The last (OR IS IT) SQ thank you thread!

January 8, 2013 4:39 PM

Word on the street is that there are a number of people still waiting to give public thank yous, but with nowhere to post them. So, without further ado, I would like to say OH MAN SO COOL, THANK YOU!!! to Snarl Furillo for the two very, very awesome pairs of earrings!

The enclosed note said, "Merry Quonsmas! I hope these match nothing you own. Sorry no dinosaurs," which is just about sums my world up perfectly, I think.

I have taken a photo of myself wearing them (yes, at the same time) here. I have watched enough episodes of America's Next Top Model to be relatively confident that that's exactly what Tyra means when she says to look fierce.

Now, the next thing I need to do is figure out how I can be a fancy enough person to wear these without making a dumb face!

Thank you, Snarl Furillo! :D

posted by phunniemee to MetaFilter-Related at 4:39 PM (43 comments total)

p.s. I still haven't gotten my gift out the door yet, because I am a terrible person, but it will be going out THIS WEEKEND. ROCK.
posted by phunniemee at 4:40 PM on January 8

Fierce indeed :)
posted by arcticseal at 5:44 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]

I should say to my SQ that I gather my gift has arrived, but I'm on the other side of the country! So...thanks in advance of seeing it.
posted by thomas j wise at 6:13 PM on January 8

I just got my Quonsmas present from VickyVerky yesterday, and it was just terrific! A passel of Mexican foodstuffs which are very hard to get here; thanks so much VickyVerky!
posted by smoke at 6:57 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

smoke, can I ask what it said on the customs form in order for the foodstuffs to reach you via the postal service? (Trying to ensure spices reach Jode)
posted by infini at 1:15 AM on January 9

Um it was pretty literal, just "mexican spices" I think going from memory...
posted by smoke at 1:25 AM on January 9

Well then, one hopes my package will get through too. I was warned by shopkeepers about the strict customs in Australia but I'm hoping Canada will be easier.
posted by infini at 2:31 AM on January 9

Thanks phunniemee, I have been meaning to start this thread but all of a sudden it's Wednesday. I have been 50% quonsed: Thank you treehorn+bunny for the awesome 'Werewolves of Millers Hollow' game! I am now on the lookout for the other half of my gift which I have been told to expect this week.
posted by usonian at 6:01 AM on January 9 [1 favorite]

infini --- for what it's worth, I've sent a couple packages (from the US) to Canada, and never put much more info on the customs forms than that: generic "toys & t-shirts" or whatever. Everything has gotten through just fine.
posted by easily confused at 6:23 AM on January 9 [1 favorite]

I signed up for this years ago and never got anything. :(
posted by ODiV at 7:36 AM on January 9

Poor ODiV.

I haven't received mine yet either, but I live in hope.

My outgoing parcel seems to have gone astray too, so I am posting a second one today - fingers crossed.
posted by Catch at 9:25 AM on January 9

Ugh!

We've gotten a lot better about managing the swap over the years, precisely because people were disappointed in the past. Early on, we didn't have good enough tools to really understand how many people got stiffed, and I had an imperfect understanding of how to followup. Our ability to follow up was one of the biggest reasons we moved from a 3rd party service to a gmail/google spreadsheets/baling wire and wax setup.

Speaking of which, these are the numbers to date:

359 people participated.
324 people (90.25%) are confirmed to have gotten gifts.
13 people (3.62%) have not responded to our many missives.
22 people (6.13%) are waiting for their gifts with remarkable patience and kindness.
  2 are "maybes" and are time-delayed for confirmation.
  3 are getting replacement gifts from their original senders
  5 are getting replacement gifts from second chancers (assignations go out tonight!)
  8 are getting their original gifts super-late
  4 are pending a resolution (customs issues, waiting on response from sender, sent to 2nd Chancers, etc).

