You may have noticed today that I added a page to my blog called “Geocaching Profile” (under the about tab). You may be asking what this is.  So I figured that I should tell you.

For those who have not heard of Geocaching, it is a global GPS “treasure hunt” where people hide caches around the world and post GPS coordinates online so that other people can find them.  A “regular” cache usually is a watertight plastic container or a .30 or .50-cal ammo can.  A cache always contains some kind of logbook and trade items.  Most of the time trade items are simple things like lapel pins happy-meal type toys, and other small nick-nacks.  Some people also hide larger and smaller caches from 5-gallon buckets to tiny “nano” caches that only contain a small log sheet.

The official Geocaching website is Geocaching.com, but there are a couple other sites that have popped up like Opencaching or even Munzee, which is an odd derivative that involves using your smartphone to scan QR-codes.  Geocaching is by far the most widely used of the services.  Cachers can visit the website and get information and coordinates for the caches they want to look for, and you can even load this information on to your GPS or smartphone so that you can take it with you and not have to print things out.  The geocaching motto is “Get out and play!”

What does this have to do with me?  Well, I was introduced to geocaching by my father back when I was in college.  I did a little bit of caching with my friends while in school, and then it kind of fell by the wayside despite the fact that the old GPS unit that my dad had “loaned” me was riding around in the back of my car for years.  Then, for my birthday this year my in-laws gave me a new GPS unit that makes caching really easy, and it re-sparked the flame to go out and do it.  So, pretty much since my birthday this year I have been trying to get out every day and find at least one cache. As of this writing I have a string of 54 days with finds.  I don’t know if I will ever be able to put together a streak of finds that is longer than the 2115 days of slump, but that isn’t really the point.

What is the point? Well, it really is just to get outside and have some fun, which I certainly have been doing.  There are some challenges that cachers can complete.  Some caches require you to solve puzzles or complete challenges in order to find and log the cache.  Basically the game is based around goals that you set for yourself.  There really aren’t any big prizes, no one can win the game.  I suppose if you found all of the millions of caches around the world you could say you won, but there are new caches every day.  For me it is just something fun to do.

Today’s post is brought to you with inspiration from Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop.  Every week she posts a couple prompts and you choose one or more to write about.  It is a fun way to find something to write about and maybe get a few more hits on your blog.  I obviously don’t participate every week, but when there are prompts that spark my interest I have been know to write about them.

That being said, the prompt that I chose for this week is: “5.) That one time you met your online friend in real life (was it everything you thought it would be?)”  The story that I have is not a glamorous, romantic online dating story nor is it a horror show of meeting someone who it totally different than how they seemed online.  It is more of a story of school kids doing what they do.

I was in middle school when the internet was new (yeah, I know I am not THAT old).  I remember the first computer that we had, a black and white Macintosh SE/30.  I also remember the day that my dad took me to CompUSA to look at new computers and I never thought we would actually come home with one, but we did.  It was a Macintosh Quadra 605.  We set it up in the den and my dad proceeded to string telephone cable through the halls of the house to the modem that he got with the computer.

I wasn’t really sure what we were going to do with a computer that could make phone calls, but my mother told me about thins thing that you could dial in to, NEBBS, The Newton Educational Bulletin Board System.  You dialed in and then were greeted by a text-based interface that was very similar to say IRC today.  In fact, NEBBS was basically an early chat and messaging system.  So, you could go on and have real-time chats with people or just send messages back and forth like email.  I would imagine that it was also used for more pertinent information for people like parents and teachers, but us kids just used it for fun.

So, while cruising the NEBBS I “met” a girl who went by the name Zoopy.  This was her handle at the time.  We chatted all the time.  She lived in a different part of town so she was at a different school than me, so I had never met her.  I think that my mother was friends with her mother as my mother was (and still is) very active in the Newton Schools System.  I can’t really remember what we chatted about, probably trivial pre-teen things and school and homework and such.  I sure it would all seem very interesting now!

