hometeachin

Wow. You're goooood. Thanks! I had logged out, but not cleared my cache. Worked! Now we're off.

when I try to do a PQ, says I must be a premium member. On My Membership Details page it has my acct active until March of 2008. I hit the link for PQ and it isn't acknowledging it. Let me know what to do. Have some friends in for a few days from NY that are excited to geocache in AZ! Thanks, Jenn

Ohhhhhhhhhh! You don't know HOW many times that song has been sung--really belted out!--in my house and surrounding area since this dvd came out! LOL Even dh was humming it at the firestation! Oops! Good thing most of the ff are dad's and understand.

Isn't it cool that a new hobby like this can make us 1) More physically fit 2) More computer savvy (sometimes!) 3) A better consumer--at least when it comes to all of the $$ we spend to support da habit!

Thanks for the help everyone! I think I will leave them in a lot of caches--depending upon the amount of stock I have. I will take them when I travel (and make sure I have AZ on it!) and leave them in all of the caches I go to out of town especially. I got to place two of them today!! Good thing they are small enough for small caches, because that is all I got to search and find today. Here are some pictures of them: Thanks again!!

Whoa...lots of thinkin' goin' on here. I just came in from the heat (yeah, but it's dry), so to process all of this, I will have to wait for my brain to get off of preheat. I feel like it is "who's on first". Seriously, I had never thought of this. You are right, but the person who picks up the book has the choice to keep it in their private collection, as long as they log it, right? I may not be reading this correctly, however. I know I wouldn't want to keep one, with all of the labels on it and the intent of the releaser to share it with as many people as possible. I will still put stuff in for kids as well as the "bonus" items. Good thoughts and comments.

Thanks for the replies. I will still trade the stuff we bring--new hotwheels and the like--for the kids. I know that my kids are disappointed when they get to a cache that doesn't have anything interesting to them or in good enough shape to trade. We have been leaving a hotwheel or something nice as a bonus for the next kid cacher even when we don't take anything, because my kids wanted the next kid to leave with something they were excited about. So, most of the swag we give out is with the kids in mind. (If the cache is big enough, I am starting to put Bookcrossing books in them, too!) About the trading up/even--I understand that, even before caching--it's the general principle of leaving things better than you found them, right? My mama taught me right! One of the first caches I found had a scratched off lottery ticket in it! Yup. One of my kids wanted the pocketknife in there, but we didn't have anything with us to trade for it, so we left it. Now, they bring stuff in case I have forgotten. I am happy about my sig item, and though it is not expensive, it is time intensive. It takes a while to make 'em, so I will probably sprinkle some about rather liberally at first in my area, then taper off, because I don't want everyone coming to a cache thinking, "Geez! Another one of these things?!?!" (Like I really get to THAT many caches!!) It is small enough for small caches, too, so that will be cool. One downside, a few people have seen them already (non-cachers) and want me to make some for them--sans medallion (keychain or necklace). I told 'em, if they want them, take up geocaching!!! Jenn in AZ

Cool, cool! I have a few books I have registered now, just awaiting the right cache with the right amt of room (and a ziplock or two...I keep forgetting!). Thanks for the article, too! I was just concerned that people would be offended because the book was used---I can see that others see like I do--a used book reads the same as a new one, only you can read more used for the price! I am excited about it...I hope to get one in this weekend. I know of some ammo can caches that I have already found. Maybe I can do a drop in one of those?!? Jenn in AZ

I am very excited! I just finished some prototype signature items and I think they will work! I have loved the wooden coins I have found at the caches around Phoenix, so I wanted to join in. Do I put them in all of the caches I find, or just sprinkle them around to not saturate the area? Is this all I would put in, or do I include something else, too, if I take from the cache? Do you pick up sig items for the sake of collecting or because the design appeals to you? If it is too girlie, would you take it? I really am happy with how it turned out and I hope others will be as well. It sounds cheesy to describe it and I can't get a pic right now.... I made a flip-flop out of Shrinky-Dinks and threaded beads onto a wire for the top, then connected it to a keyring with another Shrinky-Dink medallion that has "hometeachin 2005" and geocaching AZ on some. It really does look cool, to me, but maybe too girlie? It will probably evolve as time goes on. Jenn in AZ

So cool!!! Thanks! I am not very good about finding the easter eggs--I have to cheat and look 'em up or have someone like you clue me in!! I ran out (yes, at 1:30 am!) to check it out as my 14 yo daughter and her friend who is sleeping over were stumbling off to bed. I made them come in to watch it--bonding experience, don't you know!--and we loved it! DD said that geocaching might be okay now, since cool people like the VT's cache. She loves giving me a hard time! (Her friend has cached with me and loves it, too, so no winning over needed there.) So, going to check out Lil Joe's easter eggs now....

