i received my first package today from karla. i have to say that she has thrown down the gauntlet as far as learning about the place she is sending from [not to mention quantity]. i'm going to tell you about it vaguely because i think it is super keen and you might want to incorporate this idea. she has included information with the candy and each thing has a specific reason for being included even if you might be able to get the same or similar candy somewhere else. thank you karla!

See, I told y'all that Karla was okay, but nobody believed me. Go on with your bad candy-ass self, Karla!

Heather I need your adress again because I lost it. And how many pieces am I sending out? And have you seen my brain anywhere please?

oh yeah, candy..... maybe if i buy it tomorrow....

I know no restraint when it comes to candy. Heather, you rule. And Agatha, thanks for having my back.

Any time, Karla.

Mine will be leaving here on Monday. Heather I have an idea about postage for me. I will send you an email :)

I'm trying to get my act together, Heather. I'm working 10s for the next four days, so it might be Wednesday, but it will go out, by golly!

Mailed today. Note: check under the tissue because I hid things on the bottom of the box.

hey, does anyone have wisper's address? we should throw in a few extra pieces to send to her as a post-surgery get well soon present. i always crave chocolate and sugar two or three days after a surgery.

wisper is already included.. no? platypus' package arrived yesterday, can you say fast?

Well I'll be damned. Sometimes priority mail really is priority.

I'm packing candy up to send as we speak! :) Shall be sent this afternoon. I hope it doesn't take forever to get to heather, the mail is so unpredictable.

holy fuck postage rates! Sent it air mail so it should be there in 7-10 days, which is ASS. Speaking of ass, that's where they gave it to me. In the ass. Postage rates. The other option was 4-6 weeks, the bastards. I hope that's not really late. I packed good stuff! It's worth it! I hope.

Postage is intense. I remember paying $50 to send a box of candy to New Zealand once, and that was via some obscenely slow method (like, we will carry your mail by yak to a canoe which will be paddled across the Pacific). I feel your pain.

...in England,we only one have 2 options,1st rate = next day,2nd rate = one day later.

tomorrow. between a sprained ankle and two corporations (and county income tax), i currently have no money for postage. but tomorrow i am paid. i can buy chocolate. i can buy postage. oh my, i've been looking forward to putting it all in the mail. my sister sent me a package from dc, it took three weeks. i'll make sure this one is faster.

I just have to buy two more things then I will send it as fast as it can possibly go.

this is just my opinion, but don't worry too much about fast if it makes things insanely expensive.

Lapis,we both get busted bones,mine is doing its best to get back to normal.,Tell yours to do the same.

heather if i need to send you more $$ for postage just let me know. hopefully you'll get the stuff i sent on friday by wednesday at the latest??

i got an email so i could track it, so cute, i've never gotten one of those before.

Hey, what is the score with the candy exchange? I'm dying over here man.

i hope mine gets to heather by the end of the week. stupid mail...

update: still waiting for a package from moonit and lapis and then finally your efforts will be returned

woot.

i've had like no money to send it.... between taxes and taking two weeks off for a sprained ankle i've been broke. i do have the candy and it's been waiting to mail. tomorrow. what's your address again? agent dot lapis at gmail dot com

argh. Posting tomorrow. jet.

moonit's package has arrived. OMG postage! [i am glad i accepted a job yesterday] one more, and you all can get your sugar fix.

Congrats on the job. Looks like putting all your eggs in one basket paid off. I'll help offset the postage costs.

Tell me about it, I nearly had a heart attack in the shop. That was the fastest they had, the next one down was like $10 cheaper but it could take two to six weeks and thats ridiculous. Seriously - amazon offer still stands. or whatever other website I can order off for you :)

Oh whoops YAY JOB! :) I forgot to put in all my little notes about the candy. :(

hooray job! i am such a turd. i just dropped it, should be there by noon tomorrow according to the post office lady. i put extra on a check to help cover moonit and put in a calendar for you.

yay for income! I need no candy. nope. I'll just eat this salad here...

yay for candy! sounds like it's going to arrive Just In Time.

many things have hit the mail! so i had plans to make things fancy and tidy but then came job. today i was standing behind my car, re-boxing things, putting stuff in baggies, writing address labels and getting tape everywhere, all of this in front of the post office. i need agatha's address now. yes please! don't make me eat your candy! hther at hotmail dot com

omg omg omg

I am so excited! I'll bet I get mine first because I live so close. Oooh ooh oooh! WHEE!

Wisper, I forgot to write a list with mine, but I made sure to send you some candy cigarettes, not because you liked them - as I recall - you thought they were shit - but because I know how much you loved the packet :)

i do love that packaging, i do i do!! :D

candy! haven't opened it yet.

I think I scared the postman today because I heard him pull up while I was drinking tea in my pjs, and I charged downstairs and out into the yard going "CANDY CANDY CANDY CANDY CANDY!" And then he said "uh, hi." And I said "DO I HAVE A PACKAGE PACKAGE PACKAGE CANDY?!" And he said "uh, no. But here's your phone bill." And then I went back upstairs and realized that I had a huge streak of cephalexin in my hair.

LAPIS OPEN IT. Seeing as I will get mine last I need information! (on what is good and I can hide from Andrew so I don't have to share). Oh Platy. :) Thats hilarious. Now the mailman will steal your candy and there will be no spaceman fake cigarettes for you.

oooh. sorry i was so late getting mine sent. look for the pink flamingo. it's the best piece of chocolate i've ever eaten and it's made less than two miles from my house. also the bar of white chocolate with nuts is awesome.

I got mine today! It's awesome. But I can't figure out what is from whom... Platy sent a cool postcard w/hers and now I know the pink flamingo (yum!) is from Lapis. Who sent the Mon Cherie? and the Peanut Slab and the Cadbury Jaffas? I must know. The Kit Kat from Wisper is totally different from the US Kit Kat but the Smartees appear to be the same. I'm saving the huge brick of Lindt dark chocolate for my next bout of PMS. You people truly rule. Thanks so much to you all, especially Heather.

i put in some pieces of http://www.ghirardelli.com/ and http://www.scharffenberger.com/ there are funny little shops but their stuff tastes awful so there's no point. but being in san francisco i had to throw in the vegan/fair trade stuff as well. the little baggie of what looks like dirt are: http://www.rawfood.com/cgi-bin/order/index.cgi?id=910841818776&d=single&item_id=0878&c=Raw/Organic_Food&sc=Cacao/Chocolate&tc=

i can tell you who is who wisper and karla are obvious lapis: flamingo platy: truffle w/postcard sarah: loose and large! all different moonit: a collection of things including the jaffas, and i put them all in a ziploc me: i already told you + some silly candy like starburst. and for moonit and wisper i threw in some extra random candy bars that the rest of you see all the time [cuz i was already doing the mailing!] the end

"sarah: loose and large!" ok, why did that turn me on? i am allergic to cephalexin. but it was pills. how does it streak in your hair?

My son and his buddy thot the "loose and large" was ganga until they got a whiff of it. I should make them some brownies with it.

Actually it was the organic chocolate they mistook for weed. Doh.

I'm a little worried about my candy, actually, seeing as how I live closest and when I mailed mine out it got there in one day. Hrm. 423 1/2 North, right Heather? Nate, Mr Bell was on cephalexin after his surgery and they gave me pediatric liquid, which is cherry flavoured (I know because he wasn't that into it and he would spit it at me when I tried to get some down his throat, hence the hair streaking).

fucking no mail on weekends bullshit!!

Peanut Slab is me too (along with the Jaffas and the Snifters). Jaffas are good for licking then throwing at people with white t-shirts on :) Peanut Slabs are awesome, Whittakers now do almond slabs, rum and raisin slabs ( you have no idea how many times i typed raisin) and lots of BIG blocks now of all different types of chocolate, including macadamia white chocolate and 97% Dark Ghana. mmmmm.

platy i have to confess. after my whirlwind post moments while i was supposed to be at work, i found your poor lonely package in the corner of my trunk. it went out with agatha's, a little later than everyone else. i am sorry. this is extra unfair as yours was one of the first to arrive. but it is definitely on the way.

Yay! I was more worried that it had gotten lost in the mails and I thought I might have to cry.

so upon reading this recent update, i sprinted down to our lobby and asked the receptionist if i had gotten a package. YES! however it is 100 degrees today. needless to say, the contents of my package were indeed large and loose. but i rushed everything into refrigeration. if i have to lick every drop of chocolate from its wrapper, i'll do it. thank you everyone! yay!

pineapple lumps. word.

now that's a euphanism for breasts if i've ever heard one.

OH MY GOD! MY CANDY IS HERE! I am so excited. I can't eat any yet because I'm on lunch break and way too busy, but I had to open it, and I am SO EXCITED! Thank you so much everyone. We've got to do this like every three months or so.

the dark chocolate truffle from platypus survived the heat, but not my appetite. i ate it for breakfast this morning. thankfully it was wrapped very well in a plastic baggie, so though it had melted in the post, after refrigeration, it was edible. i brought it to room temperature before eating it. it was delicious even though it looked like i had nuked it for about 30 seconds, dropped it on the floor, and ran over it with the wheels of an office chair. whatever cocoa butter or milk fat that might have been in it, separated, and thinly coated the underside of the crinkly paper wrapper. the plastic baggie was taped to a pretty postcard of a beach and cliffs and purple dune flowers. on the front of it is written "North Coast". on the back it says "A hidden beach along the cliffs of the North Coast." there is no other geographic information. platy wrote on the postcard: "This pure dark chocolate truffle is a Mendo Macho. Because sometimes you need pure dark chocolate, you know?" oh yeah. i know. i might even add to the end of that sentence "first thing in the morning." yum. it was perfect. thank you.

That beach, by the way, is about five miles of south of Elk, and it is really really hidden. It's a pretty awesome beach, too. There's usually a ton of interesting driftwood piled up everywhere.

