Category: Geocaching

Discussions & comics dealing with the hobby (obsession) of using multi-billion dollar satellites to find Tupperware in the woods.

MINI Takes The States 2024 – The Recap

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Bruce

On July 10th I headed out west to be a part of “The MINI TransAmerican Motortastic Road Trip to End All Road Trips Rally” ver. 9.0 You’ve heard me trying to help people prior to the start. Once I got on the road all I can say is it was a lot of driving… roundtrip somewhere around 6,700 miles. This was my ninth time going on this drive put on by MINIUSA every two years (Postponed once due to a pandemic). I’ve also gone to the European version- MINI United which is basically a long weekend party. In 2009 it was at Silverstone Raceway in the United Kingdom. They stopped doing MINI United in 2012. Basically this one was Albuquerque to Seattle with two days in the middle where you were on your own.

The diversity of this country comes into full view as you drive the roads throughout each state. You learn so much about how big and beautiful our country is when you see it from the road. I do recommend this type of travel to everyone, MINI Takes the States makes it a bit easier.

The route is planned for you, all you need to do is show up in the morning for breakfast at the appointed time and get a route sheet. Do you have to follow it? No, you can do whatever you want, but… With MTTS MINI provides Roadside Assistance to those on the route… not on the route? They’ll still help, but it might take more time and there are “vultures, vultures everywhere!” 🤪

The trip from Indy to Albuquerque wasn’t bad at all, I listened to two books Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs on the history of TSR and NPCs by Drew Hayes, a fantasy involving what happens when a bunch of Non Player characters decide to go on a adventure. I liked them both. When I arrived in Albuquerque I went to the airport and picked up Sue.

The next day we visited the Very Large Array and then headed north to check into MTTS at Sandia MINI. There we met up with some friends, passed out buttons and stickers, and picked up our lanyards, water bottles, and goodie bag. The cost for one person to go “All the Way” is $200. You get some swag, but the most important pieces are probably your lanyard with your badge and your wristband. This year they went with #CampMINI as a theme and we were divided into troops. Each troop was named after a MINI color and an animal. Sue and I were part of the Volcanic Orange Scorpions. There were competitions each morning pitting each troop against each other for fame and prizes. At registration they also handed us a bingo card to go meet new people. When completed we could turn this in for a merit badge. We stuck around discovering that many of our friends from past MTTS events were having some trouble and their MINIs were being serviced, before leaving tomorrow. We heard about a group getting together in Old Town for dinner and decided to join them. After many spilled drinks (mostly water) we ate and then headed back to the hotel to prepare for the first Rise & Shine.

Online terror strikes with people concerned about pretty much everything. We weren’t overly concerned since we had done this before and we actually do travel a bit. Having a trunk also helps because most of your things are out of sight. Each night we would bring in our cooler, our small suitcases, our snack bag and daypacks. We had planned for being on the road for over two weeks so we knew we would be recycling some clothes. we also knew space was tight.

First photo for MTTS as I entered Albuquerque I saw the supply trucks from the Interstate.

The Rise & Shine

We started off at the Balloon Fiesta Park with excitement levels high. There is a row of tents each dealing with something and over the course of the trip you get into a groove as to where to go.

  • Registration Tent- If you missed registration yesterday or are joining now, this is your first stop. You get you water bottle, folding daypack, lanyard, wristband and other SWAG.
  • Check-In Tent- If you’ve already registered, here is where you pick up today’s button. You are given a button at each location. You may also get other SWAG that they may give out for that day. Exclusive super cool stuff… or not, matters the day.
  • MINI Financial Services – in 2022 they gave out magnets for each state, this time around they went with window clings which are harder to steal. If you had a MINI credit card you could also get something special if you showed your card. MINI Financial Services has embraced being eco friendly so they had just announced a new card made from the plastics floating around the ocean.
  • Merch Tent – Yes, you can get a grill badge, t-shirt, sweatshirt…
  • Plant Oxford – Our guests from across the pond. They were giving away chances to take classes in Thermal, CA and you can sign the bonnet of their MINI Countrymen which will be hung in Thermal for all to see. They also had a couple of different buttons.
  • MINI Connected – Learn about all the cool tech in the latest model of MINI. They gave out pins highlighting one of the many features provided by MINI Connected.
  • American Camp Association – MTTS is a way for MINI owners to do good. This year we were motoring for Keep America Beautiful and The American Camp Association. Here You could donate and receive limited edition MINI SWAG or you could buy raffle tickets for the daily MINI Lifestyle package.
  • Breakfast – Ranged from Pancakes to other breakfast fare… sadly, no breakfast burritos. 😢
  • Urban X – showing off their cool 3D Printers and making license plate frames.
  • MINI Services – raffling off a cooler and a chance for free oil changes for 3 years. They also started scanning keys and printing out a picture of your MINI it’s mileage and how many services were due.
  • There would be other tents sometimes local dealerships selling shirts, or local groups telling you about the area.

