Imagine if you will, a birthday of your own. Some of you celebrate with others. Some of you treat yourself because you are alone. Some of you sleep in, take the day off work, or spend an entire weekend partying because you’ve survived another year. Now imagine not being able to do any of those things. No sleeping in. No treating yourself. No loved ones as they are too sick to travel or too far away to get to you. No birthday cake, no birthday drink. Nothing special about being alive for another year. If anything, jeers from the guards that your loved ones and friends long forgot you, and you will just rot in this man made prison forever and alone.

Tripper will be turning 50 on October 18. He’s survived not only drugs and the life of it all, but he has survived 8 years in Federal Prison, the harsh conditions, and doing it with almost nothing to his name. He has nothing to look forward to on his birthday, or really any day, except for mail. Mail call comes around, and everyone holds their breath, hoping their name is called, or a letter is thrown on their bunk. A little piece of the outside world. Someone to tell him he’s not forgotten, and he’s not alone.

I would like to make this birthday a big bang for him. Or as big as possible that is with all the limitations. I am calling out for YOUR help here guys. I want to gather at least 100 hundred (ONE HUNDRED) cards from all you readers. With the amount of hits his blog gets, I know there are at least 100 hundred of you who just might be willing to pick a birthday card out, write a “Better Days”, stamp, and drop it in the mail. I implore you, please, this is not going to work without you. I personally will send a card as well and I’m going to send $50 for a new sweatshirt, as I know he needs one with winter coming on.

What I am proposing is this. I would like to package all the cards in one big envelope. Not only will it be a hella cool surprise that way, but it enables you readers to remain anonymous. You can sign your cards with your screen names if you’d like. I need to have ALL cards and gifts at the P.O. Box no later than October 14^th, 2008. I will package them all, send it express over night, that gives the mail room 1 day to look through it and it will be in his hands by October 17^th. The 18^th is on a Saturday, and inmates do not get mail on Saturdays.

There have been a few who have also asked about sending money. That is fabulous! There are several things I know he needs, but never has money for. With winter coming up, the main thing will be sweat pants and socks. Things he would like to have, but are just too damn expensive. They rape the inmates on price there, on everything. Infation is everywhere, but it’s already inflamed, fixing to go up again with the rest of the world having prices go up. It’s insane. But they can do it because who is going to complain, what are they going to do about it right? So it’s an everlasting struggle. Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner are a luxury for Tripper, and each is $6 bucks a bottle. He relies on batteries for his little walkman to help him escape reality, and those are $5 bucks for 4 batteries. Typing ribbon costs $9.40 a ribbon I believe. He uses 2 a week now for the myspace stuff and has gone to handwriting his letters to his family and to myself. A winter cap will be needed, and it’s always nice to be able to get a 6 pack of soda. The price has gone up dramatically recently to $5.60 for 6 cans. They have food he can buy at the canteen (the inmate “store”), crackers, chips, snack cakes. All things he would like to have, especially now that he is in a war with the food service people and they make it a point to mistreat him, but there is just simply no money.

So, IF you would like to send money, ANY amount is good. Nothing is too small. I will get a big money order and mail it in to Iowa where they electronically put it on the inmates books now. It is easiest for me if you send cash. If some of you are uncomfortable with that, a check or money order will work, but I ask that you leave the “name” blank so it is easier for ME to process. If you have any questions, please, feel free to ask me. I think helping Tripper would be wonderful, a lot of you have huge hearts out there.

2 more things I know are on Tripper’s “Wish List” that he is able to have are the following:

Those miniature calendars with pictures, know the ones I’m talking about. Just like a full size calendar, but the small version. Some of those are coming out now, and he likes to collect those. I try to get 6 or 7 every year, but every year they are almost exactly the same thing. Variety is good, just no nudes. And ya’ll know he loves Harley Davidson.

They are the 7×7 small ones.

The Fort Smith Newspaper. It is a little piece of “home” that would be delivered right to him. He can read about what’s going on, keep up with the news, and with as homesick as he has been lately, that would be a cool idea. It is expensive though. Over the years I’ve tried to scrape in order to get it for him, but it’s just not happened. SO, if you are interested in doing that, click the link, check out the prices, and if that doesn’t scare you away, shoot me a message and I will let you know how to order from them.

Newspaper Info

SO, it’s up to you now people. I am really counting on each and every one of you now. Please, pick up a card and mail it today. Let’s make Tripper smile and feel good about himself in the worst place possible. We can do this if we ALL team up together. So, I’m holding out my heart here, let’s please make this work!!! I will keep a tally on the main page so we can all keep track together how close we are to making the 100 card mark. Think we can do it?

Better Days to One and All…..

Thank you for your Time….

Tripper’s Representative, Nic

Tales From The Cells

P.O. Box 430

O’Neill, NE   68763

Send yours today! Questions? Shoot a message!

“I would definately send a card! Thats so crazy, he doesnt have a sweatshirt? I would be up for anything, I’m open;)I know it would be kind of hard to pass a hat, but maybe some would even be open to sending a little cash?…..”

“Count me in…I had a friend in prison and I know how he felt when he was without…”

“……you can count on me nic..i think your so wonderful and this is a stomping good idea.. ”

“You can count on me. I will be sending a card to you for him and some money…. ”

“Nic, I saved this bulletin to my flash drive so I have the instructions etc….I’ll buy a card on Wednesday and get it out to you…..”
“…….I will most definitely contribute….”