Saturday February 25, 2012

Everyone slept in until the alarm went off at 0626. GR got about 1" of snow overnight. We all headed outside to shovel. Nancy headed to the MAC and after I finished I walked to Bill's for their pancake and egg special. On my walk home I stopped at the Vet's to see if I could purchase some anti-inflammatory medicine for Ms P. The Vet was not in but the nurse said she would call when she talked to the Vet.

When I got home I headed upstairs to check email. I got a call from the Vet's saying we could pick up the medicine. I got in the C2 and headed to the Vet's. Did you know dog medicine is more expensive than people medicine? I next stopped at the Gander Mountain store. Gander Mountain is a hunting and fishing store. I looked around and did not see any thing I wanted. I was surprised when I walked by the handgun area how many women were buying handguns. I don't know why anyone would want a handgun. They are not very accurate. If I want home protection I would think a shotgun would be best. It is hard to miss with a shotgun.

I kept dozing off while reading the e-edition of the GRP so I took a short nap. This evening Nancy and I had dinner at Olga's Kitchen. Not much on TV so I thought I would grab some letters I wrote to my mother in 1961 and 1962.

On George Washington's birthday in 1961 I did not have to work because it was a Federal holiday. I was working for the Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit. I was writing the letter while sitting in my $45 a month studio apartment waiting for my frozen tamales to cook. On this day off I walked to downtown Detroit and intended to go to the library but it was closed. I wrote Mom that my typical work day started with a 30 minute walk to work in downtown Detroit. We were working a lot of overtime because President Kennedy wanted to get a lot of construction projects underway to stimulate the economy. I would walk home and cook a TV dinner and read the DFP. I did not have a TV so I would listen to the radio. I was saving up money so I could buy a car. I was making $510 per month and would get paid overtime.

Nearly one year later I was on Midway Island. I was an Ensign in the US Navy and making $220.30 per month with no overtime. On February 18, 1962 I wrote my mother and told her that the rainy season on Midway was over. The temperature was in the 70s and the island was covered with newly hatched Gooney birds. In an earlier letter I wrote that we got the Asian editions of Time, Life and Newsweek. No daily newspapers. The food was good and we had a movie theater that had current releases. I also said that after 8 months in the Navy I decided that I would not make it a career. I was frustrated by the senior officers that wanted to build a golf driving range when we had a crying need for new barracks and recreational facilities for the troops. Stay tuned.