Everyone got into a rhythm as to where to go first what to save for last. Throughout the morning our mistress of ceremonies, Dez, would go over things you should know, but many people didn’t listen to. This was when games would be played, the raffles would occur and execs would come up and say a few words. Raffle rules: your name is called three times and then the ticket goes into “THE POCKET OF DOOM.”💀

Once the morning is over we are sent to our cars, and we head off through a gauntlet of MINI people waving flags and cheering us on. Somedays this was 7-9am others 7-10am

Highlights from the Road Leg 1: Albuquerque to Salt Lake City

Each day brought about different scenery each unique. Day one for us ended with us in peril… OK not too much peril, but still. We had stopped for gas and a short break about an hour outside of Durango. When we restarted Alfie there was a red warning indicator which looked like the car was in the garage on a lift. If it were amber, I’d probably drive on… a little anxious, but still get into town and have it checked out in the morning. The car did start. However it was red… red usually means bad things. I called Roadside Assistance explained what was going on and was told a service vehicle should be there within an hour. I then got a call from the service vehicle and explained it was probably nothing, but I wanted to checked out. They arrived. and everything started with some laughing and a belief by everyone that it was “nothing.” Then came an “oh.” and next thing we know it, Mike Peyton, VP of MINIUSA is there and two other corporate MINIs. I kept repeating that I just had the car in days before I left… It seemed the FRM Module (which runs things that don’t make the car drive, things like the lights) had gone out. It was a known issue in that these things have an expiration date (kinda) they run so many actions and then – they die. There is no way to predict it… it just happens. So we are stranded…

As the story goes Jim McDowell the first VP of MINIUSA was at Disney and noticed that a kid had dropped their ice cream within a few minutes, the ice cream had been cleaned up by a cast member, and the kid had a new one. They say he felt that MINI Takes the States should have the same kind of service. If something goes wrong, the MINI owner should be taken care of. We were. One of those Countrymen were emptied out and we were handed the keys. Alfie would be towed to Salt Lake City and we could pick him up there. We had a 2025 MINI Countryman for about three days. I’ve already written up my feelings about the Biggest MINI ever so I won’t go into it. My only regret was Mike Peyton did offer to go over the new controls with me, and I turned him down… I still don’t know about many of the Easter Eggs hidden in the large round screen. We christened our new MINI “Joel Incognito” “Joel” because that’s who we took him from- the MINI kept say “Hello Joel” and “Incognito” because no one knew us since we weren’t driving the Roadster.

It was a great drive and each Rise and Shine brought about the same vibe. I spent a lot of time running around handing out pins and stickers something I will do less of in the future (you don’t get to spend that much time caching up with friends). I will note that while driving “Joel Incognito” I noticed that we did blend in with other cars on the road. MINI says the new Countryman is the “Biggest MINI ever” as if that should be a point of pride… ummm… We were driving through some small town in Colorado in a mixed line of cars when I saw this woman on the side of the road waving like a crazy person at all the MINIs going by. When the “regular” cars came by she stopped waving. We were sandwiched between a couple of non-MINIs and I watched her stop waving. She then looked around for other MINIs. We started waving at her and she ignored us. Still looking for MINIs to wave at. The new model doesn’t have the same characteristics as what people consider a “MINI” it’s just another car. While Members of the MINI community may politely embrace this change, the general public is looking for what they think of as a MINI.

We arrived in Salt Lake City and headed over to MINI of Murray to pick up Alfie. He was repaired and we happily drove off leaving some surprises for whoever ended up with Joel Incognito next. (stickers buttons, a drawing and note of “thanks.” That night was an evening event celebrating the end of the first leg. With lots of posts about parking, food, and confusion from the people who don’t listen to Dez when she makes announcements.

The group photo of those who had attended all nine MINI Takes The States and could make the photo… so many were missing. (See Seattle for the other photo)

Choose Your Own Adventure

Between Salt Lake City and Bozeman we had two days on our own. We were told MINI Takes The States staff would be off the clock, that regular Roadside Assistance would work, but the special set up for MTTS would not. Go have fun and explore. Which we did.

We started with a quick trip into Herriman, UT to see the “Up House.” Then to Promontory to the Golden Spike. From there we went into Idaho and the Museum of Clean. The next day took us to Jackson Wyoming and our first Troll of the trip. From Jackson we headed into the national parks. Ending up in Boseman for the night.

Highlights from the Road Leg 2: Bozeman to Seattle

The Return of Jim McDowell – The prime Chief Motorer returned from retirement to join us on the second leg. For those of us who had done MTTS since the beginning this was like the second coming- with a squirt gun. He was just one of us on this trip, but it was great to see him and his wife having a great time reconnecting with MINI owners. Yes, he tried to kidnap Cecil on multiple occasions, but that was part of the fun of having Jim around.

