Whaz Up?

Nothing! And that is the problem. Everyone, I assume, has survived the blizzard of 2011 The most excitement anyone has had in some time...well, me, at least. I was thinking of all the caches...all the wet logs, all the buried caches! Good thing I don't own a bazillion caches, this would be a pain in the butt, to go do maintenance. Spring is just around the corner, according to Phil...you know the groundhog, whom I am a huge believer in. And if you are not family, you won't know this...but Ground Hog Day is my favorite Holiday. Yes....true. Has been since I have been a little kid. Ma would also remind me ( every year...every time, I say Ground Hog Day....that it is Dana Mumby's birthday. I, of course, wouldn't know Dana if I saw her on the street...but you know how Ma's can be)

Moving on....I injured my shoulder training for my 5K...let me tell you, it is harder than you think, handing those water bottles out! I need to get out caching, before I really hurt myself. Plans for the geocache event, are in progress, and I think we may actually have plans to meet up with some "experienced cachers" ....after all, we don't want to seem "too obvious"

In the boredom of the winter, I threatened Peanut that I was going to start a "ditch the bandanna campaign" She claims she wears the bandannas to keep ticks out of her hair. H-e-l-l-o ! it is 10 degrees out! Even I know the ticks are hibernating! So, if you know Peanut...send her an e-mail, telling her to ditch the bandannas....that ought to get her going......LOL!

Suppose to be warming up...sun was actually shining this week...so there is hope...out caching in the mud, is just around the corner!

Resolutions

I am truly one of those people who "start fresh" on New years day...wipe the slate clean and try a "do over" I hate New Years resolutions, basically I think I am just setting myself up for failure. You know, it is January 3rd and already you are a failure. Same reason I do not go out celebrating on New Years Eve ...4 hours into the New Year and already you feel like crap. I am sure you get the point.

I do, however, like to make goals. Nothing too hard, the usual....participate in a 5K ( when I say participate, that does not mean run, or even walk....participate, you know, like hand out water or something...LOL) I would like to lose the 10 pound holiday gain, but that may be pushing "it" after all these are the same 10pounds I have lost and found again for the last 30 years ( I claim it is still "baby fat") I would like to attend a Geocaching event...uh oh....now I said it...which is something I would LIKE to do...still up for grabs...the thought of running into a few Big Guns....makes me hyperventilate....truly! I do not want to seem like an over-achiever, so I have already crossed out the "learn a foreign language" Just because I am tired of pressing "1" for English....is really no reason to go overboard...so I scratched that idea.

So...the Geocache event...it is out there...in the blog....for thousands to see ( okay all 6 of you) so now I am almost committed. (Using the word committed as in a commitment...not actually committed...which would be a totally different blog) We will see how this plays out. But think about it...rubbing elbows with a bunch of geeks ( and I say that in a good way) There is just so much to learn. And NO hazing allowed with the newbies!


I will wrap this blog up with one of my New Year favorites.... 2 towns away ( which is really only 3 miles) the town sign says....May your troubles last as long as your New Year Resolutions.

NEWS FLASH !

Well, well, well. In case you have not heard...let me fill you in. Turns out....we now have friends in high places! Seeing I have given up climbing the ladder (blaming in on my fear of heights haha) it is always nice to have someone at the top! Not that we would ever abuse that privilege, really never need to, seeing P-Nut and me are such geo-friendly cachers, you know we replace the full logs, sign within the lines ( well, not always) never cache after dark ( well, not anymore) pick up the trash ( you get the picture) so....staying out of trouble, we should NEVER have to play the " I know so-n-so card" BUT, if we did....it would be so fun to say "H-e-l-l-o people...gives us a break, we are friends with a geocaching big wig!"

We secretly refer to him as a "big gun" ( but do not tell him that) and to think when we met him...he was ONLY a legend, and now a big wig! WOW...we know ( AND are friends, or so we claim...HE may deny knowing us) a Ladder Climbing-Geocaching Legend- Big Wig!

Haha....be impressed! Congrats Alphabet Man!

OK....time to head home !

Wrapping it up !

With the New Year just around the corner, I thought I would wrap up the year with one last blog.

The weather outside is delightful,
but soon will become frightful
So, before it starts to snow
Let us go, let us go, let us go!

(cheesy...I know)

Had a caching day planned with Peanut...finally a day that we both had off, DaddyDan "volunteered" to babysit for the triplets...the winter storm warning was not going to take place until 4pm....the sun was shining...so we had plans.

