June Recap | Ian's 1000 | Pathtags | #1500

What a month it has been. I haven't generated the stats yet, but from what I calculated I got 414 caches in the month of June......that is a lot. On the 27th 1/4 Sommer and I headed to Lexington since I'd be going out of town this weekend. He had a record day of 51 caches (Sommer Family had a total of 56 that day because another 1/4 Sommer hit some Michigan caches) and I had 48 caches. those days are always good pushers for the next milestone. It was nice to be in Lexington as opposed to some of the other runs I make. Lexington has lots of earthcaches and virtuals, so more history it seems you can learn from caching around there. The only bad thing about those caches is when logging you spend all the time emailing the pictures and answers to questions and yadda yadda. It isn't really a problem, but I mean if you have a run of 50 caches of virtuals and earthcaches, your sorting out an album's worth of photos and pretty much taking an SAT with all the questions to answer. We got most all of the existing caches in the downtown area and started to spread our venture a little bit. I was supposed to double 1,500 milestone with Slammer47, but he can't really make a trip for anything before the 12th of July, and to keep up with my personal stats and rates I like to keep for myself, I just couldn't do it. I thought maybe I'd be able to sit on a few logs, but a few turned into a handful, which turned into 60 something, which could easily turn into a few hundred. It already takes me a good hour or two to log, so I just couldn't do that to myself. Sorry Slammer, but we WILL milestone together!

I just put out a new cache, Down the Rabbit Hole - GC1DJH5: a 4/3.5 multi cache. I put it out for Ian's 1000, not necessarily for him to get as #1000 as he has debated Freefall 35,000's recently re-activated 4/4 Litte Brother, Big Brother. However, I put the cache out in honor of him and his favorite style of caches: tunnels. It's a 3 part tunnel cache, and I find it very fun. It's the first of 5 multi's I plan on putting out from Alice in Wonderland. the next chapter is "Pool of Tears", where alice is first a GIANT and then is SWIMMING in a pool of tears...if that tells you anything.

Yesterday morning I placed my order for my pathtags. A wonderful woman named Jennifer from Wicks Works Designs made the design for me which I think is VERY cool. I took my normal trade item (my signature guitar pick) and placed it in the background of my tag with a big BTBAM going across it and a geocacing "G" symbol in the corner of the pick. I have the design she made, but I'll wait until I get the blueprint from Pathtags before I load a picture of it, be on the lookout for a new post about it.

On a side note (and only because I know he'll be reading this), Ian bought himself a new GPSr...the COLORADO! I haven't even been able to touch the dang thing; my dream GPS. I always wondered what they were like, but no store has a demo of them or anything for me to mess with. The display screen looks incredible, the icons are small and non-cluttering, it can hold 2,000 waypoints, has the notes and cache pages...it's pretty much incredible and now I need one. One downfall he mentioned was that it eats batteries....but I'm pretty sure I can deal with that. Consider it Wishlisted.

So, this past Sunday I tackled my #1500 milestone. 1/4 Sommer and I finished the 3.5/4 The Forgotten Cemetery Tour III - GCRZ8V. it was a 6 stage cemetery multi, with multiple stages per cemetery. It went through a lot of history about the person's family and other people influenced in the area. It took several hours to complete, and almost an hour getting to the place, which apparently turned out to be right outside of California. The second cemetery showed us why it had a 4 terrain rating, as within a mere 200 the altitude changed by, oh I don't know, 400 feet? It was pretty wild, especially for a cemetery. Anyways, we finished that, and I got one more block on my D/T matrix. Actually,

Sunday alone I got 3 blocks filled in, 3 of 4 that I need to finish up everything within 4/4 (which is pretty exciting to me). I have less than 20 boxes left to completing my matrix: YES!

#1400

Okay, so for 4 weeks now I have hit a milestone. That is pretty exciting! In my first 2 months of caching I hit 500. It took me around 2 weeks over the next 2 months to get my second 500. If I get to 1500 (I'm sitting at 1442) before the 13th of July, that would make my third set of 500 in 2 months again (being 2 months since I completed Mini-Me). That is great! there has been talk about double 1500 milestoning with Slammer47 or tripling with Ian for his 1,000th also...or POSSIBLY even quadroupling with Big Mamma K for her 1,000 also. Phew.

