Boxers 'n' Briefs: Toad Hollow Redux

I am shocked. Simply shocked.

Letterboxers are the most ingenious, creative, savvy, downright clever people I know. So how come NONE of us is able to figure out the origins and true meaning of the "Toad Hollow Day of Appreciation"? Ok, ok, I know several of you have put forth various related links and surmisals, and for those I truly am grateful. But nothing so far has been a definitive answer. You can visit the Toad Hollow Tunnel in Davis, CA (thanks Ballantine Buddies and 3Ms). You can get a Toad Hollow Day of Appreciation Coffee Mug (thanks Bookworm). You can even get Toad Hollow Wines (which, incidentally, are produced by Robin Williams' brother Todd). But NOTHING we, the collective LB Community, has come up with REALLY tells us about this most elusive ersatz holiday. So the challenge remains open. And to sweeten the proverbial pot just a bit, I offer this: The first person who can tell me what it is, where it came from, and can back it up with a web link (or other such proof), will have an entire BnB dedicated to them. This means that the Title, and EVERY LINK (or Caption) will somehow relate to them. Wanna see just how many bad puns I can make with your name? Then FIND ME THAT LINK!

Hmmm... can you say "obsessed"?

1) Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh... be vewy vewy qwuiet...

2) "Courtesy Check on register 5..."

3) Leading them back from Wench they came...

4) Life... don't talk to me about life...

5) If you're Happy and you know it, stab your hand!

6) Yet another creative use for Duct Tape. (Red Green would be proud!)

7) Do do that "To-Do" that you do so well.

8) Cache me if you can.

9) Those who forget History are doomed to replant it.

10) A picture is worth a thousand posts.

11) As Dr. Seuss would say: Box o' Socks Restocks Iraq.

12) Down and out.

13) Feel the looooove!!!

14) Weight Watchers.

15) Reserve-war dogs.

16) Sounds like a plan!

17) See? I'm not the ONLY one who makes bad puns!

Toad Hollow. Think Toad Hollow. Release me from the ravages of this insidious burning curiosity.

-wassamatta_u

Boxers 'n' Briefs: What the Heck IS It?

Happy Friday, Letterboxers!
Ok, since I didn't really have a good title or intro for today's BnB, I thought I would take the easy way out. I looked up one of those "Unusual Holidays" calendars, to see what sort of silliness today held, and see what I could do with it. Imagine my surprise when I saw that today, January 26th, is the... are you ready for this?... "Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement".

Say it out loud, I dare you... Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement. Okay, it definitely meets my criteria for "humorous sounding." But...what IS it? What does it mean? What are we celebrating, and HOW? Google time!

But alas... after several pages of entries, I found MANY references to the fact that today IS "Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement," but no actual explanation of WHY Toad Hollow and WHAT we are to Encourage. Can somebody PLEASE help me? I need to know. If ANYBODY out there can tell me what this holiday is all about (or can make something up that sounds plausible, I'm not picky), then please let me know! Leave a message on the blog, AQ mail me, or post on whatever turns out to be the appropriate AQ Board. My sanity is in your hands. Such as it is.

And now, the week:

1) It's almost like a Random Word Generator!

2) Lady and the Tramper.

3) Sew what? <----- winner of this week's "lamest pun" award

4) The Treachery of Stamped Images

5) I can neither confirm nor deny...

6) The Sprite on a Soapbox (what MORE do you need to know?)

7) Now YOU can have a Silent Partner.

8) A Star is born. Well, carved, actually.

9) Wait a minute... can we go back to that "moose" part again?

10) Monkey see, monkey do... but which is the monkey?

11) Supplies in demand

12) The official policy is that there is no official policy...

13) Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

14) This kid has his priorities straight.

15) Our thoughts an prayers for you, teekasue.

And that pretty much wraps up the week. Except for the "Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement" part, of course...

-wassamatta_u

Boxers 'n' Briefs: A Bad Case of the Mondays

Greetings, AQties!

It's Monday Night. I have been in meetings all day, I am behind on getting a PLB out, I have several due next week that I haven't even started, my washing machine flooded my garage, and my dog is whining at me because she wants a walk. And yet... I'm in a good mood! Why? Because I had a fantastic time letterboxing this weekend, that's why! Funny how a great weekend can spill into what would be an otherwise dreary Monday.

Speaking of Dreary, here's the weekend summary!

1) I Drew a Blank on this mystery.

2) Easy PZ.

3) Magic: The Gathering.

4) Wooden you want to try this?

5) Lift and Separate

6) Boxing with Kid Gloves.

7) Ya gotta henta to her...

8) This week's winner of the "How did they get from here to there?" thread.

9) Gathering ye rosebuds while ye may...

