Raggedy Mandy

Count me in too- I'd love to learn how to make one! It would make an excellent anniversary gift for Bons. RM

Ok, I'll bite. I am: 29 (30 just around the corner- yikes!) married (to Bons) 1.1 kids (4 year old son, due in Feb with baby #2) brighter than the average bear, but not strikingly so IMO loves science fiction geek- BS in Biology, work at a animal vaccine company currently. hobbies include cooking, hockey, fishing, goofing off with Bons&Chris. Bons introduced me to caching. Initially I went along out of curiousity/humoring him but ended up addicted. I still hate snakes and am not too keen on bugs (especially biting ones), but I've had such a great time that I don't mind (much). My favorite thing so far has been finding new and interesting places in an area of the country where I've always lived. R.M.

Hey sweetie, be sure to check the Nobbies bag in the dining room for additional swag. My current inventory (help yourself to the anything) includes: animal sippy cups paper fans smilie face flashlight keychains mini Rubik's cube keychains laquered chopsticks small craft kits small beach balls jax&ball sets single serve Coppertone sunscreen packets McD's bucks I noticed that my swag bag is sort of geared towards kid caches, so I think I'll try to pick up some more adult themed goodies next week. (Hey! Not from Dr. John's- that's NOT what I meant..ha ha!) Raggedy Mandy (the former Prairie Rose)

Maybe insulting more would help? Or just being incredibly sarcastic. Divine, do you have children? I ask not to be snotty, just to be curious. Yes, I do think it's my job as a parent to teach my kids about things that won't be discussed in the schoolbooks (note to cezanne- I was speaking of US history books, sorry that I didn't make that clear). I think it's pretty safe to say that I won't be mentioning sodomy to my kid. Sheesh. I mean, if you was explaining to my son where babies come from, how I phrase the answer will be far different right now at age four, then it would be at age ten, or age thirteen. Same goes with the Holocaust. PR

Actually, Bidredmed, I hope that "painful discussion" does occur. With the way that school history textbooks are sanitized these days, the atrocities get reduced to little soundbites and lose their capacity to truly horrify. Finding out that Uncle so-and-so may well have had a hand in this puts the situation into a context that provides a "teachable moment" for parents to have an honest discussion about why genocide happens. The best memorial to the victims of the Holocaust is to remember how evil the ideals of Nazi Germany really was, so that this won't never happen again. It's been said before, but I'll repeat it again: the owner of the TB said he DOES NOT agree with his Nazi uncle! Maybe if we all repeat it enough times it'll sink in, but I doubt it. When politically correct people make up their mind, the facts never are enough to convince them. Someone here said a bug called "Darkie Catcher" would be similarly offensive. You know, if the bug was called "Kill the Jews" or something I would see how you could be offended. Shame on you for creating a strawman. Believe me, if it was really anti-Semitic I'd be jumping down the TB owner's throat with spike heels- I'm in the process of converting to Judiasm myself. Please don't throw out the travel bug. Replace it in a cache, say kaddish for the victims of the Holocaust, pray for those who died on both sides. And be da*n grateful that you live in a country with freedom of speech. mrs. bons

Hey! Thanks for the swag ideas....I'm putting together a cache called Summer Fun right now and was looking for outdoorsy/summery ideas. However, I'll probably put in individual towlette packs of sunscreen instead of matches. If you're ever around Omaha this summer, c'mon out and squeal like a pig all you'd like. Does anyone make a multi-tool that doesn't have a blade? I don't want to get in trouble with the powers that be, but gosh, they really are useful! PR

I've read a lot of threads about so-called "bad" things to leave in a cache. What I'd like to discuss is criteria for bad items, with an eye toward banning them in caches. I know a rule won't stop someone who's determined to be a pain in the hiney, but it might be a good start. I visited the Mall of America cache II this weekend. It was a very fun puzzle to solve, and I enjoyed it, until I found the cache. I don't think that caching is about the swag, but it's always nice to see non-garbage in a cache. I was really surprised by the amount of broken McToys, ticket stubs, and last, but not least, a boarding pass stub from a John Hagedorn. (Come on! If you're going to leave geogarbage, don't leave something WITH YOUR NAME ON IT.) Can I humbly propose the following "banned items" list in addition to weapons? 1. Not broken. McToys are fine, but broken ones are just lame. Throw them in the kitchen trash like the rest of us, okay? 2. Nominal value. It doesn't have to be expensive, but if you wouldn't pick it up out of a cache, maybe you should think twice about leaving it. Examples are ticket stubs, boarding passes, bottle caps, and acorns. If you're ashamed of logging the item, as apparently most of the people above were, don't leave it. PR

yes, uperdooper, step-moms count! I remembered to call mine, although she didn't have to do any 'raising' of me since I got her when I was in college. Bons, Chris, and me went out to two geocaches and had a great time. I got to sleep in, haven't cooked or cleaned at all today, and I'm going to a movie with my Mom later. My present from Bons is even nicer! Next weekend Mom and I are going shopping in Minneapolis- and caching along the way. Happy Mother's Day everyone! PR

Please have her cloned, mass-produced, and sold at all department stores. I don't think department stores sell sex toys... PR aka Mrs. Bons