Seasonal Geocacher and a Big Loser

by RadioAngel

So it has been brought to my attention by my nemesis yousguys that I have lost this round of the Cult Rivalry... So here you go!!

The winner of Round 3 of the Geocaching Cult Rivalry is....



 ....yousguys:

And finally the Loser Badge goes to:

RadioAngel



Round 3 Final Score:

yousguys=49

RadioAngel =48

There you have it Andrew, victory is yours.... I am wondering though... it is quite funny that yousguys only got enough caches to beat me by one? So was it truly a "Caching Adventure" day... or a last ditch effort to win at least one trophy during our Rivalry??

All in all, this last part of the year has not been real productive when it comes to Geocaching for me... or any of my cult members... Is it the cold weather? Is it the holidays? Christmas less than 20 days away? The half a foot of snow on the ground?

This is not my idea of a good time... nor my husband I would guess.. Is there such thing as seasonal Geocachers? Because I'm pretty sure I am one.... I'm not ashamed. I like being warm. I do not enjoy freezing my ass off while I dig in the snow for a little plastic box.... Perhaps if I had someone to go caching with in the snow that would be enjoyable company and not miserable and hating every minute (insert husband here) I would have fun with it. But I'm not going to drag my 1 1/2 year old son around in the freezing cold just for Geocaching Glory...

So there you have it. I am a wimpy seasonal cacher....

Moving on..... it finally feels like Christmas and winter... and it only took severe winter storms, 6" + of snow, and an Administrative Day from work because the weather was so bad... Nothing like being paid to sit at home in your P.J.'s watching Toy Story 3 with your kiddo!

Now for the heart breaking news:

My beloved TB God Bless the USA is missing in action. I got this email today:

             I have bad news for your TB that was in  my hotel. My hotel is a    

             Medicine Cabinet mounted to the back wall of my shop, with a combination

             lock on it. Someone came by in the last week and undid my lock, got in and

             took everything. Then proceeded to lock it back up with their lock and leave

             the key inside. I had to cut the lock off and get a new lock. I hope your TB

             shows back up somewhere.

              Sorry

                   Joe Friday


So there you have it... Not doing real well in the Travel Bug department. One is stuck in Texas in Hwy 87 TB Hotel and the other is now missing and surely will never be found.

I am thinking I will keep future TB's and Geocoins safe with me for a while... not ready to let my babies out into the cruel world.....

I don't plan on caching anytime soon either... I have Christmas Dinner and present extravaganza to plan... This is the first time we are actually staying home and having Christmas at our house....

She could be my twin
right now..

Turkey Day = Horrible Caching

By RadioAngel

I had glorious visions of major caching adventures during my Thanksgiving holiday. I was off from work Wednesday through Sunday. I was going to be with family who wouldn't have a problem watching Jase while I went out on a little hike or two......... I had four wonderful caches picked out.. Nice higher terrain difficulty than usual. All on top of mountain peaks. A notorious weeds19 cache....

Little Hatchets Treasure Chest
Speak Softly and Carry a Big Hatchet
Bootheel Bonanza: Big Hatchet Peak
Playas Peak

Four wonderful caches to mark off my list. Four small victories.... But instead

Not one cache was to be found the entire weekend. I was pretty much devastated. It is still hard for me to talk about it. My dreams were so big, and they pretty much died on Wednesday.

Let me set the scene:
Weston and I were all sitting around my in-law's house Wednesday morning, nothing going on, perfect weather outside.

Weston's Mother Asks:
"What are your plans for the day?"

Weston Replies:
"Nothing I just want to hang out around the house."

It was then that I knew my caching dreams were doomed. Thursday was Thanksgiving, and it rained all day. Friday was "Black Friday" and therefore nonnegotiable. Saturday consisted of cold miserable weather. I could use my husband as an escape goat saying I would never convince him to take me out hiking in 30 degree Fahrenheit weather but the truth was I didn't want to go out and freeze to death.

And Sunday was spent in church and driving home...

To make matters worse, I think at 27 years old I need a hip replacement... okay probably not but it really really hurts like hell. It was so bad on Thursday night that I was on the floor changing Jase's diaper.... and I got stuck on the damn floor. Moving left or right even an inch caused excruciating pain. I just sat there in silence cussing myself for about 30 minutes.

Me next year at 28 years old

To sum it all up: The Cult Rivalry still stands as it did in Round 2

RadioAngel = 48
yousguys = 44

So I'm just going to let this last week slide and consider it a free holiday pass.