Wisper: yes, Canadian KitKat is different. The chocolate is a little sweeter and creamier than the American version. I think I like it better, it seems more full and rich. KitKat Dark, alas, is impossible to find, which is a great tragedy because it was like a little piece of heaven. And guess what else I had for breakfast? Yes, that's right, coffee crist. You're right, it is a good breakfast. I can taste the coffee overtones, and smell the beaniness. I recently read a book called the Emperors of Chocolate, and one of the things they talked about was that candy companies use different formulations for different markets, which I think leads to the unique flavour of American candy for you, and British/European candy for us. I think I prefer British style in the range of milk chocolates, although at heart I'd rather have dark any day.

karla, i misplaced your "taste of tampa" note.... did the m&m's have mint in them? i've been trying to pace myself with the candy but it's so hard. my new roommate has all these old busts and it's great to go to bed with a copy and some candy. i have managed to put off eating wisper's, platy's and moonit's candy because i want it to be an occasion and i won't have time to really relish the candy otherwise. american mass-produced chocolate is awful. it's like my opinion of starbucks: oversugared and overmilked. give me some bitterness, some variety in texture or flavor. i bought a bag of butterfinger crunch one time, all excited because i had just one and, though it was sweet and peanutbuttery it was also crunchy and a little salty. i ate the whole bag hoping for that same flavor but every bar tasted like soap. i've read that it's more than just candy.... it's most everything. ketchup is a good example. it's saltier in japan, sweeter in america and plainer most everywhere else.

I remember thinking that McDonald's milkshakes in Paris were so much tastier than in America, when I was there for a high school French class trip.

probably made with lard speaking of lard..have you heard of "lard-ons"..i think that's the most hillarious name for food..or anything, for that matter..

Food Glossary - Lardons These are small pieces of thick cut bacon, sold ready-chopped. As an alternative to lardons, thick rashers of bacon can be cut lengthwise into strips and then into small dice. Uses: Lardons are used in cooking as a flavouring ingredient. They add a distinctive salty taste to meat dishes such as boeuf bourguignon or coq au vin. To store: Keep vacuum-packed lardons in the fridge for up to 1 month, once opened use within 3 days. Fresh lardons should be stored in the fridge and used within 3 days. "Getting your Lard ON" v. the act of having sex with sticks of crisco

Coffe Crisp used to have a commercial that was so dumb it's imprinted on the minds of the entire nation. They stopped showing it 20 years ago but it's horrible pun lives on to this day. They have Coffe Crisp Dark, White, Caramel, Peanutbutter. None of these are very good. Stop fucking around with perfection. Kit Kat Dark is in abundance here, but i was not impressed. I like my dark chocolate solid and uninterrupted. Nestle is going nuts with Kit Kat variations: -Dark -White -Orange -Banana -Chunky Do they have those in the US yet? I don't dare try Banana, that's just wrong. And Chunky is really bad. It's one huge stick of Kit Kat, but made in the size of a normal chocolate bar. Something about the larger proportion...not good. In Japan, Kit Kat has become the new Pocky. They had master chefs create new limited edition flavours and everything. I asked a friend to bring me back some from his teaching break. They were amazing. Just to name a few: -White w/ maple syrup -Dark w/ cocoa powder dusting -Sakura (cherry blossom) -White wine -Red wine -Apple -Strawberry -Green Tea ....there's like 30 variants. They're crazy for Kit Kat. He brought me strawberry, apple, green tea, white maple, and sakura. All of them were awesome. Oh boy, i just wrote an entire post about chocolate ;)

The best graduation present EVER. Can you all send me your addresses now that I'm done with school, so that I can send you somethink in return? So far, I've eaten a delicious coffee crisp and a raspberry truffle that tasted like a little piece of heaven. SO GOOD. I'll report more on my progress later.

We just have regular kit kat here. I am jealous now. Stay away from the banana. That sounds like a bad scene.

I just ate the pink flamingo, and damn was it good, lapis. I got a minty flavour from the m&ms, as well, and I think it might have been caused by being packed with something minty?

pix is amazing. they have red velvet flocked wallpaper and gilt frames on the wall, some with mirrors and some with windows into the kitchen where they make chocolate and tarts. part of my photo shoot for the sprockettes calendar was done in there, i have a self-portrait that's just my stockinged legs and shoes framed in a mirror. at the end of the shoot, nickey and i walked back in for a snack, she had a goat cheese tart and a salad, i just the pink flamingo and a cup of coffee... it was all i needed: the sweet, the sour and the bitter all together.

iwantmycandy. dammit. we get all kinds of kit kats here too. capucino, truffle, peanut butter (its a poor subsitute for reeses, but it does the job).

There are two kinds of green M&Ms in the bag, one type's a shade lighter than the other. I think the lighter ones are the minty ones, but I can't remember for sure. So what did ya'll think of the white chocolate with lime? That screws with the taste buds, eh? The gummy sharks are kinda gross, but I couldn't pass up the novelty factor. I'm digging the Dolphin natural chocolate and the Toffee Pops so far. I offered to share my stash with my son, but he's suspicious of the "funny-looking foreign candy." His loss.

It's true, they tell you not to take candy from strangers. I liked the Dolphin too, and I forgot about until just now because it fell out of the box when I opened it so I wolfed it down before it got any more escapist ideas.

I love you all. But especially you Wisper. I'm too scared to open the goodness that is limited edition Reeses. But it will no doubt happen. (Recently two white reeses peanut butter cups sold for $10.50 on trademe - our version of ebay. TEN FUCKING DOLLARS FIFTY. That is ridiculous - and who would sell such goodness) I'm going to outdo myself next time.

I read in "Pravda" the Russian newspaper,if you eat too much peanut butter,you grow a spare penis or two,or three,I have been eating it for years with no results.

...perhaps it only works on girls.

or prehaps that spare cock has replaced your face.

okay- candy update. I'm trying to pace myself. * pineapple lumps- strange! good, then bad, then good again, all in the same chewing cycle. the consistency confuses me. I very much like the name. * jaffas- good, but strange. they hurt my cavity that I need to get dealt with. * flamingo truffle from pix- guhhhhhhh. the best ever. I must go get some more on my next trip to Portland. * aero- YUM. I really like the bubbles. I would like to see a dark chocolate aero on the market, if one doesn't already exist. I think so far that my favorites are the pix candy, the raspberry truffle, the coffee crisp, and the aero. More as I eat my way through the box. seriously, send me your addresses. or, better yet, hthr could send me all of the addresses all together, so I might send candy as well.

The Aero was so good. It really surprised me, I thought I wouldn't be that into it because it was milk chocolate, but the bubbles made it into a little party in my mouth. And I totally agree on the dark chocolate front.

http://www.panhandlepremium.com/SpringNewsletter.htm I STILL HAVE NO ADDRESSES.

Update: I just ate a crunchie. if I tried to talk right now, a big pile of drool would fall out of my mouth. crunchie is hereby officially added to the top 5.

crunchie, like the chocolate/toffee bar crunchie? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crunchie ?? (no package for me yet)

That's the ticket! I'm so sorry you don't have candy yet, wisper, but it's worth the wait. I'll bet it will be there in the next few days.

yes, i know. Mail is always crazy bullshit across the border. I've heard of dark chocolate Aero, but i've never seen them. Mint is the best, heather got one of those. Hey look, that website sells the same Nestle Favorites box that i got all the candy from. Anyway, the horrible Coffee Crisp commercial went like this- there's two (or three?) old ladies having coffee at a frilly tea table. One is pouring. "How do you like your coffee?" "Crisp!" the other lady replies. "You like your coffee CRISP?" "I like my COFFEE CRISP!" and then she holds up the package. You cannot ask someone how they like their coffee, it's too great a risk. The pun lives in the back of our minds...always risking to spring forth and annoy everyone.

on the wrapper of a cadbury product from new zealand says: "Cadbury, dair milk, and the colour puprple are cadburty ltd trade marks used under license in new zealand by cadbury confectionery ltd." how can you trademark "the color purple"?

GAP trademarked the Pantone# of the blue used in their logo. Insert capitalism paranoia ramblings here: "They can OWN a colour now, man!"

seriously though, isn't that kinda creepy? also, i'm embarrassed to admit it, but i'm almost out of candy already.

Next time I make a web site, I'm going to do some research and use trademarked colors exclusively.

ha!

yes. the colour purple. its stupid. but its true. Aggie they make hokey pokey (thats in the crunchie) icecream. its little hunks of it with vanilla and it ROCKS

Oh, I could get into hokey pokey ice cream.

PLUS, it's called hokey pokey. To quote Sarah- WORD.

heh so as of friday i hadn't gotten the candy yet. Yeah i know, i know. So i emailed heather to ask what kind of postage she used. I know it can take up to 2 months for normal package post to get here (WFT anyway), and it was close, so i asked. The tracking # was useless. She paniced, i paniced, we paniced, panic abounded. Of course it showed up here on monday :D OMG SO MUCH CANDY. I'm really overwhelmed. You guys are so awesome.

sadly, i comsumed all of my candy long ago... YUM

OMG a candy-sharing thread? wooHOO! Who here likes the Aero bars common in Britain? MMMmmmm those things are beautiful!

i found a reeses wrapper in andrew's pack he takes skiing. BAD ANDYPANDY. BAD. at least it wasnt the special ones. they're long gone. and aero bars rock. we get them in NZ

Jim- it's so funny that you're here now since my part of the exchange included Aero bars, and my write-up about them mentioned how you said, a very long time ago, that they were the best chocolate bar in the whole world ;) if you scroll up you can read people's reaction to them. I included them only because of your raves. I personally find them rather dull, but i guess maybe i just take them for granted. Except the mint version, which is the best.

I'm so sorry that you didn't get your candy in like forever, Wisper. However, I'm very glad you posted here again, because you reminded me that I have presents to send out for everyone, which I had completely forgotten. In other news, I believe I might have gotten my first official job as a librarian. They were calling references today. Also, aeros are frickin awesome.

congratulations!

Yay Agatha! We need to buy you some intimidating librarian shoes as a present.

yay! agatha, i think i need to introduce you tomynew super-awesome housemate. she's like you, only 23 and living in portland pre-library science degree.

I got it! Whoopee! I'm so excited. Lapis- I'm thinking of heading down to Portland next weekend if I can swing it to attend some of the zine symposium. I'll keep you posted.

Hoooray! Yay new jobs.

emily of asw will be there.

Wisper-do you read something*positive? The one posted today (8/5) made me laugh really hard and for some reason, reminded me of you.

