Victory & Defeat

Lets see...how did this whole thing go so badly? I make the purchase of a "geocaching" lifetime, by finding the cammo tape...I sit up all night, making 7 new caches. I have them in various sizes, shapes, and colors of duct tape. I head out with the potstirrer for a day of great hides. We celebrate with dinner...all is good. I log all my hides...reviewer Jones, approves them all ( see, I must be getting better at this!) And I am on cloud nine. I have climbed up at LEAST 2 rungs, if not 3 rungs, on the Big Boys Geocaching Ladder!!! Life is good! ( This is the "victory" part.)

I go do a couple of shifts at work...that is where the real money is made (until the movie deal comes in) Now...this is where....the story, in my mind...plays over and over in slow motion. I get off work, I check my e-mail, I see where someone has sent me a note through the Geocaching site. Cool, someone has found one of my new caches! Then I read the note, my gut sinks...I have put a wrong number on one of the coordinates! A 5... instead of a 4! The cache info, takes them to the middle of a muddy bean field! That one number takes them, literally, many miles from the actual cache. OMG...in slow motion I can see my head banging on the desk...I have just fallen off the Big Boy Geocaching Ladder! I glance at my e-mails and see I have 12 messages from Geocaching! I can not possibly bring myself to even read them.

I brush myself off...lots of dust, at the bottom of the ladder, I go to the kitchen and grab a fork...I start eating humble pie. ( This is the" Defeat" part)

Caching with the dogs

I have to take the dogs to the groomer, conveniently located near a cache. So , after the whole "spa" day, we head out for a "found it"! Yea right... we find ourselves, in this stupid ditch, that of course, contains water, that we just visited a few days ago. Couldn't find it that day ( in the rain) so have returned to the scene of the crime. I am thinking this is in the drainage pipe. And due to that line of reasoning ( since my last visit) I have purchased, a mag light. Hot pink...wouldn't want to get it confused with the potstirrers! This, of course, is a joke, because the potstirrrer would NEVER own a hot pink mag light. Hey it was 8 bucks at Wally world, and I think it is cute!

We drive to the cache, pass it up several times, realizing that since our last visit, the corn has been combined...and I don't even recognize the place. Finally agree on the spot, park down the road, and since I have the dogs, I have to totally shut off the car, and do a lock down! Normally we stop for caches with car running, doors open, middle of road....well you get the picture!

Now I am not one to say, that the dogs are not well behaved, but just this morning, I had to do "the ole' grab one by the neck -as he jumps out the window -after hitting the auto window button- in his hyper stage!!


This, of course, is why you never see a log in, with the words...found this cache while out with the dogs today, also why Goldie always said...."never tell anyone, I own a poodle" And to make matters worse, couldn't find the stupid cache! I swear, it is not there!

It is all in the name

After the celebration dinner, I return home to enter all my new hides. 1 glass of wine later, and I am feeling pretty confident. I really want to use the name, "well hung", out at the cemetery hide.. but was starting to chicken out. But then again, there are caches called BFE #1, and BFE #2... but I think... does everyone know what BFE stands for? I actually have a friend (Dr.) that comes from the E in BFE, and wonder does he know what BFE stands for? But I also realize, I could never really ask him that. So, as I re-think this whole thing...I realize that 1st Sgt was in E of the BFE.

So...1st Sgt, do people in E of the BFE, know what that stands for? And is E in BFE...really BFE, or is it really where we live now...are WE in BFE?!! Hey, let me know, I would really like to sleep at night!

So, being the person I am, really the chicken I am...I use neither the word well or hung.

Cache 7

I stay up half the night, making me some new caches. I make 7, all different sizes and shapes. I am truly on a roll. I have duct tape, I have swag, I have great ideas! I have informed the potstirrer, that in the afternoon, we are heading out! Of course, it is raining...what else is new, but we do head out, and we are in search for the best hides ever! We go a couple of towns over, and start looking. We drive and drive, look and look. I am serious now, I am stepping up...I am gonna play like the big boys. These are not gonna be any easy hides, we are gonna challenge everyone! We are gonna have a great hide...a great cache! There are so many potentials, but we finally narrow it down! I am sure it was quite the sight to see, 2 people, facing a tree, gps in hand, checking coords! Several hours later, and 7 hidden caches, we grab some dinner...in celebration! Yes...I have now entered the league with the big boys! We discuss, our favorite hide...I think I really like the "hanging" one in the cemetery. I think it will be tough! I also consider , calling it "well hung", but chicken out ( Don't need the geo-caching, slap on the hand)

Feeling pretty good, about myself, I call it a night...yep! I have just entered a new league, I am one of the big boys!

