Marty's Action Blog!: Gift Swap of Doom, 2018 edition: KerriVision™

As the ball dropped in New York on New Year's Eve and we all celebrated and made resolutions and promised to go to the gym as soon as we finished off the Christmas cookies in the freezer, a nearly forgotten presence–deep and ageless–began to awaken from its year-long slumber.

It slowly opened a yellow, misshapen eye. Glitter flaked from its back and spiraled to the ground as it stretched and consciousness flooded back into it. It licked its dry, scaly lips and a thin, crooked smile spread across its flaking, poorly pained face.

We all felt it.

We knew, deep within our bruised and battered souls.

It was time.

The Gift Swap of Doom was upon us.

Arrangements were made. Plans were written and sealed in blood, and soon, everybody arrived with appetizers!

Well, not everybody.

Due to a family emergency, my darling wife, Kerri flew to Florida just hours before The Swap, leaving me and our children to fend for ourselves in this, our time of greatest pain and suffering.

Because I am a technological wizard (ask anyone who has tried to call me on the disposable $10 cell phone that I generally leave dead in my car), I have been able to create this blog using KerriVision™, a proprietary technology that allows Kerri to share her real-time reactions to The Swap.

Let's test it.

How do you feel about KerriVision™, Kerri?

All right! She likes it!

So, without Kerri's steady hand at the wheel of this social gathering, moments before kick-off, I had to put out a desperate last minute plea for paper plates and plastic utensils from our friends because I had neglected to buy any.

I know. I know. I'm sorry I forgot the paper plates, Kerri. You're so good at planning these things.
I'm awful.

But fear not. Our friends came through, as they always do. They arrived with plenty of bowls and spoons and prevented us all from eating everything with our hands.

Which, this year, was even more important than usual.

Tim and Katie brought a pot of spicy meatballs.

Exhibit A: Spicy Meat-a-Balls!

Kerri is sad that she missed the spicy meatballs.

The meatballs were a bit spicier than planned, however. Katie ate a few, turned a brilliant shade of red and spent the rest of the evening warning people that the meatballs were REALLY hot.

I scoffed. "Pffffft," I said, swaggering to the crock pot, "Stand back. I ain't afraid of no meatball."

I tried, for several minutes, to spear a meatball on a plastic fork.

Maybe next year, we should go with metal silverware. Or asbestos.

If people hadn't brought those plastic forks to use on Katie's Meatballs of Eternal Alimentary Suffering™, several of us would now be walking around with smoldering, charred stumps where our hands had been.

Ben and Ann arrived in full Swap regalia. They are in favor of adding a costume element to future swaps so that we look as bad as we feel at these events.

I'm totally on board.

Stylish and, though they don't know it yet, dressed in a bit of foreshadowing for what awaits them.

A close-up of Ben's dramatic look for 2018. Bold colors and patterns n the sweater work in bold juxtaposition to the blue jacket.

And Ann's sporty, yet functional Sweater-Smock.

Let's see what Kerri thinks of their outfits. Kerri?

She loves them!

As usual, the evening started off with casual eating and drinking and delightful talk with great friends.

Brennan tries Katie's meatballs as Kristen, unaware of the fate that is about to befall her son's tongue, chats with Ava.

Julie warms herself by the woodstove and tries not to think about what's in the boxes just a few feet from her.

In the kitchen, Ben chats with new players, Mim & Jo.

I need to explain here that we all LOVE having new players at the Swap. Simply because they typically just don't get it. They show up with a tacky little soap dispenser that they bought at the dollar store and stagger home a few hours later with bruised soul; a 5 foot tall triptych of nude, crying clowns riding deformed unicorns across a motion-activated, musical, mirrored waterfall; and a lifelong distrust of all of humanity.

Mim & Jo were new players. We were giddy with the prospect. Right Kerri?

Mwaaaa hahahahahahahaa...

Alex chatted with Rayla and Caleb.

And joy reigned supreme as people tried to talk...

... with swollen tongues and charred lips from Katie's meatballs.

Kayley did not have meatballs and she was happy about that.

Brennan and Evan entertained themselves with a classic game of Smell My Feet.

Ryan and Tori sat directly in front of the bathroom to enjoy the sweat-beaded foreheads of people who had eaten meatballs and were running to the bathroom to splash water on their faces.

In addition to Ben & Ann's suggestion that we dress for the occasion, Julie suggested that we bring drinks that we want to, perhaps, divest ourselves of and swap them.

To that end, she brought a bottle of mead to share with anyone foolish enough to try it.

Dave, I'm afraid, was foolish enough to try it.

In a brave attempt to get more people to try it, he put on a brave face and finished it, explaining that while it smelled like burning plastic and moldy basement, it really didn't taste quite that bad.

Kristen, who is married to Dave and will, presumably, have to smell the mead on his beard for the next month and a half, is underwhelmed.

Kerri feels Kristen's pain.

Nichole did not try the mead.

To add a thin but hostile patina of of tension and anxiety to the evening, we always put all the gifts in one spot so people can inspect the year's offerings and clutch at their hearts when they see the size of them.

Kerri, even in her absence, made an impression.

Our son Alex had recently shipped a mountain bike home from Montana. We had the box. Kerri suggested that we use the box.

Kerri was very proud of herself.
Everyone said some variant of the same very naughty word when they saw the giant box.

