USO Canteen FReeper Style....Monday Mail Call.... July 15,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

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If you know a Veteran, someone in your family,
friend of the family, neighbor, who served their
country, take a brief moment of your day to thank them.
Thank them for the sacrifice they made
for the better good of their country.

We at Free Republic, and the USO Canteen FReeper Style,
are thankful for every service member
in our military, who has served our great nation.

So, to the men and women who answered the call,
in both times of war and peace, thank you.

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Message from Snow Bunny to all those who visit the Canteen.

This is how I think of the USO Canteen Freeper Style.
It is like a cottage down a road,
a place where a weary veteran can spend the night.

Since it opened, it is magical how so many
Freepers who post here, feel it too.
It has been so dear how the Freepers
kept making it a cottage - a home-type of place
that had a huge living room
for them to visit in and a dance floor, a library, etc.

Many Veterans have written to me,
saying that the Canteen is like home
to them for the first time since they served.

This is your Canteen -
a respite from our busy
and sometimes troubling world.
Make yourself at home...............................................................................................................................................................................

Our troops need our support and encouragement. They are away from home, some for the first time, and usually lonely or discouraged. It is important for us to reach out and help them in the same way we would want someone to reach out to our loved ones if and when they are in the same position.

They answered their call and we are answering theirs offering them the USO Canteen FReeper Style each day and thanking them for serving.

This is IN Coming Mail from some of those serving now.

We at the USO Canteen FReeper Style, a running thread at Free Republic, are proud to support our Military. The mail comes in from contacting some of our Military Bases, Marine Corps Leagues , and friends and family of those serving now. Also from responses at the wonderful P.O.Box that 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub has made so easily available to each of us here at Free Republic.

They are writing to those that frequent the FReeper USO Canteen to thank you for your support.

ALL the mail posted on Monday Mail Call is Recent Mail from the prior week.

Dear Canteen Troops,
Snow Bunny thank you! ALL at the Freeper USO Canteen
Thank You ! Your support of us sure brightens our day here.
My Grandfather is a FReeper and when Grandpa talks we
Listen. LOL. He wrote me that if I ever feel down and that
while serving there would be times like that, to send him an
Email . Well Grandpa got the email and he gave me a Rx .

“Take one dose of the USO Canteen Freeper Style and see
how you felt afterward.”

He included the web site and am I ever feeling better. Grandpa
served in Vietnam, then came back and has been the doc here
where I grew up.
I want to thank each of you at the Canteen for your enthusiastic
support and for making my time serving be more up days then down.
You are all the best!
Jeff
US Navy

Dear Snow Bunny,
I am writing to tell you the biggest thank you possible.
The Canteen you and all those awesome freepers have
created each day is my home.

I grew up in foster homes one after the other all my life,
and then as soon as I was out of highschool I enlisted.
I knew it was the right thing for me.
You see the one constant thing in my life has been my love
for my country. I want to protect her and guard the freedoms she
has for me. I love history and read everything I could about why we are free, why we have liberty and our founding fathers. How all our wars
were to keep us free and they Were !

I want to be a part of why you and the Canteers and myself are STILL
free .How can I live the rest of my life in a land where I have not
done my part to help.

Thank you for being my home, more of a home then I have ever had. I know all your names there . You have all made me laugh so hard when I
really needed it.

Freeper Friday is one of my favorite days . I also really like Themelesss Thursday, it is so clever how you do that Samwolf.

Souris, Light Speed, Victoria Delsoul, MistyCA, SpookBrat , AntiJen,Joe Brower, Coteblanche, DoughtyOne, everyone ( !!) I know you take the time to find the things you share and put things together and it means an awful lot to me.

I feel like the bad boys are my brothers that are always up to something, pushing the card to see how much they can get away with teasing the girls and keeping them on their toes. Your 666 is such a hilarious, who will it be today. ROTFL

So many things that just really make it a home to me . Snow Bunny, I think one of the reasons it is such a great place is also because everyone there has a heart like yours. You all really do care about us, and you have gathered these fine people in a place the a Great man Jim Robinson has made possible. AWESOME !

Thank you Jim Robinson, what a great man you are. I cannot find the words to thank you for what you have done. FR is a place to gain knowledge and information. Then you added the USO Canteen Freeper Style and gave me a home online. Thank you Sir!