I’ve spoken about the diversity of our country, and sometimes we have stereotypes. one that persists is how the Pacific Northwest is pretty much mountains and pine trees… nope. A lot of Washington state is fields, 75% of all hops used in beer production in the US comes from this area. It is also pretty hot until you cross through the mountains.

MINI Roadside Assistance to the rescue (again) – When we left for the last Rise & Shine a low tire indicator when off. We pulled into the Roadside Side Assistance Tent, and the quickly discovered a very small, slow leak in one of my tires… They said keep an eye on it, and get it patched in Seattle. Which I did.

The last Rise and Rally was interesting, here is where MINIUSA auctions off all the stuff from the trip so they don’t have to carry it back, and it brings in a nice sum to the charity. over the years we have picked up a few items at these auctions and plan ahead since they are cash only. This time I had my eye on the Volcanic Orange Scorpions Troop flag and Sue wanted to continue our collection of event banners. The hardest part about this and anything else is the limited space in a MINI. We’ve been living for two weeks out of our little car and over the stops picked up stuff. Usually t-shirts or other small things, but still we had little or no room. With that in mind we did not go for the Large “Welcome to…” signs or the “Jelly Beans” used to direct people to the event. We dis get what we wanted, so we were happy.

The Museum of Flight

The final event was held at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, there were the typical questions about parking and food. There was a mob to get into the Museum where we earned our “wings” which was awesome. One thing they also had (which drew the largest crowd) was the extras- buttons, pins, stickers that were left over from the trip. Sadly, for those of us who had “Gone all the Way” this meant that some of the exclusive items weren’t that exclusive anymore. While it is a bit of gambling- pay for the last day and get all the swag you missed. Of course Sue and I live by what we call the “Harley-Davidson Rule” – Buy the bike, then buy the shirt. So we won’t buy or wear stuff from things we haven’t done. As with all rules it can be bent, I wore a MINI cap years before I bought a MINI. (Still wear the cap) I just recall once wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers jacket my parents had bought me and getting quizzed by a sports geek about the team. I wore it because I grandfather was a fan and almost failed out of high school because he would skip class to go to games. After that I stopped wearing the jacket. Those who know me well, know I know nothing about sports.

…and so it ends at the Museum of Flight as it began…
A portion of the group that has participated in every MTTS since 2006. Kind of the “Perfect Attendance Club” There are around 14 of us crazy folks.

Oh, for the record it was catered and parking was available.

Pictures or It Didn’t Happen

So what did I learn from my 9th running of MINI Takes The States?

  • Be flexible, things happen, go with the flow.
  • Don’t Panic, it’s silly when you panic over stuff like “Where do I park?” or “Will they provide food?” you will find a place to park, and if no food is provided you can get something somewhere else.
  • Buy early… if you want SWAG, make sure to get it your first day.
  • Don’t obsess over buttons, stickers, koozies, ducks, or other signature items. You’ll be spending your time trying to hand things out instead of meeting people.
  • Fill up when you reach half a tank.
  • Leave yourself some room. Don’t overpack. We brought a cooler for drinks and ended up leaving in it Washington because it took up too much space.
  • While I loved having two days in the middle – it made it like it was two different trips. So many new people jumped in that it was like starting all over again, with people not understanding what was going on.
  • I missed the Surprise and Delights… With only one gathering each day there was limited time to get to chat with other Motorers. Therefore it was harder to find a group to drive with if that’s what you wanted. The only Surprise and Delight was on the first leg, a drive through photo op, which didn’t lend itself to getting together unless you were waiting in line at the port-o-let.
  • I need to keep in contact with my tribe better. While I’m an introvert and tend to like being by myself. I missed sharing meals with my MINI peeps. We were fortunate enough to meet up a couple of times on the road, but still.
  • Let the crazies be crazy. There are a number of people who think they are a “Professional driver on a closed course” and will drive dangerously. Enjoy your drive, stay safe and avoid those idiots like the plague. Give them all the room they need so you won’t get hurt.
  • I’m looking forward to MTTS 2026 (if it happens- nothing official has been announced) Do I care where or when? not in the least.
  • Need to plan/remember to get Adventure Labs in the places we visit or along the way… I made a list an promptly ignored it.
  • In this day and age we have learned something- there are too many places to get bad information. MTTS has a bunch of groups- MINI Takes The States 2024 (now 2026), MINI Takes the States- First Time Newbies, MINI Takes The States – Going All The Way, and a bunch of repeat groups (some set up by scammers). All giving out similar but in many cases slightly different information. I hope that by the next one, either there will be a central location to get information, or MINIUSA works with one of the Social Media groups to get official information out in a quick reliable way. Having an event App only helped a bit and sometimes led to more confusion.

