Don't worry, it's not as gruesome as it sounds.

I opened up my gifts this morning. Inside were the two pictured items, doggy bubbles for my miniature German Shepherd and a dead cat for my camera! The doggy bubbles claim to be long lasting, resistant to popping, and peach flavored, of which only the first two I'll personally test. Unfortunately my pup is at my girlfriend's house, so we didn't get to crack open the package and play for a bit, but I've included a picture of her to make up for that (the hound, not the girlfriend).

The dead cat is a piece of audio gear designed to cover a shotgun microphone and eliminate wind noise. It's a really awesome piece of gear that I've been wanting for quite a while now, so I'm super psyched to finally get one. It hasn't been very windy lately though, so I've taken to sitting in my living room and blowing at the microphone. Not exactly the same, but I am stoked to eventually test it out in the field.

Thank you so much, /u/dijoncatsup, for your fantastic and thoughtful gifts. You really went above and beyond, and I'm really appreciative of you.