God bless all of you and thank you for more things then I can say.

Scott
US Navy

Snow Bunny,
Do you and the Canteeners know how to throw a party ? I think
you all invented what party is supposed to mean!
This is to EVERYONE that gave us the best NO , the most
outstanding party that we ever saw.How you did this we don’t
know , but you played all the right songs, wore the hottest goodies,
eye candy all of you , ( meant with all respect of course ), and gave
us a day to remember for a very long time !
We had to do some pulling here and a few trades , but believe us it was
worth it !!!! We managed to take turns and we are happy to report it was smooth.

Thank you SpookBrat!!

Victoria Delsoul, Aquamarine,Coteblanche, SAMWolf, MistyCA,
MeeknMing,SpookBrat,SassyMom,Clara Suzanne, Gator Girl , Eastbound,
Kneezles, Tomkow6,Redhead,Mr_Magoo;COB1,LindaSOG,Lodwick,
Radio Astronomer ,Souris,4TheFlag,HiJinx ,Beep , Sir Gawain , Light Speed,
68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub,LadyX,Blackie ,AntiJen .I sure hope we
got all the names, because it was one heck of a party !

MistyCA, 666 took on a whole new meaning with you Patriotic Babe!

Marty is in love with you Souris

Thank you for the best party. You made it happen and we can’t thank you
all enough!

Joe, Marty, Al, and myself,
OK so this is where I have to pay back for opening
my mouth about Marty. LOL.
Victoria if I ever get to New York. I know you are
probably booked till 2004 but
a hot dog at Rockefeller Center just to say hi.
(Just a dream I had, from a scrounger )
A Late Happy Birthday SassyMom!
Scully and the Pirates
US Navy

Dear Snow Bunny
WOW ! Awesome! Great Party!

This was my fourth visit to the Freeper USO Canteen.
GOD Bless all of you! You all have a big fan here and
I love you all!
Thank you for being there when I need you !
Sandy
USMC

Dearest adorable Snow Bunny,
Will you marry me, and will Victoria Marry me and then there is MistyCA and Coteblanche and antiJen and Clara, and that little SpookBrat, Souris, SassyMom,Redhead, ah heck everyone !!!! ( mean the girls ) LOL

Thank you Canteeners the guys too for your constant support for us
You are true patriots in every way!
One of those Snow Bunny hugs she does for each of you girls!
God bless you all !
Trevor
USAF

To all the Canteeners
You make the USO the hottest show on the face of this earth!
I salute each and every one of you !!!
I get to see the Canteen everyday!
Thanks for FReeper Friday and I got to see my home State Colorado
that was such a great day for me. The Liberty meant a lot to me.
I sent the web site to my girl back in Colorado that day and it made
us feel closer! Thanks ! You did a great job, Aquamarine and Bunny and I hate to start to name anyone I might forget. So thank you all around!

Sergio
US Army

Snow Bunny,
First thank you for all you do. Your last email to me helped and I
forwarded it back home.
What a fine group of Americans hang out at FR and the Canteen. I can
keep up with events back home thanks to MeeknMing and his links. Get
the best jokes from Mr_Magoo and Tomkow6 where my sides spilt from
laughing so hard.
I also like the way the Canteen feels like a gift from all of you to us over
here. I guess I should say a gift to all the troops everywhere, because I am
betting many others get to see the Canteen too. I hope they do, it sure lifts
the spirits into soaring !

So thanks for all the work you all do , the work to make us see just how
how much America cares.
I have made the Army my career and I never saw a USO Canteen like you
have there.You and everyone there is first class all the way! God knew we needed people like you and a place like FR and the Canteen.

Steve US Army

Jim Robinson and Snow Bunny
In 1998 I began to read FR, everyday, rain or shine !
We have sent troops off to war, placed them as Peacekeepers
around the world, left them in countries we promised to being
them back home from time and time again, and not once have I seen such support for our military. Not once have I seen a welcome home for our
Nam vets like you and the Canteen have done at FR.

Jim Robinson is a personal hero of mine for many reasons !
But when he started the USO Canteen Freeper Style he made
my heart burst with pride in being a Freeper. A lurker yes, but
my heart is ALL FReeper.

