My streak is tiny compared to...
After thinking about posting my "streak story" this afternoon, I came here to see what others have said about their streaks. Now, my story doesn't seem like such a big deal compared to some others I read here. Nonetheless, I still want to share it, because I KNEW I had it coming & I know that others who have been "streaking" have probably done the same thing.
So I took a few months off from the caching trail. Well, 18 months to be exact. After my short hiatus, I chose to jump back in on Aug. 1, the day I realized started the 2013 August Streak challenge at GC.com.
I had no intentions of doing a streak EVER, but decided after finding another cache on Aug 2nd to jump all in & try it.
Today, I had an important afternoon meeting. The last 26 days I've had plenty if time after work to stop by & grab a smiley here & there. But today I needed to make sure I was at my meeting. So, right after work I ran home, showered, & headed to my meeting.
All the while thinking, "I need to grab my cache." But I continued to tell myself "It'll be ok. You've left yourself some close, easy caches to grab, just for this occasion."
My meeting ended at 7:30pm. I hopped in my vehicle & started out toward a brand new Arkfiremedic cache, hoping to score a FTF. As I pulled up my caching app (b/c I didn't have my GPSr) I notice my battery life is at 20% & I do not have a car charger handy. iPhone users will understand how I feel about this. Not only is my battery life low, it's soon to be dark. The new cache was at least 10 miles away & I knew I couldn't be there before dark, so I had to choose a "reserve" cache. One of many I had been saving, just in case I found myself in this situation.
So I head to my reserve. I pull up to GZ at 7:40pm & give it a really good look. I mean, it's a 1 1/2 difficulty, I should've had it by now. NOPE, not that easy. I know I'm on a time crunch w/ sunset & a quickly dissolving battery, now at 18%, & so I'm in a rush to find it.
I give up after a couple of minutes & decide to head a few blocks over to reserve #2.
I pull up to "Rock Island Row" (the name of this cache) & the place us covered up with muggles. NOT good, not good at all.
Its 7:50pm & I'm down to 15% battery & without a flashlight.
So, I've only got one chance left before my phone app is gone & I'm completely in the dark.
I quickly pull up my last ditch effort to save my cache streak. A cache that I really needed to save for a "family cache outing". At this point I can only hope Mz. Muggle will forgive me for going & getting this smiley w/out her.
You see, this cache is at the place where I proposed to her, 18 years ago.
Without thinking about it too much, I drove straight to GZ. My third & final shot at 27 consecutive caches for the month of August. Right where my heartfelt proposal took place.
By now, it's just too dark to see, so I just start grabbing for containers in the dark. My phone is at 12% battery life & it's 8:05pm. At that moment, my hand brushes against the prize I've been searching for. A very small, plastic, semi-waterproof container, that is holding the piece of paper I need to jot my name on. WHAT, my pen won't write? That is correct.
I start scribbling, round & round on an old envelope I found in my floorboard trying to get some sort of ink out of the only ink pen I have available.
I do manage to poorly sign my initials to the log, along with the date.
Luckily I learned to leave myself a few caches available close to home, thanks to reading some posts here in the forums.
I'm very thankful for you seasoned cachers, who post here, tips, tricks, & ideas so that others, like me, will have a better chance of surviving these sort of situations.
I could have very easily ended my little streak at 26. But because of you all & local cachers who love to hide, I've survived to see another day to streak.
By the way, my plan is NOT to stop at 31!
Now I've got to figure out how to make this up to Mz. Muggle. Maybe a new pair of flip flops will help.
Happy caching & thank you.
