Caching catastrophes...it could have been!!!

Ohhhh the funny things that happen whilst caching. The things that you can look back on and think actually that situation was really hilarious.

Yep one of those happened yesterday..it could have been worse I suppose.

It started ooooooo maybe the night before, or should I say morning of. I got myself really rather well organised for my caching trip, far more than usual I must admit. I had even predicted the rather murky weather and had prepared my maps by laminating them as I had got so sick of having soggy maps half way round the walk. Went to bed, tried to sleep but that just was not happening....5am came and there I was still bloody awake. hey ho I did finally manage to drop off until the alarm went off at 8am to get up....and ooooo the snooze button came in rather handy. Rather too handy as I ended up shouting the kids to get up and rushed around the place trying to be ready for the 10am start that I had given my Mum to be ready for. Yep you guessed it, we were late leaving and finally managed to make it out 40minutes late.

You know when you get that feeling that you have forgotten to do something or forgotten to take something, well I had that feeling but carried on regardless.

Drive down to South Staffordshire was event free and we managed to find a parking space in the local pub carpark close to the start of the intended series that we had planned to do. We set off and completed 21 of the series before sacking it as it had started to snow rather heavily. Always being prepared, I had a back up and decided that the rest of the afternoon we would complete driveby's, so the printed maps came in handy and the satnav got a bashing. Pretty good up till then until we stopped at one of the drivebys. It was at the end of a small lane with the junction onto the main road. So thinking I was being rather clever I spun the car round so that it was facing towards the main road, turned off the engine and we all jumped out to grab the cache. No problems...or so we thought. Getting back into the car, switching the ignition on and nothing.....lights...yes but no bloody response from the engine just that horrible click as you turn the key. Arghhhhhhhh

So here we are stuck in the middle of nowhere with my Mum and 2 kids sat in the car. Thinking yep I can push it, as it is only a little car, I asked my Mum to jump in the driving seat and bump it. But ohhhhh noooooo, she had no idea how to do it even after I explained it...how guilty did I feel making my Mum and the kids push the car backwards (not at all ha ha). The kids thought it highly amusing that we had managed to break down and they had to push. But it was all over and done with in minutes, the car started again immediately so we carried on caching. 36 caches later and finally reaching my 1400th milestone we decided to call it a day and head off home.

Ahh well I suppose that was all too easy, and as I pulled on to the M6 at Gailey it was flashing 40mph. Why I have no idea as at the end of the slip road the actual speed of the traffic was a big fat 0 mph. Why do they have to do that...can they just not put on the signs 0 mph and then I wouldn't have gone on it and found an alternative route. So there we are just sat there grrrrrrr!!! What should have been less than a 40 minute journey took us 2 hours.

And that thing I thought I had forgotten....oh yes, I forgot to lock the back door....Doh!!!!!!

A few from the Gallery

JACK Geokids at the start of the Lapley Loop

Greta (Mum) of The Bignall Boppers and the JACK Geokids

Me doing the honours with the cache (as usual)