Monday, November 4, 1946

Nov 4, 1946

664 W 13th

San Pedro, Calif

Dear Father, Mother and the rest of the folks at home,

I didn’t get the usual Sunday letter written last night so I’ll get off a few lines before I leave for work this morning. It is clear and cold this morning — much like yesterday but it will probably warm up, also like yesterday. I heard on the radio last night that frost warnings for the L.A. area were going to be broadcast so it must have been expected to be cold anyway. Saturday was really a miserable day. It blew hard all day from inland bringing with it clouds of dust so that the sun scarcely shone at all. By evening it had quieted down some and cleared up.

Well, not much has happened since I wrote you last. Friday was a usual working day. In the evening I practiced for awhile but didn’t feel like doing much. Saturday I got up at the usual time, went down to church and practiced for awhile, went down town, had breakfast, got some clothes at the cleaners, went to the bank & performed various miscellaneous errands. In the afternoon I had a music lesson & in the evening my music teacher asked me up with some other pupils to hear some Beethoven records she had just got. Afterwards a discussion on world problems developed & I didn’t get home till about one o’clock.

As a consequence I was rather listless yesterday. I woke up about 7 and couldn’t go back to sleep so I got up & read till church-time. After breakfast & church I practiced till about 4:45 went home & listened to Fred Allen, had supper & went to bed. I sure felt like I needed it; I guess I can’t stand the pace like Marold can. In a vacant lot nearby the Boys’ Club of San Pedro was holding some kind of a moneymaking scheme with a couple of loudspeakers blaring out music & talking but it didn’t prevent me from going to sleep immediately.

This is all the new for now so I’ll stop.

With love

C.P.

Sunday, October 27, 1946

October 27, 1946

664 W 13th

San Pedro, Calif

Dear Father, Mother, and the rest of the folks at home,

This has certainly been the rainiest fall I have experienced in Calif. Most years it didn’t even rain at all until November or December and this year it has had one previous rainy spell & now another one has come along. Last night I woke up to hear that it was raining, but it has held off today; now however (about 5 o’clock) it is starting to sprinkle a little. I guess it maybe the aftermath of the warm weather we had last Thursday when the temperature got up to 96°F in downtown L.A. Friday was warm not anything like that. Yesterday afternoon about 2 o’clock a solid bank of clouds started rolling in from the sea — it certainly look[ed] spectacular, just like a curtain being pulled across the sky.

Friday night I went to a show after I had practiced awhile on the piano. It was certainly a stinko double-feature but I didn’t feel like doing anything else so sat thru most of it. I didn’t get to bed till 11:30 which is way past my usual bedtime. I woke up about 6:30 Saturday morning tho, went down to church & practiced till about 9:00, took some clothes to the cleaners, had breakfast, went to the bank, did some incidental shopping and ordered a couple of lettering pens at the Floyd Stationery Store. At one I had music lesson and then went down town for some lunch, went to the library & read Time & took out a book on, you guessed it, philosophy and came back to my room and read till about seven. I took a hot shower and went to bed and got in a good 11 hours of sleep. I woke up at 4 for a few minutes but I just turned over and it was 7 before I woke up again.

This morning the S.S. had a missionary program so the lesson period was shorter as a consequence. My class is a lesson behind where they should be, so I tried to hurry them thru the one for today even if the time was short, in order not to get farther behind. I have looked thru the quarterlies we have — they are the Christian Growth Series, evidently approved by the Augustana Synod since J. Vincent Nordgren is one of the editors of the series. My series covers the New Testament and I certainly feel like a dope teaching it because it is, on the basis of the reading I have done about the New Testament, certainly inaccurate not to say deliberately untrue in some of the statements in makes. I have incidentally checked on the authority of my stand and find that the book where I got my new conception of the New Testament — “Christian Beginnings” by Enslin is regarded as o.k. by the Augustana Synod & is used in classes there, so I am sure I am right and the quarterlies are in error. But I do wish that preachers and writers would stop dallying with truth the way they do and not hesitate to say what is so, even if it punctures some favorite traditions. This morning Pastor Swand said, “Ye shall know the truth & the truth shall make you free” but everybody seems to be hiding from the truth as if it were anathema; but there I go again — I guess I’d better stop.

With love,

C.P.

Thursday, October 24, 1946

October 24, 1946

664 W 13th

San Pedro, Calif

Dear Father, Mother, and the rest of the folks at home,

Whew! Today has been a very warm day altho it certainly did not start out that way. This morning it was very foggy — you could scarcely see across the road — and it seemed very cold. Perhaps it was just the high humidity that made it seem cold but certainly found myself wishing for an extra sweater as I stood waiting for my ride this morning. It was rather slow driving because of the fog but we got to work not much later than usual. The guy I ride with is a very good driver for which I am thankful. On the other hand he doesn’t poke along if he can help it. It has really been a saving in time to ride with him.

