Posts Tagged ‘health’

September 23, 2014

Podcast Episode 30: A Wild Work Week with Words of War, but “WE’RE #1!”

We keep it brief this week to make sure the MHQ Bash is ready to go, we hint at a Clan Wars announcement soon and talk about how awesome it is to be in McKinney.

This week’s topics:

1. Some final details about the MHQ Bash this weekend

2. McKinney being named the #1 place to live in America by Money Magazine.

3. A very quick word about the upcoming clan wars.

To check past, present and future Munzee Podcasts, visit www.munzeepodcast.com.

September 16, 2014

Podcast Episode 29: Greenie Schmidt Apple

In this episode of the podcast we revel in the glory of the greenie, update the upcoming German-esque MHQ Bash, and take a bite out of Apple’s NFC announcement.

This week’s topics:

1. The New iPhones: What they mean for Munzee

2. MHQ Bash, again: Updates for the event next week

3. Clan Wars: Clans hitting 1+ Million points, and hints for next month

4. We get off topic and talk about food and the good ol’ days

September 11, 2014

Munzee Player of the Week: Markus Gillgen (zeusi)

Since it’s inception, Munzee has been about conquering goals and reaching new heights (sometimes literally). Munzee and our players have proven time and time again that we are limitless and with every achievement a new standard has been set. This week’s Player of the Week really has had an excellent week. Markus Gilligen (zeusi) is currently living up to his mythological username as he has become the first Munzee player to reach 2 million points! We know this strike of lightning is far more than coincidence and zeusi will continue to wow, so read on to learn more about Markus!

Who are you?

My name is Markus Gillgen aka zeusi.

Where in the world do you live?

I live in Bonn, Germany, the former capital. That is 25km south of Cologne, one of the biggest Munzee hot spots around.

How long have you played Munzee?

I started playing in June 2012, so that’s more than 800 days now, but I was too late for the “early bird” Badge. We traveled some kilometers for a handful of greenies, 100 points was an amazing day score. Then the birthday cakes popped onto the map and or score exploded to over 1.000 points… yeah!

How did you find Munzee?

We played another Scavenger game like many other players did and found a blue plate with “Mystery ?” on it while searching the stash of a mystery cache. I thought I had found it and looked for log book, but found none. Made a picture and we continued our journey. Home again we looked at the picture and googled “munzee mystery” since we expected a new log solution or another step in solving the mystery.

We found the Webpage and installed the App on the same evening. A guy named Louboey deployed a lot of greenies around the place where we live so we went out to capture one of his stickers. Some days later we started with our first deploys in our homezone.

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?

There are many things that I enjoy, but here’s a selection :

I love the fund raising charity actions like Movember, RMH and ALS. The idea is really awesome and I supported all three charities. And not to forget: Munzee is unique and your deployment work is honored in points, the more you do, the more points you get day by day. Brilliant.

Being a team player it’s wonderful for me to be part of a clan, one of the best things Munzee established were the clan battles. We have a wonderful clan with great team spirit, from CW#1 till now.

And last but not least : 2014 my friend Robje64 and me hosted the 2nd European Munzee Event with more than 100 players in Cologne and CoachV and Dafi87 were our special guests – that was soooo awesome and everybody had a lot of fun. RobV was under siege from the first second. Everybody wanted to scan, take selfies, and touch him to see if he’s real – just like a pop star. That spirit was unbelievable. Thanks for being part of it!

What is on your wish list?

Since I love badges, definitely badges for blasts (20,50, 250) and the Clan War medals should be switched to badges soon.

I’d love to get credits right out of the App via Paypal or InApp purchasing & to see the amount I have left for blasts.

A “repair overview” filter on the map would be nice to see my own “yellows” not to miss them.

And if you could extend the Early Bird Badge counter by let’s say 50 days – wonderful 🙂

Tell us about yourself!

I’m 42 years old, married and we have four kids, all of us are active players with dedicated accounts. We found lots of friends and mates over several different countries. That is so amazing. I like to walk, but I need a target. With Munzee I walk a lot to move from code to code. I got my first Fitbit device two years ago and was very happy about the cooperation and integration of Fitbit. I love being out to grow the map!!!

