This was my first Arbitrary Day, and my first gift exchange period. I went into it very cautiously, and I didn't know what to expect. When I first retrieved my santee, I shipped their gifts within the first hour of the exchange (according to the stats I was number #49 shipped!)

Then I waited a few hours, and I was retrieved. I was so happy! They cared enough to retrieve me on the first day, and I wasn't going to be shafted! This was going to be a fun and amazing experience.

Then I waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Something was up. After the initial retrieving, my santa never looked at me again. It took him almost 16 days to look at my info again. Now I know this was just to heighten the suspense and wonder of anonymity, but before this I honestly thought my santa took one look at my information and NOPE'd his way off of RedditGifts. No contact, no more retrieving, no PMs. Nada. If you see my posting history, I complain about this a few times on /r/SecretSanta.

As it is nearing the deadline, I honestly start to think that I've been shafted. After patiently and excitedly waiting for the mail every single day, hoping to see a glorious brown box, I start to lose hope. Just another loser who doesn't care about keeping promises.

AND THEN, TODAY, the mail comes. I get excited like always and race to the mailbox! Nothing. A bill and a Popular Science magazine. Ugh.

A few hours later (six, to be precise), I find an Amazon box next to the side of my house. That's right, the bloody side. I DON'T CHECK THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE, WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME. So it probably arrived sometime around when the bill and Popular Science magazine arrived, and I didn't notice because I was wallowing in disappointment yet again.

But now I have this box. This beautiful, gloriously shiny (not so shiny, actually, just normal) brown box. I open it. I make a joke "Ha ha, it's just bubble wrap." that everybody and their mother makes. I pull out the bubble wrap and what do I see? A GIANT BOTTLE OF HOT SAUCE. Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce to be precise. 1 lb, 12 oz. An almost TWO POUND bottle of hot sauce. This will last me for eternity, as I go through hot sauce slowly, but I sure do love it.

After I set the hot sauce aside, I find a book. I pull out the book, and it's "Building a PC: Third Edition" by Stuart Yarnold. This especially made me happy because right now I'm in the process of saving for a custom PC, and I actually have no idea how to build the thing.

Aside from that, just a small Amazon gift note saying: "Happy Arbitrary Day!" along with my santa's email. So I finally email him, and he hasn't responded yet, so as of now I still don't know his Reddit name! He sure is a master of suspense (to my minor annoyance :P)!

EDIT: A few days afterwards I received a hilarious T-shirt (which all of my relatives liked!) and a sweet Doctor Who poster. Thanks a lot to BigGuyC for being an amazing santa!