Kontan.

After a long day of calling I have taken to persuading the youngest to go geocaching with me. She really enjoys it, but the bugs are a deterrent. If you are not familiar with the Deep South, long pants and long sleeved shirts are NOT an option. We finally found outfits that would allow us to geocache and not be miserable. After spraying any exposed areas with repellent we went on the hunt.

Driving to the park Lil Bit navigates. We find the appropriate parking area and hike north to the wide trail like the cache hint said. After taking the wide trail for a short distance we see the small bunny trail that we were supposed to take. After taking the bunny trail and then leaving the trail we ventured through overgrown terrain and followed the GPS…unsuccessfully. Too reach the cache it was going to be necessary to fight SERIOUS overgrowth. Not willing.

Off to the next…

You never know where a cache hunt will take you. When Lil Bit said turn right I was a little surprised to find ourselves in a cemetery. It was a quick find, and Lil Bit was thrilled to be the one to guide us to the cache. The next find was just down the road in an area that has yet to be developed. Another quick find, and minimal overgrowth to maneuver. Nothing major in the way of swag, but we achieved the satisfaction of the find.

OK, this geocaching thing is NOT easy. I installed a new app on my phone that has been much easier to use than the last, and I think it is more accurate b/c we have actually been successful!

Our first find was a quick hunt in town center. The trick is to make the find without drawing attention to the hunt. One of the first questions people ask is what do you find in a cache. Most of the time, not much. There is a log and a few small items,- coins, toys, etc…usually. The game isn’t about what you find, it is about the challenge and I have really enjoyed learning.

After another two attempts we called it an afternoon and came home. We were rather close to our second find, but I did not want to subject my nine year old to poison ivy so we gave up and decided to try again later. I think we were off in our coordinates. After bringing her home I looked at a few maps, re-read and wrote down the clues, then went back out with a determination to find a few more.

Success was mine!

Find number two was not terribly difficult, but it was a little trick. It was a smaller cache, and hanging. Not easy to spot. Not much would fit in the cache and I decided to TNLN (take nothing, leave nothing).

After looking around the area, I discovered it was necessary to CITO- cash in/trash out. This can go along with the blog green initiative. It isn’t something I have blogged about much, but we make a point to pick up trash when we are at the park. If you aren’t careful, this can consume an afternoon.

The most difficult part of the third find was sitting inconspicuously at the cache site completing the log while nature lovers walked the trails nearby, then replacing the cache and not getting seen.

The last find of the day was a PNG (park-n-go). I expected to see a small park or somewhere appropriate to park while you searched for the cache. When the hider called it a PNG he meant it. You literally had to pull over on the shoulder, put your hazards on, and look in the nearby bushes. The micro-cache hides are difficult for me to see, but after almost giving up I found this one and went on my way.

I have learned that you cannot rely solely on your GPS. Once you get to a certain point you have to try and think like the cache hider. By investigating your surroundings, you can see great places to hide a small/medium/large container and recognize evidence of previous hunters. Evidence of previous cache seekers is most helpful. It is usually subtle…grass laying at an odd angle or something similar. I have also learned that searching for the cache keeps you moving and not paying attention to the heat and energy you are exerting…great exercise! Bug spray, hat, and water- absolute must! Each cache seek is a new adventure and I have discovered a hobby that makes me smile.

After working a short day I decided to take the girls on a little adventure. Back in November I learned about the geocache adventure. I have been wanting to pursue the treasure hunt opportunity, but did not have the tools or time to do it. With my LG Incite I have a handy GPS that I can use for the adventure. Today we embarked on the geocache journey…

I logged on the the gc site and found two cache sites in a nearby park. They were considered easy hits, so I thought we could handle it with just the GPS and a compass. You know why geocaching is supposed to be fun? It’s because it is a challenge.

We drove to the park and found a space near the tennis courts where the first cache was hinted to be. Walking toward the tennis courts, the coordinates were not matching up. We then decided to do this the right way and use the compass and watch the coordinates. After getting off the beaten path and finding ourselves on abandoned rail tracks we decided to give up and pursue the other cache. The other cache had a hint so I thought it would be easier to find. (You know where this is going, don’t you?) We made it to the rock mentioned in the hint. We faced the RR tracks, turned right, took 21 steps, and it was clear we were not in the right place. I squished my way out of the muck and decided they had to mean a different rock and tree…yeah, that one wasn’t it either. Wait…is this even the right coordinates? No. If you haven’t figured it out yet, the coordinates are key to success. We were not successful today.

After well over an hour of searching we realized why there are so many applications available for GPS units and phones that are used for geocaching. I have since installed one of the applications and will use it next time. This time all we did was sweat and roam…but I did get a few cute pics:

The girls were collaborating

This was the point that the girls decided to take a more active role in the search.

Hmmm...I so don't want to walk through that.

…and the point we realized it was going to be a little more difficult than we thought.

Squirrel!

He was too cute to pass up. It isn’t a great shot, but holding my camera steady while zooming is a trick.

off the beaten path

This is one of the areas where we got off the main path in hopes of reaching our destination.

Another foot path diversion that only turned up a cute bunny pic:

Lil Bunny Foo-foo

It looks like two furry critters were our only finds for the day.

