Meh Exchange, sign up by 2/5

@mossygreen And maybe even something extra special that will mean absolutely nothing to you! Maybe!

@djtalia
Me too.

@djtalia @Star2236 I have a box of stuff to go through once I have a name. Grin

@Cerridwyn @Star2236 I’m right there with you!

@yakkoTDI
the ranks are growing

@mossygreen Surprised those haven’t been on Meh yet.

@yakkoTDI Yes, in a bundle with the Hairigami and that zigzag part maker. I’d probably buy it. And I still have my Hairigami.

@Cerridwyn Here’s the image you requested for “a bumped thread”

@Star2236 Do you mean @pakopako?

@Kyeh @pakopako
Yeah

@Cerridwyn Here’s the image you requested for “a ticking clock”

@sillyheathen
I did for the last couple of years for what I could see

@sillyheathen @Star2236 What are draw restrictions an uninvolved bystander asks?

@sillyheathen @Star2236 @therealjrn
It’s a secret… (In other words I don’t know either)

@chienfou @Star2236 @therealjrn sorry yall. I thought I’d whispered to Star. The organizer/admin can put restrictions on participants so they don’t get someone they’ve previously gifted to.

@chienfou @sillyheathen @Star2236
Oh, that’s a good idea!

@sillyheathen @Star2236 @therealjrn
Thanks for clearing that up.

@KNmeh7
Very cool…
{Leaves this site to go check Elfster)

@KNmeh7
I’m sure your recipient will be overjoyed by whatever goodies you curate for inclusion in the box!
Likewise I’m super jazzed about mine.

@KNmeh7
I’m sure they will be happy with whatever you send them.

@KNmeh7 as long as it’s better than an IRK broken item box of junk you should be fine. Though I do think it would be kind of funny if someone put an entire unopened IRK in a box (along with an actual real box just to be safe).

Have fun with it. Since you’re concerned and thinking about your stuff you’ll do fine.

@yakkoTDI Got all excited about not needing to buy something and forgot it is in the office still. I am only in the office on Wednesday and Thursday so will be shipping closer to the weekend.

@Star2236 I love using it as a guideline. But I’m also a huge nerd who makes all sorts of crazy ish. I think buying a few things is fine. I love making it an IRK that someone would be jazzed about getting but also include things that might cajole or coax an eyeroll or laugh.

@sillyheathen @Star2236
/giphy this is the way

@chienfou @Star2236

Hahaha! This is one I did the other day but didn’t post because I was so frustrated. I used new watercolors in tubes and they weren’t mixed properly or were old and it was stirring a quiet rage in my face piece.

@chienfou @sillyheathen
That’s really good.

@Star2236 Facebook marketplace is a great way to find unique things on the wishlist too…especially when the wishes are oddly unique.

@Cerridwyn Here’s the image you requested for “bombs away”

@capnjb Congratulations Dad! And I hope our Hawks of the Sea prevail!

@therealjrn I was actually able to catch the Divisional Playoff game there. My first game there. (Born in Seattle, grew up on the East coast) That place is WILD and maybe a bit loud! And we destroyed the 9’ers. So that was a plus

@capnjb
Congratulations, big accomplishment for your daughter.

@Star2236 She has done it all herself. So proud of her. I’m just curious if she wants to play college ball. She is a science nerd, an athlete and a theater kid. We have another interview at Hood college in a week that also offered a full ride. But the truth is I really wish she was back in 1st grade She has five acceptances and 4/5 have thrown scholarships at her.

@capnjb
Thats amazing

@capnjb Congrats on the full ride! We paid for first daughter, second daughter got a full ride for gymnastics, and third daughter is TBD.

@kykazaa I think the expensive part is going to be all those weddings Kiddo is a super nerd and has taken 15 APs. She scored 5s on all but one (her first). Depending on the school she chooses she will likely be starting as a second semester sophomore. She should be starting her masters before she is old enough to buy a beer

Sorry, I thought I had turned the ‘Proud Dad’ switch to the off position I ramble. Heh.

@capnjb @kykazaa sounds like you raised a good one

@Cerridwyn @kykazaa She did it all by herself. I just made sure she had all the tools she needed

@capnjb
Congrats on your daughter’s fantastic achievements.
As the parent of a son who also got a full ride (Mercer University for electrical engineering) I can attest to the amount of work that they have to put in, in order to make that happen. Likewise he had a bunch of his prelim courses already taken at the junior college or dual enrolled level. When he hit the door to matriculate he became an instant second semester sophomore.
Pro Tip: check the stipulations on your scholarship. Most of them will be for 4 years. If she’s careful she can walk off with a masters on their dime (or damn close to it) in that time. The key is to make sure she holds back one of her “required” undergrad courses until the last semester of the fourth year they’ll pay for. Since it’s a required course she “can’t” graduate until she completes it. Our son took some candy ass orientation program or some such at the same time he was taking some 600 level courses. He walked for his bachelors in the morning, his master’s in the afternoon. He turned 21 about 6 weeks later.
And yes, proud dad mode is a thing…

@chienfou That’s great advice. Thank you She wants to stay local (Maryland) but she also got a nice scholarship offer to RIT in New York. She really wants to pursue chemical engineering and that is a really good school for that. But that’s the only one that’s not local. Were actually visiting Hood college in two weeks (my calendar was wrong) and that’s only about 30 minutes away. She did tell my wife she wants to play softball in college. She’s been playing ball since first grade. She’s been coaching a 10U team for a few years and said she would like to be able to come down and check in on her girls from time to time. She is such a good kid. She also umpires when she has the time

She will find the right spot. And she will change the world I’m just trying to deal with the fact she is finishing High School in just a few months.