Anyways, let's talk about the milestone.

Ian, Kristen and I went to Springfield, Ohio (east of Dayton) this weekend with a mission. That mission was to grab "How about these apples?!?!" - GC16Q52, the 2/4.5 TUNNEL cache. I was nervous it wouldn't be there (as we have had such excellent lucky with our other milestone attempts). This one we did prevail on! We even had a few bags of apples with us to make it a little more fun! Here are a few pictures and a cute video for your visual pleasure. See more pics on my Flickr page.

DNF!!!!!

So last night was the Fluttercat Chat (Event cache). We decided since the Sommers, Ian, Kristen, and I were all available, it would be a great night to try the night cache "Caesar's Darkside" - GCACEE right? WRONG! We had a great hike in. the area was beautiful, and we came at just about the right time. We had enough light to see around, but by the time we got to the destination we require darkess for, it was provided. However...that is also when the problems began...WE COULDN'T FIND THE REFLECTORS! It was aweful. We were out there I'd say an hour and a half with no luck at all. We called several people (as we always do) and no direction helped us find it. We came to the conclusion it is missing, and the markers have been removed. The bigger problem with that is that the owner hasn't logged into the cache site in almost a year, so this may never get put back for us to grab. Aweful. That is what a call a FAILED MILESTONE ATTEMPT!

#1300

Alright, alright. Moving right along. That same day (but not really) we got a double milestone (1300/500) with "Ammo with a Problem" - GCZJ6C. This was a 2/4 tree cache. We hit it going into the evening. We had plenty of light when we started, but it faded quick while Sommer attempted to find the cache. I say "attempted" because once getting up and looking as well, we both determined this one was missing. We called Slammer, we called back home to read through the logs, we called Pokerbuzz. We tried everything we could to figure out if we were doing SOMETHING wrong. We weren't...it was just missing. Apparently it has gone missing a few times before also. We had done the work. We set up the rope...done the climbing...we were not leaving without a find. After about an hour and a half, we decided to replace the container with a new one, and a new log. We logged the find as normal - and it is a good thing because someone found it just a few days after us...YOUR WELCOME! Anyways...it was a well deserved milestone, as the climb was tricky - but good company (miss you Ian) and goof times made for a good cache.

#1200

So...I've been busy lately. doing what exactly? Getting caches. Eat, sleep, work, cache. That is pretty much all I do. I've gotten milestones every weekend the past 3 weeks, which is pretty nice in my book. the first one was Earock which I talked about in one of the last posts. the weeks after was busy with me, Ian and the Sommers. Out almost every night. Clearing Hamilton, grabbing some in Springboro, Middletown, Kettering. In that time was the "Thank You Reviewer Webling" event too where I finally got to meet Slammer47 in person.

One weekend the Sommers and I went to Dayton (Kettering) in pursuit of our next milestone - two milestones for me. I like to have a celebratory milestone, and sometime I sit on a few finds to make that happen, but #1200 just wasn't playing the right hand. I was sitting on about 75 caches, no milestone in sight. The only thing I thought to do would be to grab a liar's cache, and I picked the 5/2.5 "A Fantastical Grand Adventure" - GC18K1K. The goal of that cache was to create a Sci-fi story. What a better way to go back in time and grab my #1200 than actually GOING BACK IN TIME. Here is my log along with some pictures:

Some of you may be thinking, "Brian, how do you think this is a milestone for you? You reached 1200 on 6/10/08 while out caching with Sommer Family? This is actually your 1287th find..." While you may THINK that is true, you don't even know the half of it.

There was only one way known to man to log this 1200 milestone when seemingly passing my prime opportunity to do so. I had to travel back in time. How does one do that though? What? you didn't know the powers that lie behind "GC18K1K??!" It's the ONLY way to do it!

I crawl for miles, for what seemed like years. I was in darkness, the only thing I could see was a pinprick of light off in the distance. I followed it, for days and days I followed the tiny pinprick of light until it started to get bigger and bigger. Finally, I come to see a checkered pattern and burst of light. I had reached my destination.