Aaaaah, that shit is funny. i do enjoy it from time to time, when i'm reminded of it's existence. It's of course where the legendary "coat hanger as babyshower gift" was coined. I see that there's been quite a few good lines lately :D Mike-How would you like to help out a friend in need? PeeJee- Depends. Is this friend "in need" because he's too stupid to use a condom?

Tell me where to find this information of which wisper and sem speak, and also who Emily of asw is, and also what intimidating librarian shoes look like.

a softer world emily

Something Positive is a popular web comic, and i dare say one of the only webcomics out there that isn't a godawful mess. http://www.somethingpositive.net/ It involves bitter & hilarious people doing bitter & hilarious things. The first strip became legend all on it's own.

http://www.somethingpositive.net/

too slow!

bah!

congratulations agather.

agatha -- if you need a place to stay we've got plenty of space. i'm about to leave town until friday, i'm not sure how late in the day i'll be getting back. by six for sure. d'ya have a cell? i'll give you my number.

s*p is brilliant. Randy Milholland needs a publishing deal, so that I may purchase the entire series and read it in the bathroom.

Thank you for your responses. I am now officially in the know, although I am still wondering about the librarian shoes.

Wisper, email me your address. STAT!

agatha, i sent you an email.

okee dokeee

congrats agatha. that was fast! what's the zine symposium?

http://www.pdxzines.com/ Thanks! I truly can't believe my good fortune. I had some fennel bulb that I didn't know what to do with from the CSA, so I made this tonight... http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/italian/risotto-fennel1.html It was pretty grub.

thinly sliced fennel bulb, thinly sliced carrots, dried cranberries, fresh thyme, balsamic vinegar, olive oil.

Mmmm. Maybe I'll get some more fennel next week.

fennel is the new black.

So...I don't know about you guys, but I need more candy. Is anyone up for a round 2 of the candy exchange?

Candy... good.

i'm in. *and* it's candy season to the max right now.

I'M SO IN. I still have surprises to send to you all from the last time, so this is a perfect excuse to get them out. Who's distributing? I would volunteer, but I'm fucking flaky as hell. I promise to send candy, though.

I will volunteer to be the distributor, since Heather so kindly did it last time...everyone who wants in, try to email me by Friday, and we'll see how much of a list we've got going here.

Yay, Platy! Maybe I'll try to make some of the chocolates I made for Christmas. They were pretty good, but I think that I can make them better the next time around.

Alright kiddos, so far I've got Sarah and Karla...anyone else who wants in should email me by tomorrow! After all, a candy exchange wouldn't be complete without international contributions...

Candy Exchange Update: Currently, I have four participants: Me, Sarah, Karla, and Agatha. Is there anyone else who wants to join in? Should we go ahead and do a small candy exchange? Should we wait? Votes?

I've got a line on some really cool candy, so all of you procrastinators should hurry and join in.

KAZU WISPER MOONIT LAPIS GET IN ON THIS ACTION! HOW ABOUT SOME OF THE FELLAS, AY? HOT CANDY ACTION!!!

i think we should give everyone 30 days to get in. so February 29th. what do you think?

Works for me. Maybe people will come to their senses by then.

I'm doing the lo carb. I'll send, but I cannot receive.

Oop. Wifey just nixed the idea. Said she, "Candy? Heck no! I've got to get in shape..."

And so it begins, tiggy. I can hear the whip! On an unrelated note: is this furniture ugly-kitchy-cool, or just plain ugly? http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/fur/277223162.html

it would not be easy to create a setting in which that furniture would be really cool... but it sure is cheap! maybe painted with a bold trendy graphic

Are you kiddin'? The whip's been out since long before we got hitched. I love the whip. I live for the whip. And, of course I love my wife, too. Oooooh, but the whip...

Yes, cheap's the thing, especially since our animals will destroy it as soon as it arrives in our house. You should see our couch right now, if you think those are ugly. Dave will smite you for suggesting paint... Tiggy, me laugh! I could never get the whip to work for Dave. He would just give me that blank stubborn look, and it would be all over.

post deleted! rats.

Bitch sold it before we got there. What part of "WE'LL BE THERE AT 2" don't she unnastand?

I concur with a 30 day waiting period...let's get some more people in on the hot candy action. I hate Craigslist more than I care to think about right now.

i procrastinated so badly last time that i don't know if it's a good idea for me to participate again.

Oh, but you sent delicious candy! I for one will say I don't care about procrastination, but I speak only for myself as a fellow procrastinator.

lapis <3's de pix. omigawd. has anyone else discovered hershey's truffle kisses yet?

yes! and the espresso ones are really yummy too. i am apathetic about procrastination. :)

I'll do candy. Tell me what to do.

Whoohoo! Coed candy!

I'm in for candy. I'm the candy queen. Andrew is going to Japan in March. I will have to get him to find me some weird japanese candy.

MOONIT TELL HIM TO GET THE FREAKY KIT-KAT FLAVOURS OMG

he said he would think about it. He will bring me some back or ELSE. :P

The cherry valentine's kitkats aren't bad. MMmmm discount holiday candy.

no freaky japanese candy for me, thanks. shit tastes like sugared freeze-dried squid.

sarah, or at least, sugared freeze dried sushi.

Alright guys, I've got: Me, Sarah, Karla, Agatha, TBone, Moonit. Wisper? Pez? Antigone? Pussying out after all? Anyone else who wants in, email me by the 1st...

not doing it, nope. maybe another time.

Oh, right, here's my email address, too.

god i can't wait. i NEED it.

can't do it right now, sorry :(

My boss brought in a bunch of really weird Chinese candy for Chinese New Year. None of it appears appetizing and they taste weird, but still like candy.

Chinese candy is very odd stuff.

I love the chinese rice paper candy. I haven't had it since I was a teenager walking all over San Fransisco with my aunt on spring break. I feel deprived.......

If you'd been in the candy exchange...something could have been arranged...

CAN-DAY! When is the due date for candy to be transmitted? ASAP?

Well, I figure Moonit's will take the longest...so you 'merican folks should probably wait a few days after she mails hers?

I can't post mine until the 17th of March, but it should get there in about five days :)

I buy the chinese rice paper candy at Cost Plus,just got some last week for my grandkids.

I'm planning to send my candy out around March 10th.

I will coordinate accordingly.

I just received Karla's candy...and let me tell you, she has surpassed herself this time. This woman is a candy goddess.

I've been meaning to check in on this- we're broke until Friday, but there will be much candy shopping this weekend. I'm glad Karla is the only one who's on the ball so far!

Mine will be in the mail on either Saturday or Monday depending on my feet (got a stupid big ass blister and can hardly walk) Andrew leaves for Japan tomorrow, so no car help for me :)

I didn't get any fucking candy. I never get any fucking candy. Fucking candy.

okay people. i'm ready to eat chocolate again. so send your candy in to platypus, PRONTO! do you hear me motherfuckers? i need candy! get your asses in gear!

also, moonit - email me your mailing address. i have something to mail to you separately. oh, and did i tell you? i found Aerobars here, and another english Nestle product called Tiger. with an orange and black wrapper.

I found an Aero the other day too! Clearly they are sweeping the US.

I think Tigers are supposed to be like a power bar, no? Can I just tell you all how talented my daughter is? We just went to see her play the part of Princess Winifred in "Once Upon a Mattress," which is the musical version of the Princess and the Pea. She was the best in the whole show, and I'm not just saying that because she's my daughter. She's really got some performing chops.

I thought that Tigers were some kind of power bar also, but I don't eat them, and almost never eat candy, so I figured I didn't know what I was talking about. I was stage manager for "Once Upon a Mattress" many years ago. It's a fun play. Congratulations on your daughters awesome perfoming chops. I bet she was adorable. I found out yesterday that they did auditions for Theater in the Park early and had done them the weekend before. So I didn't get to audition this year as auditions were a month early. No stage time for me this year. But I'll probably go see both shows and bring flowers for my old friends and such.

this definitely is not a Tiger powerbar. it's a british candy bar. it looks nothing like those Tiger bars you usually see for sale. agatha, do you have photos of Cleo in her costume or on stage? i bet she was adorable. next step: Hollywood! cash in on your kid's talents! ;)

p.s. get your fucking candy in the mail, slackers!

http://www.orlyowl.com/cookies.jpg

This is apropos of nothing, but seeing as this is as good a place to praise Agatha as any... Agatha, I want to give you props for that mascarpone cheese/balsamic vinegar/sugar combo you suggested a while back. I've tried to cut out all refined sugar from my diet, which is somewhat torturous, but last night I had your suggestion with cut-up strawberries and Splenda, and it was like eating cheesecake in a cup. Awesome.

so i forgot to mention it... to add to the list of the awesomeness of karla... and how she sent me candies just because, and they came on a terrible pms day which was so very perfect for surprise chocolate at the door. thanks!

Heather! Email me, Sarah sent you a treat and I want to make sure that you get it.

I suck, my candy goes in the mail tomorrow, I fucking promise.

Since I'm the new kid at work, I put a candy dish of Hershey Kisses on the corner of my desk within view of my office door to entice people to enter and chat. It worked pretty well. Then I switched to the Hershey Kisses w/peanut butter and whoa! My office is like Grand Central Station. Those things are like candy crack. In other news, the newspaper where I used to work just laid off 5 percent of its staff, mostly longtimers (like myself.) I feel like I dodged a bullet.

there's a woman who works in payroll who keeps a drawer stocked FULL of all sorts of chocolate and candies. her daughter works at a grocery store and buys up all the post-holiday candy at a big discount. she and are good friends, all because of candy! candy: the food of friendship!