I was addicted since the map around my hometown started to grow and my family and I deployed a lot in Bonn and Cologne and many other spots. Before we decide a destination for holidays we look first, if there are enough Munzees on the way or at the destination. And I have always some stickers with me 🙂

Other hobbies include:

Yes, there is time for other hobbies: family, time with the dogs, collecting and painting Warhammer fantasy miniatures with the kids.

Markus was kind enough to share his socials, so cap away!

If you know a player that should be nominated for Munzee Player of the Week, shoot us a message at iLoveYou@Munzee.com and let us know just why this person is outstanding in the global Munzee community!

-Please note, this is a super active campaign. We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

August 29, 2014

September Clan War Requirements

As Labor Day weekend approaches you should all take advantage of the long weekend to prepare mentally for this month’s Clan Wars. Although the battle won’t begin until September 3rd, the map continues to freeze over as the ALS Ice Cubes cover the map. Below you’ll find next month’s requirements, so get your clans together and prepare for war.

Level 1 Mace — All 10 members of your clan must deploy at least ten Munzees of any type. All 10 members of your clan must also reach a minimum of 500 points. Rewards: 1 Mace, 3 ALS Virtual Ice

Level 2 Longsword — All 10 members of your clan must deploy at least 25 Munzees of any type. In addition to the deploy requirement each member must capture at least 75 munzees (socials excluded). All 10 members of your clan must also reach a minimum of 2000 points. Rewards: 1 Longsword, 2 Mystery Virtuals, 2 Virtual Colors, 2 ALS Virtual Ice, & 1 Blast Cap

Level 3 Battle Axe — All 10 members of your clan must deploy at least 40 Munzees of any type. In addition to the deploy requirement each member must capture at least 150 munzees (socials excluded). All 10 members of your clan must also reach a minimum of 4500 points. Rewards: 1 Battle Axe, 2 Mystery Virtuals, 2 Virtual Colors, 1 ruby, & 1 Blast Cap

Level 4 The Chuck — All 10 members of your clan must deploy at least 60 Munzees of any type. In addition to the deploy requirement each member must capture at least 500 munzees (socials excluded). All 10 members of your clan must also reach a minimum of 9000 points. Rewards: 1 Mace, 1 Longsword, 1 Battle Axe, 3 Mystery Virtuals, 3 Virtual Colors, 1 ruby, 1 diamond, & 1 blast cap

Level 5 #SuperChuck — All 10 members of your clan must deploy at least 150 Munzees of any type. In addition to the deploy requirement each member must capture at least 1350 munzees (socials excluded). All 10 members of your clan must also reach a minimum of 15000 points. Rewards: 2 Battle Axes, 5 Mystery Virtuals, 5 Virtual Colors, 5 Virtuals, 2 motel, 2 ruby, 2 diamond, & 2 blast caps

August 28, 2014

Munzee Player of the Week: Dan (iamfull)

Munzee is what you make it. Whether you’re scouting the urban streets for hidden QR codes or following an outdoor trail, Munzee has something for everyone. This versatility is what we love about the game and as we continue to grow, our players find more ways to play. This is what this week’s player of the week, Dan, loves most about Munzee. Since his first cap at the Noodles and Company in Charlottesville, he’s been hooked and as the game expands so does his experience. Learn more about Dan (iamfull) below!

Who are you?
Dan aka iamfull

Where in the world do you live?
Charlottesville, VA the home of Thomas Jefferson & The University of Virginia.

How long have you played Munzee?
Since April 22, 2013

How did you find Munzee?
I came across Munzee while browsing a category on Wikipedia called outdoor locating games. This was two weeks prior to my first find. I looked at the map & saw there were a handful at a new shopping centers in town. I had dinner with a friend at the new place & mentioned the game to her. We found a Munzee on a bike rack & then downloaded the app & got our first caps. Many thanks to Mooky for placing that Munzee!

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
I like that Munzee can support many different styles of play. If you want to drive around the mall & cap LPM’s all day you can do that. Maybe you want to hike to the top of the hill overlooking town to enjoy the view & get the FTC on a virtual placed a year ago. I think just about anyone can find their own way to enjoy Munzee. I have been a member of the Maryland Munzee Mitlia since the first chuck level battle. It’s nice to have folks that support & encourage each other to reach our goals. The Munzee clan structure makes for some good-natured competition each month.