I observe a creature unlike my own, holding what I knew to be the cache. Secretly and quietly, as silent as I could be, I make my way out of the darkness I once called my home.

The creature noticed me, he panicked, and started running away. I had to chase him...it was the only way. Through land and through water I pursued him. After nearly 3 hours the pursuit came to a close. I tackled the creature to the ground, leaving the cache flying through the air. The creature had met his demise. I ran after the cache, scooped it up with my hands, and fled to the "Anchor" : The time travel machine. I strapped myself aboard and BLASTED back in time.

All of a sudden I was back in Sommer's car on 6-10-2008 grabbing park and grabs; the cache and log for GC18K1K was in hand. I had done it! This was now OFFICIAL my #1200! After signing the log it was time to come home. I mounted the anchor one last time, and fled back to the future. Upon arrival, I gave a shout of victory, raising the cache up to the heavens, and replaced as found.

Back to the tunnel I went. I crawl for miles, for what seemed like years. I was in darkness, with nothing ahead in the distance but a pinprick of light.

#1200

#1100

Boy has it been a busy month. Graduating, moving into a condo in Northern Kentucky, band, full-time work status....and CACHING! I've managed to go up to Dayton a few times, and just went this past weekend with Abuhhhh and jcklm for another milestone, #1100.

We tackled Ice Pick Man's Cave Multi Cache - GC15Q4B earlier in the day, which was one of Slammer47's favorite caches. It was a pretty fun tunnel cache. Here is a wonderful picture of Ian apparently being chased by the Ice Pick Man.


There is also the wonderful picture of me and my Surefire L2 LumaMax
which illuminated my way.





Luckily, it didn't appear that anyone was following us....but it sure was a loooooooooooong way back out.





A picture of Ian and I at the end of the tunnel. All the information has been snagged - on to the final!







The highlight of our day however (besides the drinks, laughs, and 37 caches on the day) was the milestone, earock 2000finds - GC16GDJ. The following post will have:

SPOILER PICTURES! Please don't read on if you don't want to be spoiled!!!!!!

Just as a safeguard, the first picture will be of our whole team after finding the cache.





It was a very interesting find for the cache. I heard Slammer tell me that you will never find anything like this cache anywhere. It was rated 4.5/3.5. I was excited out of my mind. We get there, and the cache is a small container, just sitting in a tree, maybe 7 feet off the ground. I got very frustrated. There is NO WAY this was the cache. Something had to be wrong. I tried calling Slammer....no answer. I tried calling Pokerbuzz....no answer as well.


We decided we'd atleast leave the cache a little harder to get than we found it. We decided to prop it up with a stick. After looking at that for a few minutes...we decided to go back to the car, and see if we can't get some rope and hoist the thing up higher. I kept calling Pokerbuzz hoping he'd pick up. As soon as we got back to the car, he told me that is NOT how the cache was supposed to be...so back in we went to maintenance.



It was then....when we started working...I got to witness how gorgeous...how simply....amazing this cache truly was.
Slammer told me the tree used to be perfectly balanced in the V of this other tree. Can you imagine? A...60-80 foot or something long tree...perfectly balanced in the V of another tree. For 1) for that to even happen, and 2) for someone to find it to put a cache there. It is just incredible. That, or if like in this picture, the tree was completely leaning the opposite way...and the cache was sitting nearly 80 feet above you. How killer.

The big 1-0-0-0.

Well, after the 900 milestone and the caches I had done prior, I was backlogged about 106 caches. Ian had actually made a list - a map of caches if you will - for me to tackle in his hometown of Harrison. It hit several surrounding areas, and I went one morning trying to get as many as possible. I didn't think it would happen, but I reached the end of the night with a record 53 caches - and that was nearly solo (except for a few going around with Abuhhhh). Anyways, with all those caches, the ones I did while in Anderson, and several here and there around Cincinnati, I had a list. 2.5 hours later (monday afternoon) they were logged and I was ready for a little caching break. I spent the next week only gathering about 12 caches. However - this was a good in leading me up to the next milestone: the Big 1,000.

