangely enough, I was thinking Send in the Clowns, but I think now that lamp was a torso of a naked lady.

[LadyShea]

A Christmas Story: thanks folks, that must be it. I don't recall that part of the movie, but looked on IMDB, and I have seen it, so that's the likely source. Strangely enough, I was thinking Send in the Clowns, but I think now that lamp was a torso of a naked lady.


TBS or some station shows A Christmas Story for like 48 hours straight every year...how could you not know it by heart like normal people? ;)

[freemonkey]

I'm so glad you liked your gifts, inland wave. I found those horseshoe nail earrings in a box in a drawer just before I closed up the box, I'd totally forgotten about them. I kind of wish I'd taken a picture of that horse, too, its so kitschy!

OK, so, should open or should I show solidarity to those without?

[ShottleBop]

Here is a picture (taken with a cheap-ass (less-than-$10) digital camera I bought in anticipation of posting a picture or two) of a few of the things maddog gifted me with, sitting on the pub table I keep in my office:


http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/gallery/files/1/7/6/5/maddoggifts2007-2.bmp

If you look closely, you can see:

foreground: top part of the House of Representatives folio

back left: red leather pencil tray and (sticking out of my pencil cup) AmEx pen-and-pencil set

back right (under the frogs, gourd box and other chazerai): silver-plated tray.

:thankee: again, maddog! :D

[Chris Porter]

A Christmas Story: thanks folks, that must be it. I don't recall that part of the movie, but looked on IMDB, and I have seen it, so that's the likely source. Strangely enough, I was thinking Send in the Clowns, but I think now that lamp was a torso of a naked lady.


TBS or some station shows A Christmas Story for like 48 hours straight every year...how could you not know it by heart like normal people? ;)

I don't have cable and I rarely watch TV. That probably accounts for it. Yes, yes, I know I'm abnormal.

[viscousmemories]

Great gifts, everyone! I'm stuck at work so I can't open now, but I might just hold off in solidarity with livius and the unfortunates who haven't received yet anyway. Or I'll open it as soon as I get home. Hard to say, really. :shiftier:

Also, it reminds me of the :ff: because it is a certain admin's Holiday avatar.
And Rudolph approves. :vibes:

Did someone edit that URL for me, or does vB do that automatically to IMDB urls?
It's an add-on that converts most URLS, not just IMDB. Another :ff: miracle!

[livius drusus]

Wonderful stuff. maddog, the folio was a stroke of genius. Julie, that Rudolph looks exactly like vm's Christmas avatar! Lighting nose and everything. :wriggle:

[Julie]

* Julie waves hand [jedi mode]There is no price sticker[/jedi mode]

THats because it is *THE* Rudolph, the one from the christmas special.

[chick]

Great stories from everyone!

I'm opening my package... my first gift is a huge sheet of bubble wrap...

Holy shit, wtf is this.. "APOCALYPSE PREPAREDNESS KIT"?

WHAT THE... this is so AWESOME. Ok. Wow. There's a little book, it says Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse by Jason Boyett. This looks hilarious. But wait, there's more! A biochemical attack kit! Holy crap! It's in a little black wallet. There's a ton of stuff in here! "Skin Decon Kit (M291)." Water-Jel sterile gel-soaked burn dressing. A laminated "chem/bio casualty survival card" (there's 3 cards on a plastic rope). omg look at all these lists, "type of agent, effects, onset, first aid, skin decon, detection." This is just in the black wallet, mind you. There's more!

There's an under-the-table safety tube from the American Red Cross! I haven't opened it, but it contains a dust mask, a light stick, a whistle, a water packet, and a "hook and loop fastening device." Wow!

But wait, there's more! A chewy granola bar, which I shall eat as soon as I am done making this post!

And to top it all off, there's a Plastic Decoy Scorpion in a bag! I'll have to inflate it later. The card that came with the kit has a list of the items and says "This Kit is designed to get you through the End of Days in safety and comfort. Accept no substitutes!" And is it signed with a cute message from CaDan! HOLY CRAP.

