What does your geocaching title mean?

[+Iowa Mongoose]

For all those who remember the age of the Citizens Band (or "CB") radios and for those who don't (see the movie "Convoy" ), my title came to me this way:

 

When I was growing up my dad was in the service of the U.S.A.F. , every summer we traveled back and forth to Iowa just so we could visit family. They didn't want us to miss out on getting to know them just because we were so far away much of the time. On our journeys we didn't have Geocaching to keep us busy, we did it the old fashioned way, camping, hiking, fishing, etc. We girls in the family learned to trail mark the old way, and we learned to read trail signs and to follow tracks, etc. (like the North American Indians) while we were in the Girl Scouts. Mother, besides moving the kids, dog and household between duty or assignment stations by herself was also an assistant troop leader! When we stopped for the night, sometimes Dad would set out to make up the trail after we all set up camp, and while Mother cooked supper. We kids would run off to find other kids to run off the pent up energy from sitting in a car all day - including our two brothers and maybe these "new" friends made up of other kids from nearby camps - we would all go to find the way out to the end of Dad's trail and back again from another direction. It was usually a big winding U-turn, and we hoped each time to catch up to dad before he made the trail end back at the camp, we never did he was always sitting there in a lawn chair by the camper, along with Mother, both grinning at us and asking us what took us so long! By the time we got back, and cleaned up, supper was ready and bedtime was something to which we'd look forward.

 

We played flashlight tag at night, within the campgrounds and near the camping areas, so all the parents knew we were safe, everyone was required to carry a flashlight (or safety pack in our family, which included a flashlight) because of tripping hazards and people coming into the campgrounds late to set up camp - they wanted up to be easily seen. We were free to roam most of the time, but we had to check in at regular intervals and we always had to stay within the distance of where we could hear my dad "whistle off" using his mouth - by the way that at least a mile or so depending on the terrain. These kinds of things kept us kids (age eight and above, or as long as you could swim well by yourself with no help) busy and out of trouble, the olders always looked out for the youngers, we were never allowed to go anywhere without a least one or more additional kids with us, even when we were at home.

 

Mother and Dad both taught us some real "green" values before "being green" became the thing to be. Don't play with matches, especially NOT in the woods or close to a fire hazard, didn't mean we could't carry them or build a fire if we wanted to, but we had to follow the rules. Don't throw your trash away just anywhere, there are containers, bring it back with you. Make sure you clear an eight to ten foot ring for your fire and place a four foot fire ring around it (like piles of rocks) and have a water source readily available.

 

There was so much more, I could go on for an hour and not come to an end of the safety things we were taught, and how to keep God's green earth green and healthy, but still have fun in it. Anyway, before I bore you to death, let me tell you why I am an Iowa Mongoose. My folks had a CB radio in their car or truck at all times when we traveled, those were very popular before cell phones came into existence. The folks even had their own handles, which they used when talking with other travelers who came with us along they way or to the Over-The-Road Drivers (although back then it was more popular just to call those Drivers "Truckers", and they were proud to be called by that name) too; is there anyone out there who remember those Trucker songs, the "Convoys" and Smokey and the Bandit? I don't remember what my folks' Handle was, nor my sister or brothers' Handles, but mine became "Iowa Mongoose".

 

"Iowa" because it has always been claimed by my family as our home state. "Mongoose" because I was teased and bullied horribly, as a child, in the neighborhoods and when I was in school, no matter what school I attended on either end or the middle of the U.S.A. When I turned about ten or so, I adopted the attitude of my favorite caricature in a book and later it was a movie, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi was a fearsome little mongoose who fought two huge cobras who were attempting to live in and take over a family garden. He protected his family and his family's garden with every ounce of strength he could give and even though he was minuscule in size by comparison, he won the battle. Therefore, I wanted to be just the same as Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, for he was small but brave, he was fearsome in battle with sharp teeth and quick feet, and the smarts to match even the most wittiest of creatures, so this is what I wanted to be for real inside. My hero became my secret identity if you will, laugh if you must, but a little girl has to survive public schools somehow if only by hiding within herself.

 

Now any time I have to have a title or handle for something, Iowa Mongoose it is, I have no delusions, I know who and what I really am. It's just a way of keeping hold of good memories and remembering the things we were taught along life's highways , bi-ways and recreational trails. Special moments, beautiful scenery, great games, good "new" friends to hang out with in the campgrounds if only for a few days, and family memories not soon forgotten.

Blessings to all, and keep on Caching everyone, CUsoon.