By The Numbers

  • Days Motored: 19
  • States Motored in: 15 (We have now traveled through all 50 states in some way or another)
  • Miles Motored : 6,392 not counting a tow to Salt Lake City and driving “Joel Incognito”
  • Approx. Hotel Cost for the Actual Days of MTTS: $2700
  • Approx. Fuel for the actual Dates of MTTS: $850
  • Registration All the Way for two: $200
  • Official SWAG: $140
  • Donations: All in Cash so a bunch- One Event Banner, One Troop Flag, numerous raffle tickets, One Oxford Plant polo shirt (aka the most expensive MINI shirt ever)
  • Food: Umm… I never try to figure this out since we have to eat no matter where we are.
  • Geocaches & Adventure Lab stages: 125 We only have Alaska to go then we will have found a geocache in every U.S. State.
  • Signature SWAG handed out/lost: 41 MINIons Take the States Buttons, 33 MINIons Take The States Stickers, 90 MINIon 4238 buttons, 32 Extinct MINI Cooper Motoring Society Window Clings (v.1), 13 LEGO ducks, 20 MTTS 2024 classic stickers.
  • Buttons, Signature SWAG, Ducks collected: Does it really matter?
  • Photos taken: 1,056
  • Trolls (Thomas Dambo Sculptures) visited: 12, 15 if you count the portals.

The Journey Home

On the way home we stopped off to see family and then more trolls which, by now, might be like family, but aren’t. We made it safely back to rest for a few days before the next Whimventure®

Secret Origins of Super Villains

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Bruce


First Appearance of Cecil – Evil GeoCaching Monkey Bent On World Domination
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Indy’s Lamest cache GC100CE

published 12/28/2006
* Found by ProfessorZoom
* 01/02/2007

Indiana, United States


Here’s the log… the very first time Cecil-Evil GeoCaching Monkey Bent on World Domination had ever been mentioned. How did it happen- I was asked to write something silly or creative or something like that…

The red phone rang- it only did that when a call was coming in so I picked it up. The receiver was heavy in my hand as I listened to the call to adventure. “Zoom, you must find this cache… the safety of the free world is depending on it.” I took down the coordinates and thought to myself, I may need some backup on this one – it was in a part of town known for danger. I explained the mission to Mrs. Zoom as we sped to the coordinates, “It looks like a basic park and grab, but I sense there may be more to it than just that.” She looked at the coordinates and asked “Are you sure this isn’t a setup?” I shrugged, a geocacher has got to do what a geocacher has got to do. We drove past the spot and made a quick u-turn hoping no one saw us. “Cover me” I said as I made for the lamp post. Suddenly, we were surrounded by robot ninja monkeys! They had been hiding in the old shed. It had to be my arch nemesis, Cecil. He was trying to get to the cache before we did. Fortunately I was prepared. I’m glad we stocked up bananas at Costco. We loaded the shopping cart with the bananas and shoved it away from the cache. Using all their ninja skills the robot monkeys silently chased after the cart- we were clear, the cache was ours. As Mrs. Zoom tried to open the cache I knew time was running out and soon the monkeys would be back. I torn open the container and wrenched the damp log book out as the monkeys having finished the bananas turned to face us. As they piled on us in hopes that they could win with sheer numbers I was able to tear off one of their tails and sign the log with the green coolant dripping from one end. Cecil, knowing he was beaten once again called a retreat. “This isn’t the end Professor Zoom- we’ll meet again.” As I replaced the cache and got back in the car all I could think was, “I probably should have taken my pills this morning.” Then again, if I had this cache would have been pretty lame.

At this time, Sue and I cached under a shared identity (ProfessorZoom). We had started caching, or at least created a geocaching account, on July 13, 2006, while I was attending the ISTE conference (back when it was called NECC) in San Diego. We didn’t invest in a GPSr until I returned home. Younglings Please Note: This was a time when you needed a GPS receiver to cache. Most cachers printed out cache pages and put them in binders. Those who were more technologically inclined used what was called a “Palm Pilot” to store cache information. The iPhone didn’t exist until mid-2007, and the GC App didn’t exist until 2013.

This was the first log containing any mention of Cecil, who later would be known as Cecil-Evil GeoCaching Monkey. I think I originally thought of him as a Blofeld/Silas Greenback-like character, which quickly morphed into an evil monkey living in my basement. He became more than just an inside joke when caches were missing or logs were wet. He then started his reign as an agent of chaos. Cecil did not appear in comic form until the summer of 2009, going through many changes over the years.

A collection of my strips I cobbled together so I could say-“Look! I’m published!”

…and so my life was forever changed. Geocachers sometimes talk about that one cache that changed their life, one cache can do that. For me, it was a pretty lame little park and grab hidden by bfoust close to 17 years ago. Since then I have traveled the world with that monkey. I started a comic strip, and drawn untold number of monkey minions. I’ve gone on hiatus, from not only the strip but also caching. Now in my retirement I return to both, a lot older and a wee bit wiser.

I’m going to take some time and try to update the site- probably breaking it multiple times in the process. I’ll let everyone know when it is ready for the general public. Better, stronger, faster with at least 20% more ookiness.