What is on your wish list?
I’d love to have clusters back in STATzee. I think Daniel Fischer does a wonderful job with that site & I am happy to see it integrated into munzee.com. I’d also like to propose a badge for setting off 100 blast captures. It could be called the iamfull badge (just a little vanity on my part). The next step up could be for 100 blast captures each with 100 virtuals/mvm’s captured (the iamreallyfull badge).

Tell us about yourself!
I am a 41 year old male human. I occasionally have to work, but I try not to let that get in the way of my munzee habit.

Other hobbies include:
I was a cacher a decade ago, but eventually moved on to other things. After that I spent too many years sitting behind a keyboard playing video games & I’m glad to have a hobby that takes me outside again.

Dan was kind enough to share his social, so cap away!

-Please note, this is a super active campaign. We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

August 21, 2014

Munzee Player of the Week: Petr Stary (Czechroo)

Much like our game pieces, Munzee players come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes even all species? Whether you’re short or tall, or a marsupial, Munzee is the game for you. This week’s Player of the Week is Petr Stary AKA Czechroo and although he may not be an actual Kangaroo, his ability to bounce around the Munzee map has impressed MHQ. Read on to learn more about this Czech born player who currently calls Australia home!

Who are you?
My name is Petr Stary, AKA Czechroo. “Czech” is short for my home country “the Czech Republic” and “roo” is short for kangaroo.

Where in the world do you live?
I am originally from a picturesque tiny town Úštěk in the northern part of the Czech Republic, but I have been living in Sydney, Australia for almost 10 years.

How long have you played Munzee?
I signed up for an account and capped my first munzee in January 2012, but knew about Munzee 4 month before that. It took me a while to register as I was busy with my university studies. Four months later in May 2012, I went premium.

How did you find Munzee?
To be honest I do not really remember, but I think I discovered Munzee while googling some caching relating stuff.

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
I enjoy the opportunity to get outside and discover new places while riding and sharing my scooter with other Munzers (BlueBearyk). I also enjoy Munzeeing because I can place munzees pretty much anywhere and they do not need to be reviewed.

What is on your wish list?
There are quite a few things on my wish list.
1. Clusters on STATzee – probably the most asked wish.
2. An alternative scanner button on the map in the app – I change scanners quite often. It involves 6 steps to change it if one is on the main screen. If one is in a hurry or there are muggles around a quick access to this feature would appreciate many Munzers.
3. I would like to see my own munzees that are in maintenance mode on the map in the app.
4. Proximity circles on/off in the Android app like the iOS app has.
5. A rover filter in the app and notifications so I know that someone picks it up, drops it off, or to be notified when my rover meets it goal.
6. To test scan NFC tags in the app.

Tell us about yourself!
I’m in my mid 30’s, BMI 21 🙂 and quite tall – 193 cm (6ft 4). That’s why are some of my early munzees deployed very high and they are not “kid friendly” and sometimes even adults cannot reach them. Lesson learned and now are most of my munzees deployed down low, waist and shoulder high. I moved to Sydney in 2005 to study English, but decided to stay longer and study more. I finished my Bachelor Degree in Information Technology (Networking, Systems Administration) in 2012. Unfortunately I have had no luck finding sponsorship which would help me to get permanent residency in Australia. Beside munzeeing I spend a lot of time outside enjoying the sun and Australian flora and fauna because it differs a lot from what you can experience in Central Europe. If you ever come to Sydney you can meet me in Kirribilli or Milson’s Point where the diamond mine is.

Other hobbies include?
Apart from munzeeing I occasionally play Ingress and search for geocaches. I also like traveling and visiting different places. When the weather is stunning I enjoy photographing.

Petr was kind enough to share his social, so cap away!

-Please note, this is a super active campaign. We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

May 21, 2014

Munzee for good this May!

With inspiration from previous Players of the Week (Derik Reed and Family) we’ve launched a special campaign that we hope inspires the entire Munzee community to open their hearts and join their hands together in fighting for an important cause!

