Secret Gift Exchange 2014

[Duchess]

Though it hardly seems possible, it is officially time for the annual Pyracy Pub Secret Gift Exchange!

Once again I've failed to request official permission, but I do beleive in self consistency. So ONWARD! TO ADVENTURE!

Those of you who have been around know that participation in this event has waned substantially over the last few years. I would love to see a resurgance this year! However, please, before you commit to participating in this event be absolutely sure that you will follow through on the terms as provided below. I'm sure you all can understand how frustrating it is to be the person who is still waiting for their suprise well after the New Year...So don't create that situation.

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 and highly unlikely to allow participation in the future.

What you'll do:

• Sign up. See below for information about how to accomplish this.

• 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.

• The most successful gifts are often hand crafted.

How to sign up:

• Send me a PM with your name (or something the post office will recognize as a name capable of receiving packages) and an address.

• 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 is like wise insufficient. You must send me a PM with your name and address. This is a test.

• I MUST RECEIVE YOUR PM BY SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1st. FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE!

• I will then mix up all the entries and pair up everyone, plan on this taking two weeks. I'll then send you a PM no later than November 15th containing the name and address of your Designated Recipient.

General Information:

• Once you have your 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 ...."

• You are free to post here, in this thread, general information about what you are interested in to help your Designated Giver. You're also free to remain entirely mum. Personally, I find the nature of the complete surprise present to be most appealing...

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

Thanks,

Duchess.

[William Brand]

Participation is permission between participating parties.

[Duchess]

I welcome your participation but reject your permission!

[William Brand]

Niiice!

[Coastie04]

I always look forward to this each year. It would be great if the numbers rose again, but I won't complain about the intimate die hard group we've got, either.

[Duchess]

Glad to have you in again this year Coastie!

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

I'm in, PM to follow.

Bo

[Elena]

I'm in too. PM will follow.

[michaelsbagley]

I always have fun with this... so once again I will toss my name into the hat. PM to follow

[Duchess]

Pass the word, sign up ends this Saturday! We've got four people so far.

[landlubbersanonymous]

PM sent

[Iron Jon]

I'm in again.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Iron Jon

[Duchess]

Well, the names are in! And, the names are out again!

We've a small group this year, but of course we're an elite group as well.

You should all have received a PM containing the details of the person you'll be gifting.

Please remember to message me when you've dropped something in the post.

Or if something comes up and you won't be able to get anything out, please let me know about that too so that alternative arrangements can be made.

Go forth and have fun!

Duchess

[PoD]

bugger I missed out...If its not to late I am up for it again this year

[Duchess]

POD send me a PM. I think we can work you in.

[PoD]

Awesome..I will do that now

[Duchess]

Packages sent notifications are started to roll in, remember if you've posted your package, please let me know!

[Elena]

I have no idea if my present, mailed on 2-nd of December, has arrived or not.

But I received an envelope with some little negative photos (or photo film cuts, how to call it?) and no explanation. I don't know what they are, how to look at them in order to see them properly or... anything. They aren't diapositive dimensions either, I think 2 or 3 put together would make the dimension of a diapositive. So... please, Secret Santa, I need directions of use!

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Many thanks to my "secret Santa" for the Alaskan sampler package. I still get chuckles reading the Duke Cannon soap-box, (and it does smell like naval supremacy)! We have not yet tried the Kelp marmalade, but will soon. I plan to fill the beer glass this afternoon to celebrate making it through another year, (having buried two more of my circle this year). Thanks again for the nice package!

Bo

[landlubbersanonymous]

...But I received an envelope with some little negative photos (or photo film cuts, how to call it?) and no explanation. I don't know what they are, how to look at them in order to see them properly or... anything. They aren't diapositive dimensions either, I think 2 or 3 put together would make the dimension of a diapositive. So... please, Secret Santa, I need directions of use!

Ahoy Elena! Happy to hear packet received. Yes, diapositive, (positive slide film).

They are pieces from motion picture footage. I shall pm you regarding the framing, storage and uses.

- Eric & Lubbers

[Coastie04]

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, a toddler and another boy (just found out!) on the way, I haven't had time to log on and thank my Santa for the great Wisconsin sampler pack. I haven't broken in to the cheeses yet, though I'm looking forward to it. My boy was excited at the chocolate (as well as my pregnant wife-and yes, me as well). Then there's the bottle of...something! It's labeled MS-2 on the top, and I can't wait to open it and find out what that means! As it's a 22 oz bottle, a hint at ABV might be nice. Also, a hint of what it might be would help my BJCP score sheet (just kidding, though I am curious-but if it's a metheglin, then I might know who you are and need to return the bottle with a different 'yeast sample for analysis'). Long story short, THANK YOU!!! I always look forward to the completely random and extremely variable secret gift from friends at this pub. The gifts I've received in the past have all been well thought out, much appreciated, very different, and welcome excitement.

[michaelsbagley]

Like Coastie, my days have been a bit of a whirlwind, and I have yet to thank my "Secret" Santa.

His generosity is un-matched! He made for me a small chest with my initials carved into the top! And as if that wasn't generous enough, inside was a burlap stocking (nice touch!), filled with such goodies as a fire striker with a lump of flint (the last striker made by this particular Santa), a tow worm, and a vent pick, a hand carved wooden spoon, a few spools of hemp in various thicknesses, and even a bag of coal (which were chocolates in disguise).

Now this pirate truly has everything he needs! Thank you so much Secret Santa, I am truly humbled by your generosity.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

I completely forgot to mention the coffee beans too! I am ashamed to admit I do not have a grinder....yet! This gives me the "reason" and "incentive"(excuses) I need to convince the missus to let me get one of those brass Turkish grinders I've wanted for years. Thanks one more time!

Bo

[Duchess]

Coastie your suppositions are correct! The bottle should contain a lightly sparkling dry mead vintage 2011. I'm glad to hear it arrived intact! The honey was sourced locally to me, so indeed a Wisconsin sampler. :)

I must confess I am not a "by the numbers" brewer in any sense at all. So I've no idea what the ABV is, but high should be a fair assessment. I don't like sweet meads as a rule, so I use champagne yeasts to power through all that sugar.

[Coastie04]

Thank you, Duchess! I know what's replacing my champagne tonight! I also forgot to mention the Monty Python Flying Sticky Notes as well. I forgot it because almost immediately my 2 year old grabbed them, said "FOOT" (the picture on the front), and ran off in to a different room to put them in his new tractor and trailer. But thank you for that as well. Once I bottle something good again, I'll try sending it your way. Not in winter this time...