Our family was going to go to the Science Center and watch it there--they had big telescopes set up and a hook up to a big screen monitor. BUT I FORGOT! I can't believe it! My 11 yo son has been talking about it off and on for the past week and we all forgot! We were so tired after evening church that we just bummed around the house, ate a bit, visited with the neighbors and went to bed. Ugh! Oh well, going to see if NASA or someone archived the footage so we can see that. Thanks for the reminder--too bad I didn't read it last night.

DNFY---I like it!

Ummmm, okay. Now I don't know if I am being set up for Candid Camera or not, because it would seem that you would need the strength of Hercules to lift the base of a light pole. (I am imagining the whole pole lifting up...or me trying with every onlooker laughing hysterically!) So, nope, safe to say, I didn't know that! There is one specific "easy" cache that is in a parking lot, by a light pole, so I will go there tomorrow to check it out!! Thanks...unless this is a great practical joke and in that case, I will send you a video.

Yep, I agree, but do you record it on the site as a DNF? Or just keep pluggin away until you have signed the log and then tell how long it took to find it? Do you ask for help/clues?

ahh, but I really WANT to say "easy find" oh, so bad do I want to!!!! But then I would think about the originator and think that I would be pressuring him/her into hiding it in a more difficult/concealed manner next time. Nope! I don't want THAT to happen! (Thanks, too...always wondered how to spell eejit! )

Ahhhh! Pressure from all sides! Hee hee...good bridge!

Okay, maybe I need to cache with some more experienced cachers because I am going up to these caches that have logs like: "Easy find!" "Thanks for the quick get-and-go" "A true drive-up cache" and "Quick find". UGH! I go to these and walk to where my GPS says "0 ft" and it is NOWHERE! (These are micro urbans, btw.) I am always looking for a film canister or M&M Mini container, but these things can be anything or anywhere. My arms get scratched looking under bushes; my knees get crackelly kneeling on gravel; and my paranoia gets fueled by everyone driving by watching the crazy lady. I do enjoy this...don't get me wrong...but I haven't yet developed the knack others have when they say, "I just stepped back and thought, 'where would I hide it?' and there it is!" Oooooo, goody! I step back and say, where would I hide it, and I must be pretty original, because it is never there. Oh well! I will get better, right? (Humor me. ) Jenn in AZ

Thanks! I am putting a couple into my pack, so I will leave them in an ammo box that has room or at Starbucks where I have a mid-caching pick-me-up! (Or bribe for my 14 yo daughter to come caching with me! )

I do Where's George, too--just not as much as I used to. That thought is where my question originated, b/c they really don't want WG $ in caches. I thought it would be cool, but I guess I understand and will respect the wishes of the founder. Thanks!

That's it!!! Thanks!!! I googled 'till my fingers turned blue and couldn't come up with the site. Ziplocs---great idea. Soooo is it unethical to put a bookcrossing book in a geocache? Then it is only for the population of geocachers, not the general pop, so not a true cross-section? I believe geocachers would be more apt to log in the book though, since we log in our caches. Thanks again for the link!

That's it!!! Thanks!!! I googled 'till my fingers turned blue and couldn't come up with the site. Ziplocs---great idea.

Hi all! I did do a search about what cachers deem acceptable/unacceptable in a cache. I get the hint that McToys are evil (even though my dd would love the mini beanies or a little collectable doll they had given out) and that you should trade up. With that in mind, what about used books/novels? I generally buy my novels/fluff books at used bookstores, because I don't care if they have that "new book smell" or if they are crisp. I read 'em once, then pass them along. So, what about putting one as a trade in a cache--all pages intact, sometimes a bit rumpled. I read about this site that tracks books that you leave with a card inside...I can't remember the site name or I would do that as well. I know there are some caches specifically geared toward books, but I am asking if it is tacky to leave Timeline or The Aquitine Progression or such in a regular cache. We would also leave something else, because my 6 yo daughter loves to trade--and trades good stuff. Thanks!

Good code! I do try to input into the notes occassionally, but it is TEDIOUS! And the charactor limit is frustrating. I just dl from GSAK and he puts stuff in the notes. Usually the name and the cacher. I would rather have the D/T rating and type. Again, planning on my part. Thanks1

I don't look for a lot at one time yet, because I have lots of responsibilities right now. When I can get away during an errand or taking kids to piano lessons, etc. then I go. So, only 3-5--depending upon how difficult they are. (I am new--mostly EVERYTHING is difficult! ) When we travel it is a lot of driving and if there is a cache and we can get to it within 30 minutes, and everything is going well, then we will stop. Kind of unpredictable. But I could print out a few along the way, just in case. The logs do help.

I hadn't thought about the color screen issue. When I bought my GPS, I wanted a color screen, but there was a smokin deal on the one I now have (Garmin Rino 130) which is BW. A woman I talked to showed me her color PDA outside and said it is almost useless in the sun, so get the BW. Thanks for reminding me! I will check ebay and ubid, but will implement the wonderful paper hints I have been given until then. With the cost of ink (ugh!) $25 would be a great buy in the long run for many different reasons! Don't know what CacheMate is yet, but will look into it. Have GSAK and like it, though not proficient with it yet. Thanks.