RMH Virtual Munzee is a special limited time Munzee purchase. On sale from May 21 until May 31 (MHQ time) only. RMH Virtuals are temporary gamepieces with all proceeds to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Spokane Washinton. The donation to RMH of Spokane is to honor the special relationship between the Reed family, RMH, and local Munzee players. Read more about the Reed family and their special Player of the Week award on our blog.

RMH Virtual munzees will remain on the map from the date of deployment until June 30, 2014 at 18:00 MHQ time (CDT).

The RMH Virtual points will be similar to a diamond Munzee. Players will earn 10 points for deploying the munzee. The owner and capper will split 20 points when captured, with a minimum of 5 points for either player. Example: Player A captures and receives 7 points, the owner receives 13 points. Player B captures and receives 8 points, the owner receives 12 points. The maximum for owner or capper is 15 points. The minimum is 5 points.

ONE PURCHASE IS FOR FOUR (4) RMH VIRTUALS. THESE ARE TEMPORARY AND NOT PERMANENT GAMEPIECES, REMOVAL JUNE 30. Purchase your RMH Virtuals here: http://store.munzee.com/RMH-Virtual.html

Four badges may be earned through your purchase and support of the RMH virtual munzee. Badges received for owning 4 RMH munzees, 8 RMH, 20 RMH, and 40 RMH munzees owned.

As if all of this isn’t enough…How about ONE MORE THING! FREEBIES: Buy 2 packs (8 RMH total = $10) get one free regular virtual munzee. Buy 5 packs (20 RMH total = $25) get one free mystery virtual munzee. Must be purchased in same order to qualify for freebies.

The Blast Capture will work in order to capture the RMH virtual. No colors may be applied to the RMH Virtual.

May 15, 2014

Munzee Players of the Week, Derik Reed and Family!

Globally, Munzee is a network of players bound together by one simple thing, a love of the game, and passion to build our community with other like-minded people. Munzee provides us with an outlet to get outdoors, do something special with the family, see new sights, and make new friends. We’re all different, and we each have our own amazing personal story that makes us stronger, and makes this the most amazing group of players (and people) to be a part of. This week’s Players of the Week are no exception to this. The Reed Family (Derik, Kathryn, David and Julia), are near and dear to our hearts. Their love of the game and love of their son David resonate throughout the Munzee community. Today, we want to make them “shine” worldwide with all of you! Read below and get to know this week’s courageous Players of the Week!

1. Who are you? Let us know your “names” and introduce your Munzee family!

We are derikkathryn, Derik Reed, lilgeodave, and lilgeolia. My kids have their own accounts, at their request when we started playing together.

2. Where in the world do you live? We live in East Helena, MT, USA

3. How long have you played Munzee? (Derik) I began playing in January of 2013, 15 months ago.

4. How did you find Munzee? Did someone in your family “take” to Munzee first, or was it a passion shared amongst you all?

I discovered Munzee while overhearing it being discussed at an event of the other Geolocation-Game-That-Must-Not-Be-Named. I think they were actually making fun of it; I downloaded the app, and discovered that there were no more than a dozen in the area I was covering (including my home and Spokane, WA). It took me over a month to get to 100 points, as I had not discovered “armchair munzees” yet. My son David had been diagnosed with ALL, T-Cell Leukemia in October of 2012, and was living with my wife at the Ronald McDonald House in Spokane; munzee provided me with a needed distraction and activity (mostly deploying) while driving back and forth between here and there. My kids both have active accounts, and have played in clan battles with me, but mostly like to go on walks, and sometimes are ready to be done way before me!

5. What do you enjoy most about Munzee?

I enjoy the opportunity to get outside and exercise, the chance to meet new people with similar interests, including planning local events, coordinating strategic Munzee attacks so that our local clans can compete with the “Big Boys in Europe” and on the Coasts during clan battles.

