March 4, 1972 (Letter from Mardi)

Glad to get your letter the other day!  Too bad you're not going to be here for the big Rock and Roll Revival #2.  It's going to be something else.  Get this -- Chubby Checker, Freddy Cannon!!!, Little Richard, Joey Dee and the Starlighters, Jerry Lee Lewis etc -- ra real freak show!  I'd love to see it.

Haven't been able to get to any movies with Andy out of work.  It doesn't look like he'll be able to find a job too soon!  His first big unemployment check Mar 4t\h.

Hi Paul:  How's things in "B", stop by on way to Calif.  Look for new address. Bill.

We are evacuating the premises on or before April 1st.  Andy and I finally just blew up and started birching at the landlady and told her to get fucked and drop dead; what a fruit!  So now it's looking in the want ads for both a job and a place to live -- feel insecure lately?  I'm tempted to just take off for Florida or something.  I hope I have the will power to save at least #200-300 by fall.  If I can swing it I really would like to move to Florida for next winter.  With Mr. S down there I'm sure he can find me a place and send me wants ads -- it's a thought I keep in the back of my mind, mainly because it probably won't happen!   Hope everything goes well for you this summer!  Like Bill said be looking for a new addr in May!!!!
Well I must go and feed my little melon -- at least I didn't have to work today!  Such ecstasy!

Good morning to  you, good morning to you!  How are you this morning......yuk!  No one should be subjected to mornings...One of these years Nelson you'll (maybe) suffer the same fate.  See you soon.

February 10,1972 (Note from Mardi)

Hi honey!  HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!  Everything is OK here.  Andy still hasn't found a job and things are quite rough right now.  So what's new.  Please write soon.  Our mail is coming by dog sled now -- it's the only thing that can get through.

January 28, 1972 (Letter from Mardi)

It was good to hear from you yesterday!  I had just arrived home after an evening of "bowlerama".  I was going to write to you about three weeks ago and have been in a daze since then. School has me in a fog as usual.  But I actually look forward to classes to give my mind some mental exercise -- I really enjoy it all, which I've been trying to do for a long time.  Now whether I can pass or not will be another problem -- it's about this math class I have.

As usual, my Christmas trip back was uneventful!!!!?  Sure.  You definitely know the circumstances, that fateful Sun night.  I must say I'm sorry if I seemed upset but I was so fuckin pissed about the weather and how to get back I didn't give you a fond farewell.  After you left my mother and I managed to make a dozen phone calls and what I did was get a reservation from Jamestown to Buf and then from Buf to Mpls.   Then we got Tim Lucia to take me to Jamestown.  So just before I was ready to leave Mon afternoon the airport calls and says my flight will be half an hour late getting to Jamestown!  I'll still make my connection in Buf -- get to Jamestown and the flight is 50 min late -- so now I'm thinking "Shit, the planes are not going to make it!"  At 3:05 pm the plans lands -- I'm to be in Buf for my connection at 3:45 sharp -- I made it!  The flight from Buf to Msp was late getting in -- thank god!  Otherwise it would have been a mere five hour wait in the Buffalo airport!!!!  The flight from Buf took 2 hrs. because we were heading into such strong winds!  But I was home and had the ravioli heated by 6:30 pm.  It seems like 1 yr ago already!  I'm glad we got to see Tina and Rusty, that was about the only people I really wanted to see.  I would have like to have seen Mark but I don't have too much to say but hello, how ya doin?  I can't get to Joan, I'll never figure her out.  She seems to do everything backwards to get at her goal.  She doesn't want to go to school but she's going, she wants to settle down...  I'm glad she's going to finish anyway -- I hope.  I really didn't like old Freddy over Memorial Day -- he seemed very defensive towards me -- maybe it's my imagination but Freddy gave Barb the same thing.  I think everyone's "group" has dwindled down!  I don't' think any of us need as many people as we used to.  The few we have are close enough to love and "worry" about.  I'm one for intimate talks and walks, and stupid little tings.  But I like getting out as much as I can with the crowd, not among the crowd.  What am I babbling about?  I was thinking if I can get some money saved I could go out to Boston over Easter too.  It's just a thought though.  I want to get out there and see Barb and all the places.  It would be good a time as any I suppose!

