Toga!

I finished my toga!

Tom and I are attending GeoWoodstock in Cincinnati later this month, and one of the activities is a Roman Festival, where 100 trackable medallions will be handed out at random to people who wear togas. After doing some Google image searches, I decided to lean heavily on the idea of a Doric Chiton. With a large tablecloth (for the garment), some curtain tie-backs (as a belt), gold crochet thread (I crocheted a headpiece), two large buttons (on the shoulders) and a sheer cloth remnant (the sash), I think I've come up with something that I can wear proudly. And even if I don't win a medallion, at least I had fun creating the ensemble!

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

On Saturday, Tom and I will be attending the 2016 MGS Summer Picnic, and I decided to bring a No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake, among other things. Since it has to chill for several hours, I made it tonight.

No Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

• 19 oz graham crackers
• 2 pounds fresh strawberries
• 3 ½ c ups heavy cream
• 1 banana, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Cream powdered sugar, vanilla and salt with the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until the cream mixture holds stiff peaks.
2. Spread a thin layer of heavy cream mix in a 9x13 pan just to coat the bottom.
3. Layer 5 graham crackers across the center of the pan, then 2 more, breaking them as needed to fit around the top and bottom edges.
4. Spread a thick layer of heavy cream mix over grahams and top with a hearty layer of sliced strawberries.
5. Place graham crackers on top of strawberries, then heavy cream mix, then layer of thinly sliced bananas.
6. Repeat the graham-strawberries-cream layers 1 more time (3 times total) and you should reach the top of the pan.
7. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until the graham crackers have softened completely.
8. Top with a few sliced strawberries or whole strawberries if you desired.
9. Serve chilled.

We'll see on Saturday how it turned out.

Our Fourth of July

Mom's phone call came earlier last week, "What are you doing this weekend?" I told her I was working and she mentioned that she thought that we might get together to do a little geocaching. I told her of the plans that Tom and I had already made for July 4^th - geocaching along the C&D Canal - and would they like to join us? Talk to your Dad. I explained the plan to Dad, and invited them to come along. He'd let us know. Thursday, we knew.

We got a relatively early start, leaving shortly after 8 a.m., and between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., we had found 121 caches. Overall, it was a good time, and we got most of the ones that I had hoped for. Around 5 p.m., it started to rain, and we got soaked. At that point, we had just over 100 caches, but the next level badge on BadgeGen was 120 finds in a 24 hour period, so we cached for 5 more hours!

Having Phoon at C&D Canal

It was frustrating (arguing with the chauffer), exhausting (walking over seven miles) and rewarding (woo-hoo, 120 caches in 24 hours!), among other things. I don't know when we'll have the chance to do something like that again, so I'm glad for the opportunity.

Trip to Gettysburg

Tom and I had planned a trip to Gettysburg to go on a paranormal investigation, and on the way there, we did a little geocaching. After finding the first cache, I got the Pennsylvania souvenir.

Polly Want a Cracker?

Survivor - No Survivor - White Church

Inn and Out, Out and Inn

First Killed at Gettysburg, pt 1

CINMAR South Mountain: Smithsonian NMNH GeoTour

Stuff Found at Work

Stuff Found at Work

P.O. Box - Aberdeen

P.O. Box - Aberdeen

I'm STUMPED!!

I'm Stumped

My Merit Badge Cache

My Merit Badge Cache

Atari 2600 Tribute: Asteroids!

Atari 2600 Tribute: Asteroids!

Yellow Box #56

Yellow Box #56

It's in the clear!

It's in the clear!

What in blue Blazes

What in blue Blazes

Perryville Station Archway

Perryville Station Archway

Roadside Trail

Roadside Trail

Atari 2600 Tributes: Missile Command & Pac-Man

Atari 2600 Tribute: Missile Command!

Atari 2600 Tribute: Pac-Man!

And my phone died after that picture :-(

Porto Caelestis

Porto Caelestis

I'm a little proud that I found this cache, in that it was a "lonely cache" - it hadn't been found in over a year.

Geocaching Proving Grounds

Today was a good day for me. Tom agreed to go to Cedar Lane Regional Park (aka Geocaching Proving Grounds) with me to go in search of several geocaches there. After looking at the map of the area on Geocaching.com, it looked like there were several Premium Geocaches there. I couldn't access the descriptions or coordinates of those caches, since I'm not a Premium member (Premium Membership is a pay feature, and I'm not ready for that purchase, yet), but I did print out the map, with the intention of doing a cursory search, but nothing too intensive. In the end, we found three regular geocaches, we located the fourth, but I need a ladder to get at it, and surprise, we found three of the five premium geocaches! I definitely want to take Dad and Dodo there, both to show them the area, and to get the last couple of caches!

Hello & Goodbye

Well Excuuuse Me! (premium)

Scuba Divers Delight

51 Cards? Not Playing With A Full Deck Revisited (premium)

I spotted the corner of a plastic bag hanging out, but I need a ladder for Ghost to the Post. I'll get to it another day.

________ Stanley

Give that Fan a Contract (premium)

I 95 Park and Fry

I 95 Park and Fry

I actually found this one last night, but there was no log in the box, so I wasn't sure if it was the correct location. After messaging the cache owner, he confirmed that this was the correct location, and allowed me to log the cache as found.

Blythedale Guard

Blythedale Guard

No DialTone

No DialTone