@capnjb
Yeah when I first explained it to my son he was a bit confused. I told him if he was careful they couldn’t MAKE him leave!
We home schooled both our kids, and he started taking junior college classes at 15 and a half when he just got his learner’s permit. He would drive the 45 minutes to the junior college with me sleeping in the car and I would nap in the parking lot during his class or read the paper etc.
When he get out of his master’s program he hung around the house for a few weeks then took a bartending course and tended bar at a local Montgomery watering hole for about 8 months then traveled in Europe for a few months. When he came back he was ready to jump into his career with both feet and hasn’t looked back since.

@chienfou Sounds like he did it right That’s awesome.

Kiddo has been in magnet programs since 4th grade. She is in the SMaCS program now (science, math and computer science) which is the hardest to get into in the county. 6000 students in each grade and only 60 seats available for the program. And she’s crushed it. Long days. And she also plays sports, mentors, runs several clubs and does theater. She is my miracle. The single best thing I’ve ever done in my life Sorry it’s hard to turn off proud Dad mode

VAN GOGH! MANGO! TANGO! AWESOME!

@capnjb

proud Dad mode

/giphy own it

@kykazaa Yeah, I’m thinking I’m going to need a bigger box.

I just need the weather to get above freezing so I can roast some coffee

@kykazaa

/showme a giggling kyazaa

@Cerridwyn Here’s the image you requested for “a giggling kyazaa”

@capnjb

I think I’m going to need a bigger box

Funny, I immediately thought of the line from Dame Helen Mirren:
“We are going to need considerably bigger buns”

Boxed up…now if only my postage scale didn’t keep erroring out when I try to weigh it. Have to go weigh myself and weigh myself holding it and do the math. Ugh. Only hint…it’s going to Texas.

@kykazaa Hah! I had to do the same thing. I’m a bit over eight pounds at the moment. Still waiting on three items and need to roast coffee. Although in the last exchange I sent a Mah Jong set and that was probably 15 pounds by itself shrug

@kykazaa kind of jealous, but glad the love is getting spread around!

Also, from the finished pic, nice boxing/labeling job and nice monitor! I’ve been eyeing some ultra wide action but haven’t bit yet.

@djslack @kykazaa They are nice. I’ve two 34"s stacked vertically. I wasn’t sure I was going to like that alignment, but I got used to it very quickly. It’s nice to just be able to look up and down and not have to turn my head from side to side. It’s a lot of real estate but I can work on so many things at once (which is good for my ADHD )

@capnjb @djslack it weighed in at a whopping 34lbs. Probably the most I’ve ever spent on shipping, but I did clean the house out a bit . Don’t worry all “new”/unused things. “New old stock” I think is the appropriate term

@djslack @kykazaa Wow! Nice. That doubles my exchange box that was 18 pounds. Well done!

• golf clap *

Now I have to go find a Tungsten cube to show you up.

@capnjb @kykazaa and I am still using that mah jongg set! it even went with me on the cruise last week.

@ironcheftoni @kykazaa YAY! I really hope I didn’t send you a shit one!

@kykazaa
Well that’s not me

@kykazaa WOW! Is it … a robot?
Or I guess it’s a TV box. IS IT A TV?

@Kyeh @kykazaa gracious. I only know it’s not me cuz I don’t live in Texas

@Cerridwyn @kykazaa Every participant not in TX is jealous, right?

@kykazaa I love the attention to detail I need to go to bed

@kykazaa Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Box

@Kyeh it was my daughters monitor box,but it opens up like a suitcase so I took advantage of that. Hopefully the recipient takes some good photos as I didn’t (oops)

@capnjb wait until you see the inside

@kykazaa That feels like a Doctor Who reference

@kykazaa OH! I didn’t look carefully enough.

@kykazaa
That box is massive. Glad to see people getting into the exchange.

@Star2236 and to think I almost didn’t get in because I wasn’t active. I vote we change the rule for people that have a positive history of engagement. I admittedly don’t always have time to engage with the community. What do you think?

@kykazaa @kykazaa Nice hustle! I still need to wait until Tuesday to roast some coffee to complete my box. Ambient temperatures really affect the roast and it’s best to roast above 60 degrees. We’ve been well below freezing for weeks, but might get up 40 degrees on Tuesday so I’m going to wing it and throw caution to the wind (also, it has been windy).