Anderson quit his job!  Neat?  He's been "unemployed" for two weeks.  And boy is the money problem tight 00 just when we were coming out ahead -- he quits!  He was getting screwed on the job anyway.  Monday he finds out about a salesman's job at Grossman's Chevrolet.  IT really would be a nice job because he is so out-going and can really hand out the B.S.  He would have a car then too and other advantages -- like a paycheck!  He's been playing hockey about 4 night a week -- hockey hockey hockey.  He's had 1. a black eye, 2. a bashed up nose, 3. a stick across the mouth, 4. a puck in the arm, 5. a sprained thumb, 6. a cut forehead.  Every time he comes home I'm afraid to answer the door and find out what is broken. David lost 3 teeth last game and big goalie "Andy Anderson" got in a fight but Thank God the referee stopped it.  "He can flu......."  So, if that job doesn't come through it's taxi driving for awhile.  This spring we want to move and get a dog and all. But we are really going to have a bitch moving if we even find a reasonable place.  I want to stay in the same area though. I like the lakes and parks etc., which Bill could care less about!

Everything has been find though all in all!  The weather has been a bitch!  Could you believe -65 with the wind chill!  It had been that way on and off for the past two weeks.  I talked to my mother last week and she continues to talk of going to Florida.  If she does move down, which I am hoping, I am really considering the possibility of moving down there myself!  I love Mpls. and the city but------this weather!  The move wouldn't be for quite awhile yet.  I don't' think it would be a bad move!?

 Well I must close and get busy here.  Take care -- I love ya too honey.

Think we are going to see "Straw Dogs" tonight (or is it Dog?)  I don't want to see the ending.  Oh!  Finally read QBVII it was a good book, not as good as Exodus but good reading.  When it finally came out in paperback I had to read it.

November 11, 1971 (Letter from Mardi)

Hi ya sweetheart -- I just saw Casablanca for the third time and I'm all psyched on Humphrey B again -- love that movie -- I couldn't remember if I owed you a letter or not.  My mother told me she got "the nicest" letter from you.  She called me Friday night to say she got a letter from Mr. Sayles and that we might be going to Florida this winter.  She sounded really excited and told me not to get too excited myself because he just may want her alone to go down. I keep hoping they will get married!  I can just feel something coming.  I can't figure out what's going on -- my mother never says anything.  I haven't heard too much from anyone else.  Barb is thinking of moving on for parts unknown -- she can no longer cope with Boston.  I hope she finds her "place" soon.  I know I wasn't too sure about this place for a long time and then it seemed to fit all in (that doesn't sound right?!) -- and now I really love this city.  I can remember a few? of the traumas I had!  Only 20 or 30.  As for the rest of my letter-writing friends -- I hear nothing.  I guess Joan is going back to school and her and Freddie were not getting along.  She never writes.  Nothing from Foster.  I'm waiting to see if the Peace Corps is still no. 1 at Christmas time.  It's really funny but I"m looking forward to going home for Christmas. Oh! before I forget to tell you!  I made my reservations the other day and since I had no idea when you planned on going home or how you planned going home, I made a reservation for you too!  Naturally it can be cancelled. I made the reservation for Mohawk this year so I don't have to go to Chicago!  Your fare is $60.00!!!  Oh for the 23rd of December.  I'm just trying to be fairly organized about this -- kind of!

I h ave to go now and hit the calculator.  Take care!

Hey! forgot to tell you!  Went to "The Rock'n'Roll Revival" last week.  Fantastic!  Chuck Berry was there along with a million old groups.  The thing lasted for 4 hrs.  Anderson was right at home -- he was born to be a greaser!!!

October 26, 1971 (Letter from Mardi)

Just a quick note here handsome, so I can get my card out to you.  I looked all over till I found exactly the right one.

