On Hold Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

stbk: Came by and visited the final location tonight. The cache is gone, and a wasps nest was in its place. Time for this puzzle to die...

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Hidden : 10/6/2005
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Cache is NOT at the posted coordinates. It is within 3.5 miles.

Solve the puzzle below to determine the actual cache location.

It all started back in early June. I was sitting on hold with the reservations desk at Yosemite. I had been on hold for a good fifteen minutes (this is a toll call, mind you,) listening to their inane muzak and little factoids on the speakerphone as I worked. After three or four cycles of their factoids, I was struck by one of these factoids, and I found myself browsing the web. Over the next half hour, as I remained on hold (what kind of service is that?) I noted the following items. See if you can make sense of them.
  • What on earth is an SGML syntax-directed editing system? (Don't we all use XML instead of SGML at this point?)
  • I need to pick a quality management system consultant. I wonder how I would go about doing that...there must be some guidelines somewhere.
  • I'm using a flat panel monitor...are there any ergonomic requirements I should be aware of?
  • Hmm...how many needles would I need for a knitting machine, especially a circular one with a large nominal diameter?
  • I didn't know that steel gate valves could be bolted and even bonnetted!
  • What exactly are cashew kernels, anyway?

(This cache has been on hold for almost four months now, as I struggled with an appropriate puzzle to go with the theme. The container has been in place (dare I say on hold?) for over two months. I originally rejected this particular puzzle as being a little too tedious for the puzzlers in this area. In the end, I decided that tedium was in theme with the cache title. )

[10/8/05 -- Upped difficulty to 3 at kablooey's suggestion, added a more specific checksum, added a puzzle hint, and tweaked bullets two and six a bit to help remove some ambiguities.]
Geocachers of the Bay Area

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

[Checksum] Fhz bs nyy bs gur qvtvgf va gur pbbeqvangrf vf svsgl svir. [Puzzle] Tbbtyr jvyy uryc lbh trg fgnegrq, ohg frnepuvat ng gur zbfg nhgubevgngvir fbhepr jvyy uryc lbh svavfu.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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