Morning Coffee! ;)

[wrbones]

'Mornin' folks! How the hell are ya this fine Marine Corps mornin'! Coffee's on! Ya best grab a cup and get some! Paper'll be here directly! I got dibs on the funny pages!

Let's see... I had somethin' to visit over earlier, but my little brother stopped by, and while we was visitin', I plumb fergot what I had in mind! Reckon I'll just improvise or somethin'...I could always check my list and see what we got there....Marine Battleskills Training....Marine Corps Unit Awards Manual...nope...wrong list...Oh, there it is...Well, that one manual brought somethin' to mind and it is kinda topical, I reckon.


I want to brag on some of you folks! Don't worry,, I'm gonna leave most of the names out to protect the gui...I mean, the innocent!

Some of ya wouldn't believe the kinda folks we got visitin' over coffee inna mornin'. There's a little lady workin' on gettin' into the Naval Academy. She's gotta work on her PT some, but she's got a couple years yet to get that sorted out. Hell, she knows more about the Marine Corps than I do, I think. She's done all her homework and research on gettin' into the Academy, too. Lately she's the one keepin' me up to date on that kinda stuff! Let's see...I think she just turned 16 this year, if I remember right. Gotta another little lady that a lot of folks like who shares coffee with us, but right now she's in one of those Army boot camps. She made her own decision, I think. She figgered the Corps might be a bit too tough for her. I think she coulda done it, myself, but she's old enough to make her own decision. I figger the Army got a good one in her! There's several others who share coffee with us, from Marines I've known since they were too young to even have their parents sign the papers, to folks like a WM on the left coast who has two degrees and is starting a consulting business...she gave up a promising modelin' career to become a Marine some years ago. There's one Mom who has a son instructin' at SOI!

Then there's folks like ...well everyone knows his name, I reckon, so it won't hurt to mention him here...Mr. Cobb we all call him. Corporal Cobb to some others. One of the Marines who walked off a hilltop on Pelieliu. That hilltop is known among Marines as Bloody Nose Ridge. A damn good man. I'm proud to know him. There's a couple others who did their tour in Korea, more than a couple who were with Chesty at Chosin. Got a few Marines with those Silver Stars who earned them in VN. One of them's just a littler feller. You wouldn't a thought he could do what he did! Carried two of his bros to safety while under heavy fire and returning fire while he was doin' it! Another Marine says he got his by bein' the only Marine in his company who knew he was scared shitless for three minutes....He has a pretty funny story about a hand grenade and a bottle of rum...fer some reason, that kept him from gettin his first good conduct medal if I remember right...

Then there's folks who do the law enforcement thing, from the local cop onna beat to a couple FBI and D.C. types. There's a politician or three who have coffee with us when they got the time. One or two ya just might know by name. Even hadda a Governor sharin' coffee with us for awhile there. I know of a couple of Active Duty Generals who had coffee with us awhile back. I don't know if they still check in on us now and then or not. Generals are kinda busy fer some reason....

Let's see...there's one feller workin' for a big time outfit who goes around estimatin' damages from natural disasters so folks can get caught up and rebuild and such like. Got another Marine who's a big wig exectutive officer with some big outfit. There's a feller hobnobbin' with the big timers on the East Coast. Business owners, management types, dishwashers, Ph.D's, folks involved with colleges...and...really, you name it. You folks have either done it, or are doin' it! Ranchers, farmers, disabled Vets. From WWII Marines and earlier, to the current crop of Marines workin' Afgahnistan and Iraq. ..and damn near every MOS you can think of, too!

Oh, yeah...last but not at all least is all those Marine family members, from the Mom who's only contact ever with the Corps is her son...to the great granddads who have a generations long history with the Corps. Just like active duty, in a way. Marines and folks with a surprising variety of backgrounds, experiences and knowledge and skills.

...then there's my brother here in South Dakota,and my niece and sister in law in Illinois and such....well, they're family! What do ya expect! I gotta mention them!