Speaking of candy...I haven't heard from TBone...TBone, you should email me! I know you're there, you sneaky devil, with a package of delicious candy to mail...

at around closing time at work today i started rolling around the store and checking parts i usually don't see much of. i found out we sold sunglasses. i tried on a pair in front of a full-length mirror. if you put on a pair of sunglasses while in a wheelchair and sit still, you look crippled and blind. i looked around a little more and discovered we sold candy - dragées, which are sunflower seeds, almonds, pistachios, apricots, and other good stuff in chocolate and a hard candy shell like m&m's. except these are in bright colors and different sizes and, in the clear box they come in, look like smooth stones. they kind of look like they'd belong in a flower pot or at the bottom of a tropical fish tank. but they were tasty. if i ever do a candy exchange, now i'll have something to send. so then i lock up and leave. i have 15 minutes to make a run over to the liquor store and then over to the bus stop. i have to go through a restaurant parking lot that is always crowded. i'm trying so squeeze through a car and some railing when i hear - in rapid succession - glass breaking, a loud pop, and the shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. i had run over a clear glass beer bottle and it had torn a hole in my right tire. always annoying. so i go back to the shop to see if i can get a ride from someone. i can't get hold of anyone. the 6:15 goes by and leaves without me. so i figure i'll just catch the 6:45. i have some more candy, then roll over to the liquor store and buy the biggest bottle of wine i can find that will fit in my wheelchair bag snugly enough to hide it from the eyes of the bus winos. then i flat roll all the way over to the other side of bluebonnet circle to wait for the bus. i'm there for a while; i do crosswords from a little book i carry around. right as i see the bus coming down the street, i remember that i keep a can of fix-a-flat at the store. ever been alone at a bus stop and really need a hug? so i get on the bus and ride it downtown. usually i roll what i think is about 14 blocks home, but this time i caught the no.11 that would take me to my apartment complex. this bus is one of the old ones with an elevator lift that you can never be sure is going to work. the bus driver is a guy i've ridden with before; his name is adebayo and he's from africa. really nice guy. as adebayo was making his 4th attempt to get the lift down, i thought: "if this fucking lift doesn't come down, i'm just gonna cry." down it came. i got home just fine. i keep an old wheelchair, a spare, at the apartment. i'll worry about fixing the tire tomorrow. there's an arts festival going on downtown. i should go see it.

droopy,best regards as allways,my left leg still has a problem with its tendons,rock solid,with a dull pain,but v may attempt the 3 mile trip for a bottle of J.D.,,,what I need is a shot of steroids in the back of the knee,but I hate Doctors.

Oh, droop. Your story made me cry and laugh, and I feel compelled to reiterate that you should write a book. Just compile all of your posts here, and call it "short stories." xoxo

fix a flat is useful in myriad ways.

where/how is nate?

nate! you don't call, you don't write... are you saying you can huff fix-a-flat, daniel ssss? oh agatha. when i'm dead, you can compile the stories. the proceeds might buy you a pizza. v - you, me, the watcher, and me........ all need to be quarantined on an island somewhere.

nooooo. that would be bad, real bad

Moonit's candy has arrived! It's an awesome collection, including some special New Zealand treats which I will keep secret until you get your own boxes... I still haven't heard from TBone, so if someone (Heather? Lapis?) wants to jump in and take his place, they should get in touch with me. Or TBone should email me and let me know he's alive and candying! Once that package rolls in and Agatha's gets here, I will send out the goods.

Okay! We just went negative in our bank account to ride the next week out, so I'll send mine tomorrow. Candy! Excitement!

Uh oh Agatha! I wonder if your student loan people accept candy in lieu of loan payments.

OK, I'm not sure how this candy exchange you have here works. I don't eat candy often. But I do have to admit I am missing rice paper candy that I used to get in LA and San Francisco.

wow.....the candy exchange sounds really cool...and intriguing....{special new zealand treats??!?} i would like some...what do i do besides wish really hard........and a quarantine on an island may not be a bad idea....do i get to have any candy?.......what else would be allowed, and why these certain people?...what are our sexes and do they really matter?.....ah am a gurllll.......not gorilla,but female.......forget the gorilla part...i had a little bitty glass of wine........

wow.....i just read this whole thing, starting from last year....shit, i missed a lot.......

yay I'm so pleased it got there safely. How can you not open and scoff I don;t know

really.........

I'm all packaged up. I sealed it up tight and then realized I forgot to put something in there, so then I opened it and closed it again. Just in case you're wondering about the tape.

hey what about Mail Art? I'm missing candy and mail art, but that what i get for not being around forever.

Some day, my mail art will come. I saw this today and was instantly reminded of the Sorabjites who hate Comic Sans.

if we ever do mail art again, i have a pornographic bottle opener that absolutely has to go to j. i still don't get what the big deal about comic sans is.

Hang on to that mail art dream, people! It will come some day. Maybe I will use the candy impetus to work on the mail art again.

PS- the candy is in the mail! I'm really proud of myself.

if you worked in the education industry, you would get what the big deal is about comic sans. think 3rd grade teachers composing classroom grant application in bright green comic sans, font size 22.

sarah, i am sorry- but the actual mind image of that is rather funny--if it were not also sad, too. i have a perverse brain..........