I knew exactly what I would do, The new epic Tipp City (north of Dayton) multi-cache Mini Me - GC1AW67. Here is my log entry for this cache:

"I knew nothing about Slammer47 until I heard the name in reference to a cache: Evil Easter Bunny. See, the whole idea behind this cache of his was nearly an exact replica of an original (or so I thought) cache idea I had thought of and was getting ready to put out, when my cohort ydissac informed me, "uhm, there is a new cache called evil easter bunny in Dayton that I think is just like the cache you were going to put out..." It was in hearing this that I became mildly upset, but then emailed the owner telling him that 'great minds must think alike'. He then responded telling me that if I was going to be coming up to check it out, that I should wait and come up for this new multi he was putting out, and it would make the whole trip up for evil easter bunny worth it. Well, a week or so came, and the cache got published, but I thought nothing of it. 'Mini Me'. I don't really get it. He has Austin Powers pictures and some lines, but so what? 2.5/4.5, alright. Well, then I started reading ABOUT the cache...miniature versions of amazing milestones he had done. I had soon become wrapped around "Slammer47" and his incredible profile, full of wonderful milestone caches he had done. I began feeling down on myself, about how I haven't done any wicked sweet killer fun caches in my time. Now, I've only been caching 4 months...but I still felt I needed to pursue more. I had already done the cache Lane Change, but we had sent up another member from our team to retrieve it. Slowly, all of Slammer's favorite caches had been added to my "MUST DO THESE" list. However, in studying and prepping for my milestones, and coming quickly up to my number 1-0-0-0, I thought...what a better cache to do than one that embodies all of these other caches in one...the very spirit of these amazing caches, not only to Slammer, but to every other person who has used any of these caches as a milestone in the past. It is in that, I knew this had to be my 1000. I set out, thinking the worst...that some climb would be more than I could bare, or that the tunnel tighter than I would be comfortable to enter. However, with Abuhhhh taking on the tunnels, and me doing the monkey work, I can successfully say that I have done one of the best caches to date, and recovered my 1000th cache. Thank you Slammer for the exciting cache, and the great memories. Now on the rest of the big versions!"

Here are some pictures from the different stages through the multi:






Here is Ian entering the first stage - A narrow tunnel with the second stage clue inside.







Me going after the second stage - A mini ammo box somewhere up this tree - only problem was there were no branches, only little nubs and notches along the way.





Me trying to retrieve a covered matchstick box tied to a branch just out of reach on the 4th stage while walking along a horizontally fallen tree over a little pond area.







The 6th stage, the mini "Lane Change" - climbing REALLY high in the tree to retrieve the last clues for the final:










Slammer had visited earlier in the day, preparing the cache, making sure everything was in tact, and leaving a travel jeep "trophy" for me to retrieve.




After caching with Ian around Tipp City, and clearing the 1,000 cache mark, we celebrated with a set of wings and a few beers at BW-3 on our way back home. It was a good way to relax, and think about the past 4 months of caching. I can't wait for the next 1,000 and what they bring!

The 900 recap

Well, it has been a little bit. I normally get really antsy if I haven't cached in awhile, but it has been an exhausting past few days leading up to and just after the 900th milestone. The day before we went to anderson for our double milestone cache we met up with jcklm to tackle Cincinnati's well known 1/4 cache, RR2K#L - GC677B. It was one of the old railroad tunnels, long abandoned, dark and WET. Well, the entrance was wet, the actual inside was pretty dry. It was a creepy hike, not knowing anything at all to expect with the cache. We passed up it's location on our way in, but backtracked and I made the find. We got some celebratory pictures on the infamous "throne" and made our way out. What a fun cache...but, it was only a taste of what tomorrow will bring.

Sunday Ian and I went to Anderson, Indiana where the 5/5 "Hydrology" - GCXP99 lies. We didn't really know what to expect going into it. The aerial maps show up an icon on the side of a river. We couldn't tell if it was actually in the water, or on the land. That information alone can give it a 5 difficulty. Also, it was a little chilly of a day. Maybe in the 70s, but for the beginning of May, that is still really cold to be getting into a river. We still knew we'd do it anyways.

We didn't get but a few caches on our way up, as we wanted to save for this milestone. We got to the cache at near 1:30-2 o clock in the afternoon, dressed in our water clothes, and analyzed the situation. It appears that we would have to get in. We got in the water, which since it had rained a lot two days prior, came up to atleast my chest. The water wasn't too strong, but it did catch us a few times. We felt more than confident that we'd find the cache, and not too long of looking secured that though. We found the cache, and got more than excited that we just 1) hit another milestone, and 2) found a 5/5 cache! It was a rush. We swam/waded back, dried off, and spent the rest of the day/night caching in the area. Overall I'd say we had almost 35 caches (I think 34).

Another cache we had found afterwards, as directed by the local cacher "doobies" to do was Big Ball of Paint - GC12FPA. The cache was at the Guinness Book of World Record's record holding largest ball of paint. The man there gave us the history of how it got started, how much it weighs and all that, then let us paint a coat on. We painted coat number 21,061. It was very cool, and made it to my list of favorite caches. This was the second cache I've been to at world record holding places (The other being the world's largest basket - GC8F96).

Another funny moment of our day showing up for one of the caches, Another Shadyside Cache - GC105YW that happened to be a 4/1 in a baseball park's parking lot. Anyways, it was one of those micro caches on the end of a piece of rebar in the concrete beams at the end of parking spaces. However, this particular piece of rebar had been welded to it's container, and the welding had broken off; leaving the cache stuck in the ground. However, ingenuity beat out strength and we chewed some gum and got it out. I replied in the log about how "big league chew" comes in handy here. I thought it clever.

Winton Woods CITO & After Party/Campout

So my big number "800" wasn't spent on a challenging multi or a high terrain'd challenge, but it was one of my favorite geocaching memories. It was only my second event, the first being Webling's Come & Go Breakfast. I love camping; and being able to wake up, have CITO in a beautiful park, cache all afternoon, then spend my 6 o'clock on through the night relaxing by the fire with a lager, deep fried turkey, the best chili I've ever had, and lots of other geocachers around was a great memory. Kristen, my fiancee, was able to come out and meet up for dinner and camp out as well.


As most parks in the area, they are open from dawn till dusk. however, just .41 miles from the campgrounds was one of two caches I still have left in the park. Ian (Abuhhhh) and his son (Monkey Midls), Kristen and I all decided we were going to go tackle GC15A7R - In the Belly of the Beast and GCMZB1 - HCPD - The Scene. It was 9:30ish, so already dark...but it looked like we could bushwhack it. On our way out we teamed up with Team Nitro Maxx and began our hike. It took us a little over an hour to hike the over one mile mostly in the dark woods, but what a hike it was - not really even because of a great cache or a spectacular view, but for the excitement and the journey.

A recap of 4 months.

Alright let's start at the beginning. I already mentioned to you the first cache I did with ydissac that got me hooked. (Read previous entry) That was one of four that day he took me on. I soon went back home for the holidays and started caching some around my hometown of Louisville. ydissac and I slowly started knocking off caches in the areas surrounding our work in Sharonville. I visited the fiancee's family near Granville and also spent an afternoon out caching there. Eventually, ydissac and I started hitting this Love Mad series. Eventually I reached my first milestone, Love Mad 23 - GC13CK3 It was different than most micros I've found - a log sheet behind a reflector on a dumpster.

The next day I proposed to Kristen. I had been wondering how I would do it, and I had finally figured out how I would - geocaching.