People were filled with fear, meatballs, and mead. A terrible combination, really.

When we could not cram another delicious, throat-searing meatball into our stomachs, we knew the time was upon us.

The Swapping of The Gifts.

We performed the secret ritual chanting and dancing and howling that are proscribed in the Rites of the Swap and got down to it.

Names were added to the sacred selection sack and the drawings began.

Ben drew first.

Jo & Mim were next. This photo tells you everything you need to know about the range of emotions at The Swap.

Katie, much to her chagrin, selected our gift in the very big box.
Tim may have said another very, very naughty word.
Several times.

Nichole & Ryan, each wishing to avoid responsibility for a poor choice, decided who would pull a name using the ancient rite of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Please note Nichole's pro-level use of teeth as a cup holder.

Nichole drew. And didn't spill a drop.

Julie pulled Mim & Jo's name and was briefly the envy of us all. She picked the newbies. She would have an easy year.
Or so we thought...

When all the names were picked, The Swap began. As our newest players, Mim and Jo opened theirs first. They had selected Ben & Ann's gift.

Smaller than a a refrigerator. That's a good sign.

Ben was giddy with anticipation.

Please enjoy the expressions on their faces as Mim & Jo experience their first Swap gift.

Bemusement.

Slight confusion, bordering on mild distaste.

Full confusion.

Understanding.

Shrieking, hysterical, existential panic as full awareness dawns.

It lights up. It moves. It plays music. It exudes sadness and misery and loneliness.

But if you turn it sideways, its a cheery waterfall!!

Do you like it, Kerri?

She loves it.

Since Mim & Jo went first, their gift gets opened next.
Julie, smug in her enviable position as the possessor of the newbie's gift, was happy and confident opening it.

It was packaged in a cheery popcorn tin. What could possibly be bad about popcorn, right Julie?

Definitely NOT popcorn.

Julie and Glitter Buddha*.

*Yes, yes, yes, we know it's not The Buddha. Settle down.
The Buddha wouldn't be caught dead in that outfit.

Mim & Jo, on their first try, had proved themselves to be formidable players.

And why is that?

It seems that Mim had been reading my old blog posts about The Swap.

She studied.

THAT, my friends, is dedication and we all applaud her for it.

We also fear what she and Jo will bring next year, right Kerri?

Kerri wants to move so Mim & Jo can never find our home again.

I had selected Julie & Scott's name, so I was up next.

The package was small, but Julie and Scott are seasoned players. Size is only one dimension of the possible horror contained within.

Another dimension of horror is the sad clown dimension.

What do you think, Kerri?

She loves it!

She's so happy that you are our friend, Julie!

Tori was thrilled with it, too!

NOOOOOOOOOOOO...

...OOOOOOOOOOOOO...

...OOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Obviously, Julie's personal pathological fear of clowns has been cured by years of heavy exposure to all forms of horrible clown art at The Swap.

It's a miracle!

Tim & Katie had our name so it was time for them to open the giant box. They tried to get away, but I had had the foresight to smear meatball juice on all the doorknobs and window locks to thwart any attempt at escape.

Tim wipes a tear from his eye in sad anticipation of his personal game of What's In The Box?!?
Also because some of the meatball juice got in there during his escape attempt.
Nice try, Tim.

Why... why... it could be anything in there!

And it is a hand-painted mirror. Perfect for any room in any house. As long as it isn't mine.

With a quiet dignity that impressed us all, Tim sat in the corner and sobbed for much of the rest of the evening. Katie sat by herself and toyed listlessly with a bowl of meatballs until her fork was a melted, useless wad of plastic. She muttered something about getting new friends.

Next up - Dave and Kristen!

The kids, unable to resist a wrapped package, no matter what it might contain, were eager to help.
Please also note Caleb in the background, performing the world's greatest photo-bomb.

Once it was exposed to air, Tim & Katie's offering was still confounding and difficult to understand.

Like all great art, it works on many levels and evoked different reactions from each viewer.
Some of the reactions to this piece were: disgust, revulsion, confusion, and a desperate need to wash one's hands ofter touching it.

It gives off a definite aura of nicotine, stale coffee, and yellow sweat stains.

Caleb is underwhelmed. Rayla is relieved that it is not going in her house. Evan wants to hang it in his room.

Once they had washed their hands and, presumably, their eyes, Dave and Kristen presented their offering to Nichole and Ryan.

While they are both seasoned players, Nichole was somewhat nervous. Ryan maintained an iron facade. Probably because all the nerves in his face were still disabled from eating Katie's meatballs.

It's a boot! Nichole was overcome with joy and wonder. Ryan is still suffering from meatball induced facial paralysis.

Looking at the hole in the top of the boot, these two twin souls have the same brilliant idea at the same moment...

We could drink out of this!

Ryan tries to cram a beer in it...

Curse you huge can of beer!

Again, working as a single mind, Nichole swoops in with a perfectly sized gin and tonic...

Success!!

Cheers! As an added bonus, the healing properties of The Boot of Life, have cure Ryan's face.
Now he can go eat more meatballs!

One gift remained.

Ben stood, adjusted his sweater, steeled his nerves, and tried to dive through the window to escape.

Nice try, buddy.

We caught him and forced him to open the gift from Ryan & Nichole.