sad thing is that it IS possible given the grant writing abilities of some third graders, not to mention the teachers. here is something troublesome for today: talk about controllig the candy.................sorry forthe length of it. I couldn't get the link to post correctly... Monday April 23, 2007: Jon Benson FDA Threatens Your Freedom Share this with everyone you know. You have seven days of freedom left. Potentially, that is, if the FDA and Big Pharma has their way. The latest move by the FDA is designed to once and for all destroy the 1994 DSHEA law that has made supplements “legal” while eliminating nutritional supplements and natural medicine from the United States, ensuring monopoly profits and control by drug companies and the FDA. It is the latest action item by the FDA / Big Pharma conspiracy that will not stop until health freedom has been abolished, drug companies rule the nation, and every citizen is diagnosed with a fictitious disease and drugged up on monopoly-priced pharmaceuticals. This all comes to a head in seven days — April 30th, 2007. I bet most of you haven’t even heard about it. That is not by coincidence. It’s even hard to find articles on the web about this. The lawmakers have been very clever slipping this under the cracks. What Does This Mean To You? If you ever want to have the freedom to purchase Vitamin C for your immune system’s health, or perhaps Cherry Extract for your joint health…or literally if you take any supplement at all, even vegetable juice, click on the link below. Let these ridiculous lawmakers hear your voice… Click Here Now To Protect Your Rights! Unless you want FDA “experts” to decide what’s a drug or medical device, click that link and let your voice be heard. Remember, these are the same “experts” who re-approved Vioxx, even after the crap killed over 50,000 people in the U.S. alone. This is not hype. This is not histrionics. This is a real as it gets. Only “doctors” would be able to “prescribe” most supplements deeded C.A.M. (Complimentary and Alternative Medicine). We’re talking multivitamins, herbal supplements, homeopathic modalities…even massage oils. No joke. Don’t Believe Me? Take A Look… This was lifted right from the FDA’s published PDF document on Docket No. 2006D-0480. You can read the entire PDF for yourself by clicking here. Below you will find hilights of the FDA’s proposed legislation. This includes the substances that will be legislated by the FDA and Big Pharma under the proposed guidelines. (Special thanks to Mike Adams and NewsTarget.com for providing these excerpts…) “…a product used in a CAM therapy or practice may be subject to regulation as a biological product, cosmetic, drug, device, or food (including food additives and dietary supplements) under the act or the PHS Act. Second, neither the act nor the PHS Act exempts CAM products from regulation.” Translation: Anything used in any system of medicine may now be regulated as a drug or medical device by the FDA. This includes a biofeedback machine, acupuncture needles, a cup of herbal tea, massage oil, a glass of vegetable juice or even a bottle of water. “…if a person decides to produce and sell raw vegetable juice for use in juice therapy to promote optimal health… [and] if the juice therapy is intended for use as part of a disease treatment regimen instead of for the general wellness, the vegetable juice would also be subject to regulation as a drug under the Act.” Translation: Raw vegetable juice will be regulated as a drug and must be FDA approved as a drug if it has any health effect whatsoever. Handing a cup of raw vegetable juice to someone and telling them it’s good for the detoxification of their liver will get you arrested for practicing medicine without a license and promoting an “unapproved drug.” …”biologically based practices” includes, but is not limited to, botanicals, animal-derived extracts, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, proteins, prebiotics and probiotics: whole diets, and “functional foods”. …a botanical product intended for use in treating a disease would generally be regulated as a drug.” …”functional foods” may be subject to FDA regulation as foods, dietary supplements, or drugs under the Act. Translation: All foods, supplements, superfoods and functional foods may be reclassified as drugs by the FDA, then regulated off the market. “If… the manipulative and body-based practices involve the use of equipment (such as massage devices) or the application of a product (such as a lotion, cream, or oil) to the skin or other parts of the body, those products may be subject to regulation under the Act.” Translation: Massage oils and creams will be regulated as “drugs” and acupuncture needles as “medical devices.” Taking this absurdity one step further, massage therapists who use their fingers to touch patients may have their fingers regulated as “medical devices” and be accused of practicing medicine for merely touching patients. Don’t Just Sit There…Protest! Here is the website you need to visit today. It takes less than a minute to file your complaint. Let your voice be heard! Click Here Now To Protect Your Rights! Additional phone numbers as listed in the FDA FRIENDS HERE IS THE SKINNEY: I assert my fundamental right to control my own health and health care. I want Complementary and Alternative Modalities ("CAM") to be freely available and I endorse the comments of the Natural Solutions Foundation which were submitted on April 6, 2006 and which follow: 04/06/07 Let CAM Continue to Develop Freely To: Food and Drug Administration From: Natural Solutions Foundation Re: FDA Docket No. 2006D-0480 These comments are submitted by Major General Albert N. Stubblebine, Rima Laibow, MD and Ralph Fucetola, JD on behalf of Natural Solutions Foundation with regard to the Food and Drug Administration’s draft “Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration.” They are submitted with reference to the request of FDA for comments on the proposed Guidance stated at: http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/E7-3259.htm. The Natural Solutions Foundation is a tax exempt, recognized nongovernmental organization active in the United States and internationally, communicating Natural Solutions to the many health problems caused by government intervention, with emphasis on FDA and Codex Alimentarius over-regulation of natural foods and supplements. Complementary and Alternative Modalities (CAM), including traditional remedies and nutrition to achieve and maintain a healthy status, are preferred by many Americans to so-called “standard” allopathic medical treatment, primarily due to the well-documented iatrogenic death and disabilities, the dangerous side effects and persistent failures of the so-called “standard” model. The Dietary Supplement and Natural Remedies market has grown to over $28 billion dollars annually as Americans consistently vote with their dollars choosing CAM products out of un-reimbursed funds. The Foundation urges the FDA to take into account an important legal distinction that FDA appears to ignore totally in the draft Guidance. That distinction is between “treatment of disease” and “therapies that may benefit.” In keeping with that distinction, explained below, it is suggested that the Guidance be titled, “Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Modality Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration.” CAM is not “medicine”, does not rest in medical models and allopathic methods and does not seek to be considered “medicine.” In fact, CAM seeks to shed the appearance of “medicine” which is not in keeping with CAM traditions and activities. We request the FDA take the following steps: (1) hold public hearings on the proposed Guidance; (2) formally revise the Guidance title to replace the word “Medicine” with “Modality” and (3) use of the terms “therapy” and “therapeutic” with reference to Complementary and Alternative Modality health practices, instead of the words “treat” and “treatment of disease” which are used exclusively in the draft Guidance. The terms “treat” and “treatment of disease” are, in fact, antithetical to CAM therapies. CAM health practices can be generally defined as traditional or other practices that are used by individuals, often for self-help, to achieve and maintain a healthy status, either on their own or complementary to standard medical care. These practices do not include the potentially dangerous use of invasive techniques and toxic drugs that are the sole province of licensed medicine. They do, however, include developing therapies and nonstandard approaches that are outside the scope of licensed medicine. Such approaches as Nutrition, Homeopathy, Hands-on-Healing, Magnetics, Sound Health, Energy Therapies, Biofeedback, Meditation, Breath Work, Reiki, Chi Gong, Tai Chi and Herbology are examples of complementary and alternative therapeutic practices. Traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic medicine or folk remedies and "Dr. Mom" home remedies are also examples of CAM practices. These practices aim, in the words of the late Philip J. Hodes, PhD., at "more efficient physiological integration and function of the human organism, leading to optimal wellness." This definition is the polar opposite of non CAM practices which seek to suppress or ameliorate symptoms without an approach to optimal wellness. The terms “therapy” and “therapeutic” do not occur, for example, in the context of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). Rather, that statute, passed by unanimous Congressional Consent, tells us that Dietary Supplements may not “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent” any disease. It does not specifically forbid the use of the word “therapy” (or “therapeutic”). Under the Supreme Court’s rule in the Thompson v Western Medical case, we should expect that these words would not be forbidden by the Courts and should not therefore be overtaken by the regulators. Further, the Code of Medical Ethics of the American Medical Association also acknowledges an independent use of the term “therapy.” The original Hippocratic Oath, with its injunction to "Do no harm." has been replaced by a complex Code detailing the relationship between physician and patient and alternative practitioner. Changes made during the early 1990's were inspired by anti-trust lawsuits brought (and won) during the 1980's by chiropractors and other non medical practitioners. These changes are just now becoming recognized by regulators and courts. While "treatment which has no scientific basis" remains condemned (Opinion 3.01), under Opinion 3.04, physicians are free to "refer" a patient "for therapeutic or diagnostic services to another physician, limited practitioner or any other provider of health care services permitted by law to furnish such services, whenever he or she believes that this may benefit the patient." Thus, unscientific "treatment" is distinguished from "health care services permitted by law." "Treatment" -- which means the use of standard medicine and surgery to "cure" disease -- is distinguished from other health care services (therapies) which need only meet the lesser "may benefit" standard. While physicians "prescribe" treatments for disease, therapies that may benefit may be subject to "referral" thereby further indicating the distinction. Thus, for example, Dietary Supplements that support normal structure and function to support therapeutic outcomes can be seen to complement licensed medicine, but not to be held to its strictures, nor limited in its practice to licensed physicians. Since such therapies are not prescription services, members of the public may choose such services without the permission of their physician. Purveyors may restrict sale of therapeutic products to physicians, complementary practitioners, exercise and health care professionals, although they should not be required to do so. We have analyzed the word “therapy” and the similar word “therapeutic” because these words are not forbidden by DSHEA and are referenced by the AMA Ethics Code. We recommend “Therapeutic Nutritionals” for alternative practices centered on Nutrition. We recommend the use of the qualifying word, “Nutritional” in this context to make it completely clear that the practitioner is not offering “treatment of disease.” The claims made for Therapeutic Nutritionals must, of course, be allowed Structure and Function Claims. Thus, for example, under current law as interpreted by the FDA, one cannot claim that a nutrient lowers cholesterol levels – since there is now a “disease” of hypercholesterolemia – but can claim that a nutrient maintains normal cholesterol levels for persons with normal cholesterol. A purveyor may say that a certain combination of multivitamins was designed to maintain normal structure and function for a person with diabetes, but not that the combination “treats” diabetes or affects the blood sugar level. Similarly, any Health Claim made for any alternative practice must meet the FTC standard of "truthful and not misleading" and must be based on standard commercial substantiation criteria. CAM products are intended to benefit normal structure and function and are not prescribed as treatment for medical or psychological conditions, nor for diagnosis, care, treatment or rehabilitation of individuals, nor to apply medical, mental health or human development principles.” As the High Court said in Thompson, "We have previously rejected the notion that the Government has an interest in preventing the dissemination of truthful commercial information in order to prevent members of the public from making bad decisions with the information. * * * Even if the Government did argue that it had an interest in preventing misleading advertisements, this interest could be satisfied by the far less restrictive alternative of requiring … a warning..." What is the proper level of substantiation for CAM nutrient or health claims? It is not the "significant scientific agreement" required of drug claims, but rather, the general "competent scientific evidence" standard that applies to all commercial claims. That does not imply that purveyors need to have multiple double-blind experiments (as may be required for drug approval). Substantiation merely needs to be competent and scientific. We urge this to include research studies (which is when scientists review the work of others and apply it to specific questions) and clinical trials (which may be as formal as double-blind, placebo controlled investigations but need not be, since multiple variables, like those involved in CAM practices designed to promote optimal health, are not well studied by double-blind, placebo controlled investigations) as well as traditional knowledge, clinical case studies, observational reports and clinical experience. All of these sources of information and experience have a role to play, but ultimately, such substantiation must rest on the informed professional opinion of some credentialed or appropriately experienced person who can (in the case of Dietary Supplements, for example) sign onto the Structure and Function Claims Notice to the FDA, attesting that "the notifying firm has substantiation that the Statement to which this Notice applies is truthful and not misleading." (Regulations under 21 U.S.C. 403(r) (6)). The Natural Solutions Foundation favors a market approach to these issues and urges the FDA to reduce regulation to those minimum levels that will encourage the continued rapid development of CAM approaches. Especially when dealing with Dietary Supplements and Traditional Remedies, we are dealing with foods which, as foods, are presumed to be safe. There is no need for the high level of regulation that is required for the dangerous and invasive drugs and techniques of so-called “standard” medicine. Even with this stringent level of oversight, drugs are a major cause of death in every developed country while CAM remedies are an insignificant-to-absent cause of death world-wide. Rather, this is a situation where the public is best served by a policy of Laissez-Faire: allow CAM to develop freely in the public interest. Throughout the world today people are looking to traditional methodologies and leading-edge CAM techniques because they offer alternatives to toxic, expensive drugs with their dangerous side effects, un-manageable and unreasonable costs and other invasive technologies of modern medicine. This search for alternatives is protected by the fundamental right of individuals to communicate and learn; to heal and be healed. This has been settled law for over a hundred years. "The state has not restricted the cure of the body to the practice of medicine and surgery -- allopathy, as it is termed, -- nor required that, before anyone can be treated for any bodily ill, the physician must have acquired a competent knowledge of allopathy and be licensed by those skilled therein. To do that would be to limit progress by establishing allopathy as the state system of healing, and forbidding all others. This would be as foreign to our system as a state church for the cure of souls. All the state has done has been to enact that, when one wished to practice medicine or surgery, he must, as a protection to the public [not to the doctor], be examined and licensed by those skilled in surgery and medicine. To restrict all healing to that one kind -- to allopathy, excluding homeopathy, osteopathy, and all other treatments -- might be a protection to doctors in surgery and medicine; but that is not the object of the act, and might make it unconstitutional, because creating a monopoly." North Carolina's Supreme Court in State v MacKinght, 42 S.E. 580, 1902 at p 582. Costs, safety and, most of all, liberty, require that the distinction be made and maintained by the FDA between “treatment” and “therapy” if the US Constitution and public are to be served. Dated: April 6, 2007 Respectfully submitted, Maj. Gen. Albert N. Stubblebine III, (US Army, Ret.) Rima Laibow MD Ralph Fucetola JD For: Natural Solutions Foundation www.HealthFreedomUSA.org Ref: Federal Register: February 27, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 38 [Notices - [Page 8756-8757] [wais.access.gpo.gov - DOCID

This is totally overblown and faulty reading of the proposed regulations. readit for yourself, it's not that long: http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/E7-3259.htm Shouldn't the FDA regulate herbal supplements? They regulate vitamins. I think they should. I used to sell them and I knew half of them didn't do what they were marketed to do, such as shark cartilage and homeopathic remedies. Maybe they are afraid that if they are forced to actually prove that such and such an herb actually has such and such an effect, their profits from touchy-feeling alternative medicines will vanish. Some supplements will harm you in large doses. If the FDA wants to make sure your chinese herbal remedies actual contain the herb and isn't just dried rat turds, how is that harmful? anyway, we've seen this alarmist stuff before: http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/vitamins.asp

Alright, candy kids! Agatha's candy arrived today...the postman tried to abscond with it, but I took him in a flying tackle, knocked down a couple of garbage cans, and emerged triumphant. (I also put the wax wrapped stuff in the fridge, because it looked like it might be perishable.) I haven't heard from TBone, the last person in the candy party, so I'm putting up questions for general vote. Should we: 1. Wait for TBone? 2. Round up someone else who wants to participate? 3. Or should I box up everything I have so far and mail it out?

i know i'm not involved, but i vote that the extra candy portion be sent to Mark. I would participate, believe me, i regret not doing it this time, but then i was watching Tom Green's internet show (which is awesome, by the way) and he spent a great deal of time raving about the canadian candy that he misses. So i'm taking my candy exchange guilt and using it to mail a whole whack of Aero bars and Coffee Crisp to Tom Green instead :)

I WANT AEROS AND COFFEE CRISPS! I like the idea of sending candy to Mark, personally. Has anyone emailed tbone? I can do that, if'n you want.

I've emailed him a couple of times. I think he's missing in action. But mailing candy to Mark is something I can get behind.

