Team Maccabee

I'm flying on Alaska, but I'm with my fairly young kids. Let me think... me in 1st class, kids in coach ... I guess that wouldn't make me a very good Abba, dang it! Maybe next time...

Congratulations to markta!! for finding the Tiresome Usual Suspect FTF Prize. in OBE's Sculpture cache! Wear it in honor, Mark, and thanks for the good log! (although my friend on the bomb squad says you shouldn't shake a cache with this Prize in it, because you never know what the last finder placed on it as a noisemaker...) I am looking forward for the next cache from markta... Team Maccabee

DBP = Detained By Police Team Maccabee

Congrats, OBE, on #900! It was a pleasure to cache with you on this milestone day. Team Maccabee

Congrats Team IAG!! It was fun hunting for the cache with all of you this morning at 0-so-early-AM. And the FTF race story has a Team IAG pre-quel that is worth hearing... Team Maccabee

Got mine today. Thanks and sorry for the angst! Team Maccabee

I understand that well. Some of my favorite caches are ones that I have not found/figured out for quite a while. My latest DNF, for example, on Totally Tubular V: December 15 by Team Maccabee (47 found) Great cache! It took a little bit of fumbling, but I found WP1 without too much trouble. Although I found WP2, I couldn't figure it out, so I am left to think it through. I'm looking forward to figuring out this one! Thanks for the DNF!! The journey to the cache is what drives me. But I also want to figure out how others perceive caching. I guess the real question is: what makes for a bad caching experience, and how can I write or show it succinctly. NHF (Not Having Fun) is so far my favorite (thanks, wiseye!). DBP (in my opinion only) would not be worse than NHF, because at least I would have a great story to tell in the DNF log. Of course, if I was Nudecacher, I might feel differently about a DBP.... We should have awards for some of those DNF logs. Some of them are great! So, everyone, how can I succinctly put a bad caching experience (BCE?)? Team Maccabee

Ahhh! Understanding dawns! So, for you as a cacher, not logging your DNF is worse than your DNF itself...?

Fortunately (because I have high-energy kids) and unfortunately (because I can't cache on the way), I will be flying down. So, I'm just looking in the Auburn/Grass Valley/Sacramento area. Plenty of caches, nonetheless. Team Maccabee's Abba

It's going to be something like a dice game -- you roll for the outcome of your caching experience. So an FTF is better than a Found is better than a DNF is better than a _______. Team Maccabee

Hi all, I'm designing a (hopefully) unique signature item and need to know what you think is worse than a DNF? I am putting a range of caching outcomes on the item, including: FTF DNF Found/Smilie I want to put something on it that is a worse outcome than a DNF, and want some input. Here are some of my ideas: Generally: Got lost! Lost GPS! Cache gone! Cache muggled! Wet cache! (I'm from Seattle...) For those proud cachers: Need a hint! Need a lifeline! DNF a 1/1!! What are your ideas? Team Maccabee

I'm going to the Sacramento area (Auburn, CA) on the 28th for a few days and will, of course, cache as much as possible in the immediate area. Are there any travel bugs I can help along? Contact me if you want me to take them... Separate question: if anyone has been down that way, are there any must-find caches? I've never cached down there. The West forum never responded to my inquiry. Team Maccabee

I made this travel bug for our FTF hounds here in Seattle and put it in my new cache as an FTF prize. You may not be able to tell from the picture, but it has a cow bell and strobe light beacon in the shape of a skull on a necklace. The rules for this TB are that it stays with the cacher until placed in a new Seattle cache as a FTF prize. On the TB page, I will have a list of all the honorees who have held it. I'm hoping it goes over well, and ideally becomes a sought after FTF prize. Team Maccabee

Me to I'm still waiting, too.... Team Maccabee

I have it on good authority that the TUS FTF Prize has been placed in a cache that will be approved in the next few days. OldBaldEagle has been the 1st proud (?) bearer of this honor, but will now be passing it off to the next Tiresome/Typical Usual Suspect to FTF his cache. Good luck, everyone! Happy caching! Team Maccabee

