February 5, 1944

February 5, 1944

949 W. 12th St

San Pedro, Calif

Dear father and mother and the folks at home,

Today has been a very nice day in Calif — positively balmy. It reminded me very much of a Saturday afternoon in spring at school, when nobody wanted to do anything but loaf. That is the part that impressed me most today — I did not feel like doing anything. It rained some in the middle of this week so the air is sort of fresh-smelling like it is in spring in Iowa and that lent color to the illusion that this was just a nice spring day.

My work is getting along so-so. It is more interesting and congenial than what I was doing previously but I can’t become enthusiastic over it. The trouble is probably not with the work but more in the fact that I was never meant to be a chemist. The new man who will be in charge of the laboratory arrived today. He is an older man, about forty, I believe. He is nice to talk to, but even from the first impression I guess that he doesn’t have too much on the ball. Usually new people impress me at first as perhaps having a reasonable store of knowledge but he does not.

Tuesday night of this week there was Luther League which I attended. It was held at the home of the president. It was sort of a messy meeting I thought.

Wednesday night I went to see a show, a double feature. One-half of it was a Sherlock Holmes picture which I enjoyed very much. This one did not have anything about the war in it, and for that reason was better than the ordinary run. I think that Basil Rathbone makes a very convincing Sherlock Holmes. By the way, you don’t suppose it would be possible to send me my Sherlock Holmes book sometime, do you?

I was very happy to hear that Vivian got such a good job. I surely hope that she will enjoy her work there. I knew that she was almost finished with her school work, but I didn’t realize that its end was approaching as fast as it was. Is she going to have her graduation in June or is it just taken for granted that when she is thru now, that her college days are over? I would like to know because I have been making a graduation present for her, but unless her graduation is delayed until June, I will be unable to finish it. The work on it proceeds much more slowly than I had hoped it would.

Sunday morning:

I got sleepy after writing that much so I went to bed. Today is going to be another very nice day. This afternoon I think I shall go for a walk along the waterfront.

This is the last fay that Rev. Youngdahl from Minneapolis is at Banning Homes. I hope that the man that is chosen to follow him can continue the work he has done there. He has certainly done things with what was considered a rather unprofitable field before.

I have not received my draft classification from the draft board yet. It should be arriving any day now though. One of the fellows who came here about a month ago has just received his 1-A classification and the notice to appear for his physical examination. It seems strange to me that he was allowed to finish school and then taken into the army, altho of course he isn’t there yet.

Thank you very much for the letters I have received this week, three in all, which is above the usual quota. I surely appreciate getting and reading them.

With love

C.P.