10) A dream is a wish your heart makes.

11) Letterboxing can be Educational!

12) !spmats ruoy em dneS

13) Ok, this has to be my favorite post of the weekend...

14) You ask. GT delivers.

15) It wequires total concentwation...

16) Smile!

17) And finally... my gratuitous obligatory self-indulgent post link. Sprite and Highlander are hosting a "Dungeons and Dragons" Postal Ring, and part of the fun is participants posting "backstories" for their characters. I'm not in the ring, but thought I might join in the fun anyway...

That about wraps it up for the wrapping it up. Have a fun week!

-wassamatta_u

Boxers 'n' Briefs: Introducing GQ!

Hello, Fellow Boxers!
I usually try to keep the B'n'B in relatively chronological order, but I must make an exception this week. Big news, my friends, big news indeed: GQ has arrived! GQ, that cutting edge vehicle of all that is chic and trendy; GQ, that leading bellwether of modern society; GQ, that top spot to spot top plots! Wait, did you think GQ meant "Gentlemen's Quarterly"? No, I meant the other, more important GQ: GooberQuest! Ok, so it's actually called "RyansATotalGoober", but I think "GooberQuest" has a nice ring to it...

And now, the usual drek:

1) Arboreal Tutorial.

2) Arterial Material.

3) You can count on it.

4) Smooth moves.

5) Welcome to the bulc!

6) Carving Medium , Well Done

7) "I'll have what SHE'S having..."

8) This post started by far the most active thread of the week.

9) This, too, shall pass.

10) I feel strangely compelled to link to this one. Why am I not surprised it's the Sprite again?

11) Knolls well that ends well.

12) A very worthy cause.

13) That's another fine mesh you've gotten me into!

14) A Capital Excursion!

15) Wanna buy a bag of leaves?

16) If ArtGekko invites you over for omelettes... RUN!

17) Flattery will get you everywhere.

18) PSAs give you a lift...

19) If ArtGekko invites you over for stew... RUN!

20) Calling all carvers...

21) Ask a silly question, get a very funny answer.

And that will do it for this week. Hope you have a productive, constructive, and rewarding weekend, but if not... hope you get out boxing!

-wassamatta_u

Boxers 'n' Briefs: Patches and Pooches

It seems like there were two topics this weekend: Quilting and Dogs. Originally, I had titled this blog "Who Let the Dogs Out." Then, I considered "Quilt While You're Ahead". Or "Letterbarking". But none of those really sang out to me.

And then a GREAT title came along... "Patches and Pooches." Brilliant! Absolutely perfect! Witty, concise, covers the topics, alliterative, and has the word "poo" buried in it.. what more could I want! But I have to be honest... I didn't think of it! Yes, the winner of the "Please Help Wassamatta_U Come Up With A Good Punny Title This Week Because He Is Stuck" contest is: Happy Papaya! Woohoo! She wins! And what does she win? Ummmm... Well, she gets Full Credit for Coming Up With It.

Ok, there. I filled enough space before the actual stuff you want to see: the summary.

1) A Bee-utiful Gathering.

2) And then, ervetchick started something...

3) deniserows ponders the deep mysteries of the Universe.

4) What's in a name?

5) "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, shall keep us from our appointed rounds."

6) And then, Yorkshire Tortoise started something else...

7) The projected winner of the next goobernatorial race...

8) Pied Piper comes by the addiction honestly.

9) It started innocently enough; a simple plea for letterboxes. Then, as if by magic, it ended up here...

10) I'd walk a mile for a camo.

11) Marking the grade.

12) Handling a touchy situation...

13) Sticker where the sun don't shine.

14) Why Ryan is a computer geek...

15) It's always fun to report Good News.

16) Order now and get the Ginzu Knife Set!

17) Rest-area hyst-eria.

18) Finally, Ask and Ye Shall Receive.

And that pretty much wraps it up for the MLK Weekend! Hope you all stay warm and cozy, and have plenty of chances to generate mastercarvebits, PZZits, pinkstuff-flakes, Speedbarf, schnibbles, PZDander, bouncing chads, schnards, BOBs, spleege, or my personal favorite: carving barf - "carf".

-wassamatta_u

Boxers 'n' Briefs: (Insert Witty Title Here)

Happy Friday, AQ Fiends! (yes, Fiends, not Friends)(well, Friends also, but I just wanted to point out that it wasn't a typo)(Fiends wasn't a typo, I mean)(Like, I intentionally typed Fiends instead of Friends)(But I guess you knew that).

It's been another interesting week in the World of AtlasQuest. Things happened. People posted stuff. Other people responded. Sometimes, people posted stuff and responded to themselves (you know who you are). Hmmmm... maybe "interesting week" is a bit of a stretch... well, let's have a look, shall we, and reserve judgement until the end.