Survival

We survived! In less than 2 1/2 hours, we found 6 caches! One was a nano....my first ( potstirrers second) Had to take a picture, set it right there next to a chap stick lid. Nice...those nanos are nice! Note to self: get some nanos. Was the FTF on one cache, made us feel pretty good, as a familiar name was on all the logs, except this one...wonder if he couldn't find it! I was feeling pretty good, when my "sense of direction" led me the correct route...around a bridge construction site. Yep, 1st Sgt, you are correct...Goldy has my back.

As usual, went off the planned course, when my I-phone says there is a cache...2.3 miles away, I think we should go. 9 miles later...I think the 2.3 miles, is "as the crow flys". All turned out great. Couldn't pass up that "one more" cache, and it was actually big enough to drop off a travel bug! The rain stopped, not sure when...but when the squeaking of the wiper blades, throws off your concentration...you realize the rain has stopped. My shoes... and clothes ( of course) are still wet!

We survived the whole... off the road...no you are still on the road...the ignore the muggles who are gawking at us ( in the rain)....wave to the muggles, let them know we are having a good time.

We survived the whole...back the car up and go to the left...no the right....no wait...do a 3-point-turn -about.

We survived the whole...look there, at the blue thing... that is it....no, that can't be it...ok, that is it...they can't hide them there.

We survived the whole...what end is the west end of the rail...west end of the rail, or west end of the lot...where is west...my i-phone says I am heading southeast....so west is...no, that can't be right.

Hey! We survived....and had a good time (soaking wet...in the rain)

Words of Wisdom

My first flash back of MA, was when the potstirrer said "You won't melt". ( 1st Sgt and I have heard that all our lives.)

I gather all the information on a few caches, in a selected area, and we head off in the cache mobile. Good thing the wipers work! It is not only raining...it is cold...it is overcast...it is grey! So, not only the wipers, but the heat, the defrost, and the lights...were all put to use. I dressed for the occasion, or so I thought! Tennie whoppers, hoodie, warm socks, rain coat. We head to our first destination. I pull off the road...or so I think...but potstirrer claims I am in the middle of the road. Who can possibly see? It is raining too hard. Who would even be out here on a day like this! Our first cache is by a ditch, and with ditches...comes water. Within seconds I am soaked, my tennie whoppers are sloshing, my socks are saturated, in fact, I have water half way up the legs of my jeans. My I-phone is wet, and I need those little windshield wipers on my glasses. And I am thinking it is a magnetic... in the drainage ditch! Of course...she has a flashlight!

My second flashback of MA..."you kids don't even have enough sense to come in from out of the rain." ( back me up on this 1st Sgt!)

Fever

It is not swine flu, it is not the flu at all. It is not a cold, sinus infection or pneumonia...it is a fever. The potstirrer has a fever, and it started in the Dakotas. She will inform me...that it was North Dakota, but unless you live in the Dakotas, I really don't think North or South makes a difference.

She has returned from the family vacation, and she has geocache fever. This may be terminal, as I noticed that many other caching friends, have had it for years. She has hung with me for 50 some caches and really showed no signs, then out of the blue...it has her. I am thinking it came in the Garmin box.

After a 13 hour drive back, to the infamous state, of road construction, potholes, and lousy weather. She calls...wants to go get a few caches. Seeing the weather has been nothing but cold and rainy, I had actually made a dentist appt. for noon. Oh...that doesn't matter, she says...it won't be dark for hours. We will still have time.

As I leave the "plaque pickers" office, I give her a call. Yep, she still wants to go...Yep, it is raining where she is. Yep, she has checked the radar. Yep, it is pretty much orange.
Well, it is not like we are gonna melt, she says. ( Flashbacks of MA.) Yep, she will meet me in ten.

Oh ya... she has the fever.