January 21, 1974 (Letter from Dody)

I am so glad that I got your letter today.  It sure is great to hear from you again, and to hear that you're doing so well.

I'm sorry that I'm typing this letter but it's either this or you really won't be able to read the letter at all.  (You see my handwriting has gone downhill considerably since college.)  The other reason is because I'm not sure how long this letter will be and I want to be sure to tell you all of the shit.

Since the beginning of school I've been teaching and going to school at the same time.  I've been taking an IPS (Introductory Physical Science) workshop for 6 graduate credits in Philly.  I was also the assistant football coach this year and had a ball doing it.

About Christmas time our faculty decided to put on a musical so as to send our foreign exchange teacher, from England, down to Florida for the Christmas vacation.  Needless to say, yours truly got stuck with the lead, because he didn't show up for rehearsals.  (He who doesn't show gets stuck with one of the leading parts.)  Well, we put the show on within 3 weeks and made $901.  Enough to send this guy and his wife to Fla in style for about a week.

When I got home for the Christmas vacation the first time it was for only a very few minutes.  I did see Mike and he told me about his travels and schooling etc. and it seems that he's getting sick of school.  I really think that what Mike needs is to get out and work for awhile.  He's really getting hung up on society and its absurdness.  I really don't think that he wants to cope with what society has to offer and the responsibilities associated with it.  Hopefully, he'll outgrow his "bitterness" or whatever is bothering him.  It was real nice to see him though.  He's still got a lot to offer this world if he ever gets around to it.

I'm glad to hear that you are getting into the swing of your new "job".  It sounds as though you really dig this library science bit.  I sure hope that you can get a job somewhere, IN YOUR FIELD, because it is really a bitch and half when you have to teach or do a job that isn't your major field.  However, if one wants to get into a company or school, in my case, it sure does help to start somewhere.

Our new high school should be finished in September of 1975 and is supposed to be quite a school.  I got on the curriculum committee yesterday along with the other guy that I teach with.  We're hoping that this will be our foot in the door for a Biology position when the new school opens.  Here's hoping for the future.

During the vacation I spent a lot of time with the parents and had a fantastic time.  I've found them to be quite the friends as well as parents.  It was a nice stay and much too short overall.

New Years Eve was something different.  I started the evening with Gussie.  She was to come up to my grandfather's house for dinner and yours truly lost the key someplace.  Man, did I ever feel like an ass.  Believe me, a total ass.  She couldn't stay out for the whole evening so I then went down to the Knight's Lounge and had a fabulous time.

I've kinda taken an interest in a girl from back home but will have to wit to see what happens.  I won't expand on this point right now as I really don't think that anything will materialize.  Don't worry though, it isn't Linda Cummings.  Besides she's married and you wouldn't believe how lucky I am that I got rid of her.  Only time will tell in regards to this other girl.

On the local scene I've decided that they should name Warren Peyton Place with all of the crap that is going on there.  It is unbelievable.

Do you remember Tom Peterson?  Well, he married Bonnie Weldon a few years ago and now they're split up.  In fact, he's supposed to be down in Florida with Cathy Siegle, who is married to Dr. Gettes' son from Youngsville.  How true all this crap is I really don't know.  But I do know that Bonnie is in Warren without Tom, because I was with her at the Rathskeller for about half an evening.  So I've decided that I'm staying out of Warren for awhile until thing settle down a bit.

This summer I'll be going back to Edinboro, hopefully, to work on my master's degree.  It should take only two summer total to finish up and then I can take a rest for awhile.  It will be a nice change from this workingman's world though.  A bit of a grind but a little relaxation.

Well, I'm going to have to cut for now but will write again when I get the chance.  Write when you can and let me know the haps.

January 3, 1974 (Letter from Leslie)

Greetings. I'm sitting on the train on my way to the Big Apple.  Decided to take the train because I'm sick of the bus and actually the train is much more comfortable. The ride feels much like floating, but still not easy to write. The new train station is across the river from the old one. Needless to say, the old one has much more class and elegance, the new one is just functional. I got on at the little boxy station in Colonie, the stop before Albany, and am very glad as there was a mess of people waiting to get on.  I just felt the bump of another car being hitched so maybe it won't be too bad -- so far nobody is sitting next to me.

