Secret Gift Exchange 2011

[Duchess]

It's time for the Secret Gift Exchange. Those of you who've been around know we've done this for the last several years with a reasonable amount of success and a few of us/you were looking forward to it again this year. At least according to the informal poll I posted last week…

So here's how it’s going to work:

Who is eligible:

• Any current member of the Pub is eligible. If you’ve only been around a few months, I’ll pair you with someone else in equal standing. The understanding being that this would put those newer members on equal footing, as both parties would be taking a risk with unknowns.
  

• Regardless of membership status, by signing up you solemnly agree that you will provide some sort of pleasant contact with your designated recipient. If you don't I'll be distinctly displeased with you.
  

What you'll do:

• After the sign-up cut-off I will PM you the name and address of your Designated Recipient.
  

• Sometime in the near future you will put something in the mail, timed so as to arrive before December 25, for your Designated Recipient.
  

What you will send:

• Often these sorts of arrangements come with a dollar amount limit. I’m not convinced that is appropriate for some place like the Pub, and things have been pretty successful for the last several years without one. Please don't let this lack of specification make you uncomfortable. Also know that you're not buying our friendship, respect or any other sort of attention, so don't bother showing off. We'll just mock you. Things that people have done in the past: Holiday Cards, CD's, dice, a deck of cards, belt pouches, glass pens, etc.... Basically anything goes as long as it is kind and reasonably well intentioned. If this section is really stressing you out PM me, and we'll come up with something or I'll give you quantitative limits to make you feel better.
  

How to sign up:

• Send me a PM with your name (or something the post office will recognize as a name capable of receiving items) and address. Also if you would like to include a SHORT list of things you are interested in to help your Designated Giver, please feel. Note that I said things you are interested in, not a shopping list. Please don’t sign up if you simply expect to check one more thing off your “I want” list. This list is by no means a requirement; in fact I think part of the fun in this is the mystery.
  

• Each interested party must contact me themselves, from their own account. I won't sign anyone up on someone else's say so. Simply expressing interest here or in the poll thread is also not enough to get officially signed up. You must send me a PM with your name and address.
  

• I MUST RECEIVE YOUR PM BY NOON CT ON NOVEMBER 1^st FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE!
  

• I will then mix up all the entries and pair up everyone. I'll then send you a PM by November 6^th containing the name of your Designated Recipient.
  

• You will then find, craft, beg, or barter something for them and post it off to the supplied address. Please let me know when your package has shipped.
  

• After the Gift exchange is complete everyone should purge their PM's of sensitive identifying information (like names and addresses) and I will do the same.
  

• You're free to open your Gift whenever you get it (or to wait for some special day) and post here in great detail about it. But let’s have the exchange complete before we start identifying ourselves as "giver of ...."
  

If you've any questions please post here or send me a PM.

Thanks,

Duchess.

[Duchess]

Check here for the currently (as of Oct.31) signed up list:

Duchess

Capt. Bo of the WTF co.

michaelsbagley

landlubbersanonymous

jollyjacktar

Stynky Tudor

Elena

PoD

wes1761

Capt. Trueblood

Quartermaster James

Commodore Swab

Seb. Nodding

adam cyphers

Gunpowder Gertie

[Commodore Swab]

When will you be drawing names?

[Duchess]

It's all in the intro post.

[Duchess]

Just a reminder that the sign up deadline is approaching...

[adam cyphers]

i sent you a pm.id like to be involved as well please.

[Seb. Nodding]

PM sent as well

[Duchess]

Adam- I don't have a pm from you. So double check where you sent it and send it again.

The list is current as of this morning (October 29th), so if you're not on there, but want on there, send me the requisite information!

[Duchess]

One more reminder:

The sign up dead line is tomorrow!

[adam cyphers]

i sent another yesterday.

[Duchess]

Hi Everyone,

Congratulations on making it through the signup phase!

