March 22, 1971 (Letter from Mardi)

Hi kid!  Your really on a writing spree aren't you?  Two letters in a row!  March really improved your spirits.  I admit January and February are shitty but I wouldn't go as far to say March has cured your ills!  But I'm glad to hear you're over your ills.  How did March actually prove to be?  I guess it was ok.  January, Feb. and Mar this year certainly have gone fast.

Anderson and I have found an apartment.  As a matter of fact, this was the apartment we had seen for rent exactly a year ago but were too late to get.  The place is a great deal.  It's furnished (completely) (except for TV and stereo, etc), it's right on the bus line, Lake Calhoun is six short blocks away, a "shopping" center is around the corner -- small stores.  The area is residential and the apartment is in a 4-plex so it's not huge.  It's so much more convenient.  The place is pretty big, a log bigger than Lake Street.  It's long like Renee's parents place.  (Oh, my mother was talking to Mrs. Shulman and I guess Renee is losing weight.  She's lost 20 lbs so far.  Of course she'll have to lose about 120 more for it to do any good.)  Did you get all that?  I write such spontaneous letters!  Anderson and I are trying to get ahead here.  So we figure the apt. will be a lot better all around.  Home sweet home.  NO ONE is staying with us this summer -- the understatement of the year probably.  I don't think I'll give my address to anyone like Barney or Mohney!!  But you know if you ever are passing by you can stop in.  You'll have to take out the garbage and cook dinner and clean and iron and wash etc.  OK?  Just kidding!  SURE!

Nothing fantastic happening here.  Enough though.  Last night was our usual Sunday night w/ Comedy for Big Kids w/ a W. C. Fields movie followed by the Marx Brothers.  Unfortunately, no 3 Stooges!  YICK.  I will never forget your awful laughing at those 3 Stooges!!!

I'm sitting here completely bored.  I always get all my work done by 4:30 on Monday nights and I still have 2 1/2 hours to go!  I should be studying for my class tomorrow, but I'm not in the mood!  I can't wait till I'm done w/ classes -- I'm getting spring fever and it's impossible for me to concentrate on "Financial Lending".  YICK  It was a great course in Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, and Feb but I'm getting ants in my drawers now!  Plus I'm just dying to get out in the sun.  I definitely have to go up and see Barb in May or June for a couple of days then I want to go South w/ my mother, Mr. S. and Bill some time.  I'm really contemplating moving to Florida in about 1 yr for good.  If I can line up a job at a bank I'll be fine.  Only Anderson would have to find a job too because I would feel guilty about leaving him here to freeze to death.

I must close before someone sets me to work!

Take care and write soon?  When are you through with school for the year?  "Have you any idea where you'll go?"  Just don't listen to anyone else's plans!  You know how that goes?!!!!

I guess my mother was talking to Mike and Dody -- they are both home for vacation!  I haven't heard from either one since Xmas.

Hope I can see ya soon?

August 25, 1970 (Letter from Kenny)

This letter will be in duplicate with one sent to Warren and one sent to Minnesota just in case I miss you at one.

I am doing all right and have been having (?) a pretty good time.  I saw the Guess Who last Friday.  The concert started 3 hours late but they were pretty good.  The new Moody Blues album still isn't in the stores here but I've heard parts of it on the radio and it's really good.  The new "Band" albums is good and I'll probably get it within the next week or so, that has been in the stores for awhile now.  Led Zeppelin came out with a new album but I haven't heard anything about it yet.

I'm probably going to go up to school Sept 8 or 9 with Chris.  I'm getting tickets to see the Bway show "Company" on Thursday Sept 3.  But the big news is that this Friday on my last day of work when I should be happy and bubbling I won't be.  I have to have 4 wisdom teeth extracted that afternoon (I'm leaving work early) by an oral surgeon with intravenous to put me to sleep and everything.  I know a lot of people how have had it done recently and the pain has been long and hard.  I expect to be OK I hope by Wednesday.  Which leaves us a problem about you calling me.  Try to make it Aug 31 or Sept 1 to make sure hopefully that I'll be able to talk by then, seriously.  I haven't heard from Tony in awhile so I don't know if he found an apartment.  I seriously doubt it, even doubting whether he looked.  I know two people so far who have recently gone up there and found apts with people looking for roommates.  You are welcome to stay with me as long as you like but, although he hasn't said anything, if it becomes awhile Christ will probably get all pissed off.  You really should contact Tony and find out what the story is. If you do go to Buffalo rather than NYC you can still come here Thanksgiving so don't worry, New York will still be waiting for you.  I hope you find something to live in you Polak.  Try to call if you can either from Buffalo or Warren.  Take it easy and write.

P.S.  Tomorrow is Women's Lib Day so I'm not going to wear a bra!  (ha!ha!)  Some women in the park are supposed to burn theirs.

July 17, 1970 (Letter from Tony)

Well, here I am in all my splendor and glory, and in answer to your questions, yes, no, and only occasionally.