In other news, since my husband has already shouted it from the roof top and everyone in their brother already knows....... I'm prego!! That's right. With Child. Expecting. Bun in the Oven.... You get the idea. And so getting this decal for my Suburban (Weston has no say) .

The next generation cacher should be here late July - early August...

1st Geocaching Event and More......

By RadioAngel

So this weekend was pretty busy, but than again, most of my weekends are....

Friday night: Sadly, I did not make it to the two new published and un-found caches by my house due to complete darkness at a ridiculous time. I'm just saying if it's going to be 73 degrees Fahrenheit outside than it should not be dark by 5:00 p.m.

Saturday morning was complete chaos at my house, as most mornings usually are....

Jase slept in... which instantly through the day off as I was pretty sure Hell had froze over! I woke up to sunlight... thought what the hell... than realized there were two possibly un-found geocaches right up the road!! "GET UP!" I think I screamed at Weston.. which was rightly met with a not so nice look. 

After realizing it was almost pointless to try and hurry to get out the door and us all be in a good mood, I settled on just getting ready for the Geocaching Event breakfast. So we got ready, loaded the Suburban/ Caching-mobile, and ..... GUESS WHAT ...

I decided we had some time to do a morning cache run before breakfast.. which led to:

Not 1 but 2 First to Finds!!!               

Oh yeah.. Doing my happy dance right now!!! I now have a total of 3 FTFs.. and while we are talking numbers.. It's Monday and......

Cult Rivalry Totals Are In!!

RadioAngel = 48

yousguys = 44

Therefore, winner is:     ME!! 

And the Loser Badge goes to: yousguys

Anyways, we made it to the Geocaching Event, had breakfast and met a bunch of Geocachers for all over NM. I got a 100 Finds Patch for when I actually get 100 finds!!

Weston says I'm not allowed to put it on my backpack until I actually have 100 Finds... So it sits in my TB pouch waiting for the day it can be placed out in the open for everyone to see.  

Saturday afternoon consisted of a birthday party for one of my son's friends. There was cake, a jumping castle

and a dozen 3 year old  girls. Jase was totally outnumber with the girl/boy ratio, but needless to say he had a blast and was extremely exhausted by the time we left....

Jase sleeping in the car on the way home = Geocaching our way home!!! That's right! Weston even suggested we stop at a few on the way home... This is a major break through and quite possibly I'm hoping a sign of peaked interest in my new found love affair.... A girl can hope.

So we hit two more caches on our way home and called it a day.

Sunday was picture day.. again. We somehow convinced my co-worker to take pictures out at White Sands National Park of both my family and my boss Nicole's family. Her daughter just had a birthday party Saturday.

Extreme Chaos ensued. Kids did not cooperate. It was windy. Jase almost got lost... Yeah, Weston and I found out we need to work on our communication skills.

Let me set the scene:

Weston, Jase and I are out at White Sands playing before it's our turn to take pictures. We were hoping we could get him warmed up and happy so pictures would be easier.... (didn't work).

Nicole, my boss, was also having problems with her daughter Paula, who kept running away from the camera. We had brought a peddle front end loader as a prop for Jase to take pictures on. I thought it might be something to help distract Paula long enough to get some pictures.

I yell at Weston:

"Honey, go get the front end loader for Paula to play on."

This is followed by Weston taking off running to the Suburban and Jase of course running after him thinking it's a game. Weston looks back and sees Jase chasing him.. I think okay Weston has Jase. So I commence on trying to help Nicole get a picture of Paula.

5 Minutes Later:

Weston comes running back with the front end loader......... and no Jase......

Panic sets in, I asked him if he had Jase, he replies no....

Than Caleb (Nicole's husband) says, "Well there he is" and points out in the middle of this field of shrubs and bushes.... and there is Jase... just wondering without a care in the world.

It's quite funny now, it wasn't then, but it is now. Jase wasn't scared at all, didn't know he was lost, was just outside where he loves to be. Another comforting fact is that I work at an emergency dispatch center... I kinda know the number to search and rescue!!

What was also hilarious was following Jase's feet print in the sand. He totally like bailed off a little hill and I was looking at his feet print like, "Wow he didn't even fall he made it all the way down the hill..... oh wait. There's a face plant."

So mental note:

When watching Jase run away...

make sure someone is watching where he's going.

Happy caching fellow cachers!