I vote you post candy to Mark. I once sent him nz candy many years ago, I think he gave me a sorabji address. Except I think the sorabji address goes to a non existant email account now :( YAY CANDY

Is this one still good? Mark, can you confirm? Mark A. Thomas ... PO Box 181 ... New York, NY 10185-0002

I'm in w/ mailing the candy to Mark. I tried to get some customized M&Ms printed with "Eat Hot Fuck" but they wouldn't do it, even when I used an ampersand for the U. Pussies.

I just had a new idea for the fifth candy option: since droopy has been having a bad month, maybe we could split the additional candy load between mark and droopy. Although, that might be a pain. Meh.

the candy is here! the candy is here!!!! the best wedding present EVER! and i am not exaggerating when i tell you that just moments ago, while i was foraging in the refrigerator and pantry for something, anything sweet and chocolately and starting to panic because the outlook was looking grim, the doorbell rang, and it was the postman! and a little hole was just starting to form in the box and a little candy wrapper was peeking out, as if it was just too excited to arrive at my door and couldn't wait to get eaten. saved by the bell. and the candy. you all really outdid yourselves this time. thank you SO MUCH for all the yummy treats. the truffles and the pineapple lumps and the peanut butter weird thing, and all of it. thanks platy for your almost prophetic instincts in the timing of this candy exhange, and for coordinating it. mmmmwah! i hope junior likes pineapple lumps....

Hooray for candy! This was a fun candy exchange to coordinate, even with our slacker. Sarah, I think I forgot to enclose a note to tell you what came from where, so email me and I'll send you a list. And fun getting married!

Errr...^have

I am VERY excited about my candy. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hortensejones/sets/72157600009753638/ Note to candy recipients: try a grapefruit slice STAT. They are my new favorite.

THANK YOU PLATY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The candy reviews will commence shortly. I can already tell you that the chocolate blueberries are the bomb.

chunky mint aero CHUNKY mint aero!?!?! WHAT THE FUCKING SHIT we have mint aero sure, and chunky aero, but WE DO NOT HAVE CHUNKY MINT AERO. And mint aero is the best. It is my fav. I just had one today. Fuck you NZ.

I'm saving that one. Update #2: I have a newfound love of Haribo gummi not-lifesavers. I ate the whole roll rapidly. I also enjoyed a delicious handmade caramel with a marshmallow in the middle. Fuck yeah.

Update: we just shared a delicious Crunchie. I love the honeycomb center. Dave got a defective injection portion with a big hollow spot at the end, but mine was full of golden toffee-yet-not-toffee goodness. Where are the other candy eater updates? Get on it, peepulz!

To quote America's most-hated celebrity chef: Yum-o! My package was waiting at the door when I got home from the gym (how's that for irony?) The goodies inside had just started to get warm so they were soft and rich and luscious - candy porn. I indulged in some of the chocolate, but I'm saving the rest as a reward for after my race on Saturday. No alcohol or candy until then. Thank you everyone! Especially Platy for doing the leg work. And Sarah - Mazal tov, Buena suerte, Buona fortuna, Felicitations and best wishes in every other language in the world.

Ditto what Karla said... platy rocks fer shur. Karla, make sure to report back post-race and candy-eating binge.

Did platy warn you about the vegemite?

I so wanted it to be a surprise!

No, but I am excited to try it. I've always wanted to try vegemite. Did you get yours yet, moonie?

not yet *sigh* I be very paitent. Although yesterday did yell at the man who brings our mail (Jimmie, not really a man, more a boy) DO YOU HAVE MY CANDY? He didn't. He had my Guns n Roses tickets. hehe. I say feed it to Dave when he annoys you. :) 'merican's are scared of vegemite. Start with a little on toast or a cracker with butter and let me know how it goes!

Are there any candy reports? Oh! I've got one! I ate the picnic bar two nights ago, and I have this to say... YUM. Also, last night I had some of the cadbury black forest bar, and I found the combination of gummy cherry candy bits, cookie-like chunks, and chocolate to be intriguing and odd. I intend to eat my key lime truffle today, and will report back shortly. PS- did you send candy to Mark, platy?

I did, he just got it, I believe. The Idaho Spud: omigod, weird.

I know, they are totally bizarre. I have a fondness for them, not because they taste good necessarily, but because when Cleo turned two we went on a road trip and stopped at this strange country store in the mountains somewhere. Two old sisters owned the store, and they let Cleo pick a candy bar for her birthday for some reason, and that is the one she selected. We have pictures of her sitting in the back of the car gnawing on the Idaho Spud still inside its wrapper. https://www.idahospud.com/products.htm

my favorite so far are what appears to be home made chocolate and nut and fruit bars, because they are delicious, but also because of the adorable dog stickers. no, i didn't get the who's who list of candy. i'll email you later, platypus. thanks again. all of the truffles (boxed or otherwise) are gone already. we took some to puerto rico with us. i brought back exotic candy bars from PR, so i'm going to try very hard to save them for the next candy exchange. they are delicious. i kinda want to give it away what's in them, and i kinda want it to be a surprise. think nutella. PR was a trip and a half, even aside from the getting married part. lots of funny, cool stories...

agatha got the chocolate covered blueberries. word.

I made the chocolate fruit and nut things! I'm glad you liked them. I'm particularly glad that you had a good wedding/honeymoon/vacation, and that you're feeling unnauseous(?) enough to enjoy your candy to its fullest capacity. Welcome back- we missed you.

Andrew was so excited about peeps. He is a freak for them. The spud was weird. I love you guys. Candy exchanges rock and I have a super idea for my next one :)

i am embarrassed by how quickly my candy is being consumed.

Yeah, although I did steal a couple before boxing them up. It was so hard to distribute your candy, since everything was so awesome. Mmm...candy. So when's the next one, again?

I'm glad Andrew liked the peeps. Dave scoffed at me when I put those in, as he is of the opinion that nobody actually likes peeps. I like their aesthetic, mostly. What did you all think of the grapefruit slices?

they were weird. (the grapefruit slices, I mean) He loves peeps - I think its wispers fault. she sent some to me once and now thats all he talks about when I get candy.

I dug the grapefruit slices. But the spud...man. That was intense.

i sent you Peeps? for real? That seems weird since i would never buy those of my own free will.

I'm sure it was you. I'll be embarassed now if it wasn't.

Did anyone love the licorice? I'm a licorice junkie, but I have heard rumors that lots of people actually hate black licorice. Also, what were the strange Italian cookie-candy balls like? I wanted to try one, but I didn't have enough of them.

Can you tell that I'm dissatisfied with the level of candy reporting detail in this thread?

senor loves the licorice. unfortunately, as of this evening, he's also on the pineapple lumps. so when he went to play tennis, i hid them.

Good for you Sarah. I loved the licorice - and I didn't share any of it... in fact I had a slight candy pig out and now have to ration what is left. The spud was quite freaky. I ate the jellybeans from the coconut rough nest thing, Andrew ate the chocolate. He LOVED the chocolate fruit and nut things. See I share - and I shouldn't, because then I end up with less ;)

My son and his buddy tortured those poor peeps. They may need therapy.

Karla's truffles were mindblowingly good. I wanted to save them so very much, but I kept sneaking back and eating another one until they were all gone. I also really liked the licorice. Black licorice is awesome stuff. I, too, have heard the rumours that people don't like it, but I have dismissed them as hearsay. And Agatha's homemade stuff was awesome. I don't usually like fruits, nuts, and chocolate, but I ate it all up within a day or two. Mmmmm.

I'm not a huge fan of black licorice. Kazu and I might participate in the next round, after we get settled in together.

okay, so i don't know what the magic powers are behind pineapple lumps, but GOD DAMN! also, we both loved the cola flavored gummies. senor finished the licorice.

This is not safe for work,that being said,I was so disappointed that I didn't get a box of chocolate assholes for mothers day.Can't order again till June 15th just in time for fathers day,nothing says love like anus. http://www.edibleanus.com/

Eww!

Karla, did you take pictures of the peep torture? I think photos should be a required component of the next exchange, so we can all share in each other's candy eating experiences.

totally. that's a great idea. i loved seeing photos of your candy. i am so going to order a box of chocolate anus, and send it to my sister. karla, it's true, the truffles you sent were some of the best i've had. they are now a distant memory.

I only have shots of them taking a knife to the peeps package, but I'm sure they would happily recreate it. They were biting the heads off a la Ozzy, using skewers to make peep kabobs and posing them in peep porno. It was so wrong. Those truffles were pretty yummy, weren't they? They're from a little chocolate shop a few miles from the university where I work. I hope they manage to stay in business. I've got a line on a place that makes Victorian era sweets for our next exchange.

Like this> http://www.marygray.co.nz/products.php?cat_id=4 I love aniseed.

because everyone reported the "spud" candy bar as being weird, i've been hesitant to try it, given the unpredictability of my tummy. so i've been saving it for a desperate candy moment. which came today. i don't know what you people are talking about. i thought that thing was absolutely delicious. the only thing 'weird' about it is that i've never had anything like it before. it's truly an original confection. but the i loved the coconut-creamy-marshmallowy center and the chocolate and coconut flake coating. yum.

Yay Spuds! I'm going to have to dig up the picture of Cleo as a baby clutching her Spud in the back of the car. They remind me of these things called "potatoes" from Nielsen's Bakery in Seattle. Here's a description I found... "If there is one thing that brings me back to this place it is their potato. It's a Bavarian cream filled treat with a marzipan outer shell dusted with cocoa powder." I used to crave these like mad when I was pregnant, and Dave would make a pit stop on his delivery route to bring me potatoes when I got the urge. Holy fuck are they good. Now I want one.

hmmmm maybe it's a pregnant thing then

Now, the potato sounds good. Ship me a gross of those babies!

Eww.

Bavarian cream? Marzipan? What's not to love?

I think I might start stocking up for our next exchange :)

the austin chocolate festival is this weekend. ahem.

And cool weather is approaching in many areas of the Sorabjisphere. Ahem.

Am taking soap orders btw. count me in. I've discovered that soap as well as chocolate tend to melt in too hot shipping conditions.

And I've just been paid. Ahem.

okay fuckers. i'm calling it right now. since nobody else has the balls, i'm volunteering to coordinate it again this time. candy soap liquor art or whatever exchange. sign up here. your shit is due in the mail to me Monday February 1st. it's going to be here sooner than you think.

sarah, febuary is a smart choice for all mailing, but can't wait until at the end of march for a nice warm weather!