I am a disabled vet, and wish I could donate to FR. Unfortunately
my support cannot be financial , but if I could I would pay each day
to keep FR up and running.

Jim Robinson , as a veteran you know how a guy feels away from home.
You know how important the USO has been in many of our lives when we
were serving and needed the USO kind of support. Not many men can
say they came up with one good idea in their life that took place and you
sir have now had TWO. FR and now the Freeper USO Canteen!

Thank you Snow Bunny and all the Canteeners for making this idea of
Jim Robinson’s come into being each day.
You make my days brighter in so many ways.
Andy
USMC
Vietnam Veteran and Free Republic Lurker since 1998

Dear Mr. Robinson and Bunny
Thank you for Freeper Friday, Saturday Liberty and all the days
at the Canteen. My family and I do not discuss politics nor our
military. Let me put it this way, my family would be the ones on
the other side of the street where Jim Robinson has his Fresno
Rally’s every Friday night.

When I enlisted it was shall we say the last straw for them, but it is
OK. When I found out about the USO Freeper Canteen at FR it took
the deep hurt and shelved it better then anything else.

You see I love my country and no matter what I have a need in my guts
to defend it . When I get computer time you all there are my life support
to how I am hoping all of America feels about us. You have all made a
difference in my life more then I can write here.

Thank you for your hard work each day , ALL OF YOU ! And for the
Fresno Rally every Friday night.

God be with you and your families.
Glenn
USNavy

Canteeners make my day!
Roses for the ladies and a tall cool one for the guys. Thank you !

Liberty to California and that Beach party is one that should be
in the USO History books!

Luis
US Army

Dear Snow ,
I am from San Diego and have been in the Marines since one year before 911 happened.
I think you and the Canteeners would be there if there was only one of
us out here. Honest , I don’t think I ever met anyone like you guys in
my whole life .
Thank you for your support. I am dedicated to our country and you make up
my homeland. So count on me to not let you down. You sure don’t let
me down in your tremendous support each day. Thank you all.

B. K.
USMC

Jim Robinson, Snow Bunny ,Coteblanche and Just Amy,

We all get news from back home and sometimes it isn’t good. I know about those that are against this war and it sickens me and hurts inside. But they are just a handful of people and I know it too.
When I come to FR and see the Freeper USO Canteen as you nicknamed it, and the Fresno Rally’s. Well, let’s put it this way, I have only cried a few
times in my life. Once when my dog died , and the other time when my brother was very sick. But when I saw the support at FR from the Canteen and the Fresno freepers too that was the third time. Tears of happiness I promise you.

Thank you all you Freepers and Jim Robinson and your cute helper JustAmy,Snow Bunny and all the Canteeners. I wish I could write better,just to let you know how much the Canteen and support means to me.

You all can take a guys heart, get him laughing then turn me in another
direction and have me with a lump in my throat. The way you are all so
friendly at the Canteen in such a sincere way, and the obvious love you have for each other and for all of us. Man there is that lump again!

God sent you all into my life and I will fight with all I have to keep you safe.This is something I don’t tell a lot of people. I love to read poetry. When I saw the box to click on for poetry, I clicked on it right away.

Now I read that thread too along with the Canteen every time I get to be
online. Maybe you are surprised to hear that a Marine would like
poetry but it is a great way of expression. I have sent copies of some of the
poems back home to my parents.

Thank you for variety of things your Canteen offers each day. Those jokes
are the best too.That day Mr_Magoo and Tomkow6 had a joke off, I didn’t stop laughing for hours.
My Grandfather was in several battles and I showed him the Canteen too.
He especially liked the ladies and said the dolls as you call them reminded
him of the Pin Ups they had. He had them in his barracks and even one
folded up in his helmet. My Dad fought in Vietnam and he had two girls
pictures with him all the time. He didn’t meet my mom till right after he got
home. The story goes she won him over when she put the two small
pictures he had of girls in the Medal Box with his purple heart.

Thank you for your support of what we are doing.

The Canteen is a place I look forward to coming to. And yes, it is that
Cottage down a road for a weary veteran or a weary in spirit soldier.

Love to you all for your hearts,
Joe
USMC

[Jen]

Good night everyone! See ya tomorrow.