So, this internet communication went on for a while until the D.A.R.E. program scheduled a city-wide roller-skating party at the former Wal-Lex roller rink and arcade.  So, Zoopy and I decided that this would be an ideal time to finally meet eachother in person.  It was, I can say this now looking back, very cute.  We told eachother what we would be wearing to the event and when we got there we sought eachother out.  Thankfully, we actually got along in person like we did online.  I don’t really remember much about the night, I went to so many events at Wal-Lex, they all kind of bled together now.  I do remember that I wore a Peace Frogs t-shirt.

I believe this might actually be the same shirt that I wore that night.

It turned out that Zoopy and I would be going to the same high school, so we remained friends through our high school careers.  One of the funniest memories I have of that was in our senior year.  We both had switched down to different math class, but since we had been in a higher level before, we knew a lot of the material.  So for much of the class we would sit in the back row and crochet as she was working on a blanket.  The teacher didn’t mind because we still paid attention and did very well on homework and tests.

We were two kids who, in all likely hood would have crossed paths in school at some point.  Would we have been as good friends had we not “met” online?  I have no idea.  It was interesting though, because no one thought about the risks and such of meeting people online at that point n time.  I am sure that it had something to do with the new-ness of the technology and the fact that there were probably fewer people out there trying to take advantage of others.

Meeting people online today can be very interesting, depending on your motivation for meeting people.  Sure, there are online communities where you might go to interact with like minded people or people who work in the same profession, or other bloggers your age.  However now there is also an entire industry in online dating that is just so mind boggling.  Can you ever really “meet” someone online and know what to expect if you ever actually meet them?

It has been quite the busy couple weeks.  Last week started as tech for Dracula at the theatre and then ended with my flying out to Ithaca for the first ever All Theatre Alumni Reunion.  The impetus for the event was the completion of the renovations on Dillingham Center, the home of the Department of Theatre Arts at Ithaca College.  Ithaca College (not to be confused with Ithaca University from the movie Road Trip), or IC, is my alma mater for those who don’t know.  Since graduation I have done my best to give to the college as my time there really made an impact on my life.  My family and I were part of the 430-some-odd donors who raised over $80,000 for the renovation project.  As such, I felt that it was important for me to go because of that and because it would be a fun opportunity to reconnect with friends from school and network with other alums.

The road to my getting to the reunion started well before waking up at 5AM to get to the airport last Friday.  There are not enough words to express my love for my girlfriend who also got up at 5AM to get me there.  However, before that I had to make sure that it would be OK with the powers that be in the theatre since I would be leaving town on opening night of one of the more technically challenging shows of the season which happened to be directed by our artistic director.  I got the OK to go and was able to make the appropriate travel arrangements and fit into some semblance of a budget, so I was pretty happy.  I sacrificed a ski pass to make it happen though, which I think was a decent trade off.

I flew into Syracuse, NY where I picked up a rental car and drove the rest of the way down to Ithaca.  It was kind of fun getting on the highways there and remembering driving them so many times over the four years that I spent in school.  Driving past the landmarks that I remembered and getting closer to Ithaca was very fun and very exciting.  Driving down the last hill alongside Cayuga Lake and then through town, it almost felt like I had never really left.  Realizing that the hotel that I had booked a room at was way on the opposite outskirts of town was a little disconcerting, but it wasn’t like I was going to be spending tons of time there!

The weekend kicked off with a welcome reception for all the alumni which was a little funky, but a good time.  People drifted in slowly as they arrived in town so there were waves of excitement as people recognized old friends.  It was a lot of fun to see all the people from my year and around my year and hear about what everyone is up to now.  Then there were the people who “know” me on account of my father (who is also and IC alum).  the most interesting of those people was my father’s college girlfriend Betsy.  She was quite excited to meet me, and I have nothing against this on account of her buying my friends and I drinks!

