So, back in November at Skepticon, PZ Myers called me back up onto the stage after my talk to have two adorable children hand me a box of STUFF sent in by supporters as a kind of pick-me-up after all the misogynist bullshit I’ve been through this year. I was so excited! I took the box back out into the hallway (PZ’s a fun speaker but PRESENTS) but I didn’t get a chance to go through it because there were so many great people to talk to.
I flew out early the next day, and I couldn’t really take a box on board the plane when I had no idea what was inside. What if someone sent me toner cartridges? Or shampoo? Or distilled TSA tears? I couldn’t take the chance, so I shipped the box back via the hotel’s FedEx service.
A week and a half passed without the package showing up. I called the hotel. After 15 minutes on hold, I was informed that my package was still in their back room. “GIVE ME MY PRESENTS,” I screamed politely. They promised that they would eventually hand it over to FedEx.
At last, the blessed package arrived this week! I opened it up this morning, and while there were no potential terrorist tools, it was still pretty great:
Awesome t-shirt, possibly from the package organizer Onion Girl (there wasn’t a name attached) EDIT: Onion Girl says maybe it’s from Greta and Ingrid!:
Russell Tanton found recent events both ridiculous & scary, so he sent me something ridiculous . . .
And something scary! I need to find someone who doesn’t read Skepchick so I can use this on them.
An amazing handmade mug from Llewely, who told me to ignore the D&D notes on the back of his/her card.
I didn’t. Ha! Thanks Llewely!
A wolf in a blueberry with a bunch of chocolate, all the way from Alaska courtesy of Crow Epps:
Also from Crow Epps, a reminder to keep some perspective in the grand scheme of things:
I’m not sure who sent me these gorgeous necklaces but that may have been Crow Epps as well. These necklaces came from the package organizer, Onion Girl, and I love them!
This steampunk octo-diary comes all the way from Germany, courtesy of Tanja, who doesn’t specify whether it’s handmade or not but it sure looks and feels like it. Awesome.
Cain sent me this absolutely beautiful handmade bookmark and tentacle card (those are fabric stitches!):
Someone sent me chocolate! I can’t figure out which card it matches up to but thank you!
From Cath Lawrence, art + feminism!
And Greg Laden sent me this sweet Darwinian mug:
Here are all the cards I got! I read every one. Thank you!
Brendon Small and Fry were just as excited as I was, though they were more interested in all the boxes:
Thanks to Carl, Llewelly, Don Rhoades, Abbie Henrickson,Greta Christina and Ingrid Nelson, Aalbert, Amanda, Allen Linville, Ben Segal, Nancy Knisley, Caine, Jonathan Hogg (who found me a Krampus postcard!), Mouthy B, Greg Laden, Cicern the Godless, Lyndell Olley, Beatrice, Victoria Arbour, Joe G, Gordon, Peter Maguire, Eslin, Fred Bremmer on behalf of Vancouver Skeptics in the Pub, Russell Tanton Andrew (“psych-oh”), Crow Epps, Cath Lawrence, Tanja (Giliell) and Cicely, Inadvertent Phylocidal Maniac.
Special huge thanks to Onion Girl, for organizing the whole thing! Also thanks to Antonia (aka Mattir) and her two kids, who delivered the box at Skepticon, and thanks of course to PZ for providing a venue for the gift-givers to organize. The box really made my day – hell, it made my month because I’ve been looking forward to it since Skepticon! Thanks so much, everybody!
You deserve it.
Totally
D&D notes on the back of a card? Extra win.
I KNEW the Pharyngula Horde was a bunch of softies.
Don’t let it get out!
I can see the headline now;
PHARYNGULA READERS GIVE KITTEHS SOFT PLACE TO PLAY
That shirt is indeed from Greta and Ingrid. They got me one too <3
Apparently it is the official Badass Blogger Who Puts Up With Dumb Shit shirt. We should be twinkies the next time we're at a con together :P
Yay! for presents.
I’m not soft, those were Tentacles of Doom. Really. :D
As a member of The Horde who’s unable to get his shit together in time for deadlines, I hope you’ll accept this belated and electronic offer of support, Rebecca.
A well-deserved box of awesome. You can take a lot of crap from the world at large if you have a few good friends (and it seems like you have more than a few).
I know that card! Look at the other thing Caine made with that pattern: http://corvustristis.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/embroidery-embroidery-everywhere/
(Must. Show. Off. Other’s work.)
Corvus:
Must show off your work! I blogged the card, and linked to you, of course. :)
Those tentacles of yours are one of my most favourite things ever. I’d love to see them on a shopping bag at the Pharyngula shop.
ZOMFSM! The Precious Blue Ammonite of the Permian! Second only in value to the Pink Wrapping Paper of the Kittehs. You scored big.
Funny story about the postcards: I went to the local paper store to get postcards, and couldn’t find anything which quite said it. The owner walked up to ask if I needed help, and I ended up telling her about the project.
She was so angry for you, RW, that she handed me a sheaf of postcards, both the kind you can use to make your own and the pre-printed one and said, “No, these are free. Go give her support for me.”
And so, from this dusty part of the US, you have support from two of us. It turned out that she was a feminist from the 60’s, and as a small business owner, she is familiar with harassment. We ended up talking for quite awhile afterward about the on-going problems with harassment women experience.
Wow. That woman is a badass. Care to link us to the store’s website?
Unfortunately, she doesn’t have a website, but here’s the review on Citysearch, with some contact information: http://albuquerque.citysearch.com/profile/6931818/albuquerque_nm/papers_.html
I can’t wait to tell Brendon that he was named after a cat
The Krampus postcard is the work of the very talented Miss Monster. Gladuliek!