Being gifted with hindsight and shyness and after thinking about your visit (still thinking is more appropriate) I've decided to write and make some comments, not necessarily in the proper order. Also this letter is not meant to be fawning as I am upset and annoyed at y our own pussyfooting and should have expressed this while you were here.  I checked complacence in the dictionary and fawning or subservience is the better word.

Referring back to your last letter I remember your saying that you wanted to talk to me about our relationship and smooth it out yet the only time you offered any discussion of it is when I asked you about it and then I had to ask again to get some reason behind your thinking and then I find out it is none of this bull shit you have been feeding me about being a loner, but it is this subservience if this is the honest answer.

I admit to this but failed to mention your habit of acting like a hot and cold running faucet -- sometimes you are warm and nice and I feel close to you and other times you close yourself, do not give any positive feedback and I am given no indication as to what has happened this time. Since I am not the type who keeps asking what is wrong, I do not say anything except ask you those "trivia" questions which I finally found out that you dislike.

Also you hoped to find this trait gone by the changing of environments (Buffalo, Pitt, my home) but were disappointed.  Frankly I was disappointed too, to find you acting in the same way you always did.    Neither one of us realized that our actions were more reactions.  I had hoped that you would be more responsive than you were.  The problem seems to be our mutual reticence about discussing what is really bothering us, therefore letting things build up.  We have serious communication problems about what our individual needs are and still hardly know how the other is.

At this point it is difficult for us to be friends who trust one another.

Also in regards to the remark that even though you care very much for Tony you were still glad to be away from him after the trip, I think it is highly improbable that you will ever find a person who you will not get tired of at one time or another.  The better and stronger the relationship is, the more you will be able to pass through these periods without harming the relationship and as far as my life experience goes and tells me, that's the best you can do. 

Despite the games we have been playing, I do care for you health, welfare, and being and want to know what is happening with you.  I hope, for you, that your desire to write continues.

December 18, 1973 (Letter from Kenny)

Well, another semester has bitten the dust, so now I have time to write to my favorite person residing in the glorious city of Pittsburgh, Pa.  Well, what's new?  Hope your semester went OK and you memorized the dewey decimal system or devised a new card catalogue or whatever things they teach you.  (Do they tell you how to walk around on your tiptoes and speak softly so as not to bother any of the assholes that are reading?)

Anyhow, school was shitty as usual and I busted my ass the last month or so, all for nothing because I blew one of my exams.  It just shows how totally absurd the whole thing is because even if you know the stuff it doesn't mean shit if you don't see an issue while pushing your balls off during an exam.  The grading system is by absolute percentages, so even if you deserve an A, if everyone else does also, most of you won't get it.  Rather than have you compete against an ideal paper, they have you competing against each other so it just perpetuates the neuroticism and everything else that is stereotyped about law school.  I haven't seen "Paper Chase" yet but I've heard it is an accurate portrayal of the little gnomes they refer to as law students.  As a matter of fact, 1 of my friends saw it and he actually got nervous during the movie when the professor was calling on people!  Anyhow, it's going to be a struggle to get through the rest, but I'm kind of locked in because I'm really not equipped to do much else.  Because I'm not graduating until 1976, this summer is shaping up like another writeoff financially.  It's incredible now the more education I get, the more difficult it gets for me to find a job.  Enough of that bullshit.  I'm really looking forward to Christmas vacation though I don't really expect to do anything out of the ordinary.  Lauren and I are going home this Friday and will be there until the 7th of January.  We've got 2 wedding to go to. Bobby Marks is getting married Christmas Eve, and he's letting us stay in his apartment for the week he's away on his honeymoon.  That's great because the biggest pain in the ass whenever we go home is living accommodations.  Lauren feels strange at my house and I feel strange at her house and naturally everybody's parents get pissed off if we don't divide time equally between the families.   That's really the only hassle about being married and otherwise I must admit it's pretty good.  Also a friend of Lauren's is getting married Jan. 6.

I haven't been doing much; I don't remember what the last movie I saw was, and I honestly have no idea how long it's been since I went to a concert.  Are there any new records out?  Is Elvis Presley still big?  Is Shelly Fabares still singing "Johnny Angel"?

