Mark, You took my best reason!
Here goes my list: (both playful and serious.) The smell of cave dirt brings back the BEST memories. (I began caving in college, at Mammoth Cave, the first time I was ever really away from home. When I take a deep breath underground, suddenly I'm 19 again, tasting my first freedom, and life's possibilities are endless.) There is nothing like a 12+ hour cave trip to run your mind blank, and just exist in the moment. Caving gear is my indulgence. Ordering a shiny pantin, a thick coil of new 11 mm rope, a colorful new Rutherford pack, chunky boots...bliss! I love them all and can't wait to put them to good use! The fear you feel when you're stepping off the side of a tall pit makes you feel alive. If society collapses I know ALL the best hideouts. The people. Cavers have been my best friends, significant others, inspirations. And of course, some of the weirdest people that I've ever met! Not a day goes by that I don't thank God and whatever stars aligned that I fell into caving and became one of you wackos. :) The couch at Deep/Punkin is the comfiest one I've ever slept on. Getting to cave entrances puts my RAV4's 4x4 capabilities to good use. Probably the ONLY time I get to use that feature. If I go caving, I usually go west. And when I go west, sometimes I see cactus. And cactus is really cool. I look damn good in a wetsuit. Honey Creek Tank Haul, baby! On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 8:22 AM, <mark.al...@l-3com.com> wrote: > ** > > Damn! You figured out Sheryl and my ulterior motive, Lyndon! > > As Sheryl stated, please be aware that your responses can/will be used in > the next issue of***** The TEXAS CAVER.* > > If you have no problem with this, post away! > > Thanks, > > Mark > > -----Original Message----- > From: lyndon....@gmail.com [mailto:lyndon....@gmail.com<lyndon....@gmail.com>] > On Behalf Of Lyndon Tiu > Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 8:19 AM > To: Sheryl Rieck > Cc: TexasCavers > Subject: Re: [Texascavers] 10 Reasons I Would Rather Be Caving > > Sounds like a good title for a TC article. > > On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 8:13 AM, Sheryl Rieck <sheryl.ri...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > I started caving a bit later in life than many people and promptly became > > > too busy to cave even though I had fallen in love with the peace and > beauty > > > of the caves I had visited. I have not been in a cave in 4 years, but > almost > > > no day goes by that I don’t think about caving. It is my choices that > have > > > kept me from caving. That doesn’t keep from missing it any less. > > > > > > > > > > > > As I was wading through the massive number of issues associated with a > > > go-live (the ultimate goal of my projects) that was in too short a time > span > > > and with too little information, I found myself thinking yet again of > caving > > > and how I would so much prefer to be underground with a bunch of fun > folks > > > than getting my butt kicked by issues. About this same time, the emails > > > from Mark began. > > > > > > > > > > > > I agreed with the assessment of the publications becoming very > scientific. > > > I’m an accountant. I have no scientific knowledge in the realm of > > > speleological studies. I don’t read those articles because they make my > eyes > > > roll back in my head and that just makes my eyes hurt. So, in an effort > to > > > give Mark an article and to give us laypeople something to read, I came > up > > > with 10 reasons I would rather be caving. I thought maybe you could send > > > Mark YOUR 10 reasons you would rather be caving. Knowing the Texas caving > > > community as I do, I think that the articles would be fascinating. > > > > > > > > > > > > Here are my 10: > > > > > > > > > > > > 1. The snakes are only at the entrance of a cave and look like > snakes. > > > > > > 2. A traffic jam is just a good way to rest in a cave. > > > > > > 3. The people who annoy me most would never be able to find me in a > > > cave. > > > > > > 4. My laptop cannot get a signal in a cave. That is my story and I > am > > > sticking to it no matter what. > > > > > > 5. My cell phone cannot get a signal in a cave. Ditto sticking to > it. > > > > > > 6. Saying you have been mapping a cave sounds more interesting than > > > saying you have been mapping a chart of accounts. > > > > > > 7. Mapping a cave IS more interesting than mapping a chart of > > > accounts. > > > > > > 8. When I am in the dark in a cave that is the way it is supposed > to > > > be. > > > > > > 9. I have met some interesting, entertaining, and/or incredibly odd > > > people on caving trips and that is just fun. > > > > > > 10. I am usually not the strangest person in the group. > > > > > > > > > > > > I cannot wait to see what others’ 10 reasons are that they would rather > be > > > caving. I have read some truly amazing words from so many of you. You are > > > verbose, imaginative, and clever people and I think your 10 reasons > would be > > > worth a read. > > > > > > > > > > > > Disclaimer: Not all submissions will be published and you know why. > > > -- > > Lyndon Tiu > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com > > For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com >