I need to roast soon because my ADHD keeps having me toss things in the box. If it fits, it ships

@kykazaa that’s impressive hustle.

@kykazaa @sillyheathen
Yep… Way to over achieve!!

/showme a person named kykazaa heading out the door with a large sealed package and her car keys in her hands while several other people are frantically throwing things in boxes around her.

@chienfou Here’s the image you requested for “a person named kykazaa heading out the door with a large sealed package and her car keys in her h…”

@mediocrebot
That works,…

@chienfou @mediocrebot I love the hat!

@capnjb arriving Friday!!! One more hint, my box is going to the person that had me last year…

@capnjb @kykazaa
That’s actually kinda cool!

@kittykat9180 having fun with it is what’s important. I’m sure what you did will be fine

@kittykat9180 That makes two of us. First it was the Super Bowl. No time to put something together. As a former Seattle resident I can’t use Seahawks victory parade this Wednesday as another excuse.

Found enough in the threads to put something together for my person so time to get my IRK packing.

@kittykat9180 @rcwbbb Participating is the fun part. It doesn’t really matter what is sent or received. It’s about the joy of the moment. When I pack a box for the exchange, I picture myself as a meh employee looking at a warehouse (that is actually my basement) and thinking who bought all this shit?

I am a giver. If my family has everything they need, I’m happy to share everything thing else. This is about fun. Not a score board. I’ve been ghosted before and I keep coming back. I’ve been known to go overboard Meh on!

Also, I’ve been in my Lime Green Seattle hoodie for two days! GO HAWKS!!!

@Cerridwyn @kittykat9180 agree, it’s all about participating and having fun with it. Realize the stuff I sent was mostly from my house (I always have random giveaways around). I only spent $25 on outside stuff, albeit the shipping was a killer. I definitely went overboard, but I like to give things away.

@capnjb

Also, I’ve been in my Lime Green Seattle hoodie for two days! GO HAWKS!!!

Yep!
Oh … BTW
/giphy go shower!

@capnjb
Okay… That’s sufficiently oddly weird…

@chienfou I don’t know how that happened!

@Cerridwyn @kittykat9180 @kykazaa

I definitely went overboard

I’ve been known to go overboard. And am currently doing so again It’s fun to sometimes say F the rules

@capnjb @Cerridwyn @kykazaa @chienfou
My person didn’t have a wishlist so I got them something I person love. I hope they share my enthusiasm.

@Cerridwyn @chienfou @kittykat9180 @kykazaa I never do wish lists because I like to be surprised I once got a ceramic penguin. His name is Earl. He hangs out by my desk There are no bad things to put in a box if you think someone might enjoy it

@capnjb
I’m glad my person did a wish list. That’s how I knew about food likes etc… saves me from mailing out something they def don’t want.

@capnjb
/showme @chienfou mailing out his family recipe limburger olive loaf jello surprise

@therealjrn Here’s the image you requested for “@chienfou mailing out his family recipe limburger olive loaf jello surprise”

@therealjrn
I suppose that’s why you are staying out of the fray…

It’s FUN out here in the peanut gallery @chienfou! I didn’t quite feel up to it this year, maybe next time!

@ironcheftoni

/showme @ironcheftoni shopping for irk stuff

@Cerridwyn Here’s the image you requested for “@ironcheftoni shopping for irk stuff”

@Cerridwyn @ironcheftoni Wow, it knows about “mystery boxes!” You didn’t mention that at all!

@sillyheathen Wonder Twinning again, I see. We’re seeing Nick Offerman on Thursday. hehe.

@Pony @kyeh told me that he was going to be in that area the night before he gets here. I told her she should go!!!

@Kyeh @sillyheathen He’s doing two shows in one night, and they’ve both been sold out for a while. We have front row seats. Can’t wait!

@Pony @sillyheathen I hope you have a blast!

@Star2236 thanks for the reminder

@kykazaa Nice job I just finished packing my box I only hit 15 pounds. I should have added a few bricks

@chienfou it’s saved me so much money over the years.

@sillyheathen
Absolutely. Plus it’s super convenient to be able to print out the labels and just drop them off at the counter either at USPS or your local UPS access point. For me it’s a CVS store. I can walk in, hand it to the person behind the counter, and be gone in a couple of minutes, with a text arriving by the time I hit the door usually, telling me the package has been accepted. Great service!

@chienfou @sillyheathen I use shipping easy and feel the same way.

@chienfou @sillyheathen

it’s saved me so much money over the years.

That’s funny because it has cost me so much money over the years

Stupid coffee club!

But, yes. It’s the best way to ship

@capnjb @chienfou

@Pony
Another overachiever… Who does this before the last possible minute??
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hopefully your gifter will be just as quick!

@chienfou @Pony doing this immediately? I think I resemble that remark. Mine when the mail last Friday. Well ups. Tracking says it should be delivered Thursday cuz it went clear across the country

@capnjb teehee