I'm in.

I'm in like flynn.

I'm in.

and another thing. i definitely want everyone to re-think the current paradigm of candy exchange. it seems silly to make specific packages labeled for specific people, mail it all to me, and then i just turn it around and mail it back out. if you want to make or give a specific thing to a specific person, what is the point of having a coordinator? if that's how you want it to go, then each person should just mail their exchange items out to their intended recipient, not to a coordinator. when we first started candy exchange, my idea of it was that you bought a bunch of candy (enough so that each participant got a little something) and mailed it all to the exchange coordinator. the coordinator then takes all the stuff sent in and randomly assembles packages for the people signed up for the exchange. it's the randomness of it that makes this thing interesting. you don't know who is going to end up getting what. are you feelin' it? if we can't agree to do it this way at least this time around, then i'm going to unvolunteer to coordinate, cuz otherwise it takes all the fun out of it for me.

I usually send the same thing, divided and bagged up so that there's one for each person. Is that the same thing to you, Sara? I just want to make sure everybody gets some of each thing I select for them.

right, so if you're going to do that, then why send it to me? just mail it yourself to each person. i mean, if that's what you want to do, by all means! i'm just saying, what about the idea of sending a random assortment of candy (or whatever) and who cares if each person gets the exact same thing? i think candy exchange should be more free form.

Well, the problem with the last exchange was that a lot of people did not want candy, and there were sort of requests for specific items. I'm fine with sending you a big ole box of something and having you mix it up, but I ended up doing designated things last time to make sure that the right things ended up with the right people. What I really want is a return to the original candy exchange. I liked getting crafty stuff, but candy is my true love. Candy, candy, candy.

loved the cards though, and the personalized and or idiosyncratic gifting. what about a theme? "all that oozes.." "blue candy only" "handmade" "unwanted" "whatever" Just let me know. I can not designate as easily as designate. The creativity came with trying to get something unique for those unique souls on sorabji. I appreciated all the effort that went into creating something very personal. But I can see the benefit of non-designation and a limit to candy. And most of me only knows one or two addresses of everyone on the spreadsheet. But that would be okay--I mean to divulge a real address and name--in order to send mail art female nonart or gender neutral candy and a friggin Xmas card. You'all are invited to my house for thanksgiving dinner btw. rsvp Unique.

I'd be okay with randomizing if it was just candy. That's my take on the matter.

February 1st - it came and went much sooner than i thought too. who still wants to do a candy exchange? sign up deadline is Friday, Feb 12th. if you're addresses isn't already on the sorabji spreadsheet of doom, perhaps platy would be kind enough to email you the link and you can add your address. this time i think everyone should mail their own candy to each person, that way you can send whatever you want whether it's random candy or special packages you make for each person. the benefit of this is that if there is one slacker who doesn't get their candy delivered on time, you don't have to wait for all the rest of your candy. the downside is that it's kind of fun to get one big box of candy all at once. what do you think of this? deadline to mail your candy out is March 12th.

we need candy. me, in.

me in

I really like the idea of a candy exchange, but I don't really want to mail a bunch of separate small parcels to people; I'd rather do it the old fashioned way with everything getting sent to a coordinator. So I'm in if we do it old-school style, out if we don't. I feel like we can send personal packages to each other any time; what I like about the candy exchange is the random!

i will definitely coordinate it, and mail all the candy out - i don't mind doing that at all. but i must insist that if anyone wants to make pre-packaged exact same goodie bags for everyone, that you mail them off to their intended recipients yourself. so, candy exchange is on. mail me your candy by March 12th. me platy patrick daniel i'm going to assume agatha maybe moonit? patrick, get me your email and we'll exchange mailing addresses. c'mon you guys. it's so fun and super easy. deadline to let me know if you're in is a week from today.

beep

I'm in. I like planning what each person gets from me, but I don't have to do it that way. Would it be okay if I sent a bunch of assorted random stuff and then one special gift for each person, Sarah?

Also: I'm very excited to use this candy exchange as another excuse to revisit the amazing candy store in Ocean Shores, Washington. I'll take pictures this time.

of course agatha, that's fine! plus, your candy always rocks the hizzle, so you kind of have carte blanche :) yes, i said rocks the hizzle. WHAT OF IT?

I play :) but I need to make sure my address is right on the spreadsheet and I forgot the link.

Hizzle! I have a plan that I ran by Dave, and he said it was "exhorbitant."

I thought I would just buy my candy and other items I thought would be fun in the shopping budget. that way they will be unnoticed :)

I just emailed everyone the link since I figured some peeps might have lost track of it; I don't have Patrick's email (thought I did) so if someone wants to pass the link on to him, please do! (Also other Sorabjites I don't have emails for like J, etc.)

Unless I become employed in the next month, I'm going to pass this time, sorry. :(

So, I should be sending enough candy for five? Is anyone else in other than Sarah, moonit, Agatha, Patrick, Daniel, and me?

I'd say to send enough candy for 10, just to be on the safe side. :)

that's what i'm talking about!

i just spent $44 on candy. and that was me trying really hard to be conservative and reasonable.

wait til after vaalentines and buy the stuff in bulk at half price. I'm sending mnms and truscuits covered in chocolate and sea anemones drenched in salt water taffy and... we are still sending it all to saRAH right? Shipping costs?

When's the deadline for sending? Sarah, that's not very surprising to me, is it to you?

I'm thinking big blocks of whittakers and possibly some biscuit type things :) my friend is coming back from the states for a quick visit next month and she said she would try and bring me back many variations of reeses as she could find :) We only get the regular cups here and sometimes fastbreak bars and thats it.

Oooooh I LOVE the raspberry stuff you sent last time, moonit. And the caramel. I've bought about half my chocolate (I know it's a "candy" exchange but I like chocolate) and, yeah, $44 doesn't seem very surprising to me! $10 for shipping sound about right?

Happy Valentine to you all at sorabji... Can anyone tells me where droopy's whereabout?

You guys are mostly dark chocolate fans right? I just made red velvet cake from the joyofbaking.com website. I nearly threw it out at one point because I can't get my stupid layers even; but I just hid it all with frosting (aka icing in NZ) and crushed up flake bars. It looks so pretty - I hope everyone enjoys it although with cream cheese and mascapone cheese in the frosting I'm pretty sure they will :)

haPY VaLENTINeS day to you all. Special hugs to wonderwomen SaRAH, Moonit, Heather, Spider, Agatha, Kazu, J, Spunky, Platypus, all the other sorabjiwomen in my sorabjilife. You are ALL each an avatar worthy of the Candy Exchange. Happy Happy to you men out there too. And, if undecided, well, to you too. So where is Droopy?

The deadline is March 12. No i guess $44 isn't that surprising, no. It was actually $49. I did get it on sale, our local fancy schmancy grocery store that isn't whole foods has a chocolate festival/sale every year in February, so it allowed me to get an assload of really bitchin candy for the price. i fear however that i'm going to go back for more.

Daniel, I updated my address on our spreadsheet, but please, you don't need to send me anything, except (if you'd like) a postcard. Even better, if it's homemade. :)

a postcard. a handmade postcard. I shall get the dryer lint and white glue out immediately and begin making paper.

Thanks Daniel, very sweet. March 12th! I guess I need to get to Ocean Shores between payday on March 1st and the deadline...

Patrick's candy arrived! i haven't opened the package yet, but it's here. yay candy!

although, i have to admit, biking home yesterday i started to feel bad when i considered you spent $50 and I spent $10 on mine. i hope there's enough :-|

well, first of all, you're a candy exchange newbie. plus after you get your loot and see how fun candy exchange is, we got you hooked for the next round. secondly, you've got bigger and more important things on your mind. and actually i think you did great ! a lot of bang for the buck. plus you helped me remember why it's so fun to coordinate... your note cracked me up. yo yo exchangers - i'm the candy bitch!

I am so pathetic, I looked at candy last night at the supermarket, but my small basket of things for tea was so full and heavy that I thought I would try again tomorrow.

Y'all are in for a treat when I get done with my Ocean Shores journey...

platy's package is here!

Woah, that was fast! I hope everything arrived more or less ok? I was a little worried because I, uhm, skimped on packing material. *looks shifty*

you really did. i would have wrapped that stuff up with bubble wrap, was what i was thinking as i opened the box. i'm only saying that because some of the awesome stuff you sent has some fancy decorations that could have gotten mangled. but everything arrived unscathed, so it's fine. so still left is moonit and agatha and daniel. so we have six exchangers altogether. this one is going to be off the charts. i'm watching ice dancing as i type this. it is so super boring. i asked senor, if ice dancing is a winter olympic sport, then why isn't regular ballroom dancing a summer olympic sport? and is it true that synchronized swimming is no longer an olympic sport? i guess i could just google it.

Wow, everybody's so on top of shit this time around! I don't have any money until I get paid on the 27th, so y'all are going to have to wait. Sorry, but it will be worth it.

I'm going to send mine tomorrow, I forgot to bring it today because I am a muppet. Sarah you are going to have fun figuring out what to send people :)

oh my god i'm so excited i can't even wait til the end of the exchange today i bought two pieces of candy that look like a REAL deviled egg!!! i'm sorry to give it away but it is just too cool. i am going to have to do a blind sort of candy. if they weren't so expensive i would have purchased 3 more.

I just sent you an email Sarah, I've been wiped out with an awesome flu so am off to the post office this morning ;) woohoo candy!

okay, so that leaves agatha and daniel? we're doing really well this time around. every day i am soooo tempted to take my share of the candy, but i've been digging deep to make myself wait til it's all here. and i got a couple more pieces of candy today for the exchange. candy exchange makes me think a lot about candy and notice candy everywhere when i otherwise wouldn't notice at all.

all I think about is candy, red delicious, lucious, melt in your mouth, quiver in your hand, sweet on your tongue candy candy candy I think obsessively on candy. Oh she was the sweetest. Or was that cindy?

moonit, your RAD fucking awesome candy (and other goodies) got here today! holy shit you guys, this one is going to be off the charts.

haha funny - what are you going to do, split it up?? or just pick a block for everyone? :)

Holy moly, now I am getting superexcited.

And why is that??

