Cache out

7/27/10 Princeton dice cufflinks, given away

When you finally make the decision to downsize something as classy as a pair of dice cufflinks, you've got to do it with style.

The cufflinks are an artifact from my tenth college reunion, and it is a testament to their sentimental value that not only have I held onto them for six years, but they've been stored in the basket where I drop my wallet, keys, and change each night. Just like Princeton, that's a special place.

Nonetheless, with only four days left in the Downsize Challenge -- yes, Dear Readers, that's right: just FOUR days left -- it's time to pull out the big guns. Even the most precious of belongings are fair game.

And what a game it was.

If you haven't heard of geocaching, it's time for you to do a Google search, check out geocaching.com, or, even better, listen to this podcast from the cool guys at Stuff You Should Know.

The concept seems a little bizarre at first, then you realize it's just plain cool. All over the world, people hide containers in random places and publish the GPS coordinates. Anyone can look up the caches stashed neared them online and try to find the containers. If you find one, you sign the visitor log inside and, if you like, leave or take a trinket, which other geocachers have left behind.

How widespread is this little treasure-hunting game? I downloaded a geocaching app to my iPhone, turned it on, and immediately had directions to three different caches within a quarter mile of my front door. You, too, my friend, have one close to you. It's amazing. And, as mentioned before, very cool.

Naturally, Chase wanted to come along.

He may not have appreciated our first discovery, a cache in a nearby park, hidden in the branches of a tree about five feet off the ground, but this is definitely a fantastic activity for kids of all ages.

I signed the log (at least thirty people had found the cache before me) and dropped in the cufflinks, to go along with the watch, key, and Mardi Gras beads others had left.

Following geocaching protocol, it would have been fine for me to take one of the items in the cache since I was leaving something, but that would have violated downsizing protocol, so I refrained.

Downsize complete, new hobby discovered.

And just imagine the delight of the next geocacher when s/he discovers those cufflinks. Talk about hitting the jackpot.