Edited August 8, 2014 by IowaMongoose

[+Iowa Mongoose]

Amianda...

 

Well, I used to sit around and dream up names for characters and possible future children. In college I did this by combining or mixing up existing names. Amianda comes from Amy + Amanda, and originally I was going to use it for my firstborn female child.

 

I liked the name so much, however, that I started using it for myself on online games and message boards, email, whatever. It stuck. People sometimes call me Ami in real life because they don't know my real name. So, even if I were to have kids sometime in the future (seems unlikely and that's ok) I couldn't use the name for a child because it is really my name now.

 

Anyway, boring story but there it is.

 

My real name is Kelly, btw

 

Not boring at all, it's a perfectly lovely story.

[+Iowa Mongoose]

Coopy622 - last name is Cooper anniversary is 6-22. I know boring but I use it for everything.

 

good way to remember the anniversary too.

[duckmalone]

I am a Duck

[+Foothills Drifter]

Howdy......

I live in the foothills of eastern San Diego County (Lakeside)

That's where I drift around.

 

Vern / Foothills Drifter...

[+Gatwick Girl]

Interesting topic and shows how far and wide we all are!

 

I live close to London Gatwick Airport (LGW), hence my name!

Edited December 28, 2014 by Gatwick_Girl

[+BeltaneLitha]

Its 2 wiccan sabbats

[+KatnissRue]

I was once involved in an organization called Civil Air Patrol and a friend of mine found it interesting how much I like to climb trees and shoot my homemade bow.

 

She gave me two options: "You can be called Ruetness, or KaRue."

 

(Rue is a character from the Hunger Games who climbs trees, and Katniss shoots a bow.)

 

Needless to say, I chose the less hard to pronounce and spell of the two.

[+highrez]

In the late 70's Internet bulletin boards became popular. They were much like a CB radio, except on computer, everyone had a handle (name). I was involved with computers professionally so I wanted to choose a computer related name. I chose "highrez" for high resolution graphics. I've used the name for logins on Internet since that time.

Edited January 4, 2015 by highrez

[CertifiedCasher]

I was thinking about a good name no one has used, and when I glimpsed the Certified Organic sticker on a banana, I thought, "I could do Certified Geocacher!" I shortened it to Certified Cacher, but a typo made it into Certified Casher. (Kinda looks like cashier) I decided it looked more balanced that way, and the name stuck.

[+steelerdrew79]

Well steelers are my football team drew is my nickname and 79was the year I was born the year they one a superbowl

[+Breaktrack]

Got it from my troops years ago when I was the XO of an Armor Company. I found our crews had not had much experience breaking apart the tracks on the tanks for maintenance and for experience in order to do repairs in the field, so I had them do it, a LOT. In Tanker terms, this is called "breaking track". So one day I'm walking through the motor pool at Fort Hood as we were finishing up maintenance chores before turning in our tracks at the end of a field exercise and I heard one of the crewmen say, "Look out, here comes 'breaktrack'" So, I immediately adopted it as my official nickname, lol. Thus it came to be used as my Geocaching name back when it all started.

 

Breaktrack aka Mac

[+colleda]

Our caching name is our avatar. Or should that be, our avatar is our caching name?

[+Cache Viking]

Being of Norwegian Descent I have used Viking for many of things. Used it as a CB Handle back in the 70's and these days on most forums.

[+GELOS]

I'm sure there was some meaning behind it when I set up the account, but I can't remember it now....

[+floridapenguin]

I have always been fascinated by penguins. Ever since I was a young lad and my parents took me and my brother to the Bronx Zoo. I did not want to leave the penguin exhibit. Also being fairly short (5’4”) helps. I currently live in Florida and spent the formative Wonder Bread years in New York & Pennsylvania and to this day I still miss the cold and snow.

[+Gutter]

Picked up the moniker when I was in the US Air Force stationed at Kunsan Air Base, ROK, in 2001-2002. I contend it came about because I was a poor bowler, others may have a different story. CE Red Devils!!!

[+SUV2003]

Mine was a combination from what I drive and the year I started geocaching.

[GeoAllTheCaches]

I'm obsessed with the "all the things" memes.

 

So I became GeoAllTheCaches

[+Itosukai]

Itosukai is the style of karate I trained in for many years. It's a unique word and I haven't come across it in any username iteration.

 

My style was originally called s***o-ryu Itosu-kai but as there are several different styles of s***o-ryu now we took to calling it just Itosu-kai.