For my books exchange, I asked for cookbooks! I'm an avid cook with a serious cookbook hoarding problem. Unfortunately, my original match didn't come through, but my rematch did in a BIG way.

I'm in the middle of a move, so I had my gift shipped to my workplace, which is also a university. It took two days to track it down, but at 4:30 pm today, I did!!!!! I tore into the box immediately, before realizing that I was parked in a loading zone and should probably relocate. I had to proctor an exam at 5, so I sped over to that building and speed-walked to the auditorium where I could dig into my gift! Let me tell you- I have very long legs and walk fast.

There has never been a walk so long.

As you can see, my box was HUGE, especially considering that it was a book exchange! I finally made it into the auditorium and tore into it! Paper and bubble wrap flew like I was a rabid hyena... If hyenas wanted cookbooks instead of gazelle meat. There were three envelopes- one to read before unwrapping everything, one to read after unwrapping everything but the biggest present, and one to open after unwrapping everything. There were two bottles and a cookbook too!

After taking the picture and reading the first envelope, I unwrapped the two sauces- a bottle of passion fruit syrup from Hawaii and a bottle of Belizean hot sauce! Sadly, the hot sauce lid cracked and leaked a little despite my giftee's careful precaution. I discovered this after rubbing my eye. Yes, I was a victim of redditgifts chemical warfare!

After flushing out my very sore eye and crying a little from the pain, I raced back into the auditorium to continue unwrapping. The hot sauce didn't leak everywhere or anything- I'll just transfer it into a new bottle. Tastes good, too... If you use the proper sensory organ. Oopsies.

There was a cookbook in there too! It's the complete book of sauces, which thrilled me. I've never had anything like that in my library before! I can't wait to try it out!

One more package loomed: a long skinny one with one more envelope. I tore into it from the bottom to see... The bottom of a box.

I tore further up to see a Cuisinart logo!

I finished tearing to find: A NEON PINK IMMERSION BLENDER!

Now, at this moment, a few of my students walked behind me and said hello. They asked about the gift and I did what can only be described as the happy penguin dance- jumping up and down, foot tapping, moving side to side in happiness, spinning in a circle, all with a huge grin on my face. My students, having received the last shred evidence they needed that I was clinically insane, walked away.

This is an amazing gift on its own, but here's what my gifter didn't know: I have needed a new blender for TWO YEARS. My countertop blender had a leak where anything liquid would come out the bottom. Not very helpful. This past thanksgiving, it EXPLODED salad dressing everywhere, so I've been blenderless. I wanted to replace it with a Ninja, but, being a poor grad student, had to save up for quite a while. In addition, I have always wanted a stick blender. Not only do I have a blender (which I desperately needed), I have a stick blender (which I need and have always wanted). Oh. And it's NEON PINK.

Seriously, I am completely blown away by my Santa's generosity. Never in a million years did I expect such incredible thoughtfulness. Each gift was very thoughtfully selected- the sauces were found on my gifter and her husband's travels! She even recommended trying the passion fruit syrup with pork! She explained why she chose the cookbook for me! I had such a terrible day today- I can't express my gratitude to my Santa.