I’ll check with the wife and post it later this week. I’ve never really helped much, but I usually get a good bit of gaming in when she makes it, since it takes so long. We’re marathoning star wars this year (haven’t seen the new one, planning on new year’s weekend because we hate people) while cooking and I’m helping out since she is baking at the same time.
I’m going to be traveling from tomorrow until after the new year, so the Chick/Murawski household and I will be opening this evening. Pictures forthcoming!
It’s totally cool to open your gifts as soon as opening day (yesterday) hits. I’m actually surprised as many folks have held out at this point. If mine had arrived yet (a little bird confirmed it’s in-transit) I’d have it open and posted here already. :)
I mean, hey, when Santa says it’s okay to open some early, what kid says no to that?
Knowing you CAN open your gift is where the power’s at!
I have received a package, but my mother in law has hid it until boxing day…thus I wait.
So my story. Let me tell it to you. I received an envelope from the land of Refrigerators. It had a lovely bird stamp. I love birds.
The time came for opening and what did I find? A semi-cryptic message from an Organization that I may or may not have knowledge of.
While I should not pass on classified information, especially due to the quality of my phone pictures, this is what I received. Two holographs of the strange lights in the sky. And a clue as to my contact in the organization that I will not mention.
The two on top are the holographs. You obviously can not see all of the detail or the movement, but I could. And I understand the importance of the information depicted. As for the bottom picture, it is obvious that my contact is a very interesting and intelligent pigeon. Thus the bird on the stamp.
Finally I received the awaited message from “Steam”.
Jørn Weines, you have done a superior job at stalking and Secret Santa-ing! As your first Santee I am impressed at the quality of your Secret Santa chops. You have made me very happy and I thank you profusely and sincerely for your gifts. XCOM 2 will actually be released four days before my birthday, so this is a birthday present as well!
Thank you again, from one happy camper.
Thank you, fire, for making this a great and wonderful time of year!
Good to hear that you liked the present! I went through some different options based on some forum stalking, but XCOM2 quickly stood out as the strongeest contender.
There might have been another message from the on-site investigator inside the intelligence package, in case you missed it.
Christien and I opened our gifts with Tom last night. Tom will post about his gift separately (it’s really cool but requires its own photo shoot).
Christien’s first gift was a padded floor mat for the kitchen. Who would know that Christien’s kitchen floor mat was falling apart? It’s the bamboo kind and all the bamboo pieces were falling off. Last week alone it gave me two splinters. I swept the floor earlier today and pieces of the mat fell off and I swept them up. I’m pretty sure floor mats aren’t supposed to do that.
This floor mat is pretty nice. It’s padded, so it’s kind on the feet when you stand and wash dishes or dice vegetables; and vinyl, meaning it will be easy to clean with Windex and some paper towels. And it’s a nice neutral color that will remind everyone of the old bamboo mat.
But Christien thought that something’s fishy here.
“Who would know that I’d like a new mat for the kitchen?” Christien asked, glaring at me with a grin.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Someone very smart, probably.”
“And that the bamboo mat is falling apart?”
“That’s all over Google Street View,” Tom suggested. “Your Santa probably Googled you.”
Christien paused. “Is one of you jokers my Santa?”
“You know that’s against the rules,” I said. “It says so right there on the first post.”
Christien’s second gift was a calendar. And not just any calendar! A calendar celebrating the new Star Wars movie (listen to the podcast).
“Hmmm,” Christien said, eyeing me like I’m to blame for this calendar.
“Where will you hang it?” I asked.
“Hang that in the kitchen,” Tom suggested, and got up to drive a nail into the wall (with his bare hands) near Silvia, the coffee machine.
“That’s a great place!” I said. Christien looked back and forth between me, Tom, and the calendar.
Christien’s third gift was preceded by this note.
Perhaps it takes a little bit of explaining. Christien drinks tap water. Tom drinks bottled water. I have an RO filter I installed, and I drink that. Sometimes I’ll bring over a few gallons of water to share, because I don’t understand how anyone can drink L.A. tap water, but I’m the only one that drinks it because Christien doesn’t care and Tom can’t understand how anyone can drink L.A. tap water even if it’s been filtered.
I brought over a bunch of water from my house earlier this week.
“Does it come from the same place that goes into the toilet?”
