Cool Librarian

Yeah, sometimes I think guardrails get a bad "in general" rap. One of my favorite caches is a guardrail cache - although it is a half-gallon container, which sort of adds to its appeal as a guardrail cache. But the location is truly excellent, and the hide fabulous. Again, common sense. Groovy location (be it for the view, the hike, the ruins, the sentiment)= good place for a cache. Groovy location with no room for a regular cache=good place for a micro. Am I oversimplifying?

I'm waiting for Mopar to weigh in with his dead horse picture.... But, I think this thread really hits the nail on the micro head - for a lot of us, it isn't about micros, it's about LAME micros, as CR just said. Recently there have been a few more lame/unnecessary micors to pop up in my general neck of the woods. A comment was made about potetial "micro spew" in our area - a phenom we've been pretty much able to avoid around here. No, I don't think we need more regulation - we have enough. No, I don't "hate" all micros - some are great. I guess, generally speaking, I would just like to see common sense prevail - HA! - in cache placing. How about the container fits the location (well-thought out and placed urban micros in groovy areas are fun, a log-only capsule in the FOREST - um, why?), and the location has SOMETHING that makes it worthy of a cache. Is that really so hard? NOT EVERY VACANT PIECE OF LAND NEEDS A CACHE. So, I feel for you, CR. But, I guess there isn't much you can do about it. We have a placer in the general area who places the same lame caches in the same lame locations over and over again - in spite of negative feedback and gentle "conversations" about WHY they aren't well-received. And, yes, some people do not even hunt those caches anymore. But, still they get placed, as regularly as clock work. I can hear the posts now, but I agree with you, CR. Just my two cents.

Don't know if you still need stuff, but I can send a few of my sig items. Send me an e-mail through the site if you would like some more goodies. -CL

Santa brought me headlamp, but it was kinda big and ugly (I am a girl, afterall).... Went out on a couple with friends, and had some cachers over for Christmas dinner! Nice day....

Happy Holidays!! I was hoping for a new cache to go get this morning, but the newest cache in the area is mine! I have caching friends coming for Christmas dinner, so I expect to be going on an area run later, even though I have picked those particular cache up already - but, whatever - it'll help walk off the turkey! Perhaps tomorrow I will get a fuller day of caching in. Love and Peace to all this season!

That is what WaldenRun tells me.

OK, one more time- The cache hider attended two events and alerted people to the cache's appearance - the events were before the cache was approved. And, as I've stated 3 times now, the cache owners simply stated that they had a new cache coming, and that people would need to contact them for info. Finders DO NOT HAVE to attend an event to get the info, NOR to they have to meet the hiders in person (I have NO idea why this is so hard for people to grasp). The info is available to anyone who follows the directions - which are pretty specific. It is a puzzle cache, so it does take some thought to figure out. This thread was started simply as a way to stir up more of what is becoming a long-standing conflict between certain players - that's all. It has no merit - people did not follow the directions, did not get the info they wanted, and are now whining - pure and simple. And again, the cache was reviewed, and now re-reviewed, and passes muster by GC standards - so I'm not sure why people are still questioning its legitimacy.... Sheesh, this isn't even my cache, I haven't even logged it, but it drives me crazy when you say 10 times "You don't need to meet the owners in person" and people are STILL harping on that piece of deliberate MISINFORMATION (and I'm a librarian - I don't care for misinformation). Capice?????

And AGAIN, it should be noted that you do not have to attend an event, or meet the owner in person, to obtain the info you need - since people seem to be stuck on those two points....

I definitely agree with the spirit of Reveritt's comments - some people get WAY to upset over DNF's - and, unfortunately, sometimes I am one of them I mean, why else would I learn to rappel and then go over the side of a 60 foot cliff when I am terrified of heights? But, again, I feel that it really needs to be made clear that the cache in question is not a private, or friends only cache. You (the royal you, not reveritt) do not need to meet the cache owner for the additional information. It is not imperative that you attended the aforementioned event. What a finder has to do is figure out the first step, take that first step, and then follow the directions. The first step is the "hard" part in this puzzle. Like I said, this whole debate revolves around pre-existing personality conflicts. I am not involved in said conflict, nor am I taking sides with my comments here. But if the issue is whether or not the cache excludes all but those "in the know," then it should be clearly stated that it does not.