CaDan, thank you so much for this wonderful present. You must be well aware that I won't get Raptured when Jesus returns to Earth. SO thank you, thank you, and merry Christmas!

PS: His handwriting sucks but he used purple ink. He must know that legal contracts may only be signed in black. ;)

Wow, wow.

Now, I am waiting for my giftee to narc on me in one way or another. I didn't send anything nearly as cool as what I got.

[Ensign Steve]

:wriggle: Everything is so awesome! I can't wait to get home and open mine. One more hour!

:treeglomp:

Chris, I'm glad you like your haul. Read the foreward in the book and explains all the convoluded game tie-ins, etc.

[Sauron]

So I did really well too!

I got a gift card for PCC (Puget Consumer Coop) Natural Market (http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/issues/organic/pcc_certorg.html), an organic grocery store (our local version of WholeFoods) because my SS knows that I like fresh-caught salmon.:hungry:

I also got a movie that I wanted to get but never seemed to have the time to stop and buy - Pan's Labryinth! (http://www.panslabyrinth.com/) I saw it three times in the theater; ya think I'm gonna like having my own copy? Huh? Do ya? Huh? :eager:

I got a classy Christmas ornament, all pewter and such. And to round it off, I have a pocket-sized zen garden!

Thank you Plant Woman!

[Qingdai]

I have to rush to work, but my Secret Santa is/was Ymir's Blood.

He more than adequately came through with the bubble wrap (almost if he had seem how I handle a knife?!) and a note.
He claims to have no theme, so I guess it's a puzzle wrapped in an enigma.

I received a blue-green tin.
A ball (that my son ran off with before I could see it).
A model of a woolly mammoth skeleton.
The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey
A spork aka runcible spoon in a Crown Royal bag (which my husband will steal for Dungeons and Dragons), and the famous
:glare: button!

Photos after I get back from work, inventory calls. I must count and weigh.
Away!

[livius drusus]

:aww: @ pocket-sized zen garden and :w00t: for the spork in the Crown Royal bag! Such a fun, creative bunch y'all are. :grouphug:

[ms_ann_thrope]

Whee! ms_ann_thrope's Secret Santa sent many crafty things --- they will help her relax during breaks from studying for the bar!

I gots:
* a weaving loom (pot-holders for everyone next Christmas!!)
* a paint by numbers kit of kittens (I can make my own lolcats!)
* a beading kit to make matching bracelet and earrings (sort of amber-colored and silver beads)
* a "lite up astro ball," which is a spiky jelly orb that flashes (I can wear it to a rave, or torture my cat... decisions, decisions...)
* a little wind up toy (it is either a kangaroo or some critter with one of those "parasitic twins" sticking out of its belly... I think it's probably the former)

A very cool haul! I can't wait to sit down in front of the telly and do some crafting. Many thanks to... vremya! :hyper:

[livius drusus]

Oo! Torture your cat! Torture your cat!1 :wriggle:

[ShottleBop]

Re: generally, giftees in possession of gifts who are contemplating not opening theirs, out of sincere, but misguided, feelings of solidarity with those whose gifts have not yet arrived:

Please! Think of your Secret Santa waiting on pins and needles to see if he or she has picked well--:worry:--and open that sucker up!

:beg:

[viscousmemories]

The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey

:faint:

[seebs]

I'm waiting for my not-so-secret not-so-santa's gift (an embedded PowerPC board) to arrive at the office so I can go home and open my package.

[Crumb]

My gift was from Cappuccino! Thanks Capp! :thankee:

My gf thinks he got his holidays mixed up though. :yup: I got a little bouncy metal jack-o-lantern with arms and legs. Like a 3d Halloween smiley. It should be great for decorating the office at work for Halloween. It is sad the poor guy will have to wait almost a year before he is pressed into service.

He also enclosed plenty of bubble wrap :bubbles:and a little note explaining how hard it was to figure out what to send me. :giggles: That's funny because lots of folks say I am hard to buy for. :D

Thanks, Capp! :)

[cappuccino]

:giggles: it was my pleasure, buddy. I was thinking of what to send you when my glance fell on the jack-o-lantern that was still on my office desk months after Halloween and thought to myself "Ooh I think I'll send him that, it ought throw him for a loop!"