Right now, there's 1 person who is almost certainly going to get banned (unless a gift not-so-magically appears at his quonsar's house) next year and several more likely candidates.
posted by julen at 10:53 AM on January 9 [4 favorites]

Julen has really taken the SQ swap to another level. She is fantastic at managing this stuff. Way better than I ever was. We quickly reached Elfster's limitations and she managed to work out her own solutions. Thank you Julen, I'm so glad you offered to take over. <3
posted by IndigoRain at 11:56 AM on January 9 [3 favorites]

I received my great quonsmas gift today from California (shipped 12/27)! I am delighted by the adorable owlet timer, smoked salt, cheese knives, assam tea and assorted candies. Thank you so much! (I think there is a real name but no username on the packaging.)
posted by tangaroo at 12:04 PM on January 9

Seconding Julen's awesomeness! Secret Quonsar has to be a huge time sink with all the posts, assignments, messages going back and forth, follow-ups and confirmations and datawonkery, and she's been on top of everything from day one.

Also, I like that we are getting "assignations". It sounds sexier than "assignments", don't you all agree? ;)
posted by misha at 12:34 PM on January 9 [4 favorites]

@tangaroo, I totally meant to put my mefi handle on there, and forgot. I'm really glad you got it finally - I sent another package at the same time and it reached NC on Monday, so I had hope you'd get it that day. It sat in the Bay Area for at least a week. #crazymailcapers

Glad you like it! It was fun to pick out - way more fun than shopping for people I actually know. :-)

I'm one of the "Geez, she sent it mid-December, and UPS says it's 'on the truck for delivery today!' but has said that every day since 12/24" people. I'm hoping for a Quonsmas miracle.

I also want to thank julen and all her Quonsmas helpers. This was really fun to participate in for the last two years, and gave me a good reason to look forward to going home every afternoon.

Maybe my package will randomly show up today? *fingers crossed*
posted by guster4lovers at 12:37 PM on January 9

Poor ODiV.

I haven't received mine yet either, but I live in hope.

My outgoing parcel seems to have gone astray too, so I am posting a second one today - fingers crossed.

Yeah, I hear you. My Quonsee never responded though my gift went out to Canada a month ago, and I still don't know what's up with that, despite Julen being on top of this and messaging and stuff. It's frustrating, since I had some difficulties and went to extra trouble to make sure the gift arrived in time for Christmas.

It saddens me, but I may just opt to ship to the states for next year's SQ because of the added hassle and expense of shipping elsewhere. Plus, it's just so much easier to get shipping confirmation when you stick to the US.

As far as not getting your gift, though, take heart! I've felt a little down when I've given and not received in the past, but the last time that happened, the Second Chancers came through for me in a big way and it made for a lovely belated Quonsmas surprise!
posted by misha at 12:48 PM on January 9

Yay, smoke got the spices! Sorry your quonsar package was a little late. And I'm glad they will work for you! (Really -- someone needs to start up a Mexican grocery/import food company in Australia.)

On the customs label I just put "Mexican candy and spices." They were flat packets rather than jars, so the package was pretty small.
posted by vickyverky at 2:00 PM on January 9

A public thank-you to ShortyJBot for the package of miscellaneous awesome (and the kiddo does indeed love the crayon rings) and her gracious pretense that I was not raised in a barn when I finally sent a much-delayed message of gratitude.

Which reminds me I need to get the very tiny Part III of IndigoRain's gift in the mail...
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 3:42 PM on January 9 [1 favorite]

I got cool gifts; the candied popcorn was weird, fun, tasty, and gone way too fast. Julen and the rest of the Quonsarmas Elves deserve gold stars on their usernames. Cause it's really fun to participate, and they work hard to make it happen.
posted by theora55 at 4:34 PM on January 9

While I sent a thank you post card to my Quonsee, I would like to acknowledge her really truly fantastic package of gifts here - thank you Lesium!!
posted by infini at 4:42 PM on January 9

I picked up my package from the post office yesterday and I absolutely love it! It is clear my SQ put a lot of thought into the gift and I really enjoyed everything in it, especially the maple leafs cool flasher. The hockey stick pencil already has a place of honor at my work desk :) Thanks again!!
posted by bahama mama at 6:28 PM on January 9

Our first couple of second chance assignations (heh) went out tonight - I suspect that there will be 2-3 more towards the end of the week. We are geo-matching our second chancers to their quonsees (same country, different region where possible). So far, the need for second chancers is down this year, which makes us happy.

