DEAR MOM AND DAD, 25 JUNE 1989
THIS PAST WEEK I LOST
CATHY' LUKE, AND MY CLOSEST NEIGHBOR, KATHY. I'M STILL LOCKING CABINETS AFTER USE AND
PUTTING ITEMS OUT OF LUKE'S REACH, ONLY REALIZING AFTERWARD THAT NOTHING IS
GOING TO MOVE UNTIL I MOVE IT NOW. I DON'T MISS THE CONSTANT CHALLENGE LUKEMAN
IS, BUT IT FEELS UNNATURAL AFTER NINE MONTHS OF LUKETENDING TO BE RID OF THE
BABNIK. THOUGH PREPARING FOR THE GRADUATE RECORD EXAM AND PUTTING THE HOUSE UP
FOR SALE SHOULD KEEP ME OCCUPIED, I'D RATHER BE FATHERING.
CATHY LOOKED SO GOOD DURING THIS
RECENT VISIT, WITH NO MAKEUP AND HER UNRULY HAIR COOPERATING FOR A CHANGE. I
WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT SO. DIANE,
MY BOSS'S SECRETARY--WHO KNEW CATHY DURING HER GOODFELLOW DAYS--MENTIONED
IT TO ME, AND SO DID MARIA, THE ORDERLY ROOM NCOIC' WHO DIDN'T KNOW
CATHY HERE BUT SAID SHE LOOKED BETTER IN PERSON THAN SHE DOES IN MY PICTURES
FROM HER GOODFELLOW INCARCERATION. I WENT OVERBOARD IN MY EXPLANATION ABOUT
HOW MUCH CATHY HATED IT HERE, ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS TO BE PRETTY WHEN YOU'RE SO
FRUSTRATED THAT STAYING SANE IS A CONSTANT CONCERN. THEN I TRIED T0 SOFTEN MY
LACK OF TACT (I AM STILL HERE' AFTER ALL) BY SAYING CATHY HAD BEEN
EXERCISING AND, ALTHOUGH SHE DIDN'T LIKE AFTT MUCH BETTER, WAS HAPPY TO BE ON
BREAK. WHATEVER THE REASONS, SHE WAS IN GOOD SPIRITS AND LOOKED HER BEST.
MEANWHILE' I GET NEW FACIAL WRINKLES DAILY AS I SHOVEL THROUGH PAPER
AND OTHER WORK.
BESIDES REMEMBERING THINGS CATHY
AND LUKE SAID AND DID HERE AND MISSING THEM, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR ADDED TO THE
LOSS, WITH A PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE) TO KOREA.
KATHY WILL BE IN DAD'S FAVORITE COUNTRY FOR A YEAR, THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE
HER AND SHE'LL SEE HER MAIN FLAME, FRED, IN GERMANY. I SAY "HOPEFULLY"
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE ONLY DEFINITE IS THAT I'M GOING TO MISS KATHY. THE NIGHT BEFORE SHE LEFT SHE
GAVE ME ABOUT $150 WORTH OF GROCERIES AND A HUG.
LUKE GAVE ME A NORELCO TRIPLE-HEADER (RECHARGEABLE)
RAZOR AND SOME CALVIN KLEIN OBSESSION COLOGNE FOR FATHERS' DAY. THOUGHTFUL KID.
SPENT MORE ON ME THAN I DID ON MY DAD, BUT THEN HE HAS MORE DISPOSABLE CASH
THAN I DO.
I HAVEN'T MET OR HEARD FROM ANYONE YET WHO AGREES
WITH THE SUPREME COURT RULING ALLOWING BURNING A U.S. FLAG AS A SIGN OF
PROTEST. OF COURSE, I'M NOT SURROUNDED BY AN AUDIENCE WHO WOULD APPROVE; MOST
MILITARY MEMBERS CAN'T BELIEVE THEY RULED THAT WAY, ALBEIT 5 To 4, MYSELF
INCLUDED. I CAN SEE BURNING SOME OTHER
COUNTRY'S FLAG IN PROTEST, LIKE CHINA'S FOR EXAMPLE. BUT BURNING AN AMERICAN
FLAG IN AMERICA SHOULD BE A MISDEMEANOR AT LEAST. A LOT OF PEOPLE DIED TO KEEP
IT FLYING IN PLACES IT PROBABLY DIDN'T BELONG. A LOT MORE WILL DIE TO KEEP IT
FLYING FOR MORONS WHO'LL MAKE A SHOW OF BURNING IT. OTHER COUNTRIES MUST THINK
WE'RE PRETTY FUNNY.
LISTENING TO ELVIS
COSTELLO’S LATEST ALBUM, I WISH I COULD WRITE SONGS, POEMS AT LEAST, AS
PROLIFICALLY AS HE DOES. "SPIKE" HAS SONGS UNLIKE MOST OF HIS
PREVIOUS ALBUMS, BUT WITH HIS CHARACTERISTICALLY CLEVER TURNS OF PHRASE AND
COMPLICATED STORYTELLING. I MAY NOT GET
TO WRITE MY OWN FOR AWHILE, BUT I'LL NEVER TIRE OF EC.
I'LL NEED TO PRINT NEAR LETTER OUALITY INSTEAD OF
DRAFT FROM NOW ON FOR MY DEAR OL’ MOTHER WHOSE EYES HAVE SEEN BETTER DAYS.
THOUGH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW IS STILL YOUNG (YOUNGER, ANYWAY),
IN THE INTEREST OF PRINTING TWO COPIES WITH THE SAME HEADING IN TANDEM, I'LL BE
SENDING THE WEBBS NLQ PRINTS FROM NOW ON TOO. BUT FOR MY WIFE, WHO'S YOUNGER
THAN EVERYONE BUT MIKE, DRAFTS SHOULD STILL SUFFICE, REGARDLESS OF POOR
EYESIGHT WELL BEYOND HER YEARS.