And a big :glare: at you for figuring out who was your Secret Santa before the opening day.

[Crumb]

I just happened to glance at the FF Google map after it arrived. :innocent:

[freemonkey]

Re: generally, giftees in possession of gifts who are contemplating not opening theirs, out of sincere, but misguided, feelings of solidarity with those whose gifts have not yet arrived:

Please! Think of your Secret Santa waiting on pins and needles to see if he or she has picked well--:worry:--and open that sucker up!

:beg:

I hope you are not just trying to assuage your guilt. :wink:

[Stormlight]

Man, it's so great to read this thread! :^^

[Plant Woman]

Enjoy your salmon, Sauron! I remembered you drooling all over the place over salmon when you came back to the region. I had to wait until the person I loaned that movie to returned it! Good thing you live close by as it delayed me in getting the package out to you.

[Julie]

Well the mail man just arrived...and knocked on the door cause she had a package and I was all excited thinking it might be my package....but *sigh* It's for my sister not for me :(

*sigh*

[BrotherMan]

:sadcheer:

[Plant Woman]

My SS is Caligulette. When I received the package the address said it came from Oregon. But I didn't go look at the map as I wanted to wait and be pleasantly surprised.

:hyper:

I opened it to find a moleskin to jot down writing inspirations that I will keep in my purse when those brilliant moments arrive. My last one was filled up so I am so glad to get a note from her that told me to "Write what makes me happy." I will, I promise! The second part of the gift was a beautiful ornament made from a real leaf. This one looks like the scale-like foliage of our western red cedar and is preserved in an iridescent copper. The photo doesn't do it justice and I hung it on my alpine tree. Perfect! Oh and a little chocolate mint lollipop -- I eated it ahreddy.

[Caligulette]

Yay!

(I am not on the map as I do not have PinPointingSkillz, so it would have been a misdirection!)

[Plant Woman]

Thanks so much for your great gifts!

(I forgot to put the photo in my post and learned that you can't edit and attach a photo :( .)

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3186&stc=1&d=1198266804

[rigorist]

Unrelated to the FF Secret Santa thang, but vremya just got a package from frackin' SCOTLAND!

Do we know anybody in the land of Picts and oatmeal?

[Caligulette]

trying to attach thumbnail.

[Legs]

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3186&stc=1&d=1198266804

The leaf ornament is gorgeous!

I am off now for the weekend and will have no internet until late Sunday, happy opening to everyone tonight - I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone received. See you in a couple of days.

[livius drusus]

CaDan, James Bannon is from Scotland, but unless vremya's not telling you something, I doubt he's the sender.

Caligulette, that ornament is drop-dead gorgeous.

Have a good weekend, Legs. :bai:

[Ensign Steve]

Okay, I am opening my gift now!

The return address is "Secret Santa" in a zip code with no city. But it's in the high 9xxxx's, so I'm figuring Cascadia area somewhere. That does not narrow it down much.

Inside the postal box is a grocery bag from Trader Joe's! :hyper:

Inside the bag are three packages wrapped in gorgeous plaid paper, and the largest of them has a scary looking Pinocchio ornament/pen attached to it. Also my very own mix CD! :hyper: I recognize about half the band names as bands I totally like, so I can tell it's going to be an awesome mix.

Opening the card ... It has a painting of a sunshine on the front, and it appears to be from a support organization for children of violent homes. The card has meticulously pretty writing and even my name in special calligraphy. The sendee's name is covered up by paper to protect the identity, but I'm not going to read the card until the presents are open because I don't want to spoil the surprises! I hope it doesn't contain special opening instructions. Not that I would follow them anyway! :muahaha:

O!M!F!G! Star Trek The Next Generation COLLECTIBLE ACTION MARBLES!! :excited:

JESUS NIGHTLIGHT! :lol: "Let His Light, Light Your Way..."