As for Indy’s Lamest Cache, it is still there, adopted by kiaria in 2009. It was last logged in October. For the record… Cecil has yet to log this cache, I doubt he ever will.

I’m not quite sure the value of this log if you had it graded and slabbed… probably nothing, but as (according to the internet) many current politicians say – “There’s a sucker born every minute.”

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #5300

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Bruce

5300Today was the Annual Spring Picnic for Indiana Geocachers. Held this year at Turkey Run State Park (Yes, Hoosiers come up with strange names for places) it was a lot of fun, so I decided to honor the event with MINIon #5300.

I have figured out that the readership of this comic/blog falls into a few categories- Friends who Own MINI Coopers, Friends who Geocache, Friends of friends who own MINI Coopers or Geocache, other friends, the NSA, and family. So for the the non-geocachers out there I’ll go with the basic “My hobby is using a multi-billion dollar satellite system to find Tupperware in the woods” to explain geocaching. For MINI owners think of it as a cross country rally in which you stop every so often to search for hidden items in out of the way places that are really cool to get to- a ginormous worldwide scavenger hunt.  Almost every place we stopped on MTTS for a ” Surprise and Delight” had a cache within 100 yards.

The one thing both MINI and Geocaching have in common are a great community, hence driving out to Turkey Run for the day to meet with friends and talk over adventures. While I’m definitely not a “Hardcore Cacher” I do enjoy the hunt when time permits and today caching had me heading up a stream to see a fantastic waterfall, which was not a bad way to spend a day.

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #4466

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Bruce

4466OK, fine, I have a problem… I admit it, for over 25 years I have been going to the same pizza place. It all started when I was working late my first year of teaching and ordered dinner from a national chain pizza place, and they could not find the school building… It’s a school on a major street- really?!? SO I looked for the “local place” and discovered Gramboli’s. Since then, Gramboli’s has been the go to place when we don’t want to cook (which is way too often) and the place where we have seen the family grow up… I remember watching the kids do their homework, kids who now have kids. Many ask us what to order- my reply is “anything.” We now come in and have the people who work there make suggestions. This week was rough so we’ve dropped by nightly. Sunday was the Indy Webcomics Group, and after that was my lack of desire to cook. Sue and I have talked about posting about various pizza places we visit on the road… maybe, some day, but Gramboli’s will always have a place in our heart because of the people, and the pizza.

Guilty Geeky Pleasures

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Bruce

While I’ve posted this before (I’m sure it’s around here somewhere) I thought it might be nice to update the list of some of the geeky things you might want to explore and my plans for some of my geeky passions for 2013.

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Podcasts-

Yes, these have been around for what seems like forever, but I’m always amazed at the number of people who still have no idea about what they are.  A podcast is a simple interweb audio show it comes out on a regular basis and they cover a large number of topics.  When I first heard about podcasting in 2005 I starting looking around and amazingly enough while I add a few here and there a few I’ve stuck with since the beginning- my top (not in any order) are:

Decoder Ring Theatre – Pure escapism from Toronto.  The shows alternate (for the most part) between the Red Panda (Canada’s Greatest Super Hero) and Black Jack Justice (with Trixie Dixon, Girl Detective).  Both are set in the 1930’s and 40’s and are in the style of the old-time radio serials.  The Red Panda will actually get a comic book treatment in Comixology at the end of the month- an announced Feb 27 release date from Monkey Brain Comics.  Many times this podcast is what makes me happy during the week.

Podcacher – Family friendly podcast all about Geocaching.  When I attended a computer education conference in sunny San Diego I decided to stop in on a session that really changed my life.  It was all about this thing called geocaching (gee-oh-cash-ing).  Sonny and Sandy are now friends and if you are interested in learning about caching I highly recommend it.  It is well produced, and filled with lots of great information.

White Roof Radio – The MINI Cooper podcast.  I bought my first MINI in 2005 and started listening to the podcast around that time.  The format is a roundtable discussion hosted by DB & Todd with regular appearances by Chad, Gabe, and Nathaniel.  The topic is MINI Coopers.  While sometimes it gets technical especially when dealing with wheels and tires its a great way to get to know what is happening in the MINI Community.  I will admit there have been times when I have skipped a bit especially when they are discussing in depth events I can’t attend.  I almost wish they would exercise the Zaxxon rule*  but over the years, Todd & DB have become close friends (again one of those great things about podcasts is they are put together by real people) and I enjoy listening to the discussion each week.

Pop Culture Happy Hour – I’m trying to figure out how I stubbled upon this podcast, but it quickly became a favorite.  PCHH is put together at NPR and is a weekly roundtable discussion about pop culture.  Linda, Trey, Stephen, and Glen have opened my eyes to many parts of pop culture and have added some pieces to my vocabulary including “What’s making me happy this week” and the Zaxxon Rule*

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Kickstarter–

It’s a crowdfunding site in which you donate money to “kickstart” someone’s project.  There are hundreds of options and the rule is the creator of the project set’s a goal.  If the goal is met by a certain date- you get charged, if it isn’t you are out nothing.  The cool thing for most projects the backers get a reward in return for their support.  in some cases it’s something as simple as “gee, thanks!” in other cases it might be some really cool items.  Every project is different.  I recommend just checking out some of the Kickstarter geekiness there seems to something for almost every kind of geek.