6. How has Munzee impacted your relationship with your family, especially your children?

My family frequently munzees together, but I have way more drive than the kids. Our connections with others, especially while in Spokane, have been greatly augmented by Munzee and the other “Geolocation-Game-That-Must-Not-Be-Named”; also, my connections in that other game have triggered an interest in Munzee in Spokane, where the map has grown from just a few to over 5000 deploys in the last year. Also, another Munzer visiting Spokane capped some Munzees we deployed while walking to Riverfront Park from the Ronald McDonald House on Easter of 2013; she was so moved by our deploys that she made contact with my wife (at R.M.H.), and provided a significant amount of financial, emotional, and spiritual support while we were in Spokane! The people I play with have become close, personal friends, and their prayers and encouragement have been essential to our navigation of the last year. More locally, at a recent event in Helena, another player’s son, who is a survivor of childhood leukemia, was able to meet with my son. We are forging lifelong connections through this game!

7. What is on your wish list?

Most of my wishes have come to pass in the last year–i-nigma on the iPhone, locally planned events, better functionality for conversion and other functions within the app; but the greatest desire I have right now would be for some (or all!) of MHQ to come to one or more events in Montana and Spokane this summer! It would be an acknowledgement that we in the hinterlands are having an impact on the game!

8. Tell us more about your son’s treatment, and how the last 18 months have been for your family:

David was diagnosed with cancer on October 8, 2012, two days before his seventh birthday. He was in critical condition, and within hours of his diagnosis, he was life-flighted to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Spokane, Washington. During the first eight months (the most intense phases) of his three and a quarter years of treatment, he and his mother were required to live in Spokane. The Ronald McDonald House of Spokane became their home away from home. Without the Ronald McDonald House and all of the support it offered our family, those eight months away from home, friends, and family would have been even more difficult. The House provided us a safe place to live, play, and interact with other families with children with significant health issues.

We moved home Memorial Day weekend of 2012, but we visit the Ronald McDonald House every time we’re in Spokane to drop off donated pop tabs and to visit; we will always be grateful to the staff and supporters of the House.

David’s treatment consists of five phases, four of which were completed while we lived in Spokane. The first four phases involved IV chemotherapy, intrathecal chemotherapy, oral chemotherapy and steroids, as well as full cranial radiation. The last phase of treatment requires daily oral chemotherapy, a trip to Spokane every four weeks for IV chemotherapy, and a trip to Spokane every twelve weeks for a lumbar puncture and spinal chemotherapy; this cycle is repeated until the end of treatment. David will complete his final chemotherapy and ring the bell as a childhood cancer survivor on January 18, 2016.

Team Munzee is proud to have the Reed Family as this week’s Players of the Week. The passion and strength they bring to their everyday lives and the game is an inspiration to us, and hopefully, an inspiration to you! We’d like it if the Munzee community could rally together and capture this very special Social we’ve deployed for lilgeodave:

A note from our President: The Reed family and their story have inspired Team Munzee. Coming very soon we will celebrate and honor their Munzee connection with the Ronald McDonald House of Spokane. Prepare for special charity gamepieces, icons, and badges. More information coming very soon!

Thanks so much for taking a moment to read this important Player of the Week Interview, and capturing this Social. Keep your eyes on the blog, and on our Social Outlets for the big announcement from Team Munzee. You can help make a difference in this world! “Expect the Unexpected” this 2014!

May 2, 2014

Announcement: Munzee donates USD $5,000 to Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism!

The amazing efforts of our active Munzee community lead to over 8,055 hearts captured in the month of April! Player captures raised a total of USD $4,027.50 in donations towards an Autism charity. Team Munzee has decided one organization deserves the incredible efforts of our players.

Autism is a neurological disorder that impacts the normal development of the brain (oftentimes in areas of social interaction and communication skills). Autism occurs in as many as one in 150 births, and awareness towards this struggle is something passionately felt by Team Munzee.

The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism was established in 1998 by NFL quarterback Doug Flutie and his wife, Laurie, in honor of their son Doug, Jr. who was diagnosed with autism at age three.

Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation is dedicated to increasing the awareness of autism and improving the lives of families facing the unique challenges of facing autism everyday. Our commitment is to support these families by helping them find the resources they need and by funding advocacy programs as well as educational, therapeutic and recreational opportunities. To learn more about Flutie Foundation, check out the following link: http://www.flutiefoundation.org/

Like Team Munzee, Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation is a small group of passionate people working hard every day to turn their vision into a reality. Yesterday, TJ (VP of Sales/Marketing) reached out to the devoted five-person team and offered our total donation of USD $5,000.00 to their organization! We’re glad we could make a difference by donating to a dedicated organization that will utilize over 90% of our donation towards Autism Awareness (and helping families of children with autism ). Their primary objective is to provide families with a place to turn when they are in need of support and autism resources.