This has been a strange summer so far.  When school ended I was working 4 hrs/night at Buf. General.  I lounged in the sun the rest of the time.  Then came the post office job and I was working 12 hrs/day and sleeping 6-7.  I grew rich and retired from the post office.  I am now working 5 hrs/night at Buf General.  During my off hours I am trying to catch up on things like letters, laundry, etc.  So far it's been very good, as soon as I grew tired of my current situation, it changed.

On Mon I'm going to sign up for a 3rd session course, Industrial Relations 301.  Also I'm going to go thru a book on my own that should help me with the math I'll need for my Eco course this fall.  It has the clever title of "Mathematics for Economists".

I'm in the music room.  All by myself.  I really miss your stereo.  It was probably one of the finest stereos (stereoes?) I have ever known.

It sounds like you're really enjoying yourself.  That's good.  Here it's OK.  My social life is continuing at the same fever-high pitch.

Thanks for the money.

I didn't have time before to look for apts.  Rich, a transfer student from Ohio State, got the lists from University Housing and he called most of the places.  There wasn't much there, but I didn't expect there to be.  There's a place on Custer I have to check out, I'm going to talk to Mr. Mann, the guy who owns Herbie's apt. and see if he has any others, and I'll be checking the News, and the Amherst Bee (wow).  Are you sure you don't want to go back to Allenhurst?

I just talked to Kenny on the phone yesterday.  Vinnie called him to explain to him why he can't pay his rent just yet.  Vinnie's thinking of selling his car, he's still got $1,800 payments to make on it.

My bicycle's still fine.  I rode it to work Monday, right down Main St.  I was scared shitless.  Bad.

Zelda and Jane are leaving Sun nite for Europe.   I got a letter from Sue, she's really enjoying herself.

Mike worked for 3 wks in a factory then quit in a dispute with his boss.

Another strange aspect of this summer is the people.  It's rare that I talk to someone who has smoked, let alone see any of the stuff.  Everyone drinks a lot.  Next week we're having an office party out in the country and everyone is planing to get really smashed.  These people are nice, but they are a better fit for the early 60's than the 70's.

There are a couple of other college age kids that work with me nights and we sit around the plot the revolution.  Actually, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my politics and I think that a commune or a free store is much more effective than a demonstration.  How's that for heavy, deep, out a sight, and right on?

This campus is really nice during the summer, when it isn't raining.  There are a lot of trees, a lot of grass, a lot of room.

You probably heard that Ketter was picked as president.  Could be trouble this fall.

I've started the world's largest collage on Herbie's bedroom wall.  I've got 3 pictures up.  It could take awhile before I finish it.

If you haven't noticed, I've run out of things to say right now.  So, farewell sweet prince, until we meet again.

December 12, 1968 (Letter from Mardi)

I was glad to get your letter.  It sounds exactly like what I've been doing here.  No one really cares about school or studies, right now I just want to go home.  I'm so tired to studies.  I'll actually be home in less than a week.  I'm planning on what I'm going to eat when I get there.  I don't think I'll make it to the 20th.  All we're having are finals next week too.  I got a letter from Dody and I guess he's been sick with the flu.  I guess he's missed a lot of school.  I really hope I don't get sick.  There are a lot of kids out here because of the flu.

Not too much happening.  Friday night we went to see Andy Williams and the concert was absolutely fantastic.  We even like Roger Miller.  We sat about 15 ft away.  We took quite a few pictures and I have to pick them up tonight.  I hope they turned out.  The performance lasted almost three and a half hours.  It was something to see.

Saturday Wendy and I went to a party at 1 AM.  We had a riot the whole 45 minutes we were there.  Sunday I slept all day and wen to the Art Institute with Nancy and took some pictures.

The weather has been cold but sunny and clear.  Today it's drizzly and dark out and I'm afraid it might decide to snow.  I hear Jamestown had a bad storm and Erie had thousands of dollars of damage.  The Peninsula was blown away.

I'm really hurtin', I haven't had more than two hours sleep each night.  Monday we had to clean our entire apartment for room inspection Tuesday -- blaah!  Last night we decided we weren't going to buy a Christmas tree but that we were going to find one and chop it down.  We looked all over and nobody had a decent pine tree to take.  We looked at apt building too while we were clonking around.  One was $208 -- without utilities.  Blaah!  I may never have an apt.

Dec 13 - Friday.  I'm casually relaxing in the apt., feeling blase.  It's the flu.  I'm just washing out a few shirts and blouses -- finally getting ready to pack.

My mother was in the hospital.  I tried to call Wednesday and Thursday and I couldn't get a hold of  her and I started to get worried.  The operators actually began calling me by my name.  This one was really nice.  So I called my aunt and she told me everything was fine and my mother came home today.  The doctor put her in the hospital to rest and for shots.  I talked to her today at noon and she sounded terrible but she said she was feeling better but weak.  She said she might be home all week 16-20.  I hope she gets much better for Christmas.  Watch me get sick all vacation.  Dody went over to see her and Mike called her.  You kids are so thoughtful.  She really love ya all, you know.

We had a snow storm last night but we weren't hit that hard.  Up north they were hit with 14 to 15 in of snow.  We don't have too much.  Planes have been taking off anyway.  I got some pictures of our jet coming out here, finally.  Please take care handsome.  SEE YOU IN TWO AND A HALF DAYS!!!!