November 13
Dear Susan,
How are things out there in the real world? I'm going to be on the move again. The dig officially ends on the 16th, three days, but we still have so much work left to do. For one thing we have some cataloging, and random things to tie up here. For one thing we have to pack up. Yay. I hate it when we have to start the pack up. Dust storms here have been getting really bad lately. Slowly things are being sent over sea. I don't know where some things are going. I'll be at Penn State this semester. Back to the teacher life for me. Things are slowing down here. We're all signed up for the continuation dig starting early June late May. I'm so glad I only have a semester of a desk job at a time I can't do that whole sitting down and not be searching for something. Oh if I make it to dinner, I'll bring a friend. They're a friend from the site. Their so smart and so funny. You'll love them. I'll try to make it to dinner. Hows everyone holding up? I know I kinda ran out after the funeral. How's Mac? He's a teacher right? I know he loves history and loves teaching it and everything. But how is he? Did he ever go back for graduate school? Speaking of graduate school, which ones did you go to again? I lost count after you graduated from University of Tampa. But you seem to be slowing down. I found a letter from Mac that got lost in my tent that said you were engaged. I hope I get to meet him soon. Congratulations. Now I wonder why I didn't get a letter from you? After all, I am your little sister. I'll Be home some day. I promise. But don't reply to this letter. I'll be gone before it gets home to you. I'll send you or Mac something when I get where I'm going. I think I'm heading to England for debriefing.
~Jenn
November 20
Hey Mac!
Guess who sent me a letter? Jenn! You know her, she is that sister of ours that disappears for months at a time. She wants to know how you're doing. She's up to her old tricks. She says her dig season ended about four days ago. And she's on the move again. Jenn said she might be heading to England for debriefing. She makes it sound so military. Can you believe that our little sister was out in Egypt? She doesn't know if she will make it to Christmas dinner with us. After I read that I thought it was her turn to host. Cause the two of us have been flipping it off for some time now. Does she remember how to cook for the army of your family? We'll I just wrote to tell you she was doing fine. I've got to go grade papers and make up a new final. One of my former students made a cheat sheet some how. Too bad for them.
Still in college,
Susan
November 21
Dear Mac,
Its November 21 and I'm in France at an airport. Flying out to England with the crew. Wrote to Susan and told her I might not make it to dinner, Tell her I'll try to make it. Please know I really want to see you two again. I've got a flight over there on X-mas eve. I hope I'll make it. Tell Susan for me. I'll write again. Happy Turkey day . Post cards need to be bigger. ~Jenn
November 27
Dear Susan,
I love how Jenn sends post cards while she's on the run. She sent me one from France. She has a flight over on Christmas Eve. Your right it is her turn to host. Got to wonder why that girl wont settle down. Even you settled down. And no one thought THAT would ever happen. She wants them to make bigger post cards just so she could write more to us. I can't write for long. I've got papers to grade. If you write to her first tell her my students love my teaching methods. Even if they hate having a set of seven different color pens and highlighters with them at all times. But you were right when you said color makes you remember. Thanks for the teaching tip. See ya at Christmas dinner. Your hosting right?
The Mac Daddy
November 30
The Mac Daddy? What the hell? Or do I not want to know. I guess I will be hosting. So what is the big deal about her not settling down. She has an apartment out near Penn State where she teaches during the spring semester. I bet she does like it when she can really just stay there for some time. Her roommate is a doll. I met her once. Really sweet girl. They have a great way of working rent out. Her roommate pays it all when it is just her roommate there. When its both of them (during January and Febuary) its pretty evenly split. At the end of March the room mate goes somewhere for the spring semester. I don't remember where Jenn said her roommate went but it works out nicely with rent and everything. Then they have a summer roommate for the summer months. I remember now, the first roommates in the Army and she goes in and works over seas form March to August. And the other roommate is there from something like June to September and from November to January. Finals went well. I gave them a two page Test that had four Questions on it.
1) Who is the Author of the Text Book? (I wrote it)
2) Explain one thing you learned in full detail this year.
3) Name the additions.
4) Prove to me the chair on my desk is not on my desk.
Only half the class got number one right. Which is kind of sad. One person got the last one right. Her answer "What Chair." The girl was failing the marking period. She really surprised me. She remembered the joke I told the class at the beginning of the semester. Well Happy Thanksgiving. Hope it was good. So she has a flight in on Christmas eve? Did she say what time?