Oh! I just pulled my Pinnoccio pen out of the bow and noticed that it is Mexico colors. I love Mexico! Oh, wait. I bet it's Italy. :duh: :italian:

The biggest package is shaped like a stop sign... It's covered in styrofoam. It says "The Hamilton Collection." What could it be?! :scratch: The tape, it mocks me! Getting scissors...

ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod!!! It's a motherfucking collector's plate of Captain Picard! It's from the 50th anniversary series. My mom just called me and asked what I was up to and I was all, "Oh my god I just opened up my Secret Santa gift and it was a Hamilton Mint plate of Jean Luc Picard! I can't believe it! It's so awesome! I just opened it! This is so rad!" and she's like, "That's great, can you look something up for me?" :giggle: And my fucking camera battery just died on me. I actually collect these plates (did my sendee know that?), and this is one I did not have!

Okay, reading card now...

Wow, just wow. This is too awesome. :happycry: My very special and wonderful Secret Santa is ms_ann_thrope who had better change her first name to Phil, because this was the sweetest and most fun bunch of presents EVAR!

[SharonDee]

Wow, y'all are getting some seriously cool stuff!

Show me more, more ...! :hyperb:

[livius drusus]

Huge score!
:picard:

[SharonDee]

Oh! I just pulled my Pinnoccio pen out of the bow and noticed that it is Mexico colors. I love Mexico! Oh, wait. I bet it's Italy. :duh: :italian::lol:

You're killing me over here, ES!

[chick]

OK get this, my Apocalypse Survival Kit was supposed to contain a decoy scorpion, and there was a plastic bag with something purple in it, so I figured that was it.

Upon opening the bag, I realized it is a pair of purple latex gloves.

So now I can engage in safer fisting if I want to have kinky sex with Prince. I don't know if he's into that or not, but I'm ready.

[ms_ann_thrope]

Yay! I did not know that you were a collector of the plates... so that worked out well, then! I was scairt that you might not be into the whole collector plate thing and would think it was lame. I am relieved, as I wanted the Captain to go to a good home. :vibes:

Merry Xmas ES!

[Ensign Steve]

There is no way Prince is not into fisting.

[Plant Woman]

Thanks again liv, for making this happen. It is so much fun and the gifts are always wonderful. :curtsey:

[Ensign Steve]

Yay! I did not know that you were a collector of the plates... so that worked out well, then! I was scairt that you might not be into the whole collector plate thing and would think it was lame. I am relieved, as I wanted the Captain to go to a good home. :vibes:

Merry Xmas ES!

Thank you! :hug: I already packed my plates up to make room for xmas decorations or I'd totally take a picture. This is my 6th plate, so I am definitely a collector! Whee!

[Crumb]

I wanted the Captain to go to a good home
:rofl:

[livius drusus]

So now I can engage in safer fisting if I want to have kinky sex with Prince. I don't know if he's into that or not, but I'm ready.

There is no way Prince is not into fisting.
:lol: To the quote generator with the both of ye!

Thanks again liv, for making this happen. It is so much fun and the gifts are always wonderful. :curtsey:
Thanks to all of y'all without whose effort this would never have gone past the first year. :squeeze:

[rigorist]

OK get this, my Apocalypse Survival Kit was supposed to contain a decoy scorpion, and there was a plastic bag with something purple in it, so I figured that was it.

Upon opening the bag, I realized it is a pair of purple latex gloves.

So now I can engage in safer fisting if I want to have kinky sex with Prince. I don't know if he's into that or not, but I'm ready.

I suck!

The scorpion is sitting amongst the piles of crap on my desk and it is LAUGHING AT ME!

[rigorist]

This whole thing with the Secret Santa is distracting me from cleaning up the kitchen and setting up the dreaded Cookie Factory. I mean, I have this thread and a big ol' book to read.

Damn you Santa! Damn you straight to H-E-Double Hockey Sticks!

[LadyShea]

Didn't like 42 people get their gifts? How many have opened so far? Don't seem like that many...more gifts!!

