Anne Mertz – ThePharmGirl

[thepharmgirl]

Candidate: ThePharmGirl

Background Info:

My name is Anne Mertz (Annie), aka ThePharmGirl (no relation to PharmTeam). I’m 33, recently engaged to Jeremy (jvechinski–and no, we haven’t set a date yet), and I currently reside in West Bend (you may have heard of it–just this little ol’ city with a few caches) with my naughty cat (Wesley). And I like parentheses.

After getting a chemistry degree from Lakeland College in 2000, I graduated from UW-Madison in 2004 with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and now I’m a friendly neighborhood pharmacist on the night shift at a 24-hour Walgreens. I have a convenient 7-night on, 7-night off schedule which allows me to cache to my heart’s content on my weeks off. Yay!

When I’m not geocaching, or planning geocaching trips, or talking Jeremy’s ear off about geocaching, I like to read books, watch TV/movies, play piano, play computer games, or find recipes to cook so that I can achieve my 100-recipe goal this year (see http://www.thepharmgirl.com/recipes2010.html or visit me on Facebook).

How I Started Caching:
I first heard about geocaching from a friend of mine in Pharmacy School. I thought this “treasure hunt” game sounded fun. I bought a cheap eTrex and walked myself to the nearest park. I was bad at it–really bad. I managed to find exactly 7 caches, but couldn’t find at least twice that number. I never went to an event or knew the WGA existed or had any way to ask for help, and my constant failure at finding geocaches became too frustrating. I put the hobby on a back burner. A year or so later, when I met Jeremy and learned that he was an active geocacher, I decided to dust off my GPSr and give it another try. Whether the caches were easier or I just had extra motivation to impress a guy, I suddenly found caching easier–and more fun. It became addictive. I had a new respect for the sport, and two years later, I’m still having a blast!

Why I Geocache:
Too many reasons to count! It gets me out of the house. At times, it provides a mental challenge (“sinister” puzzles and tricky hides). Other times, I’m faced with a physical challenge or an opportunity to face my fears (climbing trees!). It allows me to be human and miss easy hides or make silly mistakes and laugh about it (like the time I fell down the mudslide on a Lake Michigan bluff). Sometimes it makes me feel like I’m on a grand adventure. It introduces me to new friends and acquaintances who share the same interest. Mostly, I love that it takes me places that I would not have otherwise visited or known about. I especially enjoy visiting Wisconsin’s scenic natural features, specifically waterfalls.

Geocaching Style:
I’m usually a pretty laid-back cacher. Sure, I’ll go after FTFs to give myself some excitement. But on a long caching day, I’ll pause for lunch and I’ll stop at interesting scenic or historical sites along the way, even if there’s no cache there. I’ll attempt those puzzles and multis. I’m not overly concerned with numbers, although I do get joy from each milestone and I like to celebrate them. I don’t log temps, but I don’t care if other people do. It doesn’t affect me; I cache because I like caching. This year, I hope to visit more of our state and finish the Wisconsin County Challenge and the DeLorme Challenge.

What Can You Expect from ThePharmGirl as a WGA Board Member?

1) General Personality
For those who don’t yet know me, I think I am a very down-to-earth type gal, and a good voice of reason. I have a sense of humor and a generous spirit. I remain fair (and do my best to be kind) in tough situations, and I possess a willingness to listen and keep an open mind to viewpoints that differ from my own. I can compromise when necessary. I can admit when I’m wrong; I may modify my position if valid and strong persuasive points have been made. I do not like conflict.

2) Participation in WGA-Sponsored Events & Outreach
I am willing to be an active organizer and/or volunteer for events, as much as my work schedule allows. I am willing to travel to areas outside my region. I have attended WGA events at Governor Dodge, High Cliff, and Lake Wissota State Parks. I am also willing to help out with non-WGA events that may require WGA volunteers to promote or educate the public about geocaching.

3) WGA Areas for Improvement
There has been a boom of new geocachers recently, and I think WGA awareness and recruitment is an important goal to keep new cachers informed about proper etiquette and environmentally-friendly values. Whenever somebody posts “This was my first cache” on one of my caches, I email them, congratulate them on their first find, welcome them to geocaching, and I let them know they can ask myself or the WGA any questions they may have about geocaching. I don’t know what the WGA is currently doing, but perhaps the welcoming committee needs an upgrade? I really think the future of Wisconsin geocaching depends on the involvement of these upcoming cachers in preserving the “leave no trace” and “cache in, trash out” mantras.

I’d like to see the WGA encourage members to host more “giving back” type events/sessions, like Cache In-Trash Out or educational classes such as the “Invasive Species” class that was held in Appleton, which I found to be very educational and highlighted ways geocachers can be proactive in preserving our natural species.

Public awareness and promoting a positive image is also a high priority. I’d like to see the WGA build more relationships with public directors of parks and create an easy and accessible place for geocachers to follow those guidelines.

4) Follow-though
I am willing to follow through with a project/idea to the best of my ability. As an example, every year the Cache Ba$h lands on my work weekend. I take personal vacation days in order to help with the event. Also, last year, the event page promised discounts from area restaurants. It came to crunch time, and only one restaurant discount had been secured. Laurell (LDove) and myself took initiative and personally called and visited restaurants to get additional deals so that we could follow through with the promise that had been made.

[thepharmgirl]

Hello,

I apologize to those who nominated me and the many cachers who supported me, but I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for a BOD position.

My decision to run was perhaps a little hasty in my enthusiasm for volunteering and helping the WGA to succeed in its endeavors. But if I were to be elected to the board, I firmly believe in following through with a responsibility that important, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to fulfill the required time commitments for the position given my weird work hours.

When I agreed, I wasn’t aware of the date of the Feb 28th BOD meeting (which I cannot find written in the Bylaws) until it was mentioned as a Candidate’s Corner Topic. I attempted to take off work, but my request was denied, so I wouldn’t be able to attend. My inability to attend is not fair to the other candidates who do have every weekend free.

I also conveniently forgot about a little thing called wedding planning which might take more of my personal time in the next year than I’d like to think about.

But to the remaining candidates and current BOD, I’d like you to know I’m still willing to volunteer at events and help out with some of the ideas mentioned in these forums, such as a welcoming and retention committee, or a committee to update the cache hiding guidelines. I’d like to think of myself as a fairly good writer, and I’d be willing to write articles for newspapers. Also, as a parting suggestion, I’d really like to see a separate “Volunteer Opportunities” Topic in the forum index so that it is a more visible and prioritized topic.

Thanks for listening, and let me know if I can be of assistance in ways other than serving on the BOD this year.

Sincerely and regretfully,
Anne (ThePharmGirl)

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