Herb applied to Wharton (Business School) for next year so he might be in school with me if he gets in.  I guess he got the itch to go back to school after a couple years.  Also he is still young (16 or 17 I think).  Holy shit, fucking Herbie is going to be 232 and you're 24, this is getting ridiculous how old we've all getting.   A couple of nights ago I went for a walk around campus and ended up in the Quad where they have the undergraduate dorms.  All these kids were having toilet paper fights and spraying fire extinguishers at each other.  It really brought back memories, but freaked me out when I stopped  to think how many years it's been since we were freshmen.

Herb hasn't been doing much, he finally broke up with that girl he was seeing which was just as well because all he was doing was using her.  He's heard from Chris a couple times recently and said that Chris is really reaching out for someone.  Chris is supposed to be home over Christmas so maybe I'll even see him then.  By the way send my Christmas greeting to your family, including all the Nelson (Ozzie, Harriet, Dave and Ricky too).  What have you got planned?  I hope you get this before you go home (maybe I should send it to Warren) but even if you don't' a belated Merry Christmas.

Have you heard from the Polish kid from Calif?  I hope he still is alive and well in Berkeley.  Now that I recall your last letter (which embarrassingly was months ago) I realize I never got those pictures you took at the wedding.  Don't feel bad, we haven't gotten our album yet, nor do we expect it for another month.

How else is your life?  Any romantic inclinations (besides beating off)?   How are your friends from Warren:  Mardi, Barb, Mike, etc.

Lauren's sister is a freshman at UB and she really likes it, so I guess the cycle keeps going on and on.  I would like to get up there sometime this year though with the 50 mph speeds it will take forever.

Anyhow, enough said for now.  Take care of yourself and write when you get the chance.

December 15, 1973 (Letter from Kathy and Gary)

Enjoyed your letter as always.

Things have not lessened for business.

Gary was on a 13 hour work week last week and we passed at the door at 7:00 in the morning and 5:00 in the evening -- awful.

I'm working more than ever and some of my hobbies are suffering -- like the bread that baked an hour and a half too long last night. Giving baked goods for Christmas this year to people here instead of dumb gifts.  Thank goodness I got a good start and a big freezer.  Experimented with pretzels, bagels and all sorts of breads.  Made other gifts by sewing and such.  More like the old time Christmas.

Gary's out in May.  Pray that things go well and we get the bike franchise.  It worries me and although Gary shows little I think it bothers him that it bothers me.  Wish I could have his confidence.  I'm not worried about his ability just the market.  Money is so tight.  Know anyone with too much money?

We have 7 golden retriever puppies 5 weeks old -- just precious.

We're going to Colorado Springs for Christmas.  Hope snow is light in Wyoming mountains.

Glad to hear you enjoyed A. C. and that you let it "all hang out".  Gotta enjoy life -- right?

Just celebrated our 3rd anniversary.  Really unbelievable.  Seems like last year we were married.

Well, housewife duties call -- have nice holidays and hope I caught you before you left for Warren for the holidays.

December 14, 1973 (Letter from Leslie)

Greetings.  Am sitting in my room and dug up an old favorite to listen to:  Emerson, Lake, and Palmer -- the first album.  Love the keyboards.

Last Saturday Steppenwolf's 16 Greatest Hits came from RCA -- it is a good selection of songs with some really good dance songs.

Your journal must be becoming an immense size -- I, unfortunately, haven't been writing in mine at all, I get bogged down by the amount of things I want to say and say to myself-- I can't write all that, so I don't' and there are long periods of inaction.  Even so I've written more this year than the previous two years combined.

Last week was a real joy, but if all goes well, after this coming Monday I will be all finished.  On Monday of this week I had to hand in a flow chart that was a real pain to set up.  I enjoyed doing the final drawing, (used 4 colors -- red, blue, brown, black) though and got an OK on it.  If it was possible Burgess would probably put OK on my transcript as a mark for this course -- he's so vague and forgetful that's really annoying.  He always forgets to tell our class things that we would like to know, like when and what of the final.

