Geocaching

I started what I hope to be a new hobby yesterday... Geocaching!! Last week, I went to WalMart and bought a handheld GPS receiver (GPSR) and attempted to connect it to the geocaching website so I could download Cachepoints and start the treasure hunting. 

FULL DISCLOSURE: During at least two military training opportunities to learn land navigation, using compasses, I failed miserably, so I, of course, thought this would be easy.

Well, the Magellan wasn't idiot proof enough, so I went back and traded it up for a Garmin Legend HCx model. Lots of bells and whistles, and, thankfully, idiot proof (so far).

I spent Sunday scouring the website for locations near my house, within walking distance (ok under 5 miles), and then looked for some near St Luke's Hospital in Meridian, since my son was going to be in surgery for a short time on Monday. My thinking: Hey, why sit in the waiting room, when there are two locations right there on hospital property, right?

GC locations are rated on a difficulty scale of 1-5 for both terrain and ease of finding. Both the locations at the hospital were rated as a 1/1, meaning they were the easiest. So simple a child could find them, right?? er... sort of.

One lat/long took me out to the front of the hospital, near the bus shelter, and after a bit of walking in circles (and sideways looks from someone waiting for the bus), I decided to abandon that search and try to look for the second one, which should have been near the Life Flight heli-pad.

I parked on a cul-de-sac near the Whirly Bird, and toddled in the direction the arrow was sending me... 500 ft... 400 ft.. 30 ft... 3 ft... 2 ft... 3 ft... huh? 8 ft?? Turn around, back up...

I just knew that the staff in the building not 10 ft away was peeking through their blinds, laughing their fool heads off thinking, "Oh, look! Another one! Watch how she looked right at it... then walked 10 ft away... now she's back... oops, there she goes... "

Well, sheesh, it was so obvious, to anyone who'd done this before, I guess. But I did actually look at, and dismiss the location, till the 2x4 hit me in the head... could it be? Was this it? Without divulging the objects itself, I opened it, found an empty peanut butter jar, signed the log, and left my pen in the jar, as there was only a dull pencil. I hit the "FOUND" button on my GPXR. Weeeeeeeeeeee!!!! 

As I thought I still had a bit of time, I popped inside the hospital, picked up my son's pain pills for post surgery, then went out the front door again to give the first location another shot. I got to 0 ft, and saw something similar to the one I had just found, but it was empty. Abandoned... 

Here is a pic from my parking space of the Life Flight helicopter and the building where I know the staff was laughing at me while I walked right by the cache several times... Good thing they couldn't hear me muttering to myself: "I hate scavenger hunts, I hate scavenger hunts..."

Well, finding it, logging my first find on both my GPSR and online made up for all that frustration.

I picked up my son, who is now down to 9 screws in his ankle (see a previous post with his X-ray) and went home. After dropping my son off at his house, I stopped by the Anne Frank Memorial by the Library! to find a virtual cache.

This one required locating several quotations on one of the panels, and emailing the answers of two specific questions to the person who initiated the cache. I'm just waiting for the ok to log that find.

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I can see how this can be addictive. I've already downloaded cachepoints near where I'll be on my vacation up in the Calgary area in May, near my moms house South of Tucson, and looked for CG's at the two port stops during my Cruise in November... 

I also have some near my house which I will take my grandson to help find. He is 6 years old, and probably will figure this out quicker than I did. 

If you've been thinking of taking up this hobby, it can be a great way to get outdoors by yourself, or with others. After the initial outlay for the one piece of equipment that is required, there is no cost except to get to the location where you are going to look.

The iPhone has a $9.99 geocaching application which is all you need. If you don't have an iPhone, you can purchase a handheld, pre-programmed GPSR from about $150. The Magellan was not Mac-able, but the Garmin works with both Macs and PCs.

Happy Hunting!!!

Why we LUV @SouthwestAir!!

Besides one of the best on time records in the industry, they have the most entertaining flight crews you will find anywhere in the world.

You can follow Southwest on Twitter, too!

Embedded video from CNN Video

Picture Quiz @2 (Part 2)

Here is the second set of five pictures. Answer the questions below each.





#6

What country is this Pizza Hut in? (Hint: it ends in "stan").

#7.

What fast food restaurant is this?

What city/country is it in? (Hint: It is in the Capitol of this country)

#8 This is a JW Marriott Hotel...

-What country is it in?

#9

What ocean is this?

What country is this?

#10

What city/country was this in?

For what occasion was this built?

Good Luck!!

Picture Quiz Week 2 (Part 1)

Here is part one of the second Picture Quiz. Answer the questions below each picture and either email, PM, DM or otherwise send your guesses to me (preferably all at the same time).


This may require research, guessing, or fabricating an answer.