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Comics-

I have always loved comics.  For as long as I remember I have read comics.  The problem right now as a long time reader of comics is that the major comics publishers seem to be trying to attract a new audience or bring back lapsed readers.  So for me, I get confused as to what to read since the creative teams or story lines are getting all mixed up.  I liked Captain America, but now he’s battling evil in another dimension.  Don’t even get me started with what DC has done to the Teen Titans…

So while I still try to keep up with my old titles (though I keep bouncing between reading Batman & Superman)  there are a few titles that I have stuck with- please note not all of these are “all ages.”

Fables-  Bill Willingham’s story of what if the characters form fairy tales were real and had been exiled to our world?  Not for kids, but frankly much better than some of the TV shows presently on with the premise (although I am a fan of Grimm)

Mouse Guard-  David Petersen’s wonder tales of “mice with swords”  but it is so much more than that.  the artwork is wonderful and the tales compelling.  I’m now being very patient waiting for the next issue about the “Black Axe”

The Walking Dead-  Yes, it was a comic before it was a TV show. Robert Kirkman’s story of survival after the zombie apocalypse.  while in black & white still not for kids.

Invincible-  I’ve been reading this since issue #1 and issue #100 just arrived this week.  to overly simplify it- it’s the story of Superman’s son, except… I don’t want to give anything away.  Like Harry Potter where the first books were for younger kids, the same rule applies, not really for kids, especially as the story has become more violent and dark.

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man- Again another one of those I’ve been reading since the beginning.  This started off as a retelling of the Spider-Man story for a new audience.  The villains may have the same name, but slightly different powers and origins, making it really cool.  Until they decided to kill Spider-Man.  THings then became interesting as we discover another spider in the lab escapes and bites another kid and what happens after that.  The first part of the story parallels the final issues of Peter Parker as Spider-Man which makes it even better.

While I have issues (and have mentioned them before) about crossover events and how they tend to make me stop reading a title.  Once or twice, I can understand, but most of these things cover multiple issues and frankly they don’t need to- the red sky issues in Crisis on Infinite Earths.  Hence my hesitance to read Batman or Superman.

What’s on my pull list? (a pull list is what a comic shop has for regular customers, I’ve had a pull list at Comic Carnival for close to 20 years now- to the point where Dan knows when I’ve missed something and will add it back) So here’s what usually is on mine: Earth 2, Fairest, Justice League, Justice League of America, Fables, Flash, Teen Titans, Unwritten, Ultimate Comics: X-Men, Spider-Man and,  Ultimates, Captain America… then there are various titles that I bounce around with.

As for comic conventions I’m planning right now on attending C2E2 in Chicago, but will be skipping SDCC this year.

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Games-

I’m still enjoying Fantasy Flight’s Star Wars X-Wing Miniature game. Cecil still thinks I should play an Imperial squadron… I like the game play, and while I have a few games on my shelf (right now Settlers of Catan, Munchkin, Quarriors, and Monty Python Fluxx) finding the time and the opponents seem to be the biggest issue.  I am planning on attending GenCon this year (it’s local) and hopefully will branch out and actually play some games instead of just spending money in the Hall.

As for video games-  I completed and throughly enjoyed “the Room” on the iPad.  and when I think about it the Walking Dead and Bad Piggies are quick diversions.

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Lego-

Yes, this is new and while coming back to Lego after 30+ years it’s like finding an old friend.  While I still don’t understand the cost or the various sets or story lines.  I am enjoying myself.  The thing I like the most is it tends to be relaxing.  I can build a kit and really can relax while doing it.  Although as with many of my interests I do go a little overboard.  I have promised to put together a display for Brickworld Indy and it has required me to actually attempt to create MOCs (My Own Creation) that I’m not quite sure of how well I’m doing.  This is also causing me to buy more bricks than I ever thought.  It all started with a visit to Brickworld Fort Wayne and thinking about using Lego Brick more at school and now, I’ve working on two different displays of Lego projects at both schools and one of my own.

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Geocaching-

I still am caching and once the weather settles down have planned to put out a couple new series of caches.  While I’m slowing down (weather related and other things) IndianaGeocaching.com is going well and keeping me busy.

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MINI-

My initial plan at the end of 2011 was to keep my 2005 Cooper S until the rumored new John Cooper Works GP out, trade it in and have a new GP.  In June that all changed and we went with plan “B” which has been wonderful (although all the hype about the GP is tiring).  I cannot say how much fun it was taking Alfie (the Roadster) cross country.  I really do love this new car, almost as much as my first MINI.  Once Spring starts I have a few things on my list.  First is new tire for Alfie, then I’m planning on spending the summer working on a much neglected Tink.  With everything that has been going on Tink is in need of a lot of TLC and that is the next thing.  Besides new tires, she needs a new battery and just another once over in the shop.  I really feel bad how much I’ve neglected the classic and I hope that this summer I’ll have the time to get out there and get her back into running order to keep some miles off of Alfie.