I don't really understand why I've gained the attention and a surprising amount of respect from all of ya. I'm just visitin' over coffee! Hell, it's an honor to me that ya visit with me at all!

When I first hit the net, I woulda called myself Just Another Marine, but some Marine bigwig with an outfit called Boeing was already usin' it....He's a good feller, so I don't mind....

Yer all welcome to stop by fer coffee any time! I'd be proud to fix a pot for ya!

Just keep in mind that I'm still workin' all this out myself! When I get it right, I'll be sure that yer the first to know!

Well, I suppose, we oughta warm up our coffee a bit and get ready fer the new day, ya reckon!

It's a new chance, folks! We got another opportunity! We just as well take advatage of it!

[DMZ-LT]

Thanks Bones, it's a honor , for me , to be visiting with you. You get the old wheels movin in my head some days. Your post on death was right on. Been a lot of that going on this year. Peace to you and your family.

[wrbones]

Originally posted by DMZ-LT Thanks Bones, it's a honor , for me , to be visiting with you. You get the old wheels movin in my head some days. Your post on death was right on. Been a lot of that going on this year. Peace to you and your family.

Comin' from folks like you, LT, that's better than any medal a Marine could get.

Keep in mind, though, y'all don't see me scratchin' my butt and pickin' my nose when I don't think anyone's lookin'....

[DMZ-LT]

Bones , thank goodness for small favors - I see enough of that stuff from the old lady !!

[wrbones]

ROTF.

[catman]

Bones...as LT said, it is more of an honor for us than you. You are one of the few writers that can make me stop and look in the mirror and than change course and drive on. Thanks brother and keep up the fire!

Trav

[BLUEHAWK]

Yo Bones -

Jus' catchin' up with ya... all tired out I am, but for you to say that I am as weird as any Marine (especially you) pretty much makes it okay for me to die in peace from here on in...

Thanks...

May I say, "Semper Fi"?

[wrbones]

'Mornin' folks! How the hell ya doin' this fine, wonderful day! Coffee's on, get yerself a cup and get settled somewhere! Ya gotta get yer eyes open a bit before ya head out! Paper'll be here directly!

Well, shoot. I got so much to visit over, I don't know where to start! Ya ver get that way! Makes a man kinda tongue tied when he's got somethin' to say, but he's tryin' to say it all to once!

...well...waitin' fer my first cup of coffee to kick in might have some bearin' on the matter, I imagine. AJ recommends pourin' the first cup over yer head...well, he swears it works! I haven't tried it yet, myself. I figger I'll wait to try that one til I'm really desperate fer a wake up call....

I got a chance to visit with Tude onna land line yesterday! I've known him online fer awhile now and I always have admired the way he expresses himself.

I don't know about you, but it's a pure joy to visit with some of you folks! I get tongue tied a bit when I'm on the phone with you folks, but I'm havin' such a good time that it don't matter to me if I say anything at all! I keep thinkin', "Damn, it's Tude! I'm really talkin' to Jimmy!" Well, he's wound fer sound anyway and it's hard to get a word in edgewise, but I had a helluva good time visitin' with him!! That feelin's hard to describe, ya know! I visit with Tony and a couple of others now and then. I don't like botherin' folks myself, so I don't call them much. Time's precious and I don't want to take up any more of the other feller's time than I have to, but I purely enjoy visitin' with folks like them. Just like me checkin' up on folks with email and such like. I just gotta check up on 'em, but I don't wanta be a bother, either.

Tony keeps me grounded. He don't let me slide with nuthin'! Asshole... I love him, though! He calls me about once or twice a month now. Garth is the same way, but that little fart is busy alla time! Keeps him outta trouble, I reckon... With his sense of humor he needs to stay busy and outta trouble! Roger..well, it's like visitn' with family onna phone. Miss Ellie is always in the background tellin' him what to say! 'Course, she's smarter than all of us, I think....