Ahh -- just put on another old favorite -- side three of Live at Fillmore East.  Back to finals -- on Wednesday I had my final in Lib605 -- the Reference Process -- know some of the things I did wrong but no way I could get less than a B as I went into the final with an A.  Also going back to Monday.  I picked up the takehome part of my final for Information Processing.   Ugh pick one out of 4 to answer and I don't like any of them.  So on this Monday I will hand that part in, take the in class part and probably take Burgess' final and be all finished.

Even though I am going to be in Albany through spring '75 I still check out the job board to see if there's anything interesting.  Nicest job so far was for as asst ref librarian in Boston.  Also have thoughts of becoming a map librarian, but for that I need to greatly improve my German and it would be nice to be able to read French.  Knowing how ambitious I am, will just have to see how things progress.

For plant life, I now have 3 cacti in my room.  One is a golden barrel cactus -- and I have transplanted it into a green pot I threw in high school.  The other two area in a bean pot I found in the attic, also in the pot with them is the little cross-legged man which I also made in high school (my most productive years in sculpture, ceramics, and graphic arts).

Now playing is Hot Rats with Peaches en Regalia on top.  Mmmm.  Did I tell you that my car has improved gas wise?  There were some pieces missing in the carburator.  Now I get almost 18 mpg and hopefully will get a couple more when the timing is readjusted.  I bought a new valve cover gasket and have plans to put that on tomorrow and then maybe the oil consumption will slow down a bit.  Since I haven't heard anything I imagine your Beetle is running okay.

That's it for now -- take care of yourself.

P.S.  My phone number is 518-372-1764 if you need to get in touch with me in a hurry about your plans for this vacation.

December 13, 1973 (Letter from Leslie)

Hi sweetie.  What to say.  I'm sorry things are going to be the way they are going to be. I love you and am not looking forward to your being so far away.  There is no use discussing this further in this letter - I will wait to talk to you in person, I definitely want to see you over the Christmas vacation.

Over my vacation, from the 17th of Dec (just two finals that week) till the 13th of Jan, I plan to be in Buffalo for awhile and in New York City for while as well as at home.  The dates are not set yet so when you write me again, let me know what your plans are.

Overall things are okay.  Have started doing Christmas shopping and am deciding who to send Christmas cards to.  I haven't sent cards in two years.

This is a shorty because I don't have much time this morning.  I did want to mention some records though -- for my birthday I got Rick Wakeman's Six Wives of Henry the 8th -- wasn't sure I liked it, but now it is beginning to grow on me.  Side one is the best.  Lately I've been playing Get Off in Chicago, Can't Buy a Thrill, and Hot Rats.  Played Grover Washington for Chris and he really bored me -- sounded like he was more show than substance.

Also have started reading The Prime of Life by Simone De Beauvoir.  Am enjoying it.  Will write again as I have other rambles on to mention.

Take care of yourself.  Let me know when you are going home so I know where to write you.

December 11, 1973 (Letter from Tony)

This will be just a short letter.  I just want to let you know I'm still alive and well and will be back East over Christmas.  I'm flying out of here Dec 15 (I hope) and going to NYC.  I shall visit my sister there for a time, then drive her car to Colden and probably stop in Troy or Syracuse on the way to see Jerry.  I would like to see Boston and all the people there (well, some of the people there) but I doubt that I will have the time or money.

I'll be in Colden until Jan 3, fly to NYC and then back here.  (I wouldn't really be terribly surprised if one of these flights were cancelled, what with the fuel shortage, TWA strike, PSA strike, etc.)

What are you doing over vacation?  If you are in N.Y. Dec 15-18, I'll be at my sisters, 339 Beach 92nd St., Rockaway Beach N.Y. 11693.  Phone # 212/634-2396.

After that, I'll be in Colden and area, probably, until I leave and you have my address and phone # there.

I've been studying a lot, working in S.F. as a volunteer of a civil rights group, going to some movies (The Delicate Balance, Klute, etc.) and even the Nutcracker Suite Ballet and the Messiah.  It's been good, and getting better.

It's been a while since I wrote, and telling you all the details would take too long, so I'll just stop here and fill you in when I see you in Warren or Colden or Buffalo or NYC or Pittsburgh of wherever.