At this time all names have been assigned and you should have a PM in your box with the name of an excited Designated Recipient. Please take some time over the next several weeks to acknowledge your giftee. Typically gifts are timed to arrive sometime around the traditional (in the US anyway) holiday time at the end of December and no later than the end of this year (2011).

Be aware that some of you have an address outside your country, so account for the extra time required by customs and long distance shipping when you plan your timeline!

When you've put your gift in the mail, please send me a PM so that I know everything is running smoothly. On the other hand is something comes up and you find yourself unable to send anything (for any reason), please let me know ASAP so that I can make alternate arrangements for your giftee.

Thank you Everyone and have fun!

Duchess

[landlubbersanonymous]

Thank you Everyone and have fun!

Duchess

Thank you for coordinating this!

[LadyBarbossa]

AhhhH!!! Just returned to the Pub! I didn't know the deadline was so early! Darn computer viruses took my comp out so just got back on. So, I'm too late to participate? ::: Seriously severe pout:::

~Lady B

[CharityRackham]

AhhhH!!! Just returned to the Pub! I didn't know the deadline was so early! Darn computer viruses took my comp out so just got back on. So, I'm too late to participate? ::: Seriously severe pout:::

~Lady B

Hey honey. Don't feel so bad. I missed it to. They say fate has a funny way of dishing out 'balance' and my life has gotten so crazy I haven't had time to be here so I missed the deadline. But... I'm not going to fuss.. This year is excessively financially tight and I got some wonderful gifts last year. Not only did I get some cool items from my 'secret pirate Santa' ;-) but also my receiver sent me thank you gifts as well.

She knows she didn't have to but it seems that she couldn't resist. One of the incredibly wonderful pieces sent to me last year (a little small silver ship pendant) was added to my Charity outfit (in front of the black obsidian) and is still there, reminding me of the love and luck gifted to me by a very special pirate lady.... So.. In a way... My gifts from last year filled me so much with happiness, that energy will last a few more Year's to come.

So... Enjoy yourselves and hopefully, next year, I'll have some spare money to accomplish this again and spare time to visit the pub more often.

Thank you again.

[Elena]

Thank you, Charity, I am so glad to hear it! But it wasn;t a Christmas gift from me, it was just a March amulet, at the right time

[CharityRackham]

I know.. But the energy will hold me over for many Christmas... What's the plural? Christmases?

The little red and white cords are attached to my computer screen, the postcards are tucked away in a drawer (yes I kept those too) and the crossed anchors are with other pendants in my little jewelry drawer waiting for a chain to call home. You've been very kind and for that I am blessed.

Thank you again.

[Elena]

I have been a nice girl... Saint Nicholas gave me a wonderful present - Thank you, my secret Santa!

I received a book about the most famous pirates, a pirate-themed video game and a beautiful bracelet of beads with a coin... all travelling far away from USA!

[Duchess]

I think yours had the farthest to travel, so I'm glad it made it safely!

[Duchess]

Hi Everyone,

Just a friendly reminder to get your gifts in the mail!

[LadyBarbossa]

I hear ye, Charity. This year has been a bear. Brutal beyond measure. Ahhhh.... if only we could truly be pirates. Haha, much like that Country Music song about wanting to be a pirate.

Prayers always to ye, m'dear.

~Lady B

[adam cyphers]

my apologies ...ill be sending my gifts out in the next couple days.

[Commodore Swab]

You aren't alone, I had a couple issues out of town and timing problems resulted in a delayed shipment.

[jollyjacktar]

Well one person whose gifts arrived very much on time (actually back in November) was POD. As with all of his work I got some really awesome stuff most notably a cast pipe tamp and some tobacco papers ( I was secretly considering ordering these) All I can say Mr. Morrisroe is thank you very much. Yours was the first under our tree and I was able to restrain myself until yesterday to open it. Thanks again!

Yours & co

Mr. Ohlandt

[Duchess]

Well, let's start the round up.

If you haven't received your gift yet, please let me know!

[adam cyphers]

i havent yet...