“Well, yes, but —”
“Then no thanks!”
“Who knows that about us?” Christien asked when he read the note. “Who knows that I drink tap water?”
He looked at Tom. “Would you drink this water?”
To everyone’s surprise, Tom replied, “Sure.”
The third note preceding the third gift read, “This is so we can hear you over the other two jokers.”
What!
Christien thinks I’m busted. But I’m pretty sure his true Secret Santa will turn up one day.
Oh this is so bogus! This whole thing! I love my gifts, of course, but when I find out it was one of you two goofballs there’s going to be hell to pay. This egregious rule-breaking will not stand!
And as I said during the fact-checking phase for your little tale, Tom was not driving in a nail, with his bare hands or anything else (NSFW). It was thumbtack for goodness sake!
Sheesh.
-xtien
P.S. Merry Christmas, all.
Look here, young man! You do, of course, remember why that rule was created, right? May I direct your attention to Evidence A: The Case of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It took months for Tom Chick to figure out that you – you!! – were his Secret Santa.
Ahem. [clearing throat]
I don’t believe I was ever formally convicted of any crime, or even formally linked to the malfeasance. So I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make there, Jedi Fire, Supreme Leader of the Secret Santa Alliance. Even if I had copped to being said gifter, I would have given such gifts before the rule was enacted, and thus, am immune to prosecution after-the-fact. Much like Joss Ackland in Lethal Weapon 2.
-xtien
Diplomatic Immunity!
Uh oh, was I not supposed to sign my gift? Cause if so, I’ve been a rule breaker for a couple years now…
Love those insider gifts for Dingus!
Ah, yes. I did miss it. Correct me if I’m wrong:
it is not a grouse
it is a kind of thing
it imitates a grouse
it is not really
Happy to report a big box arrived today. Will open and report tonight after dinner!
I think the “secret” part of the Secret Santa has been one of those informal “ehh, if you feel like it” rules. :) My Secret Santa decided – he drew me for the second year in a row, speaking of breaking rules! – to just be my Santa. RichVR outed himself by attaching a signed card to each of his gifts. One of the cards advised me not to pet burning dogs. I need to keep that in my wallet as a reminder.
So Rich VR has generously supplied me with two pounds of dark roast coffee and a Japanese novel.
Fortunately, the Japanese novel has been translated into English! However, there is no explanation about what the Japanese novel is or why I should read it or even whether RichVR likes it! I dare not read the back cover for fear of spoilers, so I shall have to start at page 1 and figure it out for myself. Fair enough. That’s why God made books: so we can start and page 1 and figure it out for outselves.
Also included is a new pair of glasses. No, not those kind of glasses. These kind of glasses:
They’re odd double layer glass cups specifically designated for hot drinks. Like, say, the espresso that will be made from the two pounds of coffee and the machine – that’s Sylvia – you can see in the background. Let’s see how this turns out.
So you can see the espresso in the inner layer, shielded (?) from the outside air by the outside layer. I’m not sure about the physics at work here, but I’m sure they’re sound. It’s a little weird being able to see down into the shot I’ve just pulled. Normally when you drink espresso, all you can see is the layer of crema on top. It’s disconcerting seeing under the crema, like when you see a dolphin show at Sea World and then you go into the underground part of the aquarium and you see the dolphins swimming around under the water. Okay, not quite like that. I can’t think of a better comparison. But the cups are both cool and cool to the touch, thanks to the double layer, and the espresso tastes as good as usual.
Thanks to RichVR, my unSecret Santa!
-Tom
P.S. You can see Christien’s new Star Wars calendar and tap/toilet water purifier in the background of the photos.
Looks scrumptious. I haven’t read that particular book, but Murakami is fantastic.
I just opened my gifts from the honorable Armando Penblade. He GETS me for sure!
The main item was an AWESOME C’thulhu playing with an Xbox controller made by an artisan he knows personally. This will go in a prime spot on my fanboy fireplace mantle of fame in with my Funkos which are not nearly as cool!
Cthulhu figure by Sam Posten III, on Flickr
He also sent Might and Magic X Legacy via Steam and this really cool disk on Amazon MP3:
Normally I’d hate getting touched by the Crimson King but this one time I will allow it!
Thanks Armando for the barrage of gifts!