The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[2Jedismom]

Oh dear...

;-)

[HairOfTheDog]

Just one of the things I was wrong about in this life!

[Overtaxed]

I had spaghetti. The sauce was already made so all I had to do was boil the stuff.

The house was built in the 70's. I almost had to rebuild the side porch and replace some steps on the front porch. I got "the man" to do the carpentry stuff. Of course now I'll have to clean and repaint the non-replaced parts. :)

[2Jedismom]

I'm feeling so down. The chaplain that I am dealing with now told me that there PX burned down. Now I don't exactly know what a PX is, but from what I understand they are having difficulty getting some items like toothpaste, and hygiene items. I want to help, but I can't do very much. I know there are tons of people out there that would love to help, but I can't distribute his address due to security reasons. I won't even give it to my parents.

I guess I'll do what I can.

[2Jedismom]

I wish g'nad was here...he'd tell me what a PX is...

[Overtaxed]

PX is a store. Bummer!

[HairOfTheDog]

The PX is the general store on bases where they buy everything.

[2Jedismom]

It's on a pdf page...so I guess that part is no secret...

http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-a/FRG/Desert%20Devil%20Dispatch/dddvol07.pdf

Page 2

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, you could tell the Canteen and Freeper Foxhole threads to send stuff to you (and maybe some shipping money) and you could forward it.

But I am sure the Army will be sending their own solution to the problem soon too. Did he really say he needs civillian help?

[300winmag]

2J, can you contact the American Red Cross or the USO? They're into the "troop comfort" business, and could get stuff there.

This sounds like a major problem for a lot of the troops there. I won't ask where "there" is. I understand TP is as good as gold out there.

If some group can get a "care package" out there, whereever "there" is, I'll contribute my share.

[2Jedismom]

Actually, NO! He never asked. His wife mentioned the fire to a friend of mine and she mentioned it to me. Then I mentioned it to him and the most he said was "Anything you send would be appreciated." So, no.

I don't want to start mailing stuff...I can't afford it and it's expensive! Like $15 a box, for a moderate sized box...which I don't mind paying for me and my family...but I can't do it for anyone else.

I'm thinking of getting my mom to help. She can help buy some supplies...she'd probably like to...

[2Jedismom]

I mean $15 for POSTAGE...not including the stuff! When I was sending the care packages to Kosovo, it was nothing for me to spend nearly $50 for the supplies and the postage combined.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I would think the Army has got stuff coming quickly just as a normal routine of keeping the base going. They have whole legions of operations designed to get the stuff where it needs to be.

Of course, they have to buy stuff that is at the PX.... Any gifts you send helps the guys who are sending their whole paycheck home.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't doubt it. A lot of people have to handle the package to get it all the way there!

[2Jedismom]

You know, maybe I could get one of those paypal debit cards...and if people want to contribute, they can...when I feel I have enough, say every $30 or so, I could mail off a package, put their names and addresses in it, scan all my receipts and post them for accountability and such?

I don't know. I feel like I have a channel here...a good local firm channel to do something good. I just don't know how to do it.

I imagine the Red Cross is already aware of the situation. I am waiting to hear more about it.

[2Jedismom]

Any gifts you send helps the guys who are sending their whole paycheck home.

Exactly! I mean, I was thrilled that I had this contact before I even knew about the PX. This guy is the friend of my best friend here in town. So it's close...and he was thrilled to hear from me. The chaplains in Kosovo were nice, but always a little distant, as can be expected...they were dealing with someone they didn't know AT ALL.

The boys love sending off the packages...we managed about 1 a month there for a while.

[Overtaxed]

Looky what I found! You know I had to learn this one:

:The Last Pint
M:4/4
L:1/8
C:Pierre Bensusan
S:Lunasa
K:G
~G3 E DEGA | BGAB AGED | ~G3 E DEGA | BGAB A4 | ~G3 E DEGA | B2 AB AGED | GABG BcAG | FD D/2E/2F/2G/2 AG G2 :||
GBdG (3B^cd GB | cBAG BGGF | GBdG (3B^cd GB | cBAG FD D/2E/2F/2G/2 | G2 dG (3B^cd GB | cBAG BGGF | ~G3 E DEGA BGAB A4 :||

[2Jedismom]

Hey! Where'd you find it?

[300winmag]

You set up a PayPal account, and I'll contribute. I don't have anyone I know personally over there. There are plenty of worthy support groups out there, but this would at least let me help someone who actually KNOWS someone over there.

[HairOfTheDog]

That is neat. I have never done anything like that and should. I certainly would if I had anyone at all I knew who was over there. It is removed a bit for me to respond to your contact, or general requests like the canteen. I am actually too shy to just up and send somethng to someone I don't know 'out of the blue'. I have never been able to bring myself to send any of the emails. (should be easy to do)! I am a mess. Fix me.

It is curiously empty that I don't know anyone over there this time. Gulf war I did. The Airborne Ranger who loved me in high school was there. He came home safe, but died while on leave scuba diving. Irony.

Our [brother's and my] very good friend was a Marine medic, just out of the service when the Gulf War was starting and he was expecting to be called up any minute. Thankfully they did not need more medics.