Chocolate free for one day!

Jen

[4TheFlag]

I gave him one, to keep as a pet, and we named her Li'l Miss Daisy!

Yeah, and I do miss her too...sitting in my shoulder and talking to me, LOL!

[MistyCA]

I love your new dress! Yes, the little rant on Linda and Sabertooth seemed out of character. Sorry you are frustrated and not very well! I have prayers going out to you all the time, Beep! I just happen to think everything is going to work out fine. I know there are downsides to that kind of surgery, but you are a special person who will make lemonaide out of the lemons of life! :)))) Right? :)

[MistyCA]

BTW....the weather here today is very nice. It is chilly right now though. :)

[Pray4USA]

Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhh.......thanx Sweetie!

Thanks for the good times on here today! It's a rare treat for me to afford the time to do this...and it was GOOD FUN!

.....and................Baby.....YOU are the GREATEST!

(((HUGS))) & a Nighty 3^* for YOU, too!

NITRO J

3^o zzzzzzzZZZZZZZ

(be ringin' Ya in a sec)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Thank You US TROOPS for giving us the opportunity to sleep SECURELY this night.

† GOD BLESS! †

[MistyCA]

lol

[MistyCA]

Goodnight, Jen! Sorry we didn't get a chance to talk at all today! See you tomorrow! :)

[Pray4USA]

She's in Heaven with mine.....Li'l Miss Friskers!

Miss 'em both!

TTYIAS

[Pray4USA]

You got it! I just saw this!

THANK YOU!

Thanks to you, too - souris, for the graphic!!

It's so Us, isn't it, J? … … she says, blushing

[MistyCA]

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are a nut! LOLOLOL! And NO! I did not talk to GG about your homophobia! don't ya know, you have a reputation now that I had NOTHING to do with! LOL! HAHA! :))))))))))))))))))))))))

[4TheFlag]

Baby.....YOU are the GREATEST!

YES You are Pris

Baby You ARE the GREATEST!!!

[MistyCA]

I am not sure, but I use to get migraines a lot until I started exercising by lifting my arms over my head more. In fact, I started doing a lot of stuff like putting up wall paper and found that the headaches pretty much subsided after that! Sitting, which I do way too much of when I get hooked on the computer, is very hard on us, imo. Have you ever mounted a laptop on the handles of a stationary bike? I think that is where all of our keyboards should be! :))))

[Beep]

ROFL! Now, THAT was funny! I wasn't upset with Linda; it's just that those jokes are so old and tired now. How long have they been around?? Twenty years?? Your daughter has to be younger than that! I'm sure many are new to her. Some were funny, once upon a time. They just got old to me. The whole concept got old.

The problem came when someone I don't even know jumped on me when I was explaining things to Linda and my pals, and I didn't appreciate it one bit. I let him know it, too. He thinks my expressed remorse for responding badly to Linda's post should have extended to him as well, which it did not. He is one who is more concerned with looking "correct" than with being human. IMHO, I consider this person neither.

It wasn't really about someone pulling a blonde joke on me, but it was about someone having no sense of decency. Blonde jokes, to me, are just an idea that has become old and tired. Constant poking and joking about being dumb because one is blonde is irritating. I've put up with it for 20 years, and I'm tired of it. It's that simple. Some people don't know when something ceases to be funny, or never was funny to begin with.

When this person I didn't even know jumped on me, that did it. I snapped. No "hello, how are ya" -- just jumped in and tried to play "cutesie" when it wasn't cute at all, and in fact flew in the face of everything I had said bugged me. In between jumping on me, this person was verbally groping Victoria, and losing all sense of decency and taste. Publicly.

Horrible first impression. Just horrible. So -- that's the thing. It's not so much the blonde jokes. It's the bad manners and "God's gift" attitude. I didn't have the stomach for it. (Oh, and he also told me I should be more like this other person, while wrongly assuming I didn't know her. All this from someone I've never met in my life!)

Okay, sorry, I can't let this mess get to me. It's irrelevant. Gotta let it go. He doesn't seem to be a regular, and tends to only verbally grope Victoria and ignore everyone else. God willing, our paths will rarely or never cross again.

Thanks for listening, Misty!! Love ya, FReeper buddy ol' pal o' mine!!

