What being a Fiend is ALL ABOUT

[LORNADUCK 261]

I am putting this on the public forum, because maybe some of the lurkers out there will realize how great Fiends are and come out of hiding and meet some of us.

As you all know Jason is there for a few days, Carol loaned him her tenting equipment, I had agreed to go up tomorrow and pick it up from him, because I am going to see Carol on WWW. Well Rich and I still haven't gotten over The Crud from New Years yet.

So I called on another Fiend to help me out bord1niowa....Curt, I asked him to do a really big favor for me (I also thought he was still at the Fort, but he had left already). I explained what Rich and I were supposed to do on Sunday and asked if he could pick up the equipment from Jason for us. There wasn't even a stop and he just said we will work it out.

I can't tell you how much that helps us.

I thank my lucky stars every day that there are Fiends out there, I know I can't count on. I just hope I am as good a Fiend to them if they need my help.

THANK YOU AGAIM CURT.

[disney4dan 68]

Very nice! Way to go Curt and Lorna. I'm eagerly awaiting Jason's trip report.

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

I hope you feel better Lorna and Rich. I have had a great time here meeting and hanging with new to me fiends and it wouldn't have happened without fiends to begin with. Thanks to Carol, Lornand Rich, and to Curt for helping me out. This has been a great vacation.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

That's great, Lorna. I could give several examples to add to this list that would demonstrate the community that has developed here. And in case any lurkers or newbies think this is a "closed group" that is tight knit and wouldn't open their arms to them...I can tell you there are Fiends created every day, some that dive right in and sit around at grand gatherings laughing it up seated next to someone who's been around forever. There are a handful of Fiends that were at those early gatherings at the Fort, but most of us were not and are still members of the community, which is more like a family to me. And still other Fiends have not had the opportunity to meet any other Fiends at all in person, but they are still members of the community too by participating on the boards. Whether or not someone considers themselves a Fiend is up to them. There's no membership fee, no application, no tests or initiation. Just a desire to be part of a great group of people.

[Southern Blessings 4]

Everyone here is so awesome! I'm glad I stopped lurking and became a member!

[Beckers 1,136]

I am a new member and have not met anyone IRL (well I may have on Halloween while trick or treating but I didn't belong here yet!) and I posted a request to see if someone could get me a video of Mickey Mouse becuase my 4 yr old wanted to FaceTime with Mickey for Christmas). Gold Doubloon did that for me and made my son's Christmas. You are awesome for doing that!

I hope to pay it forward with another Fiend some day!

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I'll just add that for those of you that might be shy about meeting up with the Fiends in person, please don't be!

I know it's one thing to "meet" people online vs in person, but this really is the most welcoming group of people. We showed up at Halloween a year ago, having only met a couple of people the year before, and dove head first into the middle of a whopper of a GG. Fiends greet you like you're their long lost friend and it never felt weird to be hugged by a perfect stranger... or hugging the ones that say they're not huggers.

Since then we've been fortunate enough to spend time with more and more Fiends, including a wonderful Thanksgiving gathering this past year. We only wish we lived closer to see people more often. (even you, Lou!)

All you need to fit into a Fiend GG is the ability to enjoy eating (all Fiend gatherings - large or small - are marked by ridiculous amounts of delicious food), drinking (beverage of your choice-although there's usually something around that will knock you on your hiney if you're not careful) and laughing until your sides hurt.

If I've learned nothing else from Bob it's that ALL ARE WELCOME... just bring a chair! :heartsmiley:

[4Brians.....Todd 103]

One of the troopers that works for me had his family at WDW last week. Just a quick 3 day stay. Without going into details, he wanted to take his beautiful 2 year old daughter due to severe health problems. He knows he will probably not get another chance with her. I didn't tell any fiends he was coming. But I did tell him that if they had any problems or needed any help, he needed to call me immediately, because I have a lot of friends in the area. I knew without asking that if I asked for some assistance for a friend, the fiends would come through. He told when he got back that it put his wife's mind at ease a little knowing that they had someone they could turn to, even if she didn't personally know who it was.

That's what being a fiend is about. Having friends and a "support system " spread through half the country.

By the way, fiends...thanks for "being there" for my friend's family. You did good, and didn't even know it!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I can add to this. We pulled into the Fort last April having RV problems. I was a fairly new Fiend, basically found this site during trip planning. We were greeted by Lou and other Fiends offering advice, tools, and help! DH was so impressed that people cared enough to make sure we were going to be OK.

Fiends rock!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

By the way, fiends...thanks for "being there" for my friend's family. You did good, and didn't even know it!

I'm glad I could help. :rofl2:

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I'm always amazed at how willing Fiends are to help each other out - in ways large and small, as it's just not something you see a lot of in the world these days.