Reports of gift arrivals continue to trickle in, which is a delight, as do reports of postal service cruddiness, which is not a delight.
posted by julen at 10:20 PM on January 9

I've been quonsed! Thank you!

My quonsor must have done a thorough reading of my posting history because s/he (not sure who it is) somehow knew of my fondness for durian (and especially durian candy). I'm also guessing the fact that durian candy is yellow candy played a part in the choice.

In addition to the queen-of-fruits candy, I got White Rabbit (another favorite) and some luscious-looking plum and date candies.

I'd love to know who you are to thank you properly, quonsor!
posted by yellowcandy at 2:13 PM on January 10 [1 favorite]

My fortune cookie from tonight said, "You will soon receive an unusual gift."

Never have I hoped that a fortune cookie would be accurate as I do this time.
posted by guster4lovers at 6:54 PM on January 10 [1 favorite]

Oh, man! This is the best Meta call-out I could ever hope to get!

Thank you to bonheur for the lovely postcards and recipe cards from the Art Institute in Minneapolis! They were a perfect choice for my requests for local paper goods, and I <3 them.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 7:34 PM on January 10 [2 favorites]

I have no idea who my anonymous SQ is from New Zealand... but they NAILED it.

An original medium-format photograph of Sir Ed Hillary, taken by a rather celebrated photographer for the Chicago Sun-Times - Just wow. Knowing the history behind this, and knowing how much of my interest this encapsulates - seriously, this is the coolest thing EVER.

I felt like I gave the vaguest description of my interests ever... For being able to sum up a love of travel, exploration, photography, and history - and so much more - I'm seriously impressed.

FURTHERMORE, this is the first time I've participated in a secret gift exchange that I've actually received ANYTHING.... I've been in several before, and always came out empty-handed. You have made up for years of that on top of doing something incredibly cool.

NZ is on my travel plans, and I would totally thank you in person and shower you with cool things if I knew who you were.
posted by MysticMCJ at 12:21 PM on January 11 [1 favorite]

I sent my package early. USPS says it was delivered. I waited to see if my Quonsee liked or hated it. Then I waited to see if my Quonsee had actually received it. Now I'm waiting to see if my Quonsee is OK.
posted by nightwood at 6:21 PM on January 11 [2 favorites]

treehorn+bunny also got me this Boston terrier Moleskine cahier! (How did you know that 1 needed a new projects notebook and that Mrs. usonian and I are in fact going to a local Boston terrier club match tomorrow to get to know the breed?!) Thank you so much, I love it!
posted by usonian at 7:22 PM on January 11

I'd listed my mom's address as my gifting address because I was there for the holidays, so since my gift arrived slightly later than estimated, I asked her to open it and describe it to me before she forwards it along. It sounds great! Day of the Dead style prints made/sold by a local artist - exactly the kind of thing I like. I love collecting and decorating with interesting colorful postcards/prints/bits of paper, and these sound like a nice addition.

It was also pretty fun to ask my mom about the name on the return address and hear "Um, it says q, u, o, n, s, a, r." She was a little puzzled. Thanks, secret quonsar, whoever you are!
posted by dreamyshade at 8:26 PM on January 11

It's Quonsmas in my house! I got socks and robot key covers and a magic trick deck of cards.
Thank you The Internet!
Also, the 10$ blue whale stamp is this is neat and textured.
posted by sgrass at 1:44 PM on January 14

Finally got mine sent out today. I'm the Ghost of Quonsmas Yet to Come.
posted by phunniemee at 2:37 PM on January 14 [1 favorite]

My SQ gift has just arrived from snowy Canada, so I finally have my own mug at the office and an addition to my office art shelf. Many thanks to Monster_Zero for sending something I will really use.