1) Snowperstitions

2) Papaya gets right to the point.

3) This week's AQ SpokesModel: LockWench!

4) Because a mime is a terrible thing to waste.

5) Sprite rules!

6) I'd like to thank the members of the Academy...

7) You are travelling through another dimension. A dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of cereal.

8) Keeping us all in stitches.

9) Absorbing the local atmosphere.

10) I forgot my ink; could you please hand me that squid?

11) The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

12) This week's tongue-twister: Knit Wit's Tips and Tricks.

13) Another one bites the dust.

14) This one is NOT for the follicly challenged...

15) How many adjectives can we fit in one post?

16) And to wrap it up, my own personal sales-pitch for AQ Premium Membership. It's my blog, I can point to my own posts if I want, so neener neener neener.

Well, seems as if it WAS an interesting week, after all! Hope you all have a fun and box-filled weekend!

-wassamatta_u

P.S. Hi, star writer! Hope you and your mom are having a WONDERFUL time in DC! I have been reading your mom's blog, and it sounds like you are! Congratulations.

Boxers 'n' Briefs: Fourteenth Night

Hello, Letterboxers! It seemed a bit early after my last post to have blogged on Friday, so I decided to wait until after the weekend, and really build up your appetite for my briefs. (That didn't come out so good, did it?)

Really, the week/weekend could be summarized as such:

A significant number of AQ posts in anticipation of this last weekend's "Twelfth Night" gathering in Asheville, NC.

A brief and eerie silence (no Dixie).

And finally, a deluge of posts about what a wonderful Gathering it was.

BUT, for those foolish enough to crave MORE in the way of summarization (seems rather oxymoronic: "Expanded Summaries"), here we go! Starting with last Wednesday...

1) You've got to know when to hold 'em,

2) Know when to fold 'em...

3) Know when to walk away,

4) And know when to run!

5) If it's Tuesday, this must be Brussels...

6) You say you want a resolution?

7) Button, button, who's got the button?

8) As the Watchmaker asked the Policeman: "What makes a Coptic?"

9) Orange you glad to be in SoCal? (I can't believe I stooped this low...)

10) Breaking the mold.

11) And now, a message from our sponsor.

12) Big Boxing.

13) But WAIT! How much would you expect to pay for all this?...

14) No comprende.

15) That's an order!

16) Our thoughts are with you, AMEEBZ.

17) If you sinew must pay the price!

18) Cache and Carry.

19) "Is Homeschoolmommy having a Gathering?" "I dunno... Alaska!"

20) The depths some Boxers will go to...

21) Ok, now this is just kinda creepy.

22) And to wrap it up... more GREAT news! Congratulations!!!!

I would like to point out (to those that do NOT follow the North Carolina board) that, even far away here in California, I had a BLAST reading about the Asheville gathering. I felt a part of it; there was so much enthisiasm and sheer delight, both leading up to the event and afterwards. I didn't include many links to it here because, well, there was just too much! But if anyone wants to live vicariously through the virtual mayhem that those NCers seem to thrive on, check out the "Letterboxing North Carolina" board... I promise you won't be disappointed!

-wassamatta_u

Boxers 'n' Briefs: There's No Lang Syne Like an Auld Lang Syne...

I had planned on doing some sort of "yearly retrospective" for 2006, a sort of year-in-review kind of thing. But it occured to me that we need to be looking FORWARD, not backward; and that the bright future of Letterboxing lies not in the dull depths of the quickly withering past, but in the glowing, gleaming horizon spreading before us, ripe with promise and potential. Ok, ok, I was too lazy. Sheesh. But what I WILL do is tell ya what you missed while you were hung over.

1) Is it just me, or do you find it somewhat disconcerting that a link for "Field Guides" is given by someone named "Pied Piper"?

2) Good advice, Mookie; I think the last line should apply to the whole thread!

3) 5000 words.

4) Who wants to tackle this question?

5) An interesting use of the word "minimalist"...

6) I mentor do that!

7) Postal reminiscences. Say THAT 3 times fast.

8) Etiquette? I hardly even know it!

9) Get your kicks.

10) I bet they used a Lock-n-Lock!

11) So soon, it seems, the theme's scene's screen's been seen.

12) Wasn't that a Marx Brothers movie?

13) Nobody wants a soggy papaya.

14) And finally: we are all thankful you're okay, moonduck.

By the way, 2006 was the year I became an active member of the AQ community! Why, it wasn't too long ago that I made my very first AQ post. And some of those early posts are still as relevant today. Hope you all have a WONDERFUL 2007, and thank you all for making me feel welcome in this crazy community we call AQ.

-wassamatta_u