Life has continued about as usual. I am back in the laboratory again as of noon today. It felt sort of good to be messing around setting up equipment again. I have some interesting experiments ahead of me if they turn out as I think they should. Altho price controls have been lifted I have noticed no changes yet, at least in restaurant & food prices. I don’t think they will change much & if they do will soon return to their previous levels. I suppose that the meat situation has changed at home so that you can get some. Has any word been received about the furnace yet? (that is, about getting the broken piece replacement).

I have been reading another book on philosophy which I got at the library. I think that in the not too distant future I will start buying some of the original philosophical works to add to my library. They no doubt will be harder reading than commentaries but will probably be more thought-provoking.

Li’l Abner is really turning into a sequence of top interest. Sadie Hawkins Day is coming up in about two weeks (when Dogpatch gals chase the unfortunate Dogpatch bachelors to see if they can snare themselves a husband) and there is indeed a fearsome lineup this year. First of all there is the “Wolf-gal” who is out to catch somebody so she can give her wolves something to eat. Then there is “Lena the Hyena”  from Lower Slobbovia who is so awful-looking that everybody faints when they see her. Truly the day is one of ill omen for the poor Dogpatchers. I don’t know if you have heard about “Lena the Hyena” but there have been two articles in Time about her, so she is quite well known. Nobody has seen her to date; Al Capp has kept her out of view, thereby building up her reputation.

This is about all for now.

With love

C.P.

Sunday, October 20, 1946

October 20, 1946

664 W 13th

San Pedro, Calif

Dear Father, Mother and the rest of the folks at home,

Well, Sunday night again and another week just around the corner. Today has been a rather quiet day. When I woke up this morning I thought it was raining again since I could hear water dripping from the eaves. It wasn’t tho but it was very foggy and remained so till 8:30 or so. After church I walked home, stopping at the store to get some bread, apples & cheese for tomorrow’s lunch and then went over to the N.L.C. and practiced on the piano till about 4:30. After supper I came back to my room and listened to Fred Allen; after which I am writing this letter. There weren’t too many people in church; they probably woke up, decided it was raining and turned over & went to sleep again.

Yesterday I did the usual errands, after I had got to the bank and got a check cashed. I had managed to stretch my limited cash on hand so I even had enuf for breakfast Saturday morning, but not much beside. I took come clothes to the laundry, bought another letter file and some drawing paper and got a haircut. After my music lesson I had lunch at the Owl Drug Store — a new place I have discovered which isn’t too bad — and then went to a show. It was a technicolored film called “Canyon Passage”  and it certainly had some beautiful photography of trees, streams, mountains etc in it. Afterward I went to the library & browsed around for awhile, had a dish of ice cream at the drug store & came home & went to bed.

Aside from the foregoing I haven’t done much this weekend. I had read a little in a book of philosophy I got from the library during the week but not a great deal. I should write a letter to Vivian but I don’t feel in the mood to do so tonite. I just feel rather lazy-like and also a little tired of people and things tonite — not enough to be depressed — just enough to wonder at them and the things they do. I can sort of feel myself working up into a philosophical mood. Maybe if I go to bed early I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and lie and think about anything that chances to cross my mind. I would say that that is one of the few truly pleasureful times that occur in my existence. You can’t sleep and you aren’t under any compulsion to get up either by habit or necessity so you just abandon your mind to speculation. Somehow or other your attitude becomes more detached and you can view things more calmly & clearly.

This is all for now, I guess.

With love

C.P.

Monday, October 14, 1946

October 14, 1946

664 W 13th St

San Pedro, Calif

Dear Father, Mother and the rest of the folks at home,

Today has been a very nice day, quite warm after noon but not too much so. This morning it was cloudy till about eight and according to the forecast it will be that way tomorrow too, so the day got a slow start towards getting warm.

This weekend has been much like any other weekend; there were, however, several different things from the ordinary occurring. Friday I got a notice to report for a pre-induction physical examination. Saturday morning I spent chasing around to find out where the board was located out here, to have it transferred. They had moved over to Long Beach & consolidated with other boards; when I got there they were closed so I’ll have to see them Monday. I don’t know what they’ll so since I noticed in the newspaper that the army has called off inductions for the rest of the year. Personally I feel it’s just a waste of time both to me and them but I doubt if you could ever tell them anything.

I had a music lesson, fairly satisfactory and afterward I went to a show — “The Big Sleep.” It was a detective show and it was a picture made on the basis of Raymond Chandler’s stories. It followed the story fairly closely, and as a consequence was pretty fair; it did stray somewhat however.

Today was my first Sunday teaching my new S.S. class and it went along pretty good. I have only 2 boys in the class and they are very attentive so that it will be easy teaching them. This morning there was a baptism of a little girl, and she was christened “Mary Elizabeth.” I could help but remember that that is what you were going to call Marold, mother, had he been a girl. I guess somebody else thought it was a euphonious name also. After dinner I listened to the last of the ball game and heard the Cardinals triumph over the Red Sox to even up the World Series. It would certainly suit me to see the Cards crash them again. After that I went over to church and practiced for awhile until I got tired and quit about 4:15.