There's a few folks I haven't heard from in awhile. 'Course that's my fault. I changed phone numbers awhile back and I reckon the word hasn't got out to everyone yet. I miss visitin' with Morgan fer example, but I did get her new snail mail addy! I gotta write her in a bit. She's a good young woman!

Been tradin' emails and visitin' with Zen and Mephone onna IM and emails. Good folks! Damn good folks. I look at my addy book and think of all the folks I've gotten to know since I came online and I do gotta say, I'm blessed! Woody, Ray, Carmen, Chuck...hell, I even hear from TJ once in awhile! Chris, Mike, and the little ladies...beautiful darlin' Janine! Lisa drops me a line once in awhile and Heather does, too. I haven't heard from Rose lately, she's a little darlin' Marine Mom I bug now and then...and then I lost all those email addies when my 'puter crashed awhile back....

Just so dang many good folks to visit with.

DMZ-LT ...well, I was wonderin' about him awhile back. He was spendin' a lot of time talkin' about playin' with his food....BlueHawk's about as silly as I am, and that's sayin' somethin'! I lost Sparrowhawk's addy. He's was busy as hell anyway! I always hated botherin' him, but he's damn good folks, too! Dane and JoeT I been wonderin' about, too!

All these websites I visit over Morning Coffee on, well there's just so dang many folks! JC, Norton, gsemech, JHeckler, and I don't know who all! Well..I do, but shoot, the list of names...damn...that'd be a lot of visitin'! There's James and Garland and Chic, MarineGrunt this and Marine grunt that, SgtT, holy shit, it just doesn't stop! Good folks one and all!

The scary part is, they all know and understand what Morning Coffee is all about...good folks, life and livin' and relaxin' and visitin' and peaceful and thoughtful and contentedness and rememberin' things we all mighta fergot somewhere along the way.

Officers, enlisted, DEPers, wannabes, families, Zoomies, Dogfaces, Coasties, Squids and Marines.

In the end, we're all brothers and sisters. We all have the same troubles and concerns. We all have the same needs and wants and desires. ...and hopefully we all address and meet those needs and wants a desires some when we're relaxin' over a cup of joe inna mornin'. Treatin' folks right. Doin' the best we can. ...and livin' life!!

...and if we have a bit of fun along the way...well...what the hell. That's good, too!

I reckon I'll get started usin' my list some tomorrow.There's a lot of good stuff to visit over there.

Dang. I'm an idjit. I been tryin' to figger somethin' out fer the book and it just dawned on me! Six weeks of worryin' about that, and it just now hit me!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know you don't do stuff like that...better warm up yer coffee and start yer day. Someone tried to tell me it was Friday. Get yer shit sorted out so you can enjoy the weekend, why don't ya!

We're gettin' 'er sorted out. It's just gonna take awhile is all!

It's a good day folks! A new opportunity! A new chance! Make sure ya take advantage of it!

...and give one of yer bros a call, will ya! You'll have a blast!

[BLUEHAWK]

Mornin' Bones!

zoooooooom zoom zoom zoom zoooooooooom zooooom zoooom zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom zooooooooooooooomzoomzoomzoom zoom zoooom zoom zoom zoom zooooooooooooooooooooooooooom zoom zooooom zoooooooooooom zooom zoom zooom zoooooooom zoom zooooooooom zoo!

[wrbones]

'Mornin' folks! How the hell are ya this mornin'! Coffee's on! Ya best grab a cup and get some! Ol' Lady got a newcoffee pot yesterday, so it might not taste quite right yet! Gotta get it broke in! That first pot of coffee...well little bro stopped by about then and tried the first cup about the time I did, and he waited to gimme the NBC all clear after the Ol' Lady threw it out and started over...yes, it was that bad! Anyway, the paper'll be here directly! I got dibs on the funny pages and Cliff wants the classifieds. I reckon Him and Woody gotta fight over that part of the paper....the classifieds has the crossword puzzle in it....