Happy Daddy’s day to Jem. We gave him presents last night and then he and I took an hour away for drinks and uninterrupted conversation. Today I took the girls to the water park while Jem enjoyed a few hours of relaxation. I then came home and napped for a few hours. It was actually rather nice. All is well with the world

We are in our spring weather pattern where it may or may not rain, and you are likely to enjoy a shower or thunderstorm in the afternoon. A week or so ago I pulled my camera to capture the clouds rolling in. (Literally rolling!) I plan to take more pictures and hope Nicole will hold me accountable to this plan!

Going to bed by 2 AM and waking by 10 AM seems to be my summer pattern. Jem insists that I am going to have to correct this. Why? It is two months before school starts back and working from home I can work when I choose.

My summer employment is not difficult, but I do find it tough to focus. There are so many distractions at home, or so many other things I would rather be doing. I need to average 4-5 hours each day in order to get my required time in. Approximately 3.5 hours of that time is spent on the phone.

For the record, “yo” is not an appropriate greeting when you do not recognize the caller’s number. Also, ‘ohonamin’ is neither a word nor phrase. Other grunts are also not recommended for purposes of clarity in conversation.

My faith in average human intelligence and communication is being challenged. However, I am thankful to not have to deal with these issues face to face. At least I can wear my comfy clothes and relax in a comfy chair while I call.

Tomorrow begins a new chapter in our life. We moved to NC so that Jem could pursue an area of his career that is of great interest. We knew that it was a leap of faith and that there would be a transition period. What we did not know is that the transition period would last as long as it has. It took a little over 10 months for the job we came here for to materialize. I really feel that we are entering the final stages, and maybe the most difficult, of the transition period. I am thankful that it is finally here. Good luck Jem and I am proud of your perseverance and faith. It has been much greater than my own, but I still believe this was the right path. We are just too happy here for it to not be.

So we have (mostly) made the switch…analog TV signals are no more and the nation is now enjoying digital broadcasts.  Yet, there is still a portion of the population that did not jump on board.  How some 2+ million people were not ready I do not know, but it is so.  What I really do not know is why an already strapped government steps in to fund the entertainment of citizens. 

About a third of Friday’s calls to the FCC were still about federal coupons to pay for digital converter boxes, an indication that at least 100,000 people still didn’t have the right equipment to receive digital signals.

Really?  Federal coupons?  The government has not enough issues to worry about without funding the digi switch?  It just seems that bank failures, auto bankruptcies, high unemployment, and budget woes the government has bigger things to deal with.  Switch to digital, great.  It is not the place of government to fund the entertainment of its citizens.  If I am wrong…I read that Six Flags filed chapter 11, maybe the government should step in there too. 

Finally school is out and there is no more waking up to the sound of the alarm clock. As I type it is pouring rain outside and lightening flashes. The girls are watching Jurasic Par: The Lost World and the dogs are whimpering at the thunder. Tchaik paces the living room, stressed by it all. Occasionally he will hide in the corner, but he now heads into the master bedroom so he can hide his head under the bed. His body will not fit, but he does not realize that everyone can still see him.

It is nice to not have to drive 35 minutes to work each day, but I am still working. Most teachers here are on a ten month pay schedule so it requires creative planning and/or working in the summer. Since we are still in transition, it requires both. Fortunately, I am able to work from home confirming appointments for a photography company. The money is OK and the hours I can creatively set. It also does not require me to leave home and deal with people. I don’t hate people, but dealing face to face with the public is not fun. Calling on the phone is so much better. I must say though, if you have your cell set up to play a song when people call, MAKE IT STOP! OMG it is obnoxious and it really sounds terrible. Oh, and responses such as mmm-hmm and uh-aaah. Yeah, not too great. Speak people. I suspect this job will provide much blog fodder.

Against my better judgment, I posted the following thoughts in my Facebook notes. I know that there are some who are going to go off on it, but I will deal as the need arises.

I just read a really great article about the first week in June at the happiest place on Earth. Wise words of a friend of a friend…(in essence) gay, straight, or purple keep what is private…private. Regardless of where one stands on the issue of homosexuality, this article is a perspective that I feel falls in the silent majority of the homosexual community. Agree or disagree, it isn’t my place to judge another. Shoot, it is all I can do to keep myself in line. Would I want to visit WDW during Gay Days? Not really a conversation that I am just itching to have with my little one while on a family vacation. However, I also have sense enough and am socially aware enough to know that the first week in June is not the best time to go if you wish to avoid it. This is not to be interpreted to mean that I want to shelter my girls from the world. There is a time and place for everything and the article says it best, “Is it really up to any person to decide for that parent when, or if, they will have that conversation with their child?” The author goes on to say that the best thing for the homosexual community to do is to live life with dignity and not force their lives on others. Um…good advice regardless of your persuasion. Dignity, a plus. Force feeding…usually does more to push people away than to have them embrace your cause. Think about it, how many food aversions do you have b/c someone forced you to eat that nasty portion?

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Listening to: Steely Dan – Hey Nineteen
via FoxyTunes

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Listening to: Earth, Wind & Fire – September
via FoxyTunes