[livius drusus]

49 people got their presents on time, actually. I don't know how many people have opened them yet, but ya, we definitely have lots more opening to go. :yup:

[Ensign Steve]

:eager:Moar!

I have pics to post, but I have to wait for my camera to charge. That's the other special present I got; a gentle reminder to charge my camera before Christmas. Apparently you can't just sit it on the dock without plugging it in an expect anything to happen.

[The Lone Ranger]

Octavia says she got it in some place called Pigeon Valley, in Turkey. What part of Turkey is that in?
The Pigeon Valley [Guvercinlik Vadisi] is near the town of Göreme, in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. Legend has it that it got its name because the locals carved holes in the cliff walls in hopes of attracting wild pigeons. The locals hoped to collect their guano for use as fertilizer. (What most of us in this day and age don't realize is that guano used to be worth its weight in gold, as it's such an excellent fertilizer.)

http://www.paradisepension.com/images/turkeymap.jpg

The region attracts a lot of tourists because of its unique geology. Volcanic eruptions about 2,000 years ago buried the region in soft rock. The softer rock has been rapidly eroding away, except where caps of harder rock protect the softer rock beneath them. This results in the formation of structures called "fairy chimneys".

http://www.informatik.uni-bremen.de/~net/images/cappadocia/cappadocia/img_0046.jpg
Fairy chimneys in Cappadocia.



She boldly carted it round in her backpack through a number of other countries, a few of which I haven't been to myself, although I would love to. So it's come to me across the world as well as who knows how many millions of years...

Octavia guesses it's a leaf or starfishy thing... I'm inclined to go with the latter. Can anyone round here enlighten us?
It's an echinoderm. A brief review of echinoderm evolution will hopefully clarify a bit.

Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata) are named for their "spiny skins" (that's what "echinoderma" translates to). They are, like ourselves, deuterostomes; it might surprise people to know that echinoderms are fairly closely related to our own phylum, Chordata.

The fossil record for echinoderms is fairly good because, like a lot of chordates, most echinoderms have internal skeletons made largely of calcium. Most also have protective calcareous plates embedded in their skins, as well as protective spines. Virtually all of them have pentaradial (5-part) body symmetry, which makes echinoderms very easy to recognize.

Virtually all echinoderms have a unique water-vascular system that allows them to pump water into and out of structures called tube feet. These tube feet can be used for locomotion (an individual animal may have hundreds of them) and/or for capturing prey. Each tube foot can generate suction when it contacts something and water is pumped out of it, and this is why a "starfish" can pry open a clam or mussel. The starfish uses hydraulic pressure to pry open the unfortunate clam, not muscle power. The poor clam, on the other hand, is using muscles to hold its shell closed. That means the clam will eventually tire; the starfish won't.

Anyway, some of the earliest echinoderms were crinoids. Crinoids (class Crinoidea) are sessile, attached to the sea floor by a stalk. A crinoid has relatively thin arms (typically, either five arms or some multiple of 5) with many feathery extensions. They use their arms to filter food out of the water. (The mouth is in the center, where the arms meet, and faces upward.) Because of their plant-like appearance, crinoids are often referred to as "Sea Lilies." "Feather stars" is another common name.

http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Fossilgroups/Crinoidea/crinoidreal.jpg
Crinoid morphology.

Crinoids used to be extremely common, and they're among the most common fossils in some deposits. They pretty-much dominated the seas during the Paleozoic Era (which ended some 250 million years ago) and were common during the Mesozoic Era (which ended 65 million years ago). Today, there are about 80 surviving species.


Similar to (and perhaps ancestral to) the crinoids were the blastoids (class Blastoidea). Like crinoids, they lived on stalks attached to the sea floor. They generally had broader, less feathery arms than crinoids, and tended to be fairly small. The blastoids seem to have all died out at the end of the Paleozoic, some 250 million years ago.

http://www.palaeos.com/Invertebrates/Echinoderms/Images/blastoid.gif
A reconstruction of a blastoid.


If you can imagine taking a crinoid, removing its stalk, and flipping it upside-down, so that the mouth is now facing downward, you'd have a sea star ("starfish") (class Stelleroidea). It's likely that sea stars evolved in more or less exactly that way.

