My Cache Stats as of 3/3/2007 (Get your own CacheStats at www.logicweave.com)

(map from world66.com)

(map from world66.com)

(map from world66.com)

(map from world66.com)

filler & bcat's Top 5% (in no particular order):

	Top of the World,Ma!	GCGKMG	by Renderin'	Located in Garner State Park. Quite a hike; definetly a 4 or 4.5 star terrain.
	Trailhead Trial	GC9318	by Coppertone, Austin Explorer, & Dan	Four-stage multi with some different and tricky redirectors. Great showcase of THP.
	Route Sixty Sick	GCJAAH	by Jigada and Essiar	Devious container. I had quite a few DNFs until I was hinted to the solution.
	Inside Joke	GCJ2KB	by Essiar	So awesomely concealed, I had to rip it off and use it out-of-town.
	Take A Nap	GCHFQP	by Essiar	Probably the best Austin-area urban micro. Ridiculously concealed.
	Vista Pond	GC2157	by Loonerboy and Wonderboy	Oasis in the desert. Really cool area; something you wouldnt expect. Bring the kids and the fishing poles.
	Third Moon From Planet Essiada	GCJHKC	by Essiar	Our first night-cache. The effort of the owner made this a twist-and-turn joyride.
	St. Edward's Christmas Cache	GCH2AB	by malawische (About Austin Team)	One of many within St. Edwards Park in NW Austin. I had a few DNFs, but it was fun going out to StEP every time. Great views on this side of the water.
	FOUNTAIN OF KNOWLEDGE	GCQ3M1	by fiddlersam	While I am a UT alum and staff member, I was exploring the campus for weeks to nab this hide.
	Check Mate!	GCQDXA	by Stratman and the Hoot	Great urban micro.
	Jogmuir's Quest	GCE62A	by The Outlaw	Fantastic riddle-based multi-cache in St. Edwards Park in NW Austin. Took a filmmaker out to hunt this, and it was perfect.
	Cliffhanger	GCA7F9	by Travelling Jack	One of many within the confines of Walnut Creek Park. Fabulous park, fabulous cache. Roughest terrain of them all in WCP.
	Looking for Love (In All the Wrong Places)	GCPXMN	by Stratman and the Hoot	Partly mean, mostly fun.
	Filler Buster	GCRGE7	by Stratman and the Hoot	A fitting 'tribute'. Really vexing puzzle with a great first 'redirector'.
	Dam Rocks a.k.a.Choices, Choices, Choices	GCMZC8	by TxBigfoot	If youre short on patience (like I tend to be), consider this your first and only warning.
	Tupper-Where?	GCRFE8	by couplatexans	Great container in Walnut Creek Park by some close friends of ours. And this was their first hide!
	Coyotee Watch	GC6A97	by bloodbrothers	There is a hard way, and there is a harder way. Definite energy drainer. Leave the kids at home.
	You Can't Get There From Here	GC8AA9	by unclerojelio	Educational puzzle, and a great great hike.
	EENIE MEENIE MINEE MO; WHICH WAY DO I GO?	GCQ42B	by fiddlersam	Had to think outside the box. Such trepidation!
	Swept Away?	GC91F0	by Cajunlimeys	Hilarious. Nice hike along the Bull Creek Greenbelt.
	Scout's Honor	GCTFAG	by aliceinwonder	Fun hike along Lake Austin and Loop 360. I approached from the nearby Bridgepoint Overlook cache. I would advise against this. :)
	Archimedes Was A Principled Man	GCQP1K	by Lignumaqua	Great 5-star 'difficulty'. Hooray for 'special equipment'.
	SoCo--So Cool!	GCGXBN	by Mrs. Captain Picard	Great virtual; its so Austin! Bring the kids for this one.

I discovered geocaching at the end of February 2005 by happenstance thanks to the Wikipedia. How I ended up on the page for the entry on geocaching is beyond me. Perhaps it was a comment on slashdot or some other nerd niche site. Regardless, I was hooked after reading about the activity and I still am to this day. Within 24 hours, I had a Garmin eTrex Yellow in my hands thanks to a kind seller on craigslist. I also had a fiance with a confused look on her face once I returned home with the new device. Within another 24 hours, I had found my first cache: Bottomed Out on the UT campus with some coworkers.

All things were not gold. Not 48 hours after getting the eTrex, our loving hound of a dog proceeded to fetch the tasty, rubberized GPSr and gnaw it to shreds. With a cracked LCD and a mangled body, I quickly found another second-hand eTrex Yellow on craigslist to replace it. It never performed the same. After a few weeks of frustratingly searching for caches with our newer but funkier GPSr, I convinced the fiance to let me spring for a Garmin GPSMap 60CS. Things have been pretty good since then, thanks to the unbelieveable features within this expensive but awesome unit. Talk about catering to the geocaching community! Not to mention City Select does most of the work for us. ;)

After a few months, the addiction has subsided. Thanks to a mild burnout in conjunction with Texas summer heat, things are more balanced now. I have had great fun hiding new puzzle caches in the areas where I work and live. I have gotten many praises from the Central Texas geocaching community for these hides, and I appreciate every one of them. I have met many Central Texas area geocachers, and most of these persons are wonderful at fostering local camaraderie.

05.09.2006: The 2005 Austin Cache Awards have announced their peer-nominated candidates, and it looks like six caches of mine have captured seven nominations! w00t!

• Frodo Goes To Athens (GCQY1F)
• 2005 Austin Cache Awards Nomination: Best Puzzle Cache (requires some sort of puzzle)
• 2005 Austin Cache Awards Nomination: Most Mentally Challenging Cache
• ¿Qué Hora Es? (GCRBTD)
• 2005 Austin Cache Awards Nomination: Most Mentally Challenging Cache
• And OU Still Sucks! (GCPGJ9)
• 2005 Austin Cache Awards Nomination: Best Austin Showcase (cache for tourists)
• Acquiring Satellites (GCQVR0)
• 2005 Austin Cache Awards Nomination: Best Puzzle Cache (requires some sort of puzzle)
• Who Is This Reese And Why Are His Pieces So Tasty? (GCQXZK)
• 2005 Austin Cache Awards Nomination: Best Rookie Cache (owner started caching in or after November 2004)
• The Crappiest Trail (GCPD7R)
• 2005 Austin Cache Awards Nomination: Best Themed Individual Cache

06.22.2006: After being wed on June 10, 2006, Wendy and I attempted to visit one traditional cache on the island of Jamaica during our Carribean honeymoon. No dice. Details on our hunt can be found here.