June 11 1944

I hope by now my letters are getting through again a little bit faster.

So here I go again (remember) with a little bit of news and what's what again. First of all, I should complain about the letters, but in the past three days, I've received two parcels, so that more than makes up for the little lay off. Boy! are they wonderful parcels too. The first one was the one with the lobster, salmon, cake, etc., and the one today had the combs, washcloths, golf balls and things far too numerous to mention. Boy! are we going to have a party.

As I said in my last letter, this coming Sunday is our day off, so we're going into town and really have a big do. I have the menu all prepared: tomato juice, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres of lobster or salmon with lettuce & onions, a choice of cream of onion or vegetable and noodle soup, chicken à la king or creamed chicken, fruit cake and cookies Later, while smoking Players, Sweet Caps, or Black Cats, I'll pass the chocolates and peanuts and, for overindulgence, we'll go to bed with an Alka Seltzer. The next morning I can wash my face, pull up my laces, comb my hair, of course putting on a clean shirt and socks, and then leave for a lovely day of golf, keeping my nose clean with my lovely new handkerchiefs. There, doesn't that sound pretty good? Well anyway, that incorporates almost everything in the parcels.

It's really like Christmas around here today. Ray also got a parcel, and we're just like a bunch of kids. He opened his at the same time as I did, and he'd say he got such-and-such a thing, and then I'd pipe up. Gosh it must have been funny to watch. A person would think we were a little bit cracked, but who cares. Gosh, it seems that most of this letter's been about eats & my parcels, but really that's the big news and I have to let my exuberance run its course.

The next big news is I've bought a new bike. It cost about $42 altogether, but they're so darn scarce that as soon as we heard there were some in town we made a mad dash and about ten fellows in the course all have new bikes now almost exactly alike. Gosh, it's really difficult trying to remember which side of the road to stay on, and then there's these brakes on the handle grips. The first time I tried riding over here we were going around a bend, and a car was coming toward me. I was on the outside, and of course instinct told me to go to the right, which is wrong; so I tried to put on the brakes the usual way, which of course was wrong. So you see, right's wrong and wrong's right or something. In any case I wound up in a hedge flat on my fanny with the bike on top of me. Was I mortified. Since then I've caught a clue and have been getting along beautifully.

Well, tomorrow we have an exam in bombing and composite subjects about which I know nothing, so should get cracking.

Larry and I and the rest of the crew have been piling up a few hours these past few days, while I've been slaving away? on the ground.
Oh, well, just exactly a week and I'll be finished with most of it anyway.

It was funny. My horoscope said I'd get a disappointment today, and so far I've had nothing but the best of good luck. I guess I'd better go to bed early just in case.

Well, I'd better sign off for tonight. Sorry this had to be so dull, but maybe I'll do better next time. Write real soon and let me know how everyone is. Tell Herb I'll get around to dropping him a line one of these days. Send a picture of Skip if you have one.