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Finally, I’ve made the decision in order to keep my sanity- My Geek Odyssey the comic will be posted once a week, this is at least a schedule I can keep up with.

SO I’ve thrown down my list of geeky suggestions and plans any thoughts?  Did I forget something?  Do have something you think I should try out?  Tim at Comic Carnival did suggest this week that I read the Batman & Robin Annual #1 which was a wonderful story, so thanks for the suggestion.

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*The Zaxxon Rule: from Pop Culture Happy Hour.  Limiting discussion (or in some cases eliminating discussion) on something that not everyone has the opportunity to experience.  This came about in the “What’s making me happy” segment specifically when Stephen Thompson for weeks would talk about a classic Zaxxon arcade game he was purchasing from Craig’s List.  I feel that many podcasts could benefit from adding this rule- one of the nice things about podcasts is you can add “Very Special” episodes focused on “Zaxxon” topics for those who care.

Comic-Con Without a Badge

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Sue

As you may have heard, a certain person (who runs this website) received their ‘professional’ credentials for Comic-Con this year.  Unfortunately, as a new ‘professional’ there was no way for him to get extra badges so I ended up in San Diego without a badge.  Knowing this going in, I had made alternate plans to keep myself occupied.  Trust me, I needn’t have worried – there was plenty to keep a ‘Comic-Con Muggle’ busy without venturing anywhere near the exhibit hall!

When we got in to town on Wednesday, we headed directly to check-in at the convention center.  Since Bruce had his paperwork in order I just tagged along through the process.  After Bruce received his badge we continued through the line and we were both handed the awesomely huge Warner Brothers Comic-Con bags that (almost) everyone carried through the week.  Even without a badge, I sure looked official!

There was plenty of time before ‘Preview Night’ so we wandered through the Gaslamp District to people watch and grab some food.  We stopped at the Chuck Jones Gallery, got some swag, and ultimately ended up at Nicky Rotten’s for food before Bruce headed back into the mayhem.  Because it had been a long day, I sat and read while he did his thing – it was a lovely, cool evening so all was good.

Thursday was to be Bruce’s big day at the Con so I dropped him off and went geocaching – that way he didn’t need to worry about me.  But, a friend had told us about a Cirque du Soleil event to be held at Comic-Con that evening so we decided to meet up and attend.

When I got back into town, I took some time to explore an area for upcoming movies located in a parking lot adjacent to where I parked.  The movie Cowboys & Aliens (to premiere in San Diego Saturday night) partnered with 7-11 and they were giving away Slurpees and promotional items.  Then there was the giant inflatable Smurf, the shark movie area, and the dog on the remote control motorcycle (don’t ask).  Eventually Bruce and I hooked up and he was stopped to receive some quite interesting swag – deodorant (trust me, he wasn’t the only one)!

We went for pizza at a place Cartoon Network rented out and redid to look like the cartoon Adventure Time (there were also restaurants taken over by SyFy- the Cafe Diem, NBC- The Playboy Club, not to mention various video games).

Cirque Du Soleil was probably the low point of the Con.  Billed as ‘Battle at Comic-Con’ it was to be a 3-D Battle from the show Ka.  We’d heard so much about Cirque from friends that we thought it would be amazing.  The lawn near Petco Park was packed and people were really excited about the show.  First it started a half-hour after it was billed then there were technical difficulties.  But, probably the most disappointing was shortly after it started I thought, “I wonder what they’re going to do for the battle” and then it was the end!  Complete showtime less than 5-minutes.  After this show, I just don’t see the allure of Cirque.

Friday I did take a break and Bruce and I explored Balboa Park in the late afternoon.

Saturday we spent some time wandering downtown.  We ran into the Zombie Walk (remember, Zombies=bad), the Top Gear America theater (no, we didn’t go in since it wasn’t the BBC version), and saw NerdHQ.  This was all before the geocaching Comic-Con Meet-n-Greet.  This was held in a park near the SouthPark theme area that we never even had time to visit.

After the meet-n-greet we headed up to the 4th & B theater for the Nerdist Podcast Live with Dr. Who – excellent!  It was a terrific event with Matt Smith and Karen Gillam as well as special guest star Wil Wheaton (and free burritos at the end)!  I also don’t think I mentioned that the theater was right across the street from the San Diego Civic Center where they were concurrently premiering Cowboys & Aliens!

In all, there were plenty of free things I didn’t see and some ticketed things we didn’t get tickets for.  So, even if I can’t get a badge in 2012, I have a plan to make the most of my Comic-Con time!