Saturday brought the real festivities.  The morning started with a tour of the newly renovated building.  It was almost a private tour as there were only three other people who showed up at 9AM and they still sent out multiple tour groups.  The new spaces look amazing, and the theatre department now has the use of the entire building, all the other departments that used to have offices there have been moved to other buildings on campus.  It looks fabulous even though they say that for a program of that size they are still a few thousand square feet short of what they really could use.

After the tours there were dedications of named spaces around facility.  I went to a few of these, but was not actually able to attend that one for named lockers, which I donated on of.  Could be worse.  I was at one of the student interaction panels where alumni got to talk to students pursuing similar fields of study.  This really was a great thing, and I wish that it had been a little more organized and structured.  I think it was probably a little overwhelming for both the alumni and the students.  For me, this was one of the big reasons that I wanted to go to this event, to get to talk to the students, so I hope that in the future this is something that gets a little more planning.

Following a barbecue lunch a group of us headed off on a Finger Lakes wine tour headed by one of the faculty.  This was a real hoot.  We tasted some good wines, a bunch of bad wines, but in the end, it probably didn’t matter as everyone was having a blast.  After two wineries we were definitely on the party bus as soon as Norm decided to put on some Lady GaGa.  Yeah, the whole bus was dancing and singing and drinking.

Upon arriving back at IC, there was a little time to change before heading to the cocktail reception and gala dinner.  I was smart enough to have put my nice clothes in my car when I left the hotel in the morning so I just found a bathroom and changed.  There was a little more schmoozing and boozing with the alums and I had a chance to meet the new President of the college who seems to be a good guy.

The dinner and festivities were nice.  Sitting with old friends was great.  Here are most of us.  The only thing that bugged me was the the photographer who was walking around would not take our picture with my camera.  I thought that it was a rather stuck-up move as he kind of scoffed at my little point-and-shoot.  I didn’t feel like lugging the nice camera around all evening.  But really, I am a professional photographer and I would never hesitate to take someone’s photo picture with their own camera, it is just a nice, polite thing to do.  Whatever.

Friends from my class and the years around it at the Reunion Gala

After dinner the Musical Theatre Majors sang for us, a song that I don’t actually remember.  I do remember thinking that it would have been much more meaningful and memorable if they had chosen something different.  The song that I would have picked would have been “What I did for Love” from A Chorus Line. I think that would have been very appropriate for the occasion, and would have made everyone cry.

After the singing, the party moved down the quad to Dillingham for the special Alumni-only performance of Chicago.  It was an excellent show.  The designs for the show were done by some notable alums including Paul Gallo (lighting) and Tony Meola (sound).  The students were excellent and the show was so much fun.  It was really cool to see Chicago at IC because it was the first show that I worked on after I graduated and moved out here to Utah.  I enjoyed the show so much, I went back to see it again the next day!

After the performance we shifted venues one last time for the “Sherry Party” redux.  Just one last occasion to schmooze with everyone before people started to go their separate ways.  AS I was staying through until monday morning, I said goodbye to a bunch of people.  Overall, it was a great time.

The rest of the weekend was a lot of fun.  I had time to talk to a couple students, the chair of the department and my old professors.  I saw the show again, and just generally enjoyed being back in Ithaca.  It was a great weekend, and hopefully the first of many such events.

Have you ever noticed that the sunset is usually significantly more exciting and colorful on an evening after a storm?  I suppose I could just be making that up or dreaming it, but I think that it is true.  When the clouds break up and the sun gets low in the sky the golden color really shows through.  Summer evenings here in Maine are almost always pretty spectacular, but on a night like tonight, after two days of bad weather, it seems like there is nothing better.

Here at camp the light streams through over the mountains in the distance and the river, then through the tall pine trees that line the high bank, and across the field.  I don’t think you could ask for a better backdrop and lighting when we walk out of dinner and then as it gets later in the evening and taps get played.  The silence and stillness during those moments when everyone in camp stops to listen to the bugle is quite magical.  If you have never had the opportunity to stop each evening, reflect on the day and listen to the floating melody of taps on the bugle (especially when played by a great camper) then you should.  I suppose it is kind of an American thing, but I would imagine that anyone from anywhere would appreciate it.

