May 1, 1977 (Letter from Connie)

Got your lovely, long letter today.  Always so good to hear form you -- and you write such nice, sane, chatty letters.

Actually, my lame excuse for not having written before (except that that last glowing Seattle) is that I really didn't have anything to say.  It's true now, too, but I thought I'd write anyway.  About the only thing that happens to me here is that I'm either more or less crazy.  At the moment, a bit less.

That trip to Seattle was a brilliant stroke.  It was absolutely unplanned.  I just did it.  I'm still living off the glow.  I had the good sense to take some pictures this time.  So now I can look at all my pictures when I get down, to remind myself of my good friends who really care.  Nuff of that.

Well, while you long to be another Cliburn, I just try to play chopsticks all the way through. Naturally, sometimes I go for weeks without touching that piano and at others I play for hours.  It's creative, and relaxing, and I do enjoy it.  Can only play slow, uncomplicated things, when I can figure them out.  Still going quite solo on it, never have been able to get anyone here to help me. Whoops!  That is not a cut!! The people here are really nice, but not easy to get close to.  I ask my friend Mary, "Hey, wouldn't you really love to give me piano lessons?" and she laughs and says she's sure I'm doing just fine.

But when I get back to Seattle... Everything is "when I get back."  Undoubtedly building up all kinds of false hopes and self-promises.  Watch me.  I'll run back there, find I'm miserable there, too, and then have no where left for me to...Hmpf.

Let me see now.  Spend most of my Saturdays at work these days.  There's so much to do, and it really is great therapy.  Besides, I've got this hang-up that I can't go till I get done -- that is, can't pack up and leave altogether.  And I've been reading a bunch of trash, have to put Irving Stone's The Greek Treasure (about Heinrich and Sophia Schliemann) in that category -- atrocious writing, stick figure characterization -- but a terrific story.  (But then I've always been entranced with the ancient Mediterranean cultures.)  You've heard George Benson's Breezin' with "This Masquerade", I'm sure; I finally got hold of it and play it constantly.  Oh -- and it's been raining here -- and I mean raining.  Almost 2" Sunday afternoon.  Everything's been greening up so nicely -- it's just incredible.

May 5

Hmm.  Got sidetracked and whatnot.  That's OK though.

Did I tell you the latest installment in my epic adventure, "Looking for a Job in Rain Country?" Well, I'd sent a bunch of resumes to Washington State offices.  One of them wrote back that I'd have to write to the State Personnel Office.  Did that, and got a reply from them that they considered only Washington State residents!  Aargh!  Got on the phone, and after a bit of red-tape hassle, ended up talking to the personnel office of the State Library (where I should have started, of course).  The bottom line is that there are, at the moment, exactly three (count 'em, three) library positions open in the whole state, and one of these is Lura Currier's old job as head of PNBC, the bibliographic center.  They said they'd keep me on file, blah, blah, blah -- you know the old story. I'd said that I would not get discouraged about such dismal prospects -- then promptly went off into a real self-doubting trip.  I'm better now, of course.  I'll just have to be totally fatalistic about the whole thing and try to have patience.  If God wants me back in Seattle, he'll get me there.  He's taken almost spookily good care of me so far, and I'll just have to trust that I'm not forsaken.  Besides, my psychic said I'd be firmly back by Thanksgiving.

Did you see the Nixon-Frost interview?  Wild.  Have kind of a hard time following old Dick through all his tangents.  An interesting point hit me over the head, watching him this time.  All his big concerns, the things he "wanted to do for the country" had to do with foreign policy.  China.  Israel. The arms race, and so on.  Not one word for domestic issues:  unemployment, the economy, or anything else, but that just means that these were his most conscious concerns.  (I swear -- he's our American Napoleon.)  He fascinating -- innately corrupt, and very paranoid.

Well, should close off and get back to my piano.  Fully intend to turn from simple arrangements of popular songs, to simple arrangements of show & classical.  If I can find a good book of them.  (Ah!  A splendid excuse!)

Now don't let my long silences keep you from writing to me.  My silences are a reflection of my laziness, and NOT my concern.

Geez -- just remembered -- did you turn down an offer from H.W. Wilson, or did you choose not to apply?  If you turned down an offered remind me to throttle you next time I see you.  Indeed, NY is a big apple with big little green worms -- but anything at H.W. Wilson would be a real coup.

So, my layback friend, take care of yourself.