Most sea stars are fairly mobile, and they use their arms and/or tube feet to move about. Their arms are generally much broader, flatter, and more powerful than are the delicate arms of crinoids. After all, they can pry clams and oysters open with those arms. (And, this is a neat trick; once a sea star has pried a clam open, it can exert its stomach through its mouth and partially digest the clam inside its own shell. Once that's done, it them pulls its stomach back inside to complete the digestive process. Yum!)

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/sgifs/Starfish_bw.GIF


If you can imagine a sea star flattening its arms, fusing them with its body, and growing longer spines, you'd have a sea urchin (class Echinoidea). This is probably more or less exactly how sea urchins evolved. Sea urchins are rather less mobile than are sea stars, but also rather better-protected from predators. (Many are venomous, incidentally; it's not an especially good idea to pick one up if you don't know what species it is.) Most have hardened mouthparts that allow them to cut through the hard shells of clams and other prey.

A sea urchin with a flattened body and very short spines is a sand dollar. Those five structures you find inside when you break one open are the remains of its internal skeleton.

http://www.mesa.edu.au/friends/seashores/images/Urchin.jpg


http://www.enchantedlearning.com/sgifs/Sanddollar_bw.GIF


***

I was thinking that your fossil is probably a blastoid, but then you said this:

BTW, for a size comparison the fossil is slightly larger than a CD.

That's much larger than a typical blastoid, so I'm thinking it's probably a sea star with unusually flattened arms.

Cheers,

Michael

[Ymir's blood]

He more than adequately came through with the bubble wrap (almost if he had seem how I handle a knife?!) and a note.
He claims to have no theme, so I guess it's a puzzle wrapped in an enigma.
Folding enigmas isn't as hard as one might think. Finding a tape that will stick to them is the tricky part.

I received a blue-green tin.
I've never been able to open it, so if there are any contents, I am no way responsible.

A ball (that my son ran off with before I could see it).
It's got some sort of squirting function, that much I do know.

A spork aka runcible spoon in a Crown Royal bag (which my husband will steal for Dungeons and Dragons)Definitely the hand of fate working with that bag. If it hadn't been sent away, there would have been dice in it eventually. My current bag is in pretty good shape though and it's no trouble getting more of them. :wink:

The spork is one of a pair I picked up in Georgia.

The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey

:faint:
?

It was an extra copy.

My secret Santa was Beyelzu. The outside of the box said that the gift wasn't as big as his member, a judgment I don't care to test out. It's a double bitted axe with a spiked knuckle guard and a dragon motif. Should be very useful in the coming zombie apocalypse, especially if I can find someone strong enough to wield it.

Thanks Bey! :yup:

[The Lone Ranger]

My SS was Crumb.

He sent me a "Glare" pin. I'm not quite sure when I'll ever have any use for that, but you can't have too much official FF merchandise, can you?

In addition, he sent a neat mineral sample, which appears to be a portion of a geode.

He also sent 2 custom-made "Dido" CDs. I've heard of Dido, but I'm not sure I've ever heard any of her music, so that's definitely going to be a welcome learning experience!

Then there were 2 books. The first is Salt: A World History, and the second is A Sense of the World, about the blind adventurer/explorer James Holman. Best of all, I haven't read either, so those are definitely welcome additions to the library!

And finally, perhaps best of all: two volumes of Maus! That has been on my "must read" list like forever, but I just hadn't gotten around to getting them. Now Crumb has been thoughtful enough to do it for me!

Definitely a great set of gifts!

And I don't know what he's talking about with regards to handwriting. He apologized for its poor quality, but really, he has perfectly good, completely legible handwriting.

Cheers,

Michael

[Crumb]

I'm glad you liked them, TLR! I new you liked graphic novels, but I didn't know if Maus would be your thing or if you'd already have them.

:ffboogie:

[BrotherMan]

I have been awaiting this day for oh so long :eager: and it is finally upon me! And all thanks to :livpope:

A short few weeks ago a package arrived. Once I confirmed what it was, it began mocking me. :whup: Even despite its numbered days!

