November 16, 2005

MoFi Secret Santa 2005: Revenge of the Fruitcake It's that time again, kids. Last year's exchange went well enough, so let's try it once more!

1) The signup deadline is November 30; this leaves enough time for people to select gifts and mail them out to their victims gift-ees. 2) We used Elfster last year, and I can't even tell you how smoothly it made the exchange run. So I'm using it again, unless someone else wants to take over and do the lists laboriously by hand. 3) To participate, send an email to me at [doyoulikemoviesaboutgladiators]@[gmail.com] (without the brackets). I'll then add you onto the Elfster site, and you'll get an invitation email from them. You can then add your name, address, and so forth. The draw (it's random) will be held December 1st, and Elfster will send you an email with your recipient's information. No one sees your address except for your Santa (full disclosure: and me, as administrator, but I didn't need to look at that stuff at all last year). Elfster FAQ 4) Last year was good; out of almost 30 participants, only one was lame and didn't send out a gift. That's not a bad ratio, but we're striving for 100% participation, as it sucks when people don't receive gifts. If you *know* you're not gonna do it, please don't sign up. 5) If someone else is dying to moderate the exchange let me know, but I'm happy to do it again.

posted by SANTABASHI 19 years ago
  • I'm in! *raises hand* And my Elfster account is active and updated!
  • In
  • and me!
  • If nobody minds getting a gift from a damn n00b, I'm all over this. Last year's looked like so much fun! Email is on the way.
  • Last years gift exchange was lots of fun. Unfortunately I won't be able to participate this year. I wish all Monkeys a happy and safe holiday.
  • Please count me in for sending fruitcake ... um, I mean a monkey gift!
  • Oh boy! I'm sooo in.
  • In.
  • Wait! Are we going to have to post pictures of us with our stash in the new year, after eating several hundred pounds of turkey and trimmings and cake? And if we don't, are you going to whine?
  • in!
  • in! (the same elfster account should still work from last year, right?)
  • I didnt do this last year, and I am strangely intimidated by the process. do I just sign up for an elfster account? will somebody hold my hand, please?
  • and me! i hope to be more creative this year...
  • Medusa, I'll hold anything you like. It's actually not difficult. You send an email to me. I submit that email address to our (yet-to-be-created; I'll do it this weekend) MoFi Secret Santa group. They will then send you an invitation email which will talk you through what I am told is a pretty uncomplicated registration process. Easy-squeezy!
  • cool! now come over here and hold my poo (don't worry, its plush! heeeheeheehee)
  • The theological implications are--oh never mind, I'm in.
  • Bumping for the sidebar.
  • tap! tap!
  • Count me in for BEING a fruitcake... ...go ahead... pass me around...
  • wendell, where i come they refer to that move as "the pass around party bottom" but if you prefer to be called "fruitcake" no problem by me! bump!
  • Dreadnought and I would like to sign up like one person (so we'll send out one, and we'll share the one that comes in - only difference is that if it's like hair clips or something, that's hard to share - his hair is too short.).
  • (sorry - it's us being cheap and studenty - I mean, married and one person and all...)
  • What could be sent that a couple could both use? .... .... .... ..oh! that!
  • Argh - Fruitcake, right? I'm in. Oh, and bump!
  • i'm in.
  • I'm in - I sent an e-mail before the weekend, but I haven't gotten a response. Not done yet? Or should I resend?
  • Sorry, I've been swamped with work. I have a 4-day weekend and can work on the project then, so expect emails from elfster in the next couple of days.
  • Add me, please. I'll e-mail you when I get home. Happy Thanksgiving, to those who observe it!
  • OK, the first batch of Elfster invites has been sent. If you stated either in this thread or via email that you wanted to participate, you received one. If you can't locate it, have any questions or just want a happy holiday message, go ahead and email me. I'm extending the signup date through midnight, December 1. The draw will take place on 12/2.
  • Also: Wolof: I'm not sure if you were interested in participating or just helping out with a sidebar bump... if you want in, let me know. mothninja: If you read this before checking email, let me know which email addy you'd like your invitation sent to. I'm having a difficult time accessing last year's exchange info for some reason.
  • Wheeeeeeeee!! Let the Fun begin!
  • I like the fact that Elfster gives you the option to be naughty and nice.
  • We have 22 or so people that have registered to participate. I'm doing the draw tomorrow morning, so if you want in email me now!
  • So how much should we worry about filling in our Elfster profile with wish lists and such? And somebody ask me questions so I can rank on the naughty-or-nice-o-meter (please, pretty please).
  • I haven't been asked a question, and my naughtiness factor is 54, Ho Ho Ho Rank is 58. Do they mean Ho or HoHoHo?
  • BearGuy, I'm worried. Your Naughtiness Factor just says "calculating". What have you done that's so bad as to break Elfster's Naughtiness Calculator?
