Caching along...

Just some more fun Geocaching Adventures to share!!

***SPOILERS*****  Don't keep reading if you don't want to see the hiding spots!!

My 1st cache of 2019 is one I've been eyeing for a bit.  It was in a parking lot of a place my boyfriend and I always get food.  But we're usually rushing in and out, so I've never wanted to go hunting for it and make him wait.  Well - the other day we were with the kiddo and had to wait for our food so what a perfect time to go find that cache!!  And we did!! 

It was a magnetic by a bank!

1st 2019 cache!

My next adventure was the very next day.  My usual cache'ing with my friend Julie after our monthly brunch!

Now - this time I thought we'd try my 1st mystery cache.  Never done one of those and there seemed to be one up the street.  You were led to this mural on a bank and then asked questions about the mural to give you hints for the cache.

The mural

It was kind of like the multi cache I did a while back with my friend Robin.  But this one I think gave us coordinates that I couldn't figure out!!!  An example was one question was "How many hats are in the mural?"  take that number and add 2.  Things like that.  But the coordinates didn't seem to have the same amount of numbers that the other ones did so we were super confused.  The hint said "Magnetic/Keep Out" so we tried to figure it out.  We went around that damn bank at least 5 or 6 times.  We spent probably a good half hour looking for it (my friend is super competitive which I love) before we decided we should quit.  As we were standing out in front I looked across the street and saw a good place for a cache - so I said let's just look there then leave.  Guess what - IT WAS THERE!!!!  We could not believe it!!

Julie was still mad at how hard it was...

After we laughed and logged our find, we decided we had time for one more easy one.  So we grabbed another one of the BRC ones that are hidden on boogers in DTSA.  So 2 for 2!

Easy booger find!

On MLK day, since we all had it off, the boy, his kiddo and I hit up a trail near his house.  I had noticed on the map there was a lot of caches along this walk, and he's trying to get his kiddo to enjoy hiking/walking more so we thought this would be fun!  It was a cold/windy day but we found 5 out of 7!  Plus these were super cool caches!!!!

1st one was called Trick or Treat.  Super easy to find and full of good stuff!  I left a unicorn!

It's like a big cookie can!

I love caching!

We didn't find the 2nd one, but it hadn't been found since July so we figured it may be gone.  The next one was probably my favorite one to date!  The person actually built this awesome cache!!  It's a bird house that the bottom opens up and a container is built into the house!!  So rad and creative!!  We were thrilled at this find!

Huge mushroom!

This was the raddest cache!!!

Not just a bird house....

Next up was a pretty easy one since the title basically gave it away.  But it was another neat one - the top of the chain link fence pole - you unscrewed the top and a film can was mounted in it!

She's totally getting into it

Next up was looking for a "Pill Box" which I was so not expecting this!

Our last one was pretty awesome too - a huge ammo can full of goodies!!

It's out here somewhere!!

Found it!

We did try to find another one, but again - it was one that hadn't been found for a few months so we didn't look too hard.  But 5 in one day was pretty good!

Sweater Head

One night my friend Taylor and I had a sushi dinner.  I have told him about my cache obsession but he has yet to join me, so after dinner I asked..."Wanna go find one real quick?"  He was down.  There are a bunch along Tustin Street that are called PUB Crawl (PUB for Public Utility Boxes I think).  I've found 1 of these one night after sushi with another group you'll see in an earlier blog.  So we headed over to one next door to the Post Office behind Arbys.  It was dark and no one was really around so we quickly zipped back there and found it pretty quick!  Yay!

Cold Night Cache Adventure

Taylor's 1st Cache!

One night after my bowling I had the weirdest craving for some grease.  So, I pulled into a Del Taco then remembered there was a cache!  It was in the back on a booger.  Sadly it super soaked from the rain so I couldn't sign it but I logged it!!

Damn rain!

Over my birthday weekend I met up with my friend Shan and told her all about caching.  I was super excited to see there was one walking distance we could go find.   It was a fun one!!  It was actually a little tube stuck inside a rock.  Totally looked like a garden decoration!  I guess the folks at the office it's in front of are totally in on it.

Shan's 1st cache!

Also on my birthday weekend the boy and his little and I did some caching.  She's getting a bit more into it, and it was my birthday so that's what I wanted to do! Ha!  So we did.  We were 2 for 4.  The 1st one we looked everywhere for, but no luck.  The 2nd one the little actually already knew where it was so that was an easy grab.