Thanks also to the SQ organisers, I feel like I have worked them both ways, on giving and receiving this year (hopefully my outgoing gift will rock up shortly).
posted by biffa at 2:53 AM on January 16

Woohoo! My quonsmas box arrived yesterday from (?) in the UK, stuffed with Cornish gourmet goodies: smoked sea salt, Christmas pudding and some yummy-looking apple & onion chutney. Maaahvelous! Thank you Mystery quonsinator!
posted by kreestar at 3:14 AM on January 16

I want to thank whoever it was who sent me my SQ gift. I don't know how this happened based on what I sent them to go off of, but they totally got me two more of something I had previously decided to collect. Thanks SQ!
posted by smirkyfodder at 7:28 AM on January 18

UPS tells me that my SQ's gift is on the truck for delivery today. If you live in the US and haven't gotten your gift yet, LOOK OUT, IT COULD BE YOU.
posted by phunniemee at 8:41 AM on January 18

I GOT QUONSED!!!

Just when I had nearly given up hope, the UPS man showed up at my door with a package from phunniemee!

It had an awesome staple-free stapler that I tried out right away, a bendy monster dude that my toddler took off with, a set of adorable Matroyshka measuring cups (toddler stacked them up and then said "dese are weally cute"), some Japanese(?) strawberry gummies and Trader Joe's penguin gummies (both sampled right away and enjoyed), and some TJ's Speculoos Cookie Butter AND A RITTER SPORT BAR! I may or may not hide the cookie butter from my husband - I tasted it and now I am brainstorming all the different things I can put it on. YUM!

Thank you so, so much! (Now I can stop hovering by the mailbox every day. Ha!)
posted by meggan at 11:36 AM on January 18 [1 favorite]

Yaaaay! I'm so glad! Again, I'm really sorry it was so pathetically late.

I got, like, 60 of those bendy monsters to give out for Halloween treats and still have a small pile of them left. I tossed it in as a little thing to amuse the kiddo, so I'm glad s/he knew what to do with it. haha

I gave my little bro some cookie butter as a stocking stuffer this Christmas, and he just texted me last night saying it's gone and that I'll need to send him a case. It's addictive stuff.
posted by phunniemee at 11:53 AM on January 18

Any more updates, oh thou mighty Quonsmas Queens? Hopefully everybody's been thoroughly Quonsed by now!
posted by easily confused at 4:59 PM on January 24

Not quite yet.

94% of all gifts have arrived.
4% of all gifts have not yet arrived - or have not been confirmed to have arrived.
2% of gifts are a mystery (their recipients have not confirmed receipt).

Of that 4%:
We have a few pokey international gifts, 5-6 second chancer gifts in transit, 2-3 gifts who are at home while their recipients are not (These are Maybes. We think the gift is there, but we won't have confirmation until the recipients get home), and 2 folks whose gifts didn't arrive but who don't want a replacement present.

We are actually doing better than last year - fewer second chancers needed, fewer mysteries about arrival, fewer postal screwups (although they are more colorful this year), fewer weird international delays (but they still suck so dang much), more resolution earlier.

Also, we are both Queens and Kings. We also have a toady, but all it does is lie around and ribbit and make unhelpful suggestions and pretend to be servile.
posted by julen at 11:56 PM on January 24 [2 favorites]

My apologies (and several grovelings) to the all-powerful Kings o' Quonsmas!
posted by easily confused at 4:46 AM on January 25

We're not that powerful, I report to the toad.
posted by arcticseal at 8:33 AM on January 26 [1 favorite]

I JUST GOT MINE! MY SECOND CHANCER CAME THROUGH!

I think all the anticipation made it even sweeter.

I was given an artist's layout stick and holder (surprisingly perfect gift; it's hard to find art supplies I don't own yet, but I actually didn't own this before right this minute). I also was quonsed some cute heart socks in a nod to Valentine's Day since my present ended up being so belated, and some adorable candy-scented candles that should help cover up whatever weird smells I end up accidentally developing in my apartment due to my anosmia.

Plus, honestly best of all were the handwritten notes that accompanied the gifts - really nice notes that showed a clear trawling of my comment history. If I ever get a smartphone, I will definitely take up my second chancer's implied invite to Draw Something with them.
posted by vegartanipla at 2:41 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]