Total swag without really trying:  Looney Tunes and Pan Am bags, obnoxiously green Psych sunglasses, blowup sword, Slurpee, Butterfinger bar, bag of PopChips, many, many fliers, coupons, etc.

 

More artwork… still no comic.

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Bruce

As I have said this week was just weird (and it isn’t over yet).  Besides working on the GeoWoodstock Playing cards so they could be submitted by the deadline I also needed to do some artwork for on of the Dr. Who caches.  I started working on these drawings and really wanted to get them finished as promised.  I still have two more to go, but I thought I should once more prove that I am doing artwork.  I will be working the remainder of the weekend getting comics done for next week.  for those who can’t wait and like Dr. Who  here is what I have come up with…

 

Thank you for your patience as I get a few of these little offshoot projects done along with my day job.

Late late late… whoops!

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Bruce

I have been working on deadline for the Geowoodstock IX playing card deck… See there was this auction and I won, and then a friend asked me to help with his design. This weekend I thought I would get drawing done, and it didn’t happen.  So today was the deadline (absolute final) and I needed to get these turned in.  So here they are-

The Red Joker for the GeoWoodstock Deck

 

Seven of Diamonds for the Geowoodstock Deck

The 5 of Hearts for the GeoWoodstock Deck

Queen of Hearts for the GeoWoodstock Deck

So I am sorry for not getting the comic out earlier this week, but with Sue out with the the girls this weekend I’m going to work on getting a bunch of strips done.

Dr. Who Update… They’re here!

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Bruce

After so many weeks of working… now everything is coming to a head.  All Dr. Who caches (except #12) have been sent out.  They are arriving in their final locations and those “companions” are placing the caches how ever they want.  All I can say is one Wherigo is in the works (& I have some drawing to do).  So instead of a comic strip for today (sorry, it has definitely been a day) I thought I would go through the process as to how these were placed.

When  I came up with my 2011 creativity project I tried to figure out exactly what to do. After some thought I finally decided a series of caches based on Doctor Who would be fun (BBC America was pushing that the next series was going to based in the U.S.).  Once the idea was finalized then the issue was what were the details, what rules would be set for the caches?  I decided that I wanted them placed around the United States, and that I wanted there to be a “bonus” cache of some sorts.  I worked with a friend in Atlanta to come up a “wrap” which ended up a sticker.  I started with a few simple designs based the Doctors of my history (#4, #9 , #10, & #11).  These went through some testing and fortunately the weather cooperated so I could check how it would last through various weather conditions.  I learned that my original design was too big and wouldn’t fit on a decon container (Super Genius had ended up giving us a nice supply).

I redesigned the template and after a weekend of intense drawing & watching episodes of Dr. Who I had 12 caches designed.  Now, who should get the caches?  I checked Cecil’s friends on both Facebook & Geocaching.com.  I ended up coming up with over eleven possible “companions.”  An  email request (and one through Facebook) eliminated one.  Now the work really started… I needed to come up with a a location a “final”  before sending out any caches or creating a generic cache page.  After some “discussion” with the local reviewers the final was placed and everything was ready for the final steps.  Caches were sent out on April 15th- ten in the U.S. one in Canada.  Caches are being placed from “Sea to shining sea.”

I have been overjoyed with the response from the geocaching community – everyone involved in this series has been so wonderful and creative (aren’t all cachers?).  I’m not sure what format each cache will end up as – it is up to the companion (multi, puzzle, wherigo, traditional)  how they want  place it.  I’m looking forward to what the series will end up with.  The bonus (series finale- GC2R1VF) will have a link to each cache once they have been posted.  Then again as of right now the cache hasn’t been published since I need a few caches in the series posted beforehand.  By Monday there will be caches in the series published and it will be up to the companions to keep everything going.  What a great adventure and a great way to give back to a hobby that has really opened the world to me.

Dr. Who Cache Series Update

Posted on March 12, 2011 by Bruce

We have had some storms and varied weather out here in the midwest so it has been a pretty nice way to test the viability of the solution I went with for the Dr. Who Cache Series containers. Long story short, it kind of worked.

What I was going to do was use a sticker to wrap the decon container, the problem was not the sticker, it was my design. Those people who have encountered this type of cache container know that it has rounded corners. This is fine until you get to a corner. While it did stay on the container, in most places, it didn’t work along the bottom. It seems that the sticker could adhere on one curved surface, add a second curve and it has difficulty. So, with this newfound knowledge I head back to the drawing board to redesign the wrap so that when finished the edges will end up resting on a flat surface.

There is a silver lining to this whole thing- the more I looked at my designs the more I knew I could do better. So I have redesigned the doctors & have also redesigned the TARDIS. Seeing how the original design printed some of the lines were too thin and some detail was lost. I now have a better idea on how to make the design work, which makes me happy.

Am I running out of time? Nope (I have a time machine). I have ordered a special pathtag to go with this series, when that pathtag arrives… then I am behind schedule. Until then I’m right on schedule!