Swag Brag - Holiday Gift Exchange 2009 - Page 3

You're very welcome! Maybe keep the newer copy for your shelf and give away the one you are currently reading to another Sci-Fi fan. It's a shame how many people have never heard of that book! You can thank Bob Clark for me including Everything Matters! Bought a copy for myself on his recommendation and it's one of the best books Ive read this year hands down.

Oh, no, don't even. You know you want what I'm sending.

I was assured by Ludwig that if I donated you'd go on a booze and coke bender and post pics for all of us to enjoy vicariously! I demand pics!

I've had Ludwig as a past Chewer exchange partner and he indeed gives the goods - a nice selection of books and DVDs.

Glad you liked everything. The Ebert book was what changed the whole package. It was going to be just random stuff but after reading your blog and finding that book in my pile o' stuff everything changed.

'cept the Bone GN. That was always going to be in there. I just think everyone should own more Jeff Smith stuff.

Hear Hear. I almost went with sending my victim RASL, but instead opted for The Invisibles, as not enough people have read that series either.

I received two packages from Matt M today and he was just enormously generous. Not only did he get me All-Star Superman Vols. 1 and 2, but also the Criterion release of Wise Blood, based on the novel by Flannery O'Connor. I love O'Connor, but I didn't know that this movie existed, nor did I have it on my wishlist (at least I don't think so), so it's a perfect gift and a total surprise. All in all, a really awesome combination of something I wanted and something I didn't know I wanted!

Thanks, Matt!

You guys are getting some nice swag this year. Congrats all around!

Yeah, this year has been stellar. Pretty impressive with the economy and so.

News from the south. I've contacted UPS yesterday to demand they produce Alpha immediately. They told me yesterday it should arrive today.

Freaky thing happened this morning. I was having a dream that i was calling them and giving them the guide number to track the package. Then i was woken up by the phone ringing. It was UPS calling me letting me know that they made a mistake and instead of today, the package would be delivered tomorrow.

It's like we are intertwined or something.

After all the emotional baggage connected with this gift, its gonna mean that much more when you finally open the gift.

Oh, and I still demand pics of you on a cocaine bender!

Here's Alpha in all his commanding pose!


And his new home guarding my treasures!


Truly a happy ending to the story, Thanks all!

Got in the last part of Subotai's order. Planet B-Boy. Never seen it, and it certainly sounds and looks interesting.

I received Baltimore from MrMushnik today:


The DVDs: 'The Wire', Season 1
The Bottle: Resurrection Ale (from the Brewer's Art, a bar in Baltimore)
The CD: 'Yes Charm City', a Baltimore Sampler compiled by MrMushnik himself

Along with these three items, he also wrote me a really nice letter explaining all of the contents in greater detail.

What an awesome package to come home to. Thank you VERY much, Chris!

That looks amazing.

I'm pumped. I've yet to see 'The Wire'.

Start ordering the other seasons. You won't be able to put it down.

FREAKING A.

Mr. Fuchs outdid himself. Arrived home today and found that somehow he climbed into my loves, my likes and my sense of humor and picked an array of fine books that cater to my personal tastes perfectly.

Consider the Lobster - David Foster Wallace
Stuff White People Like - Christian Lander
The Areas of my Expertise - John Hodgman
More - John Hodgman
The Partly Cloudy Patriot - Sarah Vowell
I Was Told There'd Be Cake - Sloane Crosley

And to top it all off, Eastbound and Down Season 1 on DVD.

Thank you, Fuchs!!!

Wow, you guys with your six part gifts are making me feel like a slacker!

You are in for a treat. And like Tati said, you'll want to have the next seasons lined up to go.

Ladies and gentlemen, a riddle.

Q:What has two thumbs and just received the most kickass package from his exchange partner?

A:THIS GUY. (I'm pointing to myself)

A special thanks goes out to Eileen, who hit the nail right on the head this year. i received:

1. A beautiful 7-picture frame into which I am loading photos of my sweet little girl.
2. Thomas Brezina's kids' book Who Can Crack the Leonardo Da Vinci Code, which I will begin reading to said little girl this very weekend.
3. A beautiful 2010 calendar featuring the moon rising over some of its favorite vacation destinations (moon gets around, yo).
4. Twizzlers and Whoppers, the Official Movie Candies of the Blackwell House (TM).

Thank you, Eileen. I hope everyone is enjoying the giving and receiving as much as I am this year.

Happy Christmahanukwanzakah to all!

Glad it finally got there - I was starting to get slightly worried. I was hoping my choices were on target given the likes I gleaned from your internet factoids. Glad you like it!

That is a big barrel of essay love. Consider the Lobster has two of my favorite DFW pieces, "Big Red Son" about the porn awards and the one where he reviews the usage guide, and turns it into one of the best piece on politics I've ever read.

You're welcome! I tried to get Ray Lewis to deliver it, but UPS had to suffice.

I love David Foster Wallace, and I haven't been able to put down Consider the Lobster. That piece on the porn awards is fan-frigging-tastic. I also love the next piece where he tears Updike a proverbial "new one."

Mr_Cellophane noticed I did not receive any gifts from my partner and was kind enough to get me something himself. Evidence of Chewers kindness continues to abound.

I received In the Loop, which I haven't seen yet and have been looking forward to, and the book Lost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its Reasons, perfect for a Lost fanatic like me.

Thanks, Mr C!

Did Nick ever send you your stuff Justin?

In The Loop is amazing btw.

I remain giftless.

MOTHERFUCKER. OK, let me get my tracking info again.

The great thing is that one of your gifts is irreplaceable.

As if my January hasn't sucked hard enough.

So, I was having an absolute fuck of a day. Had an awful night's sleep. Had to spend forty minutes trudging the car out of the arctic mess the back lot has become overnight. The drive to and from work was full of close shaves with the Reaper. Customers were screaming swollen dicks to me at work. Came home to find out my wife's health problems have become myriad.

Then I got a package from Alpharetta GA. Wet, and extremely cold from the snow. Thankfully the contents were dry.

Inside? A Bible-sized book called 1000 Extraordinary Objects, which is basically 700 pages of the "Fact That This Exists Is Hilarious" thread, and would be a perfectly nifty, fascinating, satisfying gift in its own right. So would the Hellboy comic with the strange cover and startlingly realistic glass BPRD bullet that came with it. Random, but, pretty cool.

These were all very nice things.

Until I read the card that came with them.

They're props.

The Hellboy comic is the fake 1950s Hellboy comic Myers is holding in front of the screen when we see Red for the first time. The glass bullet is the homemade one Hellboy tells us about that's full of "the woiks".

Motherfucker. Sent me. The actual. Hellboy. Props.

I have never yelled "HOLY SHIT" with such ferocity in all my days.

The wait was worth every minute. I can't even begin to express how overjoyed I am with these.

The card said, in big bold letters, "PROTECT THEM". Goddamned right. I'm buying a frame for that comic as soon as the weather allows tomorrow.

Thank you, Nick. A million times thank you. Merry belated Christmas, sir.

So what you're saying is it was worth the wait?

Congrats, man. That's quite the haul!

Yeah, kinda amazing.

Just saw this. Yay!

Photos are needed...

Holy shit.

That was very awesome of Nick. Shows what a class act he is.

Post photos if you can, Justin.

Soon as i find out which box my camera got buried in, absolutely.