DH works with the general public and it mostly makes him walk around saying how much people suck and that he'd rather just avoid them when he's not at work. But when we're at the Fort he's all about "Who's here? What are the Fiends doing? When are we going to dinner with Lou?"

Even though he doesn't post here, he reads over my shoulder a lot and is definitely a Fiend at heart. This past trip we had a random neighbor come up to us because he'd seen our sign and asked if we could recommend someone that could help him with a problem he was having with his camper. Apparently someone else had told him that the Fiends were a very friendly, informative and helpful bunch! Instead of just giving him a phone number, DH walked over to his site and helped get him sorted out. For some reason the Fort and the Fiends bring out his social, helpful side - go figure!

So while it's no surprise to anyone that campers in general tend to be friendly and helpful, the Fiends really do just take it that next level. Like Dave said... family.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

We're like the Olive Garden of camping....when you're here, you're family.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

:rofl2:

[Beckers 1,136]

Pass the breadsticks!

[TnBob 311]

There's no membership fee, no application, no tests or initiation. Just a desire to be part of a great group of people.

Wait a dern tooting minute there pardner

you made me fill out a 12 page application including all my passwords, credit card numbers and 10 refrences, I had a 5 page test, and then I had to get on the stage at the Hoop and sing act out "I'm a little Teapot" in front of everybody!

If there is no membership fee, what is that debit that comes out of my account every month?

[DaveInTN 3,247]

If there is no membership fee, what is that debit that comes out of my account every month?

My girls' college fund?

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

This is also what being a Fiend is all about HIJACKING!!!!!!

[Lou... 3,118]

So while it's no surprise to anyone that campers in general tend to be friendly and helpful, the Fiends really do just take it that next level. Like Dave said... family.

Excuse me while I wipe away the tear. Who am I kidding, what tear? You guys are all losers and I can't stand the bunch of you, especially that guy Bob.

And no, I'm not going to sing Kumbaya with all of you. Fort Fiends, bah, humbug.

If there is no membership fee, what is that debit that comes out of my account every month?

Remember when I asked you for your credit card number so I could enter you in a Fort give away, surprise, I lied.

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

We have had Fiends loan us a golf cart for the day, help us change a golf cart tire, pick us up and take us to GG's. I have gone to Lorna's crying my eyes out when we had a mishap with the hitch. Richie, Lorna and Matt dropped everything and were there immediately. When Mama and Ed had to cancel some of their trip, two different Fiends offered to let them move their camper to share their sites.The list could go on and on.

More than that, I have had the support of FrIENDS as I went through a really bad year of sickness, job changes and just my normal crazy.

Fiends have been there in so many ways for me. Lawdy, now I'm getting all "mushy" again! I will never be able to type that word with a straight face after my conversation with Lil Lisa! LOL

Thanks, FrIENDS! I :heart: y'all!

[.....Gary 85]

I can add to this. We pulled into the Fort last April having RV problems. I was a fairly new Fiend, basically found this site during trip planning. We were greeted by Lou and other Fiends offering advice, tools, and help! DH was so impressed that people cared enough to make sure we were going to be OK.

Fiends rock!

Speaking of the problem... What did it end up being? If you said I don't remember.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

During our last trip to the fort many fiends helped out ... we had electrical and plumbing issues with the moho ... Doodle's Mike and TnBob came to help. I had a crisis with my father ... Rita and Carol let me cry on their shoulders. I know I'm forgetting some fiends that helped, but please forgive me! I have no doubt that I can depend on the fiends for any need! That's what fiends are for! This is the greatest group of people in the world!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Speaking of the problem... What did it end up being? If you said I don't remember.

It was a combo. We had gunk in the gas tank because it had sat years before we bought it (that was our first long trip in it), so they changed the fuel filter, and one of our spark plugs was cracked, so Jason replaces them. Good as new now!

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Excuse me while I wipe away the tear. Who am I kidding, what tear? You guys are all losers and I can't stand the bunch of you, especially that guy Bob.

And no, I'm not going to sing Kumbaya with all of you. Fort Fiends, bah, humbug.

Says the guy that probably drops everything to help a Fiend faster and more often than anyone else!

:raspberry: :raspberry2: :raspberry: :raspberry2: :raspberry: :raspberry2: :raspberry: :raspberry2:

[wak648...Bill 94]

Says the guy that probably drops everything to help a Fiend faster and more often than anyone else!

:raspberry: :raspberry2: :raspberry: :raspberry2: :raspberry: :raspberry2: :raspberry: :raspberry2:

That's cause his boss, Buddy, makes him.

[alexwyattmommy 181]

Buddy is an awesome Fiend. But I am partial to Mr. Lou.