Team Munzee wants to give a big “THANKS” to our player community, YOU are what makes Munzee great. You inspire us to make a difference every day, and today we were able to do just that!

PS: Be sure to give them a little “Like” on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/flutiefoundation

May 1, 2014

Munzee Player of the Week: JS Seegars (Sseegars)

This week’s player of the week is a quiet sort of player. The player that spends his time enjoying the best of Munzee: getting outdoors, spending time with the family, and riding magical invisible pink unicorns. A friendly face on Social Media, and always eager to meet with any player headed towards his neck of the woods, this week’s Player of the Week is JS Seegars (Sseegars)!

Who are you? sseegars

Where in the world do you live? Kershaw, USA

How long have you played Munzee? 1,002 days

How did you find Munzee? Munzee came up in conversation with a fellow ‘cacher who was beta testing the app for iPhone. I was very hesitant to get into Munzee at first. I was a hardcore cacher and I just didn’t think Munzee would catch on. But I like firsts. I like being first in things and so I placed the first Munzee in South Carolina! I deployed it three years ago and my wife was FTC one year ago. Only two captures on it now, LOL! (Editor’s Note: Everyone head to South Carolina: http://www.munzee.com/map/dnnswddyp/13!)

What do you enjoy most about Munzee? I’m not a die-hard player, but my wife is, and I’m so supportive of her and Munzee! She liked caching but wasn’t as into it as I was. This has given us both something to do together! We discuss Munzee several times a day. Add to that the social interaction online with the various pages and groups and I am happy to be a part of the Munzee family. I am a stay at home Dad and being online is sometimes my only adult interaction during the day.

Another aspect that I really enjoy and I want to be clear about upfront is Rob’s involvement in the game. He’s always around. He’s not just the president, he’s also a player. I am not badmouthing caching but I really never saw that “in other games” and I’ve actually met the folks in charge for those games/hobbies! Rob is more involved and approachable and that means something to me!

I enjoy Munzee because I can place most anywhere. I don’t have a reviewer looking over my shoulder. That’s something that finally drove me away from caching. I often go out for a wander on weekends (Saturdays are my day off) with my camera and find some interesting thing or place that I can bring another player to. It’s not the points for me. It’s the discovery of new things, or old things. I do love old houses.

What is on your wish list? Franklin, TN in the foreseeable future! I would love to go back to Europe especially now with Munzee.

I want to see historical icons. I have part of that with quiz munzees and have started placing those with that in mind. I would love to see a set of Munzees that give an increasing point range as you go along a historical trail of Munzees to a payoff of points at the end. I think that would be useful in getting both the curious and the ones out for points onto a trail like that. I always like to learn new things about an area when I’m out wandering. That’s how I used to cache.

Tell us about yourself!

My handle is something that my parents came up with, lol. First initial and last name. I am awful about picking a handle and changing it. So here I just went with a handle I’ve had for years.

I am forty-five, married, with two kids. Mags is maseegars, our children play with us, and we all use the same handles for our Munzee player names. I had to keep it simple and going the same way I did with their handles seemed to be the best way.

I usually Munzee with the wife. I have been known to Munzee with WallynSC when I can get his decrepit old body out of the house!

I love photography and history, science fiction and fantasy, and I watch WAY too much TV. I am also a heavy reader. I have a huge interest in mythology and books on the occult, ghost stories and just the general weird stuff that’s out there. There is a lot of strangeness in the world. I want to see it all.

One of the thing I really enjoy in the Facebook groups is Unicornification Nation, It’s nice to be a part of that. I enjoy the back and forth when it really gets rolling.

I wanted to mention this, the whole Unicorn thing. I’m part Scottish. It’s heritage not hate. LOL, Check out that beautiful national animal (and my Social):

I wouldn’t want to go too far on this, but it’s important. Was that way too far? 😉

-Please note, this is a super active campaign. We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!