All is well and as normal as things can get.  Anderson got picked up by the cops Friday night.  It wasn't his fault though.  He had just left his friendly neighborhood bar stool and was at the Red Barn to get some french fries and a cheeseburger -- a local delicacy, when this big guy (they always pick on small guys!) stick a cigarette in Anderson's face -- mostly by mistake due to his carelessness and of course Anderson's immediate reaction was to push this hand away with the cigarette and this guy turns around and pow!  Anderson goes across the room. So the other guy runs and leaves Anderson there with the cop.  So when th cop asked him if he was driving Bill said no! (clever?) and then they took him to General (Hospital) where you have to spend 6 hr in order to "sober" up.  He really couldn't have been that bombed otherwise he would have had a few choice words for the pig.  So I get this phone call from Bill Sat morning from General.  Since there was no fine or anything I didn't get upset.  Had there been a fine involved I would have killed him.

Yesterday morning  Anderson and I did a cute little paper route (I didn't have to work) we got the car stuck in this driveway and it took us half ha hour to get it out!  Sharp!  Everybody is just bitchin cause the paper is late.

Anyway I have to do some work!  Otherwise I could go on and on.  Take care and Happy Birthday.

Oh went to see Play Misty for Me.  Go and see it!  Really scary -- Anderson even got scared.

I promise to write you a long letter soon!

 

October 26, 1971 (Note from Tony)

Happy birthday.

I get a really nice feeling when it's the birthday of someone I know and like.  It seems that it's a special day to honor that person for begin such a good person.  And there seems to be so few times when special things such as friendship, gentleness, understanding, and kindness are properly appreciated.

So let this be an occasion when I can tell you (which is also very important) that y our special kind of being is being seen and does have a positive effect on the people around you.  May it continue to grow.

I guess that looking at it that way, birthdays do mean something and are really kind of nice to have.  Well, once again Happy Birthday and I'll write soon.

October 21, 1971 (Letter from Mike)

Sorry about the delay, things have been unbelievably hectic lately.  Glad to hear that you're digging Calif.  Thanks for trying to get a hold of Bagwell for me.  Guess I didn't really expect that you'd find her.

Sound like you might be getting carried away w/ the dope bit.  But it's your life, right?  I'm not even into alcohol anymore.  Maybe I'll tackle smoking next.  T hat's one thing I really should kick.

I won't find out about the Peace Corps until at least January, so I'm applying to a couple mining and exploration firms for a job.  Thought I'd see what I could get. Right now my major objective is to get my ass out of school, I just want to be on my own in some capacity and away from all the fuckin' hassle.  The companies are all over the States -- D. C., Minnesota, Texas, Utah, etc.  I'd really dig Utah because I'd be based in Salt Lake City.  Might be cool for a change.  More on that later.

Mrs. P will be glad to know you're going back to school.  Write her a letter if you haven't already.  I'm sure she' probably worried about you.

My love life has deteriorated almost completely.  She was starting to hang on too tightly and I got scared.  The sex bit was also getting slightly out of hand.  Anyways I wasn't pleased with the way I was acting so I got out of the mess.  When I think of how that could have ended up, I get really scared.  I'm not getting married for NOBODY!!!

Just thought I'd tell you that picture you had of me, with all the colored trees, etc?  Forget it, because the leaves just turn brown in Berea and fall off.  None of the color like the forest at home.  Hate to spoil your images, but that's the way it is.

I still weigh between 130-135 so I think I may have succeeded in beating the fat racket.  However, I'm still eating only one meal a day because that's about all I can handle anymore.

I'm taking a great seminar on psychological anthropology taught by a friend and student of Margaret Mead.  Mead is coming here this spring to take over Anthro classes for a week. Should be great.

Haven't heard from anyone since I've been back.  Dody's student teaching in Warren till December or something like that.  Mark is married in case you didn't know and are really interested.  Needless to say, I care.  No word form Tina and Rusty.  They're probably too busy screwing every chance they get.  As for Mardi well I owe her a letter so I'd better get busy and write to her.

We'll, I've gotta go.  I know this is short, but I never was too good at writing anyhow.  See you this winter.