Tonite they are having an evening service at church but I don’t know if I’ll go or not; I feel more like just sitting around and loafing. However since it isn’t our spirited pastor speaking I may go.

This is all for now.

With love

C.P.

Thursday, October 10, 1946

October 10, 1946

664 W 13th St

San Pedro, Calif

Dear Father, Mother and the rest of the folks at home,

Today and yesterday have been fairly warm days — yesterday the temperature got up to 85°F and today it was supposed to get even warmer, and I believe it did. Last night from 7 to 8 there was quite a meteor shower in the northwest sky here as a result of the earth’s passing thru the path taken by comet a short time previously. Since the sky was clear it was quite easy to see the brighter meteors. However the moon was quite bright and the lights of the city made it a little more difficult to see the less bright ones. I stood and watched the sky for 10-15 minutes and it was really quite interesting. Perhaps it wasn’t visible in the middle-west but if it was I hope the night was clear so that you could view it.

As I wrote in my last letter, I spent the weekend in Los Angeles with Zene so I didn’t get around to writing the usual Sunday letter home. I enjoyed the visit more than I had anticipated altho we didn’t so much except talk etc. I got there about 4:30 in the afternoon after spending about 2¼ hours getting there. We talked and looked at his books till suppertime and after supper set out to see the Griffith planetarium but his car developed generator trouble so we turned back.

Sunday morning I went to S.S. with Mrs. Jasaitis and their two boys; she was teaching the youngest class all by herself and she asked me to come along and visit the class and help her — usually another lady comes also but she went fishing last Sunday. I didn’t do much good but I enjoyed it after a fashion. It was rather a madhouse tho. In the afternoon I watched Zene fix watches (his hobby & sparetime vocation) after he had repaired the generator on his car. Monday morning I rose back to work with him which ended the weekend.

When I went I really didn’t expect to enjoy myself but I certainly did. They have two boys as I mentioned before — Zeno and Mikal, 4 and 1½ respectively. Zeno is quite bright (he can read some already) but Mikal seems to be a much more interesting character, being more lively etc. He likes to sing and sings whenever he is enjoying himself. Neither are good looking, but they apparently have everything else except that. It was certainly fun to watch them. Zene has a quite extensive watch repairing establishment including a machine which will measure the time the time a watch gains or loses per day in a matter of thirty seconds which he demonstrated to me. I knew he did watch-repairing but I wasn’t aware that he did so much.

The rest of the week has gone on much as usual. I am now practicing regularly at the N.L.C. and it has proved quite satisfactory so far. Today I had a letter from Vivian and she seems to have plenty to keep herself occupied. This is about all for now.

With love

C.P.

Friday, October 4, 1946

Oct 4, 1946

664 W 13th

San Pedro, Calif

Dear Father, Mother and the rest of the folks at home,

Brrrr! It’s cold tonight — certainly a change from some of the warm weather we had last week. Even the newspaper says it is going to be unseasonably cool tonite and I can believe it. In addition to it’s being cool, it is quite blustery out; it almost reminds one of a wintery day back in Iowa when you want to come in and sit and toast your toes on the oven door & thumb thru a Sears Roebuck catalog or something like that. After the little shower we had last Sunday afternoon it cleared off on Monday but on Tuesday it started raining early in the morning & kept on intermittently till noon. Los Angeles & vicinity have now had about 1/2” of rain which is about 150% more than usual.

I’m tired tonite and I’ve got a little headache so I guess I’ll go to bed early and if I wake up early in the morning just lie & look at the ceiling. I had intended to write home last night as usual but I didn’t get around to it. This weekend, Zene has invited me to come up to his home in L.A. and spend it with him, so I won’t be in San Pedro Saturday afternoon & Sunday. Zene, you will recall used to be in charge of the lab here when I first came to work for Shell Development. I would just as soon have spent the usual weekend in San Pedro but I could [not] think of any good reason to decline so I accepted. I won’t be leaving till after my music lesson tomorrow.

Wednesday the draft board broke their silence and informed me for the n^th time that I was I-A. Davidson says that the case will be appealed as usual, etc etc and there is no reason to suppose it will turn out any differently than it has on previous occasions.

It is certainly too bad that the furnace at home is in such poor shape; I certainly ope that you can get it fixed so that it will serve until it can be replaced. I suppose that harvest will soon be starting back there; I heard on a farm program following the news this morning (which I listened to before setting out to work) that all but about 2% of the corn crop in Iowa was safely matured and beyond frost damage.

If I come back Sunday night I’ll write a note then; I’m not sure about Zene’s invitation — it was rather indefinite & may extend over Sunday night. If I don’t come back I think I’ll wait till later in the week to write.

With love

C.P.