The evening after a day or more of rain is also special because kinds want to be out and enjoy the remnants of the day.  We take advantage of every moment of daylight that we can get, but the games and activities that get played are much more interesting than those during the course of a regular day.  Little pickup games of anything as long as the equipment is out and available.  It is a tim when everyone is actually in camp together and there are enough people around to get a decent game going.

Evenings are always a peaceful time.  Sure, sometimes we get a little hyper, or we have a dance night, but for the most part, it is one of the best times of day.  The world cools off (most of the time), people relax, and this is when the bonds of great friendships show.  Everyone has a friend and everyone hangs out together.  It is a beautiful time that hopefully everyone stops to appreciate sometimes.  You don’t have to be in a special place like camp to stop and appreciate the summer evenings.  It might have a slightly different effect if you live in a city, but I would imaging that if you stop and reflect, it is pretty similar.

“Freedom! Heading home for a much needed day off.” ~Christine Macken (1985-2010)

I often have written about how life is short and we need to make the best of what we have.  Sometimes the stark reality in that sentiment comes out and slaps you in the face.  I have often looked around me at my friends, finding it so strange that they were getting married and some even having children, but when it comes to my contemporaries passing away, that is a completely different story.  Death is an unfortunate phase of life when it snuffs out an amazing light so early.  It is immutable though and as such all we can do is keep the memories alive in ourselves.

As I walked across the field to my cabin this evening I just watched the lights through the mist.  In a way it was very surreal, walking and thinking about my friend who passed away last Monday, July 5.  I knew what I was doing, I was trying to compose some kind of post in my head and while I thought all of these ideas that came to me were good, probably none of them will actually make it here.  All of the thinking really just made me remember her and started to make me feel sad.

I remember the last time we were together.  It wasn’t really that long ago.  We met you at Squatters along with some of your other friends from the area.  Your mother was there too.  We had some food and a couple beers and caught up on old times.  I am sure that neither of us thought that would be the last time that we would see eachother.  At least it was a happy and fun time.

I met Macken at the University of Utah.  She was a theatre student who did some work and internships with us at PTC.  I don’t think that I ever actually realized that she was an EMT, but all things considered, it doesn’t surprise me.  Macken was an amazing person and a great friend.  She was a person who really did live life to the fullest all the time and I would imagine that it wasn’t easy given her medical history.  I can’t remember a time that I didn’t see her happy.  She was dedicated, hard-working, friendly, and kind.  While we may not have been best friends, she was a great friend to have!  I (and anyone else who did) was lucky to know her.

Life is like that sometimes.  Sometimes the best of people get dealt the lousy hands.  Sometimes you just have to look for the silver lining, the golden ticket.  Hopefully the place beyond this harsh world we inhabit for our brief moment of life is actually a better place.  Hopefully it is place where the things that plagued us in our Earthly life are set aside so that we can exist in some state of peace with the rest of the universe.  I would certainly hope that if we move on to a non-corporeal existence that the physical “defects” of our bodies will cease to haunt us.

For Christine, a short poem that this sad time inspired:

Freedom comes in many forms
In days off,
nights off,
and passing storms

Those left behind can’t understand
you lie
in peace
on beach’s sand

A laugh, a smile, a memory
of time spent
living
frolicking, free

We are but travelers here on earth
we seek refuge
in passage
to death from birth

Life cannot be lived when you hide in fear
so dream
make friends
and keep them near

Life’s release to death will freedom give
yet in our hearts
and minds
you live

This post is of course dedicated to Christine Macken and the Macken family.  I am so glad that I had the chance to get to know and work with Chrstine.  She was a wonderful person and a great friend.  May you find greener pastures wherever you are and I hope you know that you will be missed.  If you want to read more about this amazing person, you can follow this link.  Rest in peace Mack.