  • Lara, I think that would be obvious from a quick glance at the sidebar!!!
  • And to think I was going for the HoHos. But seriously, when is the drawing?
  • W00t! The draw is done! You should get an email from elfster telling you who your mark is. We have 23 people participating.
  • Twenty-three? Does someone not get matched up, or does someone get two monkeys? I are cornfused.
  • And, through my nefarious powers of web perception, (aka webception) I already know what I will be getting my mark. Oh yes. *laughs evilly*
  • Yay!
  • IS THIS FUN OR WHAT? /SideDish Sidey, where are you?
  • meredithea - It's circular. You don't send a present to the same person who gifts you, but someone else. Otherwise it wouldn't be secret.
  • meredithea - It's circular. You don't send a present to the same person who gifts you, but someone else. Otherwise it wouldn't be secret.
  • It's probably deja vu. It sounds like it.
  • There are an awful lot of pirate-themed questions going on. I can't imagine who could be asking them.
  • Not all questions are from your secret santa - you can ask questions of anyone.
  • OMG it's that time of year again. Last year got very funny wot with monkeys guzzling holiday cheer and sending emails that were then forwarded in strange and ciruitous ways among monkeydom...I didn't realizwe until then one could send email to more than one person at once. /might as well be a n00b! Ye have been warned! All those who don't wish the special inebriated edition of The Hunting of the Snark and How to Cook Him Without Gas or Fruitcake should ;et me know ASAP.
  • I got my present today!!! Sweet polka-dotty socks and a Curious George tree ornament!!! Thanks mystery monkey!!!!!
  • Thanks to my mystery monkey as well. I got my present yesterday--quite a surprise because I expected it to be another package when I took my slip to the post office. It now awaits to be opened under the metaphorical tree.
  • Uh-oh. Mystery monkey? I sent mine, and I signed a card. Were we supposed to be secret after the fact? *bites fingernails*
  • Lara, I signed the card too. I think secret before the fact is most important, but I thinks its ok to reveal your monkeyself after! (I think...)
  • Oh, I haven't looked who sent it yet, but it appears there's a card that was signed. I can wait for the surprise.
  • bees, I wish to have a signed copy of that book. Maybe two.
  • I was meredithea's mystery sock monkey. I wasn't sure how secret it was, and figured it would be easy enough to fess up later! Plus, if her message said "geez, which lame monkey sent me these awful socks," well, then I could just stay a mystery monkey. :) I am glad to be able to fess up and hooray for secret-santa-ness!!
  • haha I am participating in another secret santa with my husband's family and I requested socks, which got me some weird looks but hey! there is nothing like a box of fancy socks on a chilly winter's morning!
  • requesting socks is one of those transitions from childhood (when one does not appreciate how expensive the damn things are to buy yourself)!
  • when I was about 15 my fav aunt gave me a box of sox for xmas, at least a dozen, each pair different and all gorgeous and fancy and fantastic. one of the best prez I ever got!
  • I once recieved a mess of pantyhose fashioned into a giant squid. It was amazing. And which lame monkey sent me this three pack of panties?
  • Thanks, sys7girl! Actually, I love cute socks. I wear funky warm socks all winter long, and I was just moaning to anyone who'd listen about how my entire sock wardrobe suddenly sprang holes overnight :) So socks = great!
  • meredithea, You are more than welcome! Now I can camp out at my mailbox seeing what surprises are coming for me!!!
  • I GOT MY PRESENT! I GOT MY PRESENT!! it was from an anonymous monkey in the UK. it would be really funny if it were kitfisto (anonymonkey you know why!!!) thanks!
  • Well, it was kind of from me, but you've got another monkey to thank, as they sorted it out. I'm not in this Secret Santa thing. You need to 'Hammer' out a thank you to someone else....
  • hmm that sounds like some sort of...clue!
  • To the Monkey Mystery-Mobile!
  • My package is waiting at home! My dog has bitten a bit of the wrapping off it already! (I trained him) Talking of my dog: A Christmas Message from Muteboy and Co to all you MoFites (SFW, no sound, may contain javascript snow)
  • Damnit. I just moved so I've been offline, and with all of the hullaballo I forgot to do Secret Santa stuff. Shit. Sorry. My target's gift is now ordered, and will be there soon after Christmas. In the event that my santa hasn't already sent something, I'll answer the elfster questions now (and if something has been sent, don't worry about non-delivery; my mail is being forwarded from the old address).
  • hee hee
  • SANTABASHI RUINED CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!9
  • Why, did Santabashi say, "Happy Holidays!" instead, thereby letting the forces of darkness win some victory that can only be defined by Bill O'Reilly and even that in uncertain terms? Or was it something else? My gift got sent out Monday, so hopefully the recipient gets it in the next few days...
  • *sob* Well, Merry *$!@ing Mothmas! "Happy Holidays" strikes again!
  • Hey, thanks for the SJ Gould, Medusa. Especially in light of his Wonderful Life, I find inspiring science very fitting during the holidays. Something to do with that uplift the human spirit stuff. (-:
  • BearGuy, I hope this reading material won't distract you from your epic revisitation of monkeyfilterpast (replete with chains and bedsheets...) merry (war on) xmas!! a slightly drunk medusa
  • So how do we know our gift got there?
  • when the recipient sends an email or posts here?
  • I think mine is already here, but I had to ask the post office to shift it to another post office closer to where I work, and I won't be able to pick it up till tomorrow or Thursday. Will post here if that turns out to be the Christmas package! *crosses fingers*
  • I am still waiting for my monkey cheer. (*sniff*). Then again, there are still 7 days of Hanukkah left and 10 days of Christmas, right?
  • my monkey cheer is also MIA at the moment, but this way the season of getting stuff is prolonged.
  • The registered article turned out to be a present from my best friend's family, so now I'm slightly worried. I'm also slightly worried about the package I sent to mothninja. *frets*
  • It seems like the person I sent to is the same person sending to me, as they just sent me an email. What are the chances of that happening?
  • Today's mail brought me the softest, most huggable monkey ever. Thank you so much, meredithea! *hugs*
  • Thanks for the vintage postcard book o most secret of all santas!
  • Yay! I just got the most awesomest treasure chest of pirate booty! In a splendid hand-created chest! All I can say is ARRRRR! And thanks ooga_booga!
  • This is what I get for being anti-social.
  • thanks alnedra!!
  • I'm glad you like it, Mickey!
  • (^_^) Can you show a picture of the T-shirt, Medusa? If you're wearing it, that's a bonus!
  • I fully intend to model the pic for all, as soon as I get around to it....
  • I want hot chic t-shirt action! Or Medusa. Arf!
  • Aagghhh! Mothninja's gift is in my bag ready to be taken to the post office! So sorry, problems with shipping, ordering and gawd knows what else. I've included some extra goodies to make up for the delay... Bad Santa. Bad Santa! Get back in your Grotto!
  • wait? are you implying in some way that I am NOT a hot chic??? *sob*
  • Fret ye not, muteboy, there's no rush. Extra-extended Crimble is a good thing :-) And weird that we ended up being each other's Secret Santa... did you like your prezzie? Also, *slaps kitfisto* How dare you imply in any way that Medusa isn't teh hotness, which she so clearly is? Go apologise right now!
  • I'm sorry. Everybody knows that Medusa is waaaaaay hotter than anybody else in the world. Especially mothninja. I love you, Medusa. I'm your stalker.
  • I loved my prezzie, thanks very much Mothninja. I ate my New Years Day egg with it. And that is it's designed purpose, in case anyone is wondering if it was a book or a hat or something. And I posted your package this morning at the delightful Kings Cross Post Office. I slipped something extra in for you! I did consider leaving it until August, so it becomes like an albatross round my neck (woops - ruined the surprise). Does anyone want hot muteboy egg-eating action? Didn't think so. Gimme that hot yolk baby!
  • cabingirl, Mothninja and I were also co-senders - weird eh?
  • yea, muteboy, I noticed that. I guess the Santa assignment algorithm is a little off. I'm still waiting patiently for my gift...
  • I am doing my best to wait patiently. I think I will be cheerfully patient until the first day of Eid (Jan. 10)-- then I go fujitsu.
  • I'm still waiting to hear if my person got their gift. And it's not you, sys7girl. Sorry. I hope that the post office hasn't lost it. And that the air holes are big enough...
  • yeah, because dead puppies aren't much fun. unlike fish heads...
  • I am also waiting to hear if my person received their gift - I ordered a little late, but it should have arrived by now. I think the airholes were sufficent.
  • Wheee! The postman just brought me two great-looking new books to read and a mix CD to listen to! Yay! Thanks so much muteboy!
  • You haven't heard the CD yet... ;)
  • I got it, I got it! w00t! A cool Cole Porter Ultra Lounge album, which I have played about fifteen, sixteen times so far in the last 24 hours, and a bottle of organic maple syrup, mmmm.... Thanks cobaltine! *goes off to buy pancake mix*
  • So, did any monkey get my gift? Or is the mailman still playing with it?
  • if someone did, it wasn't me. :( My new goal is Chinese New Year. I'm not ready to give up quite yet.
  • No word yet if my target monkey got his gift, though I do have a naughtiness rating on Elfster, hmmm...
  • Alnedra! Pancake mix? For shame! I'll email you the recipe - it's so simple. Just flour and eggs and butter and milk. Baking powder for the North American fluffy pancakes, none for crepes. You can make them up in minutes.
  • 2006?