I have been waiting for the cache owners to chime in, but perhaps they are so weary of all this nonsense that they are just going about their business. But, in the interest of fairness and FACTS, a few points: The owner will give the info to anyone who follows the rules and asks for it. The cache IS accessible to EVERYONE - everyone who follows a pretty specific set of rules, that is. Those who did not get the needed info did not follow the directions - pure and simple. As for the event - yes, those of us at the event who happened to speak to the cache owners did get a leg up - as in "We have placed a new cache - watch out for it." Nothing more. You do not JUST have to ask for the info - it is simply part of the entire puzzle. And, an SBA was made - and DENIED - by Hydee. Of course, there is much more to this story, but nothing of that is actually relevant to the question being posed here. The question here is whether or not the cache is a private cache - the answer is "no." This cache has been checked and OK'd by TPTB - that should end the speculation. This is nothing more than personal sour grapes.

I hear you on that one, Auntie. Two of my caches were left completely exposed after that visit.... I also had a "signed for" log in one of my books....

Bah humbug. I get it, shouldn't have tried to circumnavigate the page content with the logs. I get it, no solicitation. I get it, slippery slope... Richard, I hope gobs of people show up, and that gobs of kids are happier Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza/WHATEVER morning because of the generosity of the attendees. And, I really do understand, I really do get IT, I just don't like IT. Happy Holidays to EVERYONE! -CL

Great info about buying small sharps containers. I am so careful when investigating urban caches, not sticking my hands where I can't see, moving stuff around with my boot, etc, but the only time I have found a hypo was in a serene wooded park, fairly off the beaten path - or so I would have thought. I didn't want to pick the thing up without gloves, but I didn't want to leave it behind, either. I was very nice of the user to put the cap back on the needle, though, so I pulled out a ziploc and used a stick to push the needle into the bag. I then brought the bag to the ranger's office where I encountered strange looks and thought for a moment that they might call the cops on me. Oh, well, didn't even get a "thanks" for my trouble, but felt like I had done the right thing. I also posted the incident in my log, just so people were aware of the activity in the area.

By all means, trust your instincts. The only time I have been physically accosted (and it wasn't geocaching, it was on a public street in my sleepy small town, where nothing ever happens), my "alarm" went off in my head, but I didn't listen. Unfortunately, this happens to women a lot - was far too concerned with seeming "rude" to cross the street as a sketchy-looking guy approached me, and as a result I was knocked to the ground and had my purse stolen. I have aborted two caches due to "creepy guy in he area" syndrome. Other than that, I have had no problems. Just some suggestions: Always carry your cell phone and a whistle - preferably a "safety" or marine-rated whistle. It may work to scare someone off, and it will also be invaluable if you get really lost while hiking. Cache in familiar areas to start off with. If you have a dog, take it with you. If you have yet to meet caching buddies, attend a local geomeet and make some friends. I did my first 100 or so caches solo. Then I met other cachers and have cached with company (male and female) a good deal of the time since. And even though I have been caching a while now, there are still areas I won't cache alone - mostly due to remoteness or length of hike from the car - I wait for someone to join me. Trust your instincts, be prepared as best you can, cache with company if in doubt, and have a great time with your new hobby!

Heh, a few months ago, I decided to do a multi on a large and beautiful piece of property near me. I scouted some locations, took some coords, and then, you guessed it, a local boxer placed THREE letterboxes on the property - most of them right where I was going to put stages. I contacted the letterboxer and told him my plans - and he graciously offered to let me list the coords on the lids of his boxes! Very nice. In the end, though, I decided on just a single, as he did not put a box where I planned to put the final cache (which is a mile from the car as it is). My biggest concern was that one of his boxes might get muggled, and then I'd be missing a stage, etc. Instead, I suggest that anyone who wants a longer hike and more thorough tour of the area do his letterboxes while they are there, and I placed a link to his clues on my cache page. But, it was very nice of him to offer. As for your situation, I basically agree with Randy. Place your box and just let everyone know that there is a letterbox nearby as well, and be sure to describe the box and the cache. Even though there ocassionally seems to be a bit of tension between the two groups, I think many people are starting to enjoy both hobbies. And, if everyone can play nice, there shouldn't be any problems.

