9/7/44 Corsica 11 P.M.
Hi Honey:
What a war. But as Kris, one of the majors here in radar would say, it is the best one we have, so we’d better be content with it.
My schedule (pronounced shedhule by the British) is really screwed up today. I went to a party last night. Although I only had one drink of gin and juice and three of coffee, the rest of the gang weren’t quite so fortunate. So by the time I got everybody home and all set, I got 15 minutes sleep before breakfast. I put in the morning at the office and put in the afternoon in the flea sack. Now I’m not sleepy.
I came up here after supper and have spent about 2 hours working on my Everitt. Honey, I am really rusty. But the old brain is just as good as it ever was, and with effort I can dooed it.
Tom Logan, one of the finer people over here, who used to work for Automatic Electric in Chi is an EE, came in for about an hour’s boreass. We had quite an interesting discussion on how screwed up the gov’t is.
The boss, Old Dud Hale hisself, just walked in. He seemed more than impressed with the technical nature of the problem I was working on. Little things like that don’t hurt. He stated in the mess a couple of days ago (Tom gave me the dope) that he was more than satisfied with my work. That I didn’t piddle with things that weren’t mine and that I didn’t ask any questions, just got the poop, seemed to be the big points. I shall remember that and produce more of same. He is a screwball, but in spite of what a lot of lesser satellites say, he carries a terrific load. The communications end is always misunderstood, and I should not be too happy having his job, keeping a bