BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for

Subject: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: GUEST,RAT-W's Secret Santa
Date: 21 Jan 06 - 02:43 PM

I notice that no Secret Santa gifts have arrived chez MBSLynn and RAT-W. Friend Ratty, please be assured that your prezzie is stuck somewhere in Post Office limbo; it was mailed on the other side of the Atlantic well before Christmas. Don't give up. Perhaps you'll find it arrives at a time in deepest Lent when you really need a little something!

Postage is so expensive because they charge extra for storage.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Charmion
Date: 21 Jan 06 - 02:49 PM

Alas, no SS prezzy arrived for me, either ... *sniff*

Edmund got his, though, and I'm having a hard time resisting the temptation to polish off the Kendall Mint Cake he received from somebody with great taste in Cumbrian dance music. It's just sitting there, half-eaten, on the dining room table, with its blue-and-white wrapper temptingly torn. It's too much, I tell you! More than a woman should have to bear!

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 21 Jan 06 - 02:54 PM

Well Rat W's SS., I sent me a parcel from Mass to the UK on 12th November, and it only arrived chez nous on Tuesday last, so fear not all is not lost, trust the USPS.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jan 06 - 03:36 PM

Geez. Reminds me we have a couple of extra boxes that need to be mailed. The first round were sent and arrived, but some of the goodies got left out by accident. . . the recipients will know who they are when they get there. . .boxes were rounded up last week for just such shipments.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 12:58 AM

I have not gotten a pressie from my SS but... Joybell sent me the most wonderous CD of with "Beatnik, Prevert don't talk that way to me' on it as well as "Sooty The Cat" and other marvelous tunes by her own true love. Therefore, I believe karma-wise, a pressie has in fact arrived.


Joybell - everyone just loves the Sooty the cat song. Did she really have little cats, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of them? Is Sooty still with us? Sooty sounds like a swell cat. I'm guessing she is/was black. (I'm psychic) I have a cat who lives under my house who is named INKY.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Crane Driver
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 11:19 AM

Well, I'm still waiting, or I would be if I hadn't given up caring. But Carole's SS present from last year still hasn't turned up. (She got this year's OK). So, between the two of us, we've had just 50% success rate with Secret Santas over the last couple of years, not a great rate.

My Santa posted just once to the thread, and my Santee hasn't bothered to say 'thank you' yet, though someone else tells me she received the presents.

Why do people bother to sign up if they can't be bothered to play the game?

Andrew

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 11:44 AM

Good question, Crane Driver, but in all fairness, there were a lot of people impacted in a really unusual way this year what with two big hurricanes hitting the U.S. - it kind of skewed the whole holiday season, and things are still kind of odd here. If some of the folks who fell down on the job are from the U.S. Southeast that might explain it. Liz did a great job of getting the assignments made early, to account for mail slowness. Maybe next year we need to try something different and each mail to a santee on our own continent.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 12:43 PM

And when Mudcat hiccups, a PM can go missing.

Maybe it would be helpful for next year to let it be known that a snail-mail note of thanks is good manners as well as a PM. After all, the sender sent it via snail, and so it would not be strange for the thank-you note to be equally concrete in form.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 01:46 PM

do you do anything besides instruct other people on how to behave?

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 01:52 PM

Yes a word or two of thanks is what makes it all worth while.
G.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 01:57 PM

Why yes, Guest, I do. Unless you count telling people to go F themselves as behavior instruction? :~)

If you "hear" either of my posts as an effort to tell people how to behave, the problem is in your mindset, not in my intent.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 02:18 PM

Guest #1 is onto something. You do that a lot, but aren't great at apologizing when you goof yourself.

But acknowledgement of a gift is a polite thing to do. So I can't argue with that.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Emma B
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 02:35 PM

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Emma B
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 02:41 PM

oops! don't know how that happened but as I'm here - I have only been a Santa/santee for 2 years and, apart from nail baiting anxiety that my snail parcel wouldn't arrive in time for Xmas (they both did - but only just!), it has been lovely to receive something from the other side of the world on each occasion. Maybe I'm just lucky but I have received lots of thanks and fun from my Santa and Santee.

Once more thank you Liz - but it would have been even better (if possible) to have got my santee a couple of days earlier to allow for possible "festival" shopping and to have saved my nails and nerves.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 06:12 PM

This seems to have been lost - probably during a down period of the Cat...

I haven't received mine yet.

When I went to post mine, I discovered that I had missed the surface deadline, and could not justify air mail as the cost exceeded the cost of the material, so reluctantly sent it surface.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 10:52 PM

I don't mind not getting a gift - crap happens and as I said, I got a lovely CD from joybell around Xmas time so I'm covered.

I've done a number of present swaps on some other sites where I am a reg and over-structuring them is not alsways best. I doubt we'd ever have any problems here, but other sites have. Let me outline one really wacko experience I had:

One site I was on had a bunch of lovely swaps going between women who had never met but had very strong personal relationships online and via telephone. This was the kind of site where if members heard you'd lost your job, anonymous money orders would arrive in one big envelope or if you just had a baby, gifts of gently used baby items would manifest on your porch with return addresses that said "From someone who loves you". it was so nice until:

One unbalanced woman decided that God had died and appointed her to take his/her place. She innocently asked people if they had gotten their pressies from various ongoing swaps as if it was just conversation.   When some membersshared that they had not gotten their pressies yet (swaps were still going) she let fly with threatening and harassing letters (via the post) to people who had not sent their gift out soon enough to satisfy her. She wheedled the addresses from the Admin who had no such permission to give them out nor any clue she'd go on a rampage. As I understand things, she is now being investigated by both the Postal inspectors (A USA Federal law Enforcement agency) and her local police becuase of the alarming nature of the threats she mailed. I became a target when I tried to have her reigned in and every week now, something nasty shows up in my mailbox. We had no clue she was that ill in the mind.


Of course, that's quite an extreme case and I know Liz would never let a third party con her out info such as that. Just be careful about letting anyone assume they have the right to enforce 'rules' of swaps. All swaps should be 'at your own risk' when it comes to participation. Santees may or may not get a gift. If they don't - there's always next year!

I do agree with WYSIWYG in principle. It might be nice to suggest in the future that the Santee send postcard to their Santa to let them know it arrived. This could be best accomplished by the Santa putting a self-addressed Postcard in with the pressie but not a stamp since it might be going to another region. All the Santee need to is lick a stamp and drop into the box after writing "Yes, Pressie arrived. Thank you kindly."

The main reason is that Pressies going from one country to another can go horribly astray. If my pressie didn't get to my Santee, I'd want to know. In fact, I have not heard from my Santee that they got the pressie I sent. Last year, some of the boxes I sent to England got cuaght up in customs. I worry that this may have happened yet again.

So - if you did not get your pressie, go ahead and say so. Your Santa may be listning!

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: SINSULL
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 11:04 PM

Oh God! If I have to send a Thank You note, count me out next year.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 03:46 AM

Please rest assured, I only ever give mail addresses to the person who is going to be sending a parcel to them.... I don't even have them written down anywhere.

As for the foreign nature of the parcels, I deliberately try to get people on different continents sending to each other, unless they specify, because it fosters more knowledge and communication between us. I for one, know more about Chesapeake Bay thanks to Limpit's Secret Santa, than I ever did before!

As more of us meet up and get to know people in the flesh, we get to know what sort of things they like and what would be suited to them, information that never gets into the hints threads.

Yes, I know it can be frustrating when your santee doesn't acknowledge your gift. It's even more frustrating when your gift gets returned (twice in the case of Limpits now... I'm going to have to check that address or take the damn thing myself!) and you have to do it over. It's slightly annoying when a person signs up for SS, gets allocated one and is never heard of again. But that's the nature of people. Everyone is not going to be happy all the time, but that's life, get on with it.

Any volunteers for this year?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 03:56 AM

" Any volunteers for this year?"

When I brought the SS idea to Mudcat, I said I'd run it.... I'll run it '06 if ya wanna take some time off LtS...

"Everyone is not going to be happy all the time, but that's life, get on with it"
Hear FN hear!

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: GUEST,Tannywheeler's SS
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 04:45 AM

did you ever open it?

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: GUEST,Foolestroupes SS
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 05:45 AM

Your prezzie is STILL here with me, it got mangled, sent back and I'm now trying to find some more suitable packing materials. I specifically need a sturdy, smallish box! Any suggestions? It SHOULD go by the end of this week!!

Santa

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: RangerSteve
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 06:51 AM

I haven't gotten mine yet, but in the past, I've mailed my SS gifts out late, so this is probably just a payback. I'll wait patiently.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 06:55 AM

Thanks for replying "Foolestroupes SS" - no problem, as long as we know where it is...

Murphy was an optimist... :-)

I know of one batch of posting of SCA material from the USA supposed to go to South Australia which apparently ended up in South Africa... :-)

'more suitable packing materials'

I suggest using the boxes you bought the gold bars in - they are sturdy, but heavy... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 06:56 AM

Yeah RangerSteve - Karma blows!!!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: MBSLynne
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 07:37 AM

There's a lot to be said for having a Santa/Santee on a different continent, but now I know I can state a preference, I think I'll stick to ones in the UK. Postage is so high overseas, and I had to fork out for three since my kids don't have the money to pay themselves. (Well two actually because Richard's Santee and mine live in the same house so I combined the postage!)

Someone else I was talking to recently has had no word from his Santa, nor a pressie, nor has he had a "Thank you" from his Santee, so I think he's giving it a miss next Christmas too.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: GUEST,Pseudolus at Work
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 11:16 AM

I sent my present out on December 15th and it had to go across the pond and it arrived on December 20th!! Pretty amazing huh? I feel responsible because clearly every postal worker from here to there was working only on getting my package delivered while neglecting all of yours! My Secret Santa (the Gorgeous Catsphiddle!) put my package in the mail early to mid November and it arrived about a week ago! Sometimes it doesn't pay to be organized. But my SS was getting ready to send another package because she felt so bad that mine hadn't arrived. The point is this. To me, it's worth taking the chance that you'll have postal problems or a forgetful SS or Santee because you may just get someone like I did this year. for those of us who take the time to make the gifts special and that's most of the Santa's, we'd hate to lose you because of a not so good run.

Frank

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 02:19 PM

The othere SS's I run/take part in on other web sites, if you cannot afford to or are willing to take the chance that you might get someone on the other side of the world, then you are invited to not take part... The global sense of the internet is what makes these SS's so much fun!

It's nice that LtS tried to be accomidating, but above and beyond isn't the norm by any stretch..

" recently has had no word from his Santa"
It's up to LtS to chase after him... and the only solution available is to out him on Mudcat... Let him deal with the shame... and make the record that he's not to participate again...

Again, on another MB where we do SS, failure to live up to your end of the bargan is grounds for being banned (6 months to forever) from that site... Not a bad guideline at all.

I think random gift exchanges between small or large groups of strangers is one of the neatest things one can use the internet for...

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Joybell
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 05:23 PM

Mine hasn't arrived yet either. I love getting presents from overseas though and I did sign up late last year so I'm still hopefull.
I've recently received two packages that were very badly cut open and stuck back together with the name and address obscured. They did get here, thanks to the fact that we have a small-town post office. The really amazing arrival was a book about tavern singing. That one sure scared someone. Only the post code was still left.

Like Dave's Wife I get all sorts of gifts from my friends here - by mail and by message so I feel overwhelmed a lot of the time. The post office is still talking about the huge box full of chocolate that arrived from Bearded Bruce a while back.

As for Sooty - she's long gone. Hildebrand's song was written around 1978. She was black and white. Cute, pretty little cat. I'm so glad you like the CD, Dave's Wife. I feel as though I've got a present too in sharing it with you. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: RangerSteve
Date: 24 Jan 06 - 08:58 AM

OK, mine got damaged and was returned to the Santa. It's been re-packaged and sent on its way again.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Joybell
Date: 24 Jan 06 - 06:28 PM

Don't you wonder about the scenes of chaos in the mail-sorting rooms. Do they use people who have always loved opening presents and throwing the paper around? Ripping packaging asunder, giggling and cheering!
OOOOOOOOH! take a look at this one! A chocolate cake!
Nah! Mine's better! - a gorilla suit! Now where was that going? Africa! Send it to Africa they'll know what to do with it.
Socks again! Got socks last year! Send 'em back to - where was it again? No matter. Pass me your wrapper.
Pass the parcel! Keep it up 'till the music stops!
Whooo! Hooo! Never had a more fun job in my life!
Cheers, and Joy

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Jan 06 - 07:29 PM

Like I said before.. I'm in charge, I'm not responsible!

However..... names will be taken and possibly left out of next year's list if they aren't playing the game fairly. The advantage of doing it for a couple or so years means you get to see who the serial non-posters are....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 05:43 AM

>>
"Everyone is not going to be happy all the time, but that's life, get on with it"
Hear FN hear!<<<

Hear FN Hear2


I don't know about REQUIRING a thankyou note. I just think it you want to know if it got there, you might follow my suggestion of including a pre-addressed postcard and maybe even an International Postal Reply Coupon since it's for your benefit and not the Santee's.

I believe now after chatting with Emma_B that I may have made a grave error in filling out my customs form and that somebody in the customs palce near my Santee is enjoying the confiscated goods. I believe I will send a little soemthing from an online merchant in the UK just to be certain my Santee gets A GIFT if not THE GIFT intended.

I suggested that Emma_B and other UK catters maybe tap out a very brief "Don't put this on your customs form" FAQ along with "These things cannot be mailed to UK"FAQ. Just a few lines is all. I feel so stupid for saying it was food.

Over-regulating a swap is usually the death of the fun.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From:
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 06:10 AM

I always write 'candy' on the customs form when posting abraod......this year there were some sweets in the rather large box I sent to my Santee, but there was also a lot of other stuff that isn't sweets! It got there in the end having said that it took it's time getting there.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: artbrooks
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 09:03 AM

I know that there is a value limit, and I also know that there may even be some people that pay attention to it. However, I don't really consider the postage cost as being part of that. I sent ours (one to Oz and ane to Scotland) via a US Postal Service product called "International Priority Mail". They cost about $10 each but it was well worth it (to me) to know that both of our Santees received their packages in a week. In fact, I was told by the postal clerk that both international airmail and slow-boat would cost more and take longer! I do think that having a "local" Santee could be an option for those who are truly strapped financially, but (as I think CH was trying to say) much of the fun of it is having a "foreign" Santee.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 02:49 PM

"I'm in charge, I'm not responsible"

That'd make a GREAT t-shirt!!!

" I don't know about REQUIRING a thankyou note"
At the very least one MUST go into the "received" thread and post that your SS gift has landed so that your Santa knows it got there...

Formal "Thank Yous" and what have you ... well... that's trying to moderate "manners" and it's better left up to the individual...

" serial non-posters"
A non-poster better have a DAMN good reason for not posting if they think they're gonna take part again....

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 04:19 PM

And I meant posters in both senses..... mail and thread.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: MMario
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 04:23 PM

I am pretty sure I haven't recieved a SS gift - I sent mine out - but haven't seen any acknowledgment.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 04:25 PM

Well, folks who don't post to the received thread can be almost as problematic as people who don't post to the hints thread (But my solution elsewhere is that if you don't post hints, you don't get included in the exchange at all... )

The other stuff, the silliness... well, I see no reason one should feel they HAVE to take part in that... It's not really necessary to the process (But it can be fun)

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: MBSLynne
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 04:02 PM

I agree with everything everyone has said. :-)

What I think SHOULD happen is that people should make initial contact with their Santees, just to say they are there. No need to keep up the banter, as Clinton says, but it DOES add to the fun. It's quite handy to post to the thread to say you've sent your parcel so that the Santee can anticipate imminent arrival. (Anticipation is always half the enjoyment) When you receive your pressie you should post to the thread to say so and say Thank you. Any other form of thanks is optional.

All four of our Santees have said thank you on the threads.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 04:15 PM

"It's quite handy to post to the thread to say you've sent your parcel"

See... I prefer NO heads up so it comes as a total surprise... That's one of the reasons I stay OUT of the SS threads except to sign up, post my hints and get my Santees hints...

"When you receive your pressie you should post to the thread to say so"
'Zactly

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 05:29 PM

well considering some of the whinging i have heard here...i think i will just piss off of this site and bugger the fecking SS thing this year.

fuck it all.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 06:18 PM

Is that a promise, Guest?

Don't let the doorknob hit 'cha
Where the good lord split 'cha

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 08:43 PM

You're a worthless cunt as ever, Clinton.

Subject: RE: BS: SS prezzies still unaccounted for
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 27 Jan 06 - 01:54 AM

Ooooo... again... cut to the quick by a "Guest"... however will I survive this injury... quick... someone ring me a doctor to stitch me back together... Some nameless, faceless coward hiding behind the internet called me a bad word.... Oh me oh my... how will I ever rise to meet the day tomorrow... I might as well drag blades over my wrists and end it all... Life is just no longer worth living...

No...   wait... There's one thing redeeming

At least I have the courage to put my real face to my words...

So, bog off ya pussy... no... wait... I LOVE me some pussy...
Get stuffed, you asshole.... no... wait.... I got nothing against the asshole...
Chew me, dickbreath.... no... wait... ain't nothing wrong with a dick...

So I guess the worst thing I can call you, you've already been called....

"GUEST" (What a travesty of the word...) Too bad that Mudcat.org turns the word Guest into a foul concept...

Maybe one day the people who claim to run and love it will rectify this situation.....