I completely agree. I pride myself on taking care of my caches, and do maintenance as often as necessary - which is why I really appreciate it when finders report problems (full logbook, crappy swag, ripped ziplocs, etc) in their online log. And, I just feel I have to comment - this has been the "nicest" thread I have seen here in days! Great ideas, lots of encouragement, and NO SNARKINESS! Good luck to you on your search for cool swag, and welcome to our insane sport! And, yes, I pet my car, too....

I'm going to ditto the sentiment on personal signature items. You can make them, buy them, have them made in bulk, etc. There is at least one thread here that talks about people's sig items. I make hand-stamped bookmarks, which of course goes along with the fact that I am a librarian. People seem to love them, and I have received more than one e-mail saying, "my son/daughter was so excited to find a CL bookmark in the cache." Who knew? Personally, I love finding sig items, and was THRILLED when I recently scored one of Auntie Weasel's Coin sigs!

And let's not forget the "workin' girl" - tight tube top, red stiletto heals, bright red lip gloss....

So, there you have it, Rasta Dave: Make sure you encourage only legally obtained music be placed in your cache. After that, it's really out of your hands, as you have absolutely no way of knowing how ANY (and that includes original copies) of the music was originally obtained. We have a cache or two like that in my neck of the woods, and they are very popular. Good luck! To answer your question - yes, it is very possible to pick up a virus when downloading ANY program/file. When using the internet, always be sure to use a good virus program on your computer. An excellent FREE one can be found at www.grisoft.com - I have used it for years and it has stopped several PC infections. It's a free download with free updates as often as you want/need. My sentiments exactly. A true music lover/fan will support their favorite artists, regardless of the availability of illegal downloads or copies. A friend burned me a copy of a CD by yet another new artist, and since I liked it, I went out and bought the CD - the copy is now my "car copy." I also shelled out to see him in concert after he "hit it big." AND, bonus, he just played a FREE concert in Boston - pretty cool.

You know, I remember the days when I would have the cassette player on my "boom box" poised and ready to tape when I heard a favorite song come on the radio - and I'm sure I was not alone in that. And, hello, can you say "mix tape?" Perhaps this was more of a girl thing, but I'm sure some of you can recall spending hours taping off the radio or other tapes in an attempt to create that perfect tape for your boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend. Those were the days. Now, simply because Mp3 is computer based and accessible to lots and lots of people, it's a crime that has lead to the feds actually busting 12 year olds. Ridiculous. Yes, I am fully aware of copyright laws - more than most people probably - I'm a librarian. But, IMHO, the whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. Bootlegging music has done much to promote lesser-known bands into stars. Case in point - it was a copy of a CD that got me interested in my favorite band - a band, at the time, who had a small cult following. I was hooked, and subsequently have spent hundreds of dollars over the past few years on CDs, concerts, and merchandise. That little-known band is still an alternative favorite, but they now sell out arenas all over the world. So, I say go for it. If someone puts a burned CD in your cache, there is really no way to tell if it's "legal" or not, since there are many legal sites for downloading music - both FREE (yes, free in some cases) and for a fee. Check the GC guidelines and then follow your gut - it's your cache. All of the sanctimonius people who have never done anything off color in their entire lives can skip it. And BTW, what is up with the unbelievable snarkiness on this board the past few days?

Nothing kills a discussion like Tampax!

I actually suffer from SAD - I hate to see Fall coming.... Oddly, I cached all winter long and didn't suffer as much last year - a coincidence?

Might I suggest something in a DCFED7?

That's right, you never know! I am always amazed by the HORROR some of the men have expressed at finding NEW (for cripes sake!) tampons in caches. It's a fact of life, boys. If caching was dominated by women, there'd be tampons and travel TP in every cache!

See, now I look like a brown nose - Jeremy beat me to the post...