{Not} Living Vicariously

Three hour tour

So team WagThatTAIL(s) went geocaching Tuesday morning with substitute pooch Shiloh having left Lindy in Tennessee. What we though would be a short jaunt, back in time to watch part of the inauguration, turned into our own version of Gilligan's Island. We took the long route to the first cache on our route by following Ziggy and not my knowledge of the chapparel (b/c my knowledge is not good enough to translate the map into paths I've walked). Not finding that one, we did quickly move on to caches 2 and 3 and found both of them. I was ready to head back then, but the 4th looked so close. And, as the crow flew, it probably was close. Getting there wasn't too bad (and we found it), it was the getting out. We knew Shiloh's house was only a mile away. It was just a really long mile (try more like 3) by the time we wound our way back through the trails I knew to get home. Too bad neither one of us brought our phones. We couldn't even call for a rescue. Thus, the quick 1 hour walk turned into a 3 hour walk. Shiloh needs better navigational skills . . . Soloflight, you work on that!

At least we did burn off many of the calories we consumed that day.

3 trips in 5 days

A. made a comment this past week that still makes me giggle "I'm playing the quiet game, and I'm winning."

This was made on the second of three trips my father made to LA and back over the course of 5 days. He drove down Sat. to pick four of us up for a reunion in Paso, then on Monday we went back down to drop my brother and fiancee off while A. and I went back with him to Lompoc, then on Wednesday he got up to do it again to drop A. and I off for our flight out of LA back to TN. Is the man applying for sainthood or something? Luckily we had lots of catching up to do so for the most part the trips were full of conversation. Although there was a lull at one point and that was when, after being asked if he was okay, A. let us know that he was winning the quiet game.

It was good to go home and see family, even for just a short time. My only problem is that I came back and promptly got sick. Seems to happen every time I'm on a flight these days. My allergies just can't handle it. Does Airbourne work? Or something else? Because I'm getting tired of being sick after having fun. Makes me not quite enjoy the fun so much.

Stay well yourself!

One too many silver cars . . .

I bought a new car about 3 months ago, a silver Honda Accord. I knew there were lots of silver cars out there, however I also knew that it wouldn't show the dirt that much and there was a lot to be said for that after owning a black one and having to wash it constantly.

I tend to park in the same spot pretty consistently at work. I get there between 6:45 and 7:00 am every day and the parking lot is not very full.  However, one day recently, when I arrived, there was a silver Nissan Altima in my spot. I didn't think too much about it, just parked one over from it. Then, unusually for me, I had to leave at lunch time. I walked out to the parking lot, clicked my unlock button, and grabbed the door handle. The door did not open. It took a moment and then I realized I was trying to get into the Altima. Oops. I walked over to my car, got in and drove off.

One too many silver cars in the parking lot . . .

11 for 12

New Year's Day we went down to see some of the family in Deckard, TN. Cousins of A. live down there and have just moved into a house they designed and built. Very lovely and perfect for their family. We did the traditional New Year foods of black eyed peas, greens (turnip), and pork (via ribs). We also snacked on lots of other yummies and watched a little football. However, instead of the multiple games we watched with them last year, we went out geocaching instead. A. has two of his cousins hooked on it as well so 13 of us piled into two cars and off we went. One person "Wild Thing 73" has established 100s of caches in Franklin County, TN and we managed to find 11 of the 12 we looked for that day. If we'd only had a flashlight . . . we would have been 12 for 12. Mental note: add flashlight to geocache kit!

I hope the New Year is treating you well! Best wishes everyone.