Peanut made all the plans, leaving early again...trying to get some numbers. I text her in the morning....what is the dress code (she answers) stop and grab caches. Ok, that should answer all questions....but....not thinking it out thoroughly...I dress for the day.

Layers ( definitely) ... 2 hats ...(hey it is cold outside) gloves ( actually, the mittens, that lift up with the tops of the fingers exposed...need to actually touch the I-phone screen, to make it work)...boots (definitely boots) with 2 pairs of socks....hate cold feet!) Decided NO to the coveralls (mistake!)

Peanut picks me up ( I do not drive in snow...effectively) I trudge out to the car, weighed down with clothing...geocaching supplies...snackies ( lots of !) ...water (Peanut says...you can get dehydrated in the winter too...really she is always "preaching" that ) We fuel up and we are off. The day is mapped out, going down and over ( I think, that is right) 2 counties, and starting from there.

In hindsight, had I logically thought this through...Hmmm...a few days BEFORE Christmas...means the traffic "in town" would be crazy...so if we are going for numbers...we are going "country"...with that comes ditches, "culverts" , unplowed roads. So...in hindsight...we should have had coveralls!

By cache number 2, we were soaking! I know Peanut snapped a few pics...one of me up to my knees...literally stuck in the snow...and 1 ( or 2) of me lying on the ground. (Not that I fell or anything. mind you) I was a little fearful that they would make the logs, but realized they were taken with MY I-phone....(whew!)

We had a good day with numbers, actually stopped and had lunch. Ended up laughing our butts off, when we realized we were only 50ish feet from a cache. Oh ya, had to go back and get that one!

We had a "end time" in mind...but when the weather started getting sloppy, we thought we would start back...."after a couple more" ! ( Or, as we would say in my family ..."one more") I guess, it was when we saw cars sliding into stop signs and people in the ditches...that we came out of our caching gaze, and decided to head home. Now, we are only 2 counties away! And wouldn't you know, the weather man was wrong...The winter storm warning may begin at 4pm...but in WHAT county? LOL

Several hours later, we got home...unscathed! Of course, I was taking pics of the weather all the way home. You know, in case we didn't make it....everyone would know that we were "aware" of the conditions! And being true geocachers, we were hoping that someone would log our caches for us ( you know, just in case...want the numbers to be right at the eulogy) Peanut, having been a semi driver in her previous years ( has she not done everything!) had no sweat, as she is telling me "semi horror stories! And me...well I ( truly) was not worried...just someone feed the dogs ( oh and...log my caches !)

Oh and one last bit of wisdom...Cold, frozen fingers do not work on the I-Phone! Everyone have a great New Year!

Gotta Love it!

A "Team" of Geocachers came to the area yesterday! I do not know these people, but what a hoot! (Or at least they sound that way) I check my I-phone last night , love this new technology....ok, ok.....new to me! And I see that I have "30- some" new e-mails. The team, it seems, must consist of at least 3 team members....all out on a cold winter day, trying to grab some caches.

I can say that the cold did not seem to affect their humor. Even when there was no "smiley" earned. As I sat reading the logs, I was picturing the whole thing...At least one of the 3....can not remember some of the caches....Hey ... that is me all over. You go to log on, and can not EVEN picture the cache, but you wrote it down as a find... so you must have found it...but what was it!?! Finally someone who admits it! The snow and cold weather seemed to be of a little of a hindrance ...Ha ha - can relate to that one too!

At one of the caches...a mouse came running out...and they end up writing it in the log...saying...and I quote " you guys are pros" (like I planned the mouse to come running out or something!) NOW that is funny! Yea me and mice!

I guess from the outside looking in... I am "looking" normal. But normal is just a setting on the dryer ! Pros...yea right....they must not be blog readers...and what you do not know... is that half the stuff that ends up being done, does not even make the blog... it is a "unless you were there you would never believe it" type of thing!

So a " pro" ... I am not....and neither am I normal...LOL...but after reading the logs, and looking up a picture they posted, there is one thing I DO know... You "guys" are not normal either! I recognize this!

Sounds like they had a great day of caching, great day of falling in snow, great day snapping pics and just being crazy...now THAT is what geocaching is all about! You really, really Gotta Love it!

Holiday Tips

As The holidays approach...I wanted to pass these Holiday tips along to my Geocaching friends!

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS


1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare... You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me.. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy.. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6.. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10.. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand and wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" Have a great holiday season!!