I'll be there (without the little Maccabees), if possible. It depends on my work schedule, which may have me working until 6pm. Thanks for the event, fish and nolenator! And thanks for the beer, BHMP! Team Maccabee's Abba

Well, I placed the cache at Thanksgiving (Northend Jewish Holiday Cache) and I'm going to visit it today or tomorrow to check on everything. I opted for the lazy solution to water-proofing: put everything inside freezer ziplock or small ziplock inside an ammocan, put a sticker on the ammocan, and hope for the best. I'll report on any deficiencies. Being a parent, I didn't feel comfortable using silicon baggies (or whatever they are) that are small and could be dangerous if swallowed. I like the idea of the baked hand soap, but it does sound a bit bizzare. How would one make/buy this? Team Maccabee

Explosive/Ballistic Research? With that idea, I can't help but picture some animal cartoon character with a rather dim look and a wide grin... heh heh heh!! New ammo can.... goood!! ...make things go BOOM!! Team Maccabee

You should discuss this in the Northwest Forum. There are some very active Alaska cachers that would be very interested. I know there are some caches in the remote interior. Denali View is in Lake Minchumina, and I think I remember hearing about some in Nenana. A couple places I visited a long time ago.... Have fun and spread the cache! Team Maccabee

Evil Bunny Restraining?

As others have said, the most important defense, the defense that you must have regardless of other tools of defense, is being aware of your surroundings and the people surrounding you. If you are not actively aware, it won't matter if you have pepper spray or a gun (both of which can be turned against you). And if you carry a weapon or a dog, know how and when to use them (and when not to). Geocaching is just a game/hobby to me (although some cachers are more appropriately termed "obsessed"). I mostly cache in an urban environment, and I have more than once logged a DNF rather than approach a cache near some suspicious folk acting, .... well, suspicously. I also cache with my kids sometimes and that in and of itself will make me more careful (and also mitigate against me carrying a gun). The one time I have been mugged was the one time I didn't listen to my gut. And that was in the restroom of a movie theater... not out in the woods. Happy (and safe) caching! Team Maccabee

I'm not going to SF but I am going to the Sacramento area in a few weeks. Anyway of getting those Washington-bound bugs to the Auburn, CA area? I'll be down there betweeen Christmas and New Years, leaving the area on the 1st. Team Maccabee

Ok, the self-pity post of mine aside.... What do each of you enjoy most in a puzzle/mystery cache? This is my curiousity speaking, but I also want to better fit my future Questions Mark Caches to my goals (providing an enjoyable caching experience to others). Team Maccabee

Shoot, WD... putting together a hard puzzle is easy; it's solving them that's hard. I'm still working on the lot of new Seattle puzzles... How OBE does these so quickly is (for now) beyond me. Thank you, everyone, for the words of support, publicly and privately. I'm ok with it...really! Ok, I'm a bit embarassed by my own post... In a nutshell, I was merely a bit frustrated by the mismatch between my goals (a lot of satisfied visitors) and my methods (i.e. the puzzle). I am glad there are those who have enjoyed it and hope future cachers will enjoy it and the good swag (if I do say so myself). Thanks, Team Maccabee's Abba (i.e. "Dad")

To my fellow Seattle-area cachers: I think I have to publicly eat a bit of humble pie, for my first cache hide, Northend Jewish Holiday Cache. While my puzzle was within the spirit of a particular strain of Seattle puzzle caches, the purpose of the puzzle was just to give some sense of accomplishment for getting the smilie, because the hide location certainly isn't that creative. I thought the puzzle was easier than it was, and I think I turned off some cachers from seeking out the cache. My apologies to those I unintentionally turned away. For those that do not want to solve the puzzle, I have posted the correct coordinates (see the cache page for details). I realize more now that everyone plays the game in their own way. Some like these tough puzzles, some like mysteries, some like creative cache pages, some like historical info, some like numbers/icons, some like the most creative hides, etc. My question (long in coming...) then is where is the happy medium in this area (western Washington), if there is one. What do cachers here enjoy the most out of the puzzle/mystery caches that they seek? Ultimately, (I am assuming) we seek some sense of enjoyment and accomplishment out of our caching. What caches are good exemplars of the caches you enjoy most? Still chewing, Team Maccabee