Report: Week 43 Supporting Our Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed, 2/10/06 - Please join us on Feb 17!

February 16, 2006

[tgslTakoma]

Last Friday was the fourth week that Freepers, Protest Warriors, friends, lurkers and other supporters of our troops had all four corners of the main entrance at Walter Reed, on which we were able to display our signs, flags and banners of support for the Wounded Warriors healing inside the hospital.

BillF's computers have all suffered major malfunctions in the past two weeks, and he is unable to post his usual fabulous report again this week.

Albion Wilde is working on a TOP SECRET project for this Friday, so she is also unable to post her usual fabulous report.

So, you got me as the official After Action Reporter this week.

I have no list of names for the Honor Roll - it's locked up in BillF's computer. Bill told me this morning that he had a head count of 39 Freepers manning the four corners. The Code PinkOs had a bad turnout; no Code Pink leaders were present on their mid-block location at any point during the evening. At their peak, they had only nine people, and that was for only twenty minutes. Most of the evening they had their core group of radicals; Guitar Man, Weasel, Bruce and his wife Candace, a woman and her very elderly and wheelchair-bound mother (grandmother, in-law??) and one other guy.

Now that we own all four corners, there is no doubt in the minds of passers-by as to what side we are on - and the horn honks and shouts of support for our troops, and thank yous to us for being there, are overwhelming!

And when the cars drive by the new mid-block location for Code Pink? Nary a toot is sent their way.

Word is getting around inside the hospital that the lefties are no longer out front with their demoralizing signs and anti-America attitudes; and the wounded troops are venturing outside the gate nowadays. This week saw even more Walter Reed patients coming out to talk to us and thank us for being there. While standing alongside us out on the sidewalk, they see and hear for themselves what the media won't report - that the majority of Americans do support them and their mission.

It's a lot nicer now to stand on our four corners - we can focus our message solely on support of the troops. It's a little bit more difficult when the pizza arrives though; I have to "deliver" to twice as many locations now. Maybe I need roller skates?

You can view my photos from February 10th HERE. I have video, but haven't had time to do anything with it. Unfortunately I don't have any stills of the Fran O'Brien's bus arriving - I was doing double still/video duty, and only have video of the bus.

The Fran O'Brien's bus arrived very late last Friday night, but the large crowd who had stood on the four corners since 6:30pm weren't about to leave without welcoming them through the gates. And at around 10pm when the bus was spotted coming up Georgia Avenue, the four corners erupted in cheers, applause and a mass of supportive signs and flags a-waving!

Traffic was light, so the bus driver stopped at the intersection and after a few seconds he turned on the interior light before turning into WRAMC, and his passengers waved and smiled at the sight of a four-cornered welcome party, for them!

Again this week, we had several Freepers from out of state join us:

Dinasour (from CT) skipped the Friday night CPAC banquet to stand with Freepers supporting our troops.

Tax Relief, Huber and one of their young tax deductions (up here for CPAC) joined us from NC.

Sisku Hanne and her husband drove down from PA.

Doctor Raoul made a "Hoagies for Heroes" run, and I hear that it was a big hit in all the right places.

[PleaDeal]

OORAH! on the VDOT exam! You were missed this week - see ya soon.

[Landry Fan]

bttt

[concretebob]

BUMP for the Sergeant and see ya'll Friday.
The chimney is now at 127 feet.
I have worked 42 hours in the past 4 days, and I feel like I've been shot at with sheepdip and beat with a stick.

On the bright side, I've put in for vacation for the 15th of March, (Beware the Ides of March), through the 19th, and guess where I'll be spending that time off...
(hint, it won't be at home)..
We have things to plan, people to see, roads to ride, pinkos to pester, commies to counter, and revolutionaries to repel and revile.

[Just A Nobody]

42 hours in the past 4 days

That is less than 10 hours a day ..... your point? ;*)

We have things to plan, people to see, roads to ride, pinkos to pester, commies to counter, and revolutionaries to repel and revile.

You have such a way with words!
Friday?

[concretebob]

Those 42 hours were worked in three seperate shifts over four days.
8 AM, 4 PM, 12 AM. 4 hours per shift.

[Just A Nobody]

I was just messing with ya bob..... ;*)

I am sure it has been tough on you. What the heck are you doing up at this hour?

[concretebob]

and that doesn't include travel time.

[concretebob]

I just finished my LAST 12 AM shift.

[Just A Nobody]

Ohhhh.....you must be exhausted! Nice to have wind down time with you. ;*)

[concretebob]

You can't appreciate the size without seeing a concrete truck backed inside of it.
In a week, you should be able to see this from the Varina/Enon bridge.

[Just A Nobody]

Holy mackeral!! That thing is hugh! No wonder you are wiped out.

Will I be able to see it from I-295 and Varina?

[concretebob]

I still have jobs to cover this week.
I'll have 100 hours by Friday.
Taxes are gonna take half my overtime.
But I'll get it back.
I'm glad my weekend shift is over though. I've been operating on 4 hours sleep a day, mostly in 30 minute naps.
Power naps..gotta luv 'em.

[concretebob]

Yepper, when it's finished, it will be 400 feet tall.
It's not even half way yet.

[Just A Nobody]

As you can tell from the hour...I only sleep about 4 hours anyway. Then I crash once every few months and sleep for 6 or 7 hours.

400 Feet! I will look for it Friday on my way to DC.

G'night Bob - get some rest and I'll see you Friday.

[concretebob]

They are pouring concrete 24/7, until it's finished.
There's a lot of stuff I have to do which involves sampling and testing the concrete on site, and making cylinders for testing at the lab.
I have to transport the cylinders I make, log them in, write the report, record the results.
Saturday night/Sunday morning, about 1 AM, it was 14 degrees, with a 20 mile an hour wind.
We're having fun now..

[concretebob]

Night,Sweetie, ;)

See ya Friday

[trooprally]

You call this a construction site??? Where is the mud and wash racks??

I've been on sites where I sunk a 30" stake in the mud for my point!!! "And that was up hill both ways!!"

:-D

Seriously though, do you have to get to the top to inspect the rebar layout? I assume that there is scaffolding inside to help.

I seriously don't like heights where I know if I fall, I ain't getting up. Planes don't bother me. I used to crawl along the house foundation to locate it. The whole construction site had a laugh. I now figured ways to measure them without having to crawl around the top.

[Mr] T

[BlueSky194]

Laura Ingraham has been doing a good job talking about this.

[bmwcyle]

bttt

[3D-JOY]

Laura, I sometimes get to hear her in the afternoon. Not on this Walter Reed subject though...missed that. After 3 hours of Rush it is hard to concentrate on the radio any longer. Bose in the house and solar in the yard...I am an addict!

'morning bmwcyle. How is peachblossom? OH I KNOW, but it is Virginia after all! LOL at myself...now isn't that dumb? I better go back to bed.