#1

1. Who is this person

2. What sport did/does he play

3. During what sporting match did he retire?

#2

This is one of the most photographed building in Idaho (ok, that's a hint).

1. What is it?

2. What city is it in?

#3

1. What is this famous landmark?

2. What National Park is it in?

3. What State is it in?

#4

This was taken at the Hyde Park Stree Faire.

1. What city is it held in?

2. What are the dates of this years event?

#5

This is very recognizable... but...

1. What is it called?

2. What is it nearby? (I'll take the closest train station, or the island it is near)

3. What country is it in?

4. What happens when the tide is out?

Good luck! See Picture Quiz 2 (Part 2) for Pictures 6-10

Answers posted...

Right, the answers to the questions have been posted. The contestants answers have been tallied and here are the results...

Official contestants (meaning I got something in writing, either PM, DM or text...):

"NickyMorganWasMy1st"

"@Chatface39"

"@SmiffysBar"

"@snarkhunting"

While it was very close (honestly, I was surprised), and I awarded one point to Chalkface for imagination for his entry that the balcony was home to Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets, lol... only Smiffy got the 5pt bonus question correct, which rocketed him to the lead by one point.

WINNER--- @SmiffysBar 

CONGRATULATIONS... PLEASE SEND DETAILS FOR POSTING YOUR PRIZE!!

I had an unexpected visitor from out of town (who, I might add was with me when I took Picture #10, and still missed both questions, ffs).

Good luck to all who entered!!

As I am a dinlo... I had a question 7.5 by mistake, thus 11 pictures to identify...

Rules:

Quiz participants have been invited from my friends on Twitter, PalTalk, Facebook, and PTID

Scroll down to picture #1 and read the rules.
Identify each picture so that you can answer the questions below that particular photo.
Submit your answers as a comment for the photo you wish to identify.
(Comments are moderated and will not be visible to the public until after the winner is declared)

In case of a tie, a tie-breaker photo will be posted, and the first correct answers submitted will be declared the winner.

Answers will be accepted until 1800 GMT (noon my time) Monday, 23 March 2009

Winner will be given a choice of several prizes from which to choose.

Good Luck!!

What is this quiz #10- Edited with answers

1. What National Park is this in? Painted Desert/Petrified Forest

2. Where? (State) Arizona

What is this quiz #9- Edited with anwers

1. What is this a picture of? Presidential box 

2. What landmark is it in? Ford's Theater

3. Where is it? (City/Country) Washington, DC

4. Why is it significant? It is where Lincoln was assassinated. 

What is this quiz #8- Edited with answers

ok, small pic, I know...

1. What is behind me under the flag? B-2 Stealth Bomber

2. Where is it homebased? Whiteman AFB, Missouri

3. What rank was I when this picture was taken? Commander

Bonus 5 pt. question:

Where in the world was I when this picture was taken? Diego Garcia

Quiz- Edited with anwers

1. What does this symbolize? The "convict" settlers sent to Australia

2. Where is it? (City/Country) Portsmouth, England

What is this quiz #7- Edited with answers

Ok, this is an easy one...

1. Where am I? Vatican Museum

2. City/Country? Vatican City, Vatican 

What is this quiz #6- Edited with answers

1. Who's voyage does this commemorate? Christopher Columbus

2. Where is this? (City/Country) Rota, Spain

What is this quiz #5- Edited with answers

1. Who created these "characters". Beatrix Potter

2. Where is this? (City, Country)   Dunkeld, Scotland

3. Name any one of these characters. The Tales of Peter Rabbit

Good Luck!!

What is this quiz #4- Edited with answers

1. What is this structure? Tower Bridge

2. Where is it? (city, country) London, England

.

What is this quiz #3- Edited with answers

1.Where am I? (city, country) Hull, England

(at the Aquarium)

What is this quiz #2 - Edited with answers

1. What type of building is this? Airport

2. Where is it? (city or county AND country)Humberside Airport, Lincolnshire, England

3. Which person is me? On the left

Good luck!!

What is this quiz #1-Edited with answers

Heres how this works....

I will be posting photographs from my world travels, along with a series of questions to answer. Correct replies of each question receive one point each. Highest number of points at the end of 10 pictures will receive a prize from my goody box of souveniers from somewhere... it could be a pashmina from India (via Afghanistan), or a mini-camel from Egypt, or a stubbie from Australia (or something else I find!!).

Winners will be notified by email and as a comment in the "Quiz Winner" post.

Good Luck!!

Picture #1

1. What is this? A gravity based, ball maze which fascinates people who watch it...

 (I was going to be very lenient on this one)

2. Where is this? The courtyard at the Santa Barbara, CA airport

Good luck...