Letterboxing by proxy

I like puzzles, I am NOT great at puzzles, but I like them. Logic puzzles are my thing (imagine that, a programmer that likes logic puzzles), I can't do a crossword puzzle to save my life (heck I can't spell without my computer!), and when you smart folks start that taking in that code stuff (YES you know who you are !), forget it, I just ignore the posts because I just get frustrated.

Having the job that I have, and being on call 24x7/365, I spend a lot of time late at nite/early in the morning/or at any given moment, working and on conference calls. When you spend hours on conference calls, at times just waiting for "your turn" or monitoring or at times "just because" someone wants you on the call, you find things to occupy the time. These "things" have ranged from doodles, to games, to surfin, but now that I am a LB addict at times I carve, but most of the time I am on AQ just seeing what is going on. For those of you that don't lead this kinda life, you should understand that in the middle of the nite when the pager goes off, it is like turning on a light switch. I have to be AWAKE and ON MY GAME and 99% of the time, even if it takes me 5 minutes to fix something or answer a question, I am done for the nite as far as sleeping is concerned. If I go back to bed, there ususally is no sleep, your mind is awake and thoughts whirling, so you learn to just stay up.

About a month ago, I again, was awake most of the evening on a conference call. My work laptop in front of me and the phone on speaker/mute, and to my right is always my personal computer. So as I am working and waiting for them to "need" me, I was messing around on AQ. Looking for boxes that are in areas that I would like to visit, looking for interesting things out there, solving puzzles.

I remember the moment well, it was about 1:20 in the morning, and I did it, I solved a puzzle. The excitement was such a rush, I wanted to yell .... I DID IT OMG.... but couldn't because we live in a small old farmhouse that is a whole 1,000 square foot, and it is bad enough I am awake working at 1:20 am but if I woke Sean or the Troll up it would NOT be good. I wanted to tell someone, I wanted to get in the car and go get it right then and there (this was not possible... but), I just wanted it in my hands so bad, I could not contain myself. Yes this was at least a month ago.

You see, when the Troll woke up, I asked him about the place, he knew it ! You see he is in this area ALL the time. I asked him to take me, he said yeah sure I will take you there one day! I told him NO you don't seem to understand ......... this is NOT A SOMEDAY TYPE OF THING... I NEED THIS BOX. I WANT IT RIGHT NOW !!!!! He laughed at me like he normally does when it comes to letterboxing, so with my spirit crushed, I placed my notes and the solution on my desk, and forgot about it for the time being.

A few weeks ago, the Troll was in the area, I reminded him about the box, he said "HOLLY, I am not going to get that box, I have meetings and things to do, I am not letterboxing, I am WORKING!" Again my spirit was crushed and I looked at my notes and thought I really, really want this box !

Yesterday when I talked to the Troll and he told me what his plans were for his Wednesday, I brought up the box yet again, and grabbed for my notes. He said he would try to get it for me. OMG, you see the last couple of weeks have not been very good for me, and I could not believe he would even agree to try. I make him get a piece of paper and TOLD him to write the clues down. He told me that he did not think he would have a cell signal in the area so I made sure he knew EVERYTHING I knew, I made him read it back several times. I was quite excited, since like I said, I have not been in a good way the last 2 weeks, and this was something pretty important to me.

About 1:30, the phone rings and it is the Troll. He says, "OK I am here, but I can't find the *****!". I read him everything again, he says, "HOLLY, it is snowing here, the wind chill is about 5 below, I am freezing !" I reluctantly said, "OK, just forget it then", and hung up. My spirit yet again crushed, I look at my notes again, push them aside and go back to working.

The phone rings again, he says, "Tell this Park Ranger what I am looking for!", I totally panic, OMG I think, TROLL, you can't tell people what you are doing - HE KNOWS THIS ! HE KNOWS that he is not allowed to tell people what he is doing, OMG, I am totally panicing. This very nice park ranger, Dave gets on the phone. I explain what landmark the Troll is looking for. Dave says, "hummmmm, you have me stumped, not sure what you are talking about". I say, "OK, thanks." My spirit yet again crushed and my hands ready to WRAP AROUND THE TROLLS NECK ! He gets back on the phone...I say "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, you know you can't tell anyone what you are doing, are you CRAZY ?? ...... Just forget it, don't worry about it, forget about the box!" "OK he says, "they have no idea what you are talking about anyway Holly, they don't know where the *** ***** ***** is." I hang up, VERY DISAPPOINTED and totally in a panic! I could not believe it, if he messed up and told the rangers about the box and they got it and confiscated it, I would never be able to apologize enough. What was I thinking asking him to do this for me .......... sigh .........

The phone rings again. "the ******** is in my sight, it is still snowing, the wind is blowing and I AM FREEZING !", he says. OMG, my heart is racing again, I am excited, I am upset, I want that box, but I don't want any issues with park employees and boxes confiscated and being ostrisized from the letterboxing community because the Troll don't get it .......................... BUT I want that BOX! This is what I remember ....

TROLL :"ok, I am here, now what"

I tell him...

TROLL: "ok, yep found it, OK what next?"

I tell him..... my heart racing like I am there with him........

TROLL: "ok yeah now what?"

"Look UP!" I can hardly speak at this point, I am about to burst.

TROLL: "NOPE ......................"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOPE ???????????????? "

TROLL: "not here Holly................."

TROLL: "Wait a minute, let me look over here"

TROLL: "ok, wait, read it again ......"

"LOOK UP !!!!"

TROLL: "OK, HERE IT IS, I GOT IT !!!!!"

I am about to BUST A GUT and I YELL ...... "DO NOT LOSE THAT BOX ..... GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE, do not get into an accident, BE CAREFUL and BRING IT TO ME !!!!!!"

I hang up the phone, jump out of the chair, jump up and down like a crazy little kid, yelling YES, YES, YES !!!!!! It is now about 2:30. The Troll has actually been letterboxing for almost an hour in the snow, freezing. I can hardly believe it, not only that I solved the puzzle, that I was right and the box is mine, but that the TROLL actually got it for me !

OK ...... now before anyone starts panicing thinking that I let the Troll remove a letterbox from a hiding spot and bring it home - THIS IS NOT THE CASE, this is one of those very special letterboxes that you are ALLOWED to take home with you ! Thus, why I could send him to get it for me, letterboxing by proxy.

He calls when he is warmed up safely back in his truck. I GRILL him about the park rangers and ensure that he has not told them too much. He said he would not have been able to do it without their help, because they really did not know the landmark that I gave him. I think in the end there were about 3 or 4 rangers that ended up putting their heads together and ultimately pointing him in the correct direction. So this was really a letterboxing by proxy quest. I promise to go with him one day to visit this place and touch the spot where the box was just to make it totally totally official.

I was out feeding hay to the horses when he pulled up. He got out the truck with a camo lock and lock and handed it to Sean. Sean brought it to me and said is this THE ***** ? I said it is a ***** but it is not that one this one belongs to ______________. (I will explain that story another day).

With huge smiles the two of us run in the house and unlock the box. Wonderful Quest, wonderful stamp, wonderful letterboxer !

THANKS

This was a lot of fun, it made my day a little brighter .......... I will take very good care of it while I have it and I hope the next person to grace this logbook has as great of an experience as I did !

Letterboxing by proxy .........