Let's see... Bluehawk, yer crazy as hell! LOL 'Course, bein' a winger, I know there's nuthin' like the sound of an APU onna big bird when it first fires up! A feller gets to missin' the smell of JP-5 and the taste of hydraulic fluid from time to time....Ayup. rotor blades turnin' up to 80 then a 100 per cent...whop whop whop whop whop whop...well, you zoom better than I whop....

Well, I reckon I'll take a look at my list...no, I got a few things I been thinkin' over, but I wanta get started on the list. It ain't gettin' any smaller, that's fer damn sure! Let's see...no, that's my new list...the Ol' Lady's cell phone....no, that ain't it. Cover art...no that ain't it...key lime recipe...no that ain't it...that's a good recipe, though...history of Veteran's trouble with the government..no that's a project fer another time...oh, hell...there it is! Someone's been messin'with my notes again. They got everything all backwards and mixed up. Well, I didn't do it! I wouldn't screw myself that way! ...I have better ways of messin' myself up! Mostly, I just lose it all to start with....well, yer gonna screw up, ya just as well do it right, ya know!

Let's see....Oh, here we go! I got somethin'. I ain't really looked at this very hard, but it's somethin' I noticed awhile back! Ya ever notice how many Marines know somethin' about the classics? or how many Marines know about the arts and sciences? Pretty amazin' really, when ya consider the common misconception is that we're all mindless, ignorant, stupid, brain washed killin' machines! ...well...killin' machines, mebbe....all that other is hogwash and you and I know it! Well you got the usual number of Darwin nominees, but you know what I mean!

I've seen and heard Marines quote everything from Shakespeare to Burke to Einstein and Horatio Hornblower to Marcus Aurelius. There's a whole lot of Marines that know all about Kipling, too! Kipling liked Marines and he knew what it was all about. I've seen Marines program computer games when they thought no one was watchin'. I've seen enlisted Marines with two and three college degrees, and that was when they were active duty! Near everything you can think of like that, Marines know and understand...and not just the officers, either. That's elitism of the worst sort when an officer goes along with that attitude. ..well...when anyone goes along with that attitude, fer that matter! When ya start catologin' folks and puttin' them in boxes because of money, education, background and 'breeding' ...well that's the sort of thing that's caused folks a lot of troubles over the years.

Ain't no sense in treatin' folks like that, whether individually or in groups. It only causes resentment...and the only thing resentment breeds is discontent and eventually, violence.

Where the hell was I? Cliff is sittin' over here givin' me shit. I fergot what I was sayin'...Oh, Marines and them knowin' the classics and knowin' more than most folks give 'em credit for, and folks treatin' people wrong because of who they are or what they do...

Let's see if I can summarize a bit, mebbe....Nope. I reckon that summarizes it pretty well. Ya never know who yer sittin' beside at the local bar or coffee shop. Ya never know fer sure how much that feller on the other end of the phone knows and what he's experienced and what he understands. Ya never know fer sure if he's wise or not..well, not at first anyway. Don't take the other feller fer granted and don't believe everything ya hear about folks. Make up yer own minds and don't take other folks' thinkin' fer granted on anything. Keep yer mind open and use a little discretion in sortin' things out. We can't escape bein' emotional about things, but we can try a bit of logic and reasoning to sort through the dumbshit sp we can get at the truth in any situation...and doin' that might help a bit in learnin' to understand others and what they might be goin' through...whether that other person is supposed to be a brainwashed baby killer...or just yer local neighborhood priest.... One of 'em might not be the worse of the two, and the nicer feller just could be yer local brain washed baby killin' Marine!

...I said all that to tell ya that ya can't always tell a book by it's cover. There might be more inside than ya figger.

Well, that's enough fer a Saturday mornin'! It's a new day! We got a new opportunity to figger things out! We got another chance to get 'er right!

Make sure ya take advantage of it!