Beeparoni!

[Beep]

Thank you, Misty! Heck, you're looking at the Lemonade Princess! LOL!! With every twist and turn, I look at it and wonder how to make something out of it. (Besides the obvious book inclusion!) How to help others by applying what I've learned in school and my practical experience alike. I still do that. I am involved in patient advocacy, because I've been through it. ALL of it. And won. On my own. Once a month, I still take routed calls from Suicide Prevention, on weekend nights when no one else wants to "man the phones." Been there too -- before I found Dr. B! The pain was too awful. The ignorance of the doctors and their inhumane treatment of me as a result was too much. Dr. B saved my life. Literally.

I'm just frustrated, and my pain level is too high for my meds. Dr. B is overnighting me more prescriptions, and I should have them tomorrow. God willing!

Linda, again, didn't deserve that reply -- and it really wasn't directed at her. It was just a "general" rant. The other mess, well, I've said what I'm going to say about that. I just hope Linda doesn't think she started any of this; it was me and my rant about those bloody jokes! Linda, if you're reading, I am sooooo sorry!!

Love to you and Misty!

Beep in Sad Bunny Slippers! (Hoping to be forgiven??)

[Beep]

Niterz Jen!! I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you more tonight!!

Love ya!

Beep in White Slippers (never reaching the end. . . . ) (*VBG*)

[MistyCA]

Well you know, there are some real advantages to people who are taken automatically as light-weights cause of their looks! Gives them the edge! :) Like Bush, for instance! Gee, wasn't it funny when people were suddenly asking when on earth he sprouted brains???? LOL! My dad was such a good teacher about certain things. He use to say, "don't let anyone know what you have! The minute they think you have something they will start to try to take it away!" LOL! I personally think, like my daughter, that blonde jokes are a sort of compliment! People only have to put something down that they are threatened by. So, when you hear them, no matter how redundant, smile and consider it a compliment. :) OK, my Beepster! Enough of this! :)

[MistyCA]

No need to be forgiven, imo. Just sing another song for us! :)

[WVNan]

Hi Pray4. It's so good to see you back. We missed you. These Priscillas are for you.

[WVNan]

Hello and good night to all. I'm in and out. God bless.

[Beep]

I used to feel that way about 'em, Misty; I really did. I thought they were funny (some of them), and I had comebacks ready for anyone who dared toss one my way, but they're just recycled and boring now. They're too easy. I wanna hear REAL jokes, with some meat to 'em! **sigh**

Okay, okay, I'll pretend to laugh at 'em. Holy Moly! What a bunch of fuss over a bunch of idiotic jokes! I'll act like they're funny. But no pushing! One is enough. I've had people follow me around at work and in school, reading off their list of blonde jokes! Man, if I ever wanted to punch somebody in the nose!! They're like "Polack jokes" or something. If you're "lucky" enough to be Scandinavian, you're automatically the butt of people's jokes. Maybe that's what ticks me off. But if people think that way -- it's their bad! They're showing THEIR ignorance, not mine!

What can I tell ya? All I was trying to do was say, "hey, I don't think those jokes are funny anymore." (Meaning: "please don't direct them at me.") You'd think I had just accused Bush of being a Democrat! (Thanks to ONE person, and I use the term loosely.)

It takes a LOT to make me angry, and I am VERY forgiving and more likely to give someone the benefit of the doubt than not -- BUT! When someone does push me over the threshhold, watch out! Fireworks! I can and do bite, punch, and kick when I've been pushed too far. Usually, it's not over something someone's done to me, but to someone else -- especially if I love that someone else!! I can scrap with the best of 'em. I don't enjoy it, but I'll do it. (How do you think I fought my way through the patient advocacy mess, took it to the top, and won?! It wasn't by being complacent!! *G*)

Okay. I'm ready for the future again. Thank you, Misty! I'll have my meds tomorrow, and hopefully I'll be calmer. But now I guess everyone knows I don't back away from an issue that I believe in. No matter what. If I believe I'm right, I fight! If I hadn't, I'd be dead by now. I'm just sorry that things had to get sticky here.

"Department of Redundancy Department!" LOL!

This may be redundant, but I mean it, as always:

Love ya, Misty!!

The Beepmeister! ;-}