Susan
December 5
Hey Sis!
Mac Daddy here. okay that's what my kids have been calling me. I' started coaching the soccer team and that was their nickname for me. It was really fun coaching. I've got to do it again next year. No time for her flight. There four flights coming in from England. One at Midnight, one at noon, one at three pm and one at four in the morning. I don't think we can go wait for her this time. Oh no one failed my Mid term! No one. Everyone passed with a 76 or better. I didn't have to cerve it this time! I love my kids. I think I'm accually teaching them something. Your kidding that was your final. Four questions. God I wish I could have gotten my whole first half of the year in four questions. I could hardly fit it into four pages. By the way the class just loved four pages worth of questions. Any more news from her? I've got to go make up the Project for the third marking period. Did my life get so boring that its boiled down to making tests and projects?
Mac
December 28
Susan,
God I'm so sorry I missed Christmas. The team, we all tried to get home to our familys we really tried. No one made it home. Mr. Starbucks wanted our reports on the 26th. We all spent Christmas together and working. If it was up to me I'd have somewhat normal hours in the day and only have a five day work week. I'm working on Sunday. Saturday is my day off. That's the day we all celebrate our Holy Day's. All of us. For dinner we all help cook we make a grand meal together. Theres foods from different cultures one of the last Saturdays me and my friend were put on dessert duty. We made the best Kristicky and moose cake you've ever had. The site was alive with dancing and everything. Saturday was our party day. I'm sorry I missed Chirstmas. I know it was my turn to host but I just can't get home in time to clean and cook and make everything perfect. My room in the apartment is filled to the brim with pottery, tablets and equipment and books. You cant forget about all the books that I have. Our reports are getting published eventually. I'll send you a copy once they come out. Thanks to that digital camera that you got me a few years back the reports will have pictures and captions. This one will be the best one yet. I'll be home for Easter. Why don't I give a go at hosting it? But I should double check with the roommates. By January 15 I should be home. Feel free to write.
Needing a vacation,
Jenn
P.S. @---8---- Have a rose.
December 29
Mac, Your lifes always been boring. Now you just have a reason to be that way. I know tests and quizzes aren't fun to make but its in our job description. Happy New Year. Now on to the bigger topic. I don't think Jenn really knows why she hasn't settled down. She's always been on the move. She uses too much energy in things that don't really matter. For crying out loud I haven't seen the girl in two years and she's my baby sister! We need to talk to her about this. She can't go on like this. I know we can't force her to settle down but we should at least talk to her about this. She needs to know we care. Give me a call later. I'm enjoying my winter brake too much. Oh I started reading this AMAZING book. You have to go get Angels and Demons. It's the greatest. Susan
December 29
Mac,
Thanks for understanding the phone call on Christmas. I wrote to Susan yesterday and I decided in my brake today to write to you. First off, I'm doing good and I'll be in the apartment by January 15. So I'll be expecting to hear from you when I get home. I'm thinking of hosting Easter to make up for missing Christmas dinner. My boss had the team writing our reports. We all wanted just to go home and have a day with our real families. Although I'm kinda happy I got to spend Christmas with my dig family. I'll be in the states by the tenth. Their sending me somewhere to present the findings to the archeology world. I think its in Princeton. Once I find out maybe you can meet me there with one of those history classes of yours. Or I can always come out to where your teaching. I cant wait to see you. Brake times almost over. Gonna go get something to drink before I have to start working again.
<3 Jenn
P.S. @---8---- here's a rose.
January 2
Jenn, I know your not home yet but I need to tell you this. Your profession is killing you. Susan and I talked this out and we agree that being on the go is costing you so many great things in life. Sure you get to travel and see things that most of us could only dream of seeing. But have you even had time to stop and smell the roses? I'm not sure if you've even had a boyfriend since Justin and he when you were in college for the first time. Maybe you should stick with teaching somewhere. High School's fun to teach. I'm back at the one that the three of us went to back in the day. Try to settle down. Why am I even try to talk you out of doing something you really love. Your just like Susan and me, you stubborn bitch you. Ha. You've always been like that and I know I can't change how you are but maybe you should consider taking a year or two off. Take a vacation to someplace normal like Florida or California or maybe you can go backpack across Europe. You even said you wanted to do that again. I wish I could take a good long vacation. Damn teacher salary. Mac
Any Comments About the story? Email Me home