She always has a poking stick

We then headed over to a park and looked for 2 more.  We found the 1st one.  Super cool!  The log was wood!  I've never seen that before!

Coolest log!!!

We then looked for another, but no luck.  We may have found it but it was empty and we weren't sure if that was it or not so I marked DNF in case.

I'm having so much fun being a cacher!!!

An Anniversay, A Valentine and My Birthday...

With the exception of us having one of the coldest damn winters we've ever had (35 degrees?! Are you kidding me?!) February has been a pretty damn good month!

February 2nd is Patrick and my anniversary!  One year ago on February 2nd, 2018 I walked over to the Circle and met him at Haven Gastropub for dinner, then we meandered over to Provisions then ended up at Avila's.  We ended the night with the sweetest 1st kiss I've ever had.  Here we are a year later celebrating!

He planned a super sweet evening for us.  We started the night at Ten Bistro which was delicious!  I had my 1st black rice sushi!

Yummy!

He surprised us with a night at a nearby hotel for an evening away.  It had a random room we took a few photos in, enjoyed the jacuzzi in the rain and had a fun fantastic evening.

Our room for the night!

Love him

Random Neat Room in the Hotel

New profile!

It's been a long time since I ever imagined I would even have an anniversary!

Not long after was Valentine's Day.  It's been over 15 years since I had a Valentine!  We didn't want to be super extravagant but we did want to do something, so after searching around we found a restaurant that had a decent priced special and was going to have a Spanish Guitarist play.  Perfect!!  Or so we thought...

We showed up, dolled up a bit to Eats Kitchen in Hotel Irvine.  I had high hopes because I had read some good reviews.  Sadly no.  The place was more like a Denny's rather than a Gastropub like it advertises.  And although the special was a good price - appetizer, 2 entrees, a dessert and a bottle of wine for $90 - the food was not good. Crunchy weird tiny scallops, soggy couscous, bacon that was supposed to be prosciutto, lord.  The worst part - there was no Spanish Guitarist!!  That's the whole reason we went there.  It's so hard to find classical guitar performances around here so we were so excited.  It was some dude playing cover songs.  WTF.  So even though our V-Day dinner was a bust, we of course still enjoyed each other's company and later was fun too.  *wink*

My handsome Valentine

Meh

This was actually really good!  Those little marshmallow things were awesome!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Then a little while later - Is my Birthday!!!!

As per usual I was hemming and hawwing because I didn't know what to do.  My birthday fell on a Saturday so I felt I had to do something, but it's so damn cold and I'm kind of old and tired for big crowds and parties but I don't want to do nothing but AAAAAAAHHHHH!



Well thanks to my mother we ended up having a few people over to her house that night to celebrate me.  There ya go.  Done and Done.  She did it all in a Woodland Theme which was the fucking cutest and about 15 or so of my closest friends.  Thank you mom for rescuing me!

It actually started a few days early when one of my co-workers gave me a bottle of yummy wine and my team gives flowers.

I took the Friday off and my dad took me to breakfast to one of my favorite places - Eat Chow then birthday shopping!  Yay!

Love you Daddy!

That evening was my celebration with Patrick since he wasn't going to able to make my actual birthday.  So we went to a really nice dinner back at the place we went last year for my birthday called Black Trumpet!  It moved into a better location and it was just as delicious as I remember!

Fancy Ding Dong

He then gave me the best presie!!!

But what I also loved was the envelope it came in.  Seriously the sweetest!

I seriously love this

And yes I kept it

On my actual birthday one of my best friends took me out for a birthday pedi!

Cheers Robin!

I then pretty much just hung out at mom's helping her get ready for my little gathering.  It was so much fun.  She got a ham and made her potato salad per my request.  We noshed, drank, laughed, played Cards Against Humanity (yes my mom did too) and had a really awesome evening!  A perfect way to start of my 43rd year around the sun!

Keri gettin in on the grub

My mom rules

Terri knows my situation....so rad!

Robin was dog sitting so we had little Pug Friends!

Mom of course made party favors!  They were filled with Trail Mix

 The next day the celebrations didn't stop.  My friend Carol took me out to a lovely breakfast in San Clemente, then I met up with friend Shan who treated me to a Rose tasting!

Rose Everyday!

I then zipped over to Patrick's place because the little had something planned.  I walked into to a little surprise party!  She had decorated the house so very cute and gave me some fuzzy kitty socks!  Absolutely made my weekend!

Thank you Elise!

It was a perfect birthday weekend for sure!!

Feeling very happy and very loved!!