Sorry to delay, folks. Waiting for some incoming cash so I can mail my stuff. Tight finances at mi casa.

no worries agatha. we're excited, but just do it when you can do it, please don't feel pressured. candy exchange is fun, not stressful.

agatha, we all do have tight fiance..... just hang in there!!

Yes dr. pepper, I will.

:-) for agatha........

I'm loving that the Idaho Spud made it on here... http://topcultured.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/What-Should-I-Eat-Candy.jpg

That's fantastic. Hee, no lines connecting to candy corn or circus peanuts... Moonit, have you had circus peanuts?

that is awesome. and eating york patties *is* much like eating toothpaste!

lmao@sarah's comments about york patties....

Nope never had circus peanuts. My friend Vikki looooves york patties. I should print that and make a list of things I haven't tried!

yeah, loved york patties, but bad for my stomach....

the goat finally got the greatest candy, well, maybe the weirdest candy, well, I got six of everything except for a few that I got three of, and anyway, it all should be on its way to saRAH by tomorrow. I am told that the bugs in the suckers are very real, beware!

Peeps, I hate to do this to you but I think I might need to bail on this round. I just don't know when I'm going to have the money even for the shipping. More candy for you all...

well you don't need to send me money for shipping, if that makes a difference. and in any case, i doubt that any exchangers would want you to go without the candy they bought for you, so if it's up to me, you'll still get candy. maybe you should take more time to think about it?

I don't want to hold up anybody's candy-having. I won't get paid again until April 1...

wow, that's two weeks from now. I know it is a difficult time, I am facing with dilemma too. :-) Going to see my Dr next week for Anxiety disorder .....

I'm happy to wait :) and I don't want agatha to miss out on the weird joy of kiwi biscuits.

is that what those are??

it might be... :P

I don't mind waiting, but I also don't want you to feel pressured into participating, agatha! That said, if you decide not to participate, I'm with Sarah on sending you some candy anyway.

I need to send my shipping money to you saRAH and will cover agatha's shipping cost too. I don't want to leave her out. let me know. And April 1 isn't that far away. Even the Pepper can stand two weeks of anxiety. How come the Pepper isn't in on the exchange? And where is Droopy does anyone know?

no word from droopy. i hate it when he goes away. daniel, your box arrived today. i haven't opened it yet and won't until tomorrow, though it's very heavy and therefore very tempting. i second what platypus said. no pressure agatha, but no rush either. just let us know what you decide.

okay okay i couldn't wait. crickets!

If you all can wait until April, I'll send some stuff along. Damn but if you people aren't persuasive!

April is only 11 days away. we can wait.

in the meantime, the biggest challenge is keeping senor out of the candy stash! second only to keeping myself out of it.

ah you found the crickets. I thought I had forgotten them. Will drop dinero into the blue box slide tomorrow to you. I am finally back in StL, feel like I've been gone for three weeks. No travel for a month and then a west coast trip, Albuquerque, Seattle, Oakland.

got the check, Dan, thanks. will deposit some day this week. agatha, we've got you covered for postage. just send me the candy when you can. besos.

Getting on that this weekend...

Okay, embarrassing, but I don't actually have the money to mail this overly heavy box that's sitting on my table until this Friday the 30th. OnceMonthlyPaycheck + RecentlyUnderemployedContractorSpouseFigure = MoneyCatastrophe I am happy to report that things are looking up- Dave's worked almost every day for the last two weeks... sorry for the delay, folks. I hope it's worth the wait.

Albuquerque, Seattle done, Now in Oakland. Purchased socks and carvings on ABQ and then taught two and half days in Seattle. Oakland is warmer than seattle airport... actually residing in Berkeley. Lunch of chicken sausage cheddar three egg omelets, potatoes and chocolate puff pastry... at Fat Apples in Berkeley, dinner of bacon wrapped halibut over fava bean and english peas last night at Sea Salt. Tomorrow, planning a raspberry cheese danish and then Southwest peanuts all the way to Kansas city then home by last afternoon. Found some wonderful candy in Seattle, ate it all, didn't save any. Looking forwaard to receipt of sorabji care package whenever it gets here...certainly will be worth the wait. i am working on my character defect of procrastination but probably not until tomorrow, and then may be later too.

Today is ANZAC day. We are having a bake off at work - most people are probably going to be anzac biscuits, but I have made cupcakes and later this afternoon am going to attempt making poppies out of fondant to decorate them with. If that fails, I will take the cake instead and put those green army men on it.

oh shit daniel i had this small notion in my mind that i would reply in time. but i've been falling down a rabbit hole.

reply in time for what? Coincidentally, rabbit hole where? My quantum solution appears to be simultaneously occuring but correspondingly intersecting planes of existence, somewhat bifurcated by time and distance. Are you east or west coast now?

hi heather I think I just left you a message on yr facebook page but I am not sure that's you. Is it? Rabbit gone, whole collapsing, peddling faster than time. Waiting for candy. One of my clients brought me back Swiis chocolate from his Euro trip. Got stranded six days because of the ash. Really rained on his parade.

hah! you found my real/fake fb, real name but it just sits there waiting for (apparently) people from highschool who i was not really friends with to find it. my fake/real fb, fake name, real-er friends is elsewhere. but more for real i really fucking hate fb. i am west coast in location but not in my heart. do rabbit holes go somewhere? i guess i will find out if i get there.

yes they go somewhere. Aha I now understand your post. clearly there is some pathology here. Hole can be black or worm, both releasing the host party into another dimension. I am curiouser and curiouser about your rabbit hole adventuring. email?

i sent one to the one you sent me one on. no good? i don't feel like logging into fake fb to get the new one. that is how much i hate it. one one one

didn't send it to fb. sent it to gmail acct. all good. one on no eno send sent read digest chewey red man princess leah corn maiden butterfly settled out of court in a favorable manner today. nice.

have I missed the shipment of candy and other delicasies? Just wondering?

Nope, they are waiting for me, and my candy is on its way! Sorry it took so long.

hey no problem, just wondering if the UPS man ate mine. I have been away. Heather, googling rabbit holes brings about some really odd results...

yeaaaah. for the record, mine has nothing to do with furries.

yes, I surmized that. What the Bleep interactive dvd is one of my favorites for taunting my intellectual one sided paradigm, and shaking things loose.

the last of the candy arrived yesterday, unmelted! i'm taking it all to the post office on Monday. i can't wait for you guys to see this stuff!

Heather you gave j some good advice. Where do you come with this common sense? I thought we were told to leave that at the door... Will anticipate with baited chocolate breath the arrival of said candy. I am typing my little fingers off trying to get ready for a state audit of my work on Wednesday. After that, well, time to catch up.

I'm so glad you waited, Sarah.

me too. it was nothing personal, you know. it's just getting hot and i was worried. literally, i am on my way to the post office right now. everything is in a USPS flat rate box of one size or another, except for patrick's and platy's.

yayyyyy im special!

patrick you seriously are going to be dumbfounded by your first candy exchange. they haven't all been so off the hook awesome. how's baby girl?

Woo special candy twins patrick!

I demand to know why Patrick and Platy get different receptacles for their candy!

good advice is not so hard as long as it's not for me.

One of the girls at work just described another women's breasts as windsocks.

i can't speak about Platy's receptacle....or really mine for that matter but me thinks sara is mailing something special for little baby girls in mine. who is doing pretty ok. she still has her crying fits which strangely only seem to happen when A) im not home and B) only at our home. This weekend we drove to Atlanta for a wedding and she was absolutely brilliant for such a chaotic time for a baby. didnt cry at all, even with all the people passing her around....no meltdowns or anything. back to receptacles....maybe platy got something special for her kitty. now the question remains, who's post, mine or heathers has more innuendo ? hm. upon rereading hers I have come to the realization that I am really really hard up.

ouch, that's a whistling through here. I really don't believe you: breathe in, breathe out, repeat, don't stop. Take no one's advice except your own. Empty thyself. Let the love and mercy and peace and light flow, let it whistle through you, permeate your being. I talked with my buddy on AMI this morning really early, about monogamy. He agrees. Not what it's cracked up to be. But then again, what is? May be the sound of the wave retreating into the night.

why is this to me? he agrees, what? i didn't intend to insinuate, anything really. i just talk funny. we had an electrical fire last night. the firemen came. they are awesome, big boots and giant axes. they don't chop holes in things even if you want them to.

hey funny talker, you are fine. I don't know about any innuendo, that wasn't me. "He agrees" refers to my conversation with my good friend of many years; both of us got arried (not to each other) in the past year. We were "confirmed bachelors" heading to Costa Rica before that turn of events. And you don't talk funny. Really. What i don't beieve is that you can't take your own advice, that you don't give good advice 9as my post above said). I would suspect though I don't know that you are successful and need no one's advice, esp in light of...rest can be emailed. Didn't mean to rattle your cage any more than usual. But you did remark some long time ago that you felt left out of the sorabjihazing. And I don't recall that either: seems you can dish it out as well as take it. Was it your house/living space where the fire? so sorry about that. I lost my business to a fire in 1984; been in some fires too. Don't like them. Hope you are okay and smoke free by now.

Hi heather, sorry about the fire last night, and same to you too Daniel for lost a business to fire too.

dammit, i forgot the baby stuff! oh, it's so cute too. this little black cap with a hot pink heart on the front. so punk rock-a-bye. and other stuff. what size is she by now? i was thinking i'd have it to you 2 months ago, so i fear some of it may no longer fit. nobody got special shipping. everything as far as i know was shipped at the same rate. i'm just saying, some will arrive in flat rate boxes, some won't. i'm not sure there was even a point to me noting that at all. i am dying because platy knows her candy is waiting for her at her PO Box, but she hasn't gone to get it yet. wtf, crazy. i told her she should be galloping to the post office.

oh heather. fire. not good. was your stuff burnt up?

hey, I was busy! I just had time to go to the post office (it did, in fact, arrive today), and... THIS SHIT IS OFF THE HOOK PEOPLE HOLY CRAP you have outdone yourselves.

I got candy today too! Dave and Cleo are excited about the bacon lollipops. Why did you send my Idaho Spuds back to me? Were you being funny? I'm excited about the egg. I'll report more later.

Everybody take pictures!

Dan also sent spuds. so i dispersed them randomly. i've already eaten two,

Dan sniped me on the Spuds! OH SNAP!