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3188&stc=1&d=1198269081

Today is the day. It's mockery of me shall be no more! As with all things good and wholesome, first I put it on it's face so that it's shame might be increased.

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3189&stc=1&d=1198269088

WHO IS YOUR MASTER NOW!

Here, the first excited rippings of the openingness. I could hardly contain my own excitement! :eager: :eager: What is inside? Who is it from!? WHY IS MY ROOMMATE LOOKING AT ME LIKE I AM STRANGE!?

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3190&stc=1&d=1198269100

Behold! A wrapped gift! :cheer: ANOTHER FESTIVUS MIRACLE! :cheer: (It was ripped at the bottom already. Honest.)

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3191&stc=1&d=1198269108

As with sex (real or self) I was unable to restrain myself. I bullied the second wrapping off, forcing my joy upon ... um ... myself. ZOMG! :omg: THERE'S A NOTE! Maybe it talks about a PUPPY! :dalmation:

"Dear BrotherMan," skip, skip, skip ... It's signed! The poor fool!

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3192&stc=1&d=1198269114

GET THE NOTE OUT OF THE WAY AND GIMME MY PRESENTSES! :eager: Oooo! Here there be comic books! Before I go digging through, I'll actually read the letter.

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3193&stc=1&d=1198269119

Sweet Whedon's Ghost! It's ALL comic books! All the TIME!

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3194&stc=1&d=1198269133


The Shadow: In the Coils of Leviathan
The Shadow: and Doc Savage
The Shadow and the Mysterious 3

AWESOME!

But that's not all!


Elvira's Haunted Holidays

I like ghoslty buxom womens!

:lecher:

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/2/29/150px-Rndr_Ghost_Widow_03.png

The more I dig, the more I find! :cheer:

Now the next gift is a bit of a harder sell. After all, your interests are varied and wide ranging. I could not nail you down to one specific genre or discipline. I was stymied. After all, what do you get for a modern-day Renaissance man?

Why, you get him the Renaissance man!


Chiaroscuro: The Private Lives of Leonardo da Vinci


And what's great about that? I mean, besides it being about Leo, my second favorite turtle. I get to go on a treasure hunt and find the last one! Oh, sure, anyone could have given the whole set. But not my Sekrit Santa! My Sekrit Santa gave the gift that'll keep on giving!

If I could be mostly serious for just a moment. Sekrit Santa, you did a great job. I know I didn't have much for you to work with but honestly, really and for true, you gave me something I can enjoy and would not have expected. Thanks, wei yau, from the heart of my bottom, for giving me your crap.

[SharonDee]

:clap:

Now that's the way it's done, BrotherMan! :lol:

Excellent haul; good on wei yau!

[livius drusus]

Holy crap, that axe is scary! Scary awesome, that is.

Great call with the Mauses, Crumbles.

And damn, wei yau's crap smells like roses. Carefully wrapped and preserved roses.

:bow: to all.

[Watser?]

Wow, people have been very generous here :wow:

[livius drusus]

Watser? I wanna know what's weighing down your pressie! And freemonkey, to answer your question from before, OPEN NOW!!1

[freemonkey]

OMG! Did Bey put ff smilies in his letter?!

[Ensign Steve]

I think that's wei's letter. But, yeah.

And like a good little lesbiantor, wei sure do know his comic books. :thumbup:

[Brimshack]

Again?

[livius drusus]

OPEN!!1

[Ensign Steve]

:giggles: Now whose being :eager:?

[Julie]

LOL leave poor liv alone. She has done so well at keeping her :squee: inside to not infect us all.

[Brimshack]

...it seems I am doomed to rep4eat the same dysfunctional relationships with all the cat kingdom.

(Photo-essay to follow)

[California Tanker]

The return address is "Secret Santa" in a zip code with no city. But it's in the high 9xxxx's, so I'm figuring Cascadia area somewhere. That does not narrow it down much.

Future note: Just enter the Zip into Mapquest, it'll take you to the right city.

NTM