On January 13th, 2008, I proposed to my girlfriend at Mt. Echo Park. We were going out caching on this cool, lightly raining day, and had stopped in the area. As we stepped out of the car, GPS in her hands seeking cache "GC1209" entitled "Surprise!", she started walking away from the cache location. As she made her way back she shortly after found a camo covered box. As she opened it she found a ring box...and in it, an engagement ring. I got down on my knee and asked her to marry me. Being the FTF, she took the ring. I myself left a girlfriend, and took a fiancee. The cache is now an active geocache, Our Engagement Cache - GC18KKF

After number 100, there was one day of caching I really enjoyed. I was out with my friend Kyle and we had the plan of taking some Mt. Airy caches out. Well, the first destination we had was this cache called Crazy Bike Trail - GC15Q3M. The problem with Crazy Bike Trail is that I didn't look anything up about before looking for it. I started reading logs after about a half hour of not finding anything, and read what people were talking about...RR2K#L and some other stuff. Since I was still new, I didn't know what RR2K#L was...thus not providing me with the information I needed to know where the cache was. Kyle and I left that area and finished all the caches on Kirby's Trail, which was a great hike, and a great series of caches. After we finished we went and grabbed some lunch, and I started reading some logs about CBT. I then came across the comment EarTrumpet had just made about maintenance on the cache. "Didn't see many spiders today, and the raccoon wasn't around, but I did see the bat. Let's see if this container outlives the first two." It was talking with Kyle about this little blurb that got us thinking we knew where we had to look. We went back to the site and immediately planned how to get to the cache. However, was that was the easy way? No...we hadn't spotted that yet. Our was was through the narrow chute...under the 200lb concrete slab we moved. Sheesh. But the good news is we made the grab, and it was the highlight of my caching career at that point. I can't wait to do more like these!

There were more here and there caches which got me to my next milestone, Yellow Handle Communicator - GC18ZD2 Yet again, another challenging micro, only because I had never, and still haven't found one like it. I guess the closest I have gotten to are some of the magnetic micros, but this one was on the back of the ad below the phone. Very tricky...took me several visits and having the owner, Liyah actually out with me to get this one.

I slowly started trying to clear out my downtown area, and even went up to Dayton with Liyah and ydissac to try knocking out some caches there. We ran into POKERBUZZ, and they helped us with lots of caches around. However, one thing they couldn't really help us with was Lane Change - GCVYCK , a 3/4 Multi cache. Liyah was the brave one to get this cache for us. What a rush just watching! This cache involved climbing 2 very different types of trees, very high up. Once to get the second stage, and the second time to retrieve the cache. It was neat going to a different area of town, as the caches even seemed to be hidden a bit differently. Always good to get a taste of how others do it.

Soon I passed 300, and 400...hitting several FTFs and placing several Cache Me If You Can series caches, little places around Cincinnati that I love. I started clearing out Delhi, and getting into some of Colonel Mustards evil "LOST" series, such as Lost Puppy - GCVBPM, a nice 4/1 micro.

On February 27th ydissac and I celebrated my 2 month anniversary trying to get me to my 500th cache. We had a record 37 finds that day with a nice puzzle called Hybrid 5 in 1 - GC12XX7. With this cache, it gives you a log and also coords for 4 other P&Gs. You get 5 smileys for the price of one. It was an easy micro, but so much fun! ydissac and I shared a late night drink to celebrate! You can also listen to Podcacher episode 157 for my phoned in Milestone.

A lot had happened in between 500 and 600 for me. My buddy Andy was enlisted into the military and was going away to boot camp. We were trying to figure out a good way to send him off. We went and bought some cigars, then went to the 4/4 puzzle, Let that which illuminated you, illuminate me - GCKFG3. It was nighttime (as recommended), snowy, and scary as hell. We started off, and it was actually my friends Kyle and Bob who came up with the find. Overall though, every had a great night and Andy was really glad we did that for him.

Not only that, but I went to Brazil for 2 weeks to play guitar for my school's choir tour. Since there weren't many caches there, I could only visit some of the waymarks. However, I did try looking for several caches there with my host, Noela. We went looking for a couple, but one hadn't been logged in almost two years, and the other a year. Luckily for me they both were missing. However, also luckily for me, the owners allowed me to log them, saying they would log me when they replace. Brasilia e seus lugares encantadores! - GCQ91P ended up being my number 550. However, while in Brazil...I started to forget about caching, and began obsessing over Brazil. The sites and sounds were gorgeous. I loved the place, and almost didn't want to leave. I got back home and immediately hated it...until I got back out caching again. I then realized I had lots to catch up with...and that I did!

