"Tailgate" Picnic in Fresno, CA on 7-13-02 (pictures included)

7-14-02

[mtngrl@vrwc]

Yesterday in the 105 degree heat (which seemed cool in comparison to Friday's 109 degrees which was a scorcher) fifty FReepers and family got together at Woodward Park in Fresno, California for a "tailgate" picnic dinner and fun!

FReepers who attended were (in alphabetical order):

• Amerigomag
  
• BadJoe
  
• BobJ
  
• Brock
  
• COB1
  
• Chadsworth
  
• Clovis Skeptic (and his wife and daughter)
  
• Cool Guy
  
• CounterCounterCulture
  
• Diotima
  
• Diver Dave
  
• DoughtyOne (and his wife)
  
• FriendAnn
  
• Gracie1 (and her husband and son)
  
• Java Man
  
• Jim Robinson (and Sheila and Chris)
  
• JKPhoto
  
• John Robinson
  
• JustAmy (and her husband and son)
  
• Lager (and his daugher and granddaughter)
  
• Ladyinred
  
• Maccabee-AJB
  
• Mama_Bear
  
• Mtngrl@vrwc (and daughter)
  
• Notpoliticallycorewrecked (and her husband and two sons)
  
• Saundra Duffy
  
• Senorita (and her husband)
  
• SiFiPattie (and her dad and a family friend, Chris)
  
• Tami
  

I hope that I haven't left anybody out, but if I did, please forgive me AND SET ME STRAIGHT! LOL!

To sum it all up, we had a great time! A fabulous time! It couldn't have been better! We visited until the food was ready to eat, Saundra Duffy presented an award that was signed by Mike Briggs to Jim Robinson for his contributions to uniting conservatives and giving us a forum to discuss and promote our cause, we said the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer before eating, we had the most FANTASTIC meal imaginable, we played water games (hm...should I call it that?), and we played this "game" where we took turns telling a little about ourselves and then picking a slip of paper and talking about or doing what was written on it. After all of that, several door prizes were given away.

I am just summing up here you guys. The bottom line was that we had a blast! I hope that each and every one who was there will post some of their memories of what took place at our tailgate picnic yesterday.

A special thanks need to be given to JustAmy and Mama_Bear for their tireless efforts in coordinating the picnic. JKPhoto also has to be thanked for barbecuing the meat. It was perfect! I would like to thank Senorita for being in charge of the door prizes. I just know I am forgetting somebody...I hope not though!

I would like to also thank COB1 for coming here from Texas to be at our tailgate party! That's a long way to come to spend time with little old us! Several FReepers came from the Los Angeles area and from Modesto and San Jose too. You are all wonderful for making this special effort! THANKS!

[blackie]

Great stuff, cool pics !!

Tailgate picnic...bump !!

Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!

Molon Labe !!

[jkphoto]

I am working on the photos but have to stop to take my mom out for dinner. They should be up later this evening or early in the AM on the "FR's Finest" thread with a link to them from here.

Mama_Bear just told me she will put links to all the photos on both threads.

Thanks for all the comments on the Tri-Tip. I love cooking for people who love eating.

[MeekOneGOP]

Big bumpers! Looked like fun!

[SpookBrat]

Thanks for the ping Tonkin. Nice to see you COB, Just Amy and DiverDave. Glad you had such a good day. FRiends are a blessing and it's nice you got to spend some fun time with each other.

[Jim Robinson]

The Tri-Tips were perfect! Mmmmmm...mmmmm. And thanks for slaving over that hot stove for us all day. And thanks to all who brought the great dishes. Was a wonderful feast.

[Cool Guy]

Thank you, BIG CHIEF, for making all this possible.

[LowOiL]

Jkphoto, I wanted to thank you for your wonderful pictures the other day too. I snipped one (if that is a problem, just Freepmail me). Thanks MountainGirl for these photos too. They are wonderful, wonderful, wonderful...

[Bahbah]

Thanks for the ping, Tonk. I so wish I could have been there. I think my world famous brownies would have melted in that hear. God bless you FReepers.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

Yahoo! Wasn't it fun?!!! I just wish more FReepers had been able to make it.

It was a BLAST!!!!

I predict that next time more will attend after they hear how much fun this one was. FABULOUS just isn't a descriptive enough word. Can anyone think of one?

[mtngrl@vrwc]

By the way, jkphoto cooked up the best tri-tip I have ever had in my life. Thank you Jeff.

I would like to second that. It was just.....words fail me. It was to die for.

[Cool Guy]

It was my pleasure meeting you, all the Fresno Freepers, their family and the other Freepers who travelled great distances to be part of this fun party. Thank you Fresno Freepers for your hospitality, the wonderful food, for organising this wonderful event and for the fun filled weekend. Thank you BBQ-in-Chief, jkphoto, for the wonderful job you did in the grill and behind the lens.

Thank you Saundra and Lager for your hospitality. I enjoyed my stay at your place and as always, enjoyed hanging out with you and your family.

The party was a lot of fun and I wish we had it more often.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

It was great to meet you and meet everyone!

Back atcha! It was a pleasure to meet you and I am so glad that you drove clear up here to be here!

[Grammy Bear]

Great pictures mtngr. I really enjoyed everything yesterday. The food was great and as usual jkphotos tri-tip was out of this world. Being that he is my son-in-law I get to enjoy it at every family barbecue we have and it is always memorable. I so enjoyed meeting all you wonderful people and being able to put faces to the names that I have seen in the canteen and Free Republic. It was a privilege to meet you all.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

Oh, and I am not sure if I thanked you properly yesterday for helping me carry my "Easy-up" and ice chests. I was thinking that it would sure be nice if someone would carry one of them for me, but you picked up and carried BOTH at once! Thanks!

It was such a pleasure to meet you! I found you to be just as cool as everybody says you are. :-D

[MinuteGal]

Can't wait to see your pix, D1. I'm living vicariously through all the great shots of this terrific party!

I don't have long to wait, though, 'cause I'll be going to the big, wild 'n wooly Florida Chapter get-together next Sunday in Boca Raton!

Then YOU guys can live vicariously through OUR photos!

(Oh my, I precariously spelled "vicariously", LOL!)

Leni

[The Thin Man]

Thanks for the report and pics. It fun to see all you folks.

[MinuteGal]

By the way, what IS a "tri-tip"? Is it something you eat, or something you leave on the table for a good waitress?

Must be a California thing and this Florida 'gatorette is dying to know.

Leni

[mtngrl@vrwc]

By the way, what IS a "tri-tip"? Is it something you eat, or something you leave on the table for a good waitress?

Must be a California thing and this Florida 'gatorette is dying to know.

They don't have Tri-tip in Florida?????? One good reason to make sure you don't miss our next tailgate picnic, MG!

[Darlin']

Thanks mtngrl, what great pictures and what great fun seeing so many happy FReepers in one place. :)

Thanks for the Ping, Tonk :)

[Darlin']

I was just going to ask the same thing. LOL
mtngrl, what is tri-tip ? LOL