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| We’re cooking with gas and ready to head to the Sebel on Friday! |
In one of my roles as a member of Team Awesome (hey, if we get to give ourselves a name we’re gonna make it a good one!), the planning team for our upcoming Digital Parents conference, I was entrusted with accepting delivery of the many goodies and delights that await our delegates via their swag bags. “Sure!” I said. “Send ‘em my way, I’ll take care of it!”
Since January, we have been receiving courier deliveries regularly. Boxes and boxes from participating companies have been safely stacked four deep, as many across and right up to the ceiling in our spare room. Lucky we completed that house extension otherwise we seriously would have run out of room about a month ago!
Two weekends ago, Steve and the LGBB kindly helped me begin unpacking these boxes. We opened them excitedly and found inside……. more boxes! A real life “nested dolls” bit o’ fun. Fun, fun, fun. Cardboard Explosion barely begins to cover it for a description of what then ensued.
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| This was our couch, barely an hour in…. |
By Sunday night (of the Grand Prix weekend), I was working hard at not having a panic attack complete with hyperventilating episode. I never realised I was such an orderly beast. Neat freak, some might call it. WHO KNEW??
The two hundred swag bags having been mostly finished this past week, I was then horrified when two things happened in the house. As if they were just waiting for the bags to be made vulnerable. And here *deep breath in* are my two confessions:
1. Someone may get an extra surprise in their swag bag. A mouse!
A dirty great not-so-stealthy mouse came sauntering through our bedroom at 3am.
I awoke with that hair-raising sense that something hairy and scary was in the room – something beyond my dearly betrothed, I mean, who lay blissfully unaware and asleep beside me – and my first thought was to turn the light on, at which point said rodent alighted from my bedside table (oh yeah…. it was there *SHUDDER*), and go and get the cat.
I went and got the cat – our brave hunter, who is usually so good with bringing kill back to the doorstep whenever she pleases – but apparently she enjoys her sleep more than a good old pat and serving of mouse on a platter. I had to shut the door to the bedroom to make her stay in, encouraging her to sniff around the corners of the room where I’d seen the mouse do its best Hamburglar-tip-toeing impression back from whence it came. She looked at me, bemused, and gave a maow that wasn’t so much a meow as it was a yawn. Fine. Perfect.
I took the useless lump back to her bed.
So it was left to me to sit up in bed with the light on, unable to get back to sleep. And all I could think was, “Great. What if it climbs into a swag bag down the hallway and decides not to come out and we pack him up and take him in to the Sebel? Sure, it’d make for someone’s awesome vlog fodder but I don’t want to be known as The Mouse House Blogger. The internet is forever. Noooo! Arooooooo!” (that was an impression of me howling to my ceiling that “the bloody cat” didn’t do her job keeping mice away and she’s obviously been fooling us these past two years…. She is officially the feline equivalent of the woman who used to work in my old workplace who seemed to be doing such a good job…. Until she resigned and left and they found a pile, months’ worth, of important paperwork in her bottom drawer that she’d never actioned but should have and it left the company in a bit of a quandry – so that’s it, then: our entire house is effectively Tabitha’s bottom drawer.)
2. Someone may get an extra, extra surprise in their swag bag. A slimey dog ball!
I have had the swag bags under lock and key the past few days, diligently fending off mice and other bits of bother. Except, this one time, I came back from the kitchen with a cuppa to find Jazz had discovered them. She’s been carrying her ball around in her mouth permanently, she even sleeps with the ruddy thing in her mouth – it’s like her dummy – and she was trying to sniff in one. When I saw her she had the ball in her mouth. When I told her off for gingerly quality inspecting the bags with her nose, she didn’t have the ball any more.
She has three “inside balls”. To date, only one has surfaced. Two are missing. I hope not in the swag bags.
Dear God, please don’t let any of my fellow Digital Parents blogging friends find an inside ball dropped inside their swag bag. And…. just a note from Jazz: if they do, could they kindly return it post haste.
*breathing out* It feels good to confess.
On Friday night, the kind and energetic Naomi (of Under The Yardarm fame) brought her own swag – in a brown paper bag – and knuckled down to help us add in the final few deliveries.
They are now all packed into these neat stackable plastic crates from Eco Move (awesome initiative, so much better than cardboard boxes! NO MORE CARDBOARD BOXES! EVER! I never want to see another one as long as I live) where neither mouse nor dog nose can potentially meddle with them.
The LGBB has been an enthusiastic helper this past month, it should be noted. She worked so hard and fast it was almost difficult to keep up with her! She was promoted from simply opening product boxes to make them ready, to carrying filled bags into the waiting plastic transport boxes on Friday night.
Last night, she made posters for the boxes containing the door prizes:
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| Bloggers will come in droves! Winner will be so happy s/he’ll…. go to a skate park…. |
Note: If you win the door prize – any of them – I’ll be your new best friend? Ohhhhh they are good. Let’s just say, a courier had to step inside the house to drop off a delivery on Friday morning – the day after the Lindt boxes arrived – and he said he could smell the chocolate in the house.
NOW do you feel my pain?!?
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| Once a photobomber, always a photobomber… As Laney put it, “so she’s THAT kind of chocolate Lab??” This is comedy Gold, people! |
See you Friday! Unless you’re not coming and then I guess…. I won’t.
As you were *anti-climactic cough*
Wow Team Awesome are so thoughtful you even added pressies for my pets! A slimy ball for my pooch and a mouse for my feline. So generous lol
Why should the attendees get all the fun. Right?
I can still smell chocolate wherever I am… not that I'm complaining.
As for the LGBB – she was amazing to say the least. And how she managed to ignore all that chocolate I'll never know!
A mouse? A slimy dog ball? Chocolate? SOLD! See you Friday lovely lady!
Chocolate Lab FTW!!! I will happily return the inside ball if it ends up in my swag… after the vlog of course.
You are super woman!
We've aimed to please ALL bloggers! ;-P (But I seriously, secretly hope with every breath in my body that nobody finds a ball…!!!!)
So you'll keep the mouse then. Right. Duly noted! (weirdo) Will be ready and waiting with a big hug, see you Thurs! x
What happens in the House of Swag Bags stays in the House of Swag Bags. Except mice and tennis balls. They may go elsewhere, by accident.
Love it. If I had to choose, I am going to go with the slimey ball. Decidedly less organic (at least…for the most part) than the mouse.
I swear I can smell the chocolate from here. Look forward to meeting you at the wee ungodly hour of 7:30am on Friday!
Squeeee! I get to see you this Friday!!
And Thursday if you're going for the pre-con drinks too! So excited but I do hope that I get the ball instead of the mouse…no mouse…please no mouse…
If I get the one with the mouse… it can just come join the rest of the mice living in and around our house… the little buggers.
So if I get a slimy ball is that the prize token for a weekend with the chocolate lab?!?!?!?
sounds like you've been busy, busy, busy but at least with awesome helpers!!
it would appear that you're all going to have an absolute blast this coming weekend – wish i was coming but cest la vie – will stalk you all via twitter and facebook!
~x~
Oh my gosh, it's so close! Excitabubble.
Excellent. It's a treasure hunt now
Love & stuff
Mrs M
Really hope I get the slimy dog ball. And well DONE, lady! Wow. Thank you for your hard work! xx
If I could've I would've drawn a love heart on it. But alas. It'll have to be 'as is'…. OMGOMG I really hope no one finds one. I swear to God, chances are high.
HAHAHA I love it!
Eeeeeeek! Better do some washing….
What a champ you are! I'll happily hand back both the mouse and beloved slimy ball should I get the honor of extra gifts bestowed on me
Now, settle down… there's only a maximum of two in there and EVERYONE wants one. You're right about the organic, though. Ewww.
Pretty sure we're actually ok on the no-mouse front. I'm slightly less sure about the evidence of there having *been* a mouse in any of them though……..
Hobo Mouse! Cool! I have more…….
Correct. But more importantly, let's just pause a moment (hahaha I typed 'paws' first!) and consider an ACTUAL chocolate lab. As in, laboratory. I wanna work at one of those!
It will almost be like being there! Without the smell. (of chocolate, I mean)
Awesome. Jazz will be so pleased! xo
WOW! What a mammoth effort! Can't wait to see whats in store for us on Friday! However I may have to be redistributing the chocolate (am on the 12WBT)
Good girl! Been there, done that
well worth the practice with your own restraint.
Just think how "empty" your house will be soon!!! I sure hope "someone" is collecting the boxes from you!
Oh my K, you do need to keep your hand down when jobs come up Volunteers & Swags!!
Mind you… It's said "give a job to a busy person & it will be done"
Love your work & LGBB sounds like chip off mumma's block.
Can't wait to see you … B r e a t h e …. Ok .. Xxx
Wheeeeee!
AMAZING work. Remind me to totally forget to thankyou so much for your restraint.
And LOVING the signs!
WOW look at you go!!!! Well done xx
Now, you know I'm going to be fighting the urge to hide in a ball in the corner as it is. Don't be asking me to pluck up the courage and remember to ask you to forget anything…..
I was thinking of you and your Michael Jackson-styled blogger song tribute from last year – will you top it this year??!! xx
It was a big job but easy. It has to be said, I am completely in awe of the tireless and savvy work of Brenda, Maria and Trae. Just amazing.
Chocolate, chocolate everywhere and not a morsel to eat?!?!
Torture! Absolute torture! This contravenes your human rights, surely? What are they going to do next? Waterboard you? Someone needs to get Bono onto this immediately!
And preferably an elder. That would go a LONG way. Thank you. Would you?
Ummmmmm….. just realised I may have implied you're an elder. Not my intention. Meant a mate of Sting's, actually. Bono reference completely overshot me. Erm. Don't know where to look now. *blown my cover as a cool kid*
Don't worry. There was no cover.
Mwah ha ha…!
Relief! I'm in good company then ;-P
If I get a mouse, I will vomit all over you. I also think we need to arrange couriers to get the aswag home. For reals. xx
Yup. Membership to the very same club.
If I get a mouse, I will vomit into the bag and then faint.
If it is dead and has maggots, I can cope with that, but a live mouse. no. no. No……
So…. that's one vote for dead mouse with maggots. Noted.
Nobody has that much room in their bags for the return home. This we know. But there will be room made for the important things (and I'm not just talking of chocolate! or mice!).
OOh wow!!! I didn't have enough room in my carry on last year I couldn't take the swag bag home, but this year I purchased tickets including luggage just for the bag. Look forward to meeting you on Friday!
*shudders* Whilst in awe of your amazing work Kirrily, given what I've just been through, given that I will be HANDING OUT HALF THE BAGS *twitches*…if I see another goddamn mouse in my sweets…well, we could've been great frie.. *clunk* *faints*
Oh no. Oh noooooo! What happened to you recently, Twitchy?! Someone get the smelling salts.
Excellent! That is a good plan. If it wasn't in my home town and I didn't have my car to lug home my haul, I'd be doing the same. Lesson learned (had to leave so much in the hotel room, booo!)
*sniff* In recovery from mouse infestation- moved under our house when the derro house next door demolished. Found holes in bathroom and under dishwasher, got into my pantry, oven dishes…traps and poison everywhere- I was a wreck. Found another dead'un on my lawn a few days ago. (Went on so long its in at least 3 diff blog posts. Bleuch.)