I got to visit the Shawnee Lookout Cache - GC31A, the oldest cache in Cincinnati area/Ohio. I also tackled the evil 4.5/1.5 puzzle, IDIC/ MADAME WITCH AND COACH T THIS IS FOR YOU!! - GC19XNG I was so ready to be caching again, that I got to 700 in almost as much time as if I wasn't out of the country for 2 weeks. However, number 700 was not the easiest cache.

Pandora's Box - GC1A70R is the name of my 700, and Abuhhhh's 400 - and it was a devil of a hide. It's a 2.5/1 puzzle, where there are 5 keys disguised as travel bugs. Each key has 2 numbers from a set of coords. Get all 5 keys, all put out randomly around the OKI area, and you get the coords to Pandora's Box. It was Coolhipwithit who first found out it was coming about. She was out checking on one of her caches when Hiram, the owner, was placing the first key. She quickly grabbed the key and proceeded to tell Abuhhhh of the new cache that was in the works. He soon found out that 2 more keys got dropped. I decided to grab those two keys. Let me tell you that one of those keys I went for was in Mt. Airy where the EVIL was REALLY working. I was on my way to the cache as some older man started following me to it. I was on the phone with Abuhhhh telling him about it. I'd look around me, and the man was hiding behind a tree watching me. I am really positive I almost got raped...or mugged. Ugh...this Pandora's Box! We asked Coolhip if she wanted to exchange numbers, and she said sure....but then no other word. We got worried for a bit, but then decided we had the upper hand, so we'll be okay - let it play out. Finally, I noticed where the fourth key was placed and ran out to get it. 3 of the 5 keys now rested with us. We got so wound up about it. Day and night Abuhhhh and I both thought about and waited for this last key to get placed. Finally...it did. It was in Kentucky, and I was at work. I called Liyah and asked her if she would get it for us after telling her about it. She agreed. Abuhhhh and I were excited that Pandora's Box would finally be open. However...Liyah also held off the numbers unless we'd give her the numbers we had. The evil has shown again. We started thinking, "what can we do, what can we do!" Finally we decided, we'll just play it cool and see what happens. However, that only worked for so long as sleeplessness set in. It was the morning of the Doe Run CITO. After everything was over, we were walking back to the car when I had an idea - "what if Liyah has her key in her car? We could look at it and get her numbers!" I tried peering in, and low and behold it was hanging from her rear-view mirror. There it was...4 or the 5 sets of numbers. We finally got ahold of Coolhipwithit and decided to meet up, but we tried not to let out that we had that last set of numbers, besides...we all wanted to go together anyways. However, Liyah didn't feel up to it, so she told us the numbers, and we went out looking. While working on the wherabouts of the cache, Abuhhhh and I both got emails from Hiram saying he had to move the cache, and numbers from both of our keys had to be changed. We panicked, but got the updated coords, and started looking. First place we went too -nothing. Original coord location - nothing. AHHH! This Pandora's Box was driving us CRAZY! Later that day, while Abuhhhh and I were caching, Hiram called us, and told us there were coords we needed to ADD to what we had to make the cache work. We called Coolhipwithit, and she met us at the destination. We went out...and sure enough....THERE IT WAS! AT LONG LAST.

Phew...a CRAZY milestone indeed.

Around that same time...a CRAZY micro came out in Echo Park - Smaller than a Needle in a Haystack - GC1AWV5. It was a 5/1.5. I wanted to be FTF, but the coords put me in the middle of a field. I looked there for an hour with no luck. Days went by, and a few comments by the owner put me closer and closer to the cache. The Witch was FTF, then someone else found, then another. I was getting frustrated with it being the closest cache to me, and spent 7 trips going out there, and 6 hours looking. Finally...I came up with the grab.

I also ended up going back to Louisville for Thunder Over Louisville - the firework/ air show kick off to Derby. I loaded a query of earthcaches, virtuals, and some other caches around the city. It turned out to be a very successful weekend, pulling in 59 caches for me. It was until coming back to Cincinnati, and on the Winton Woods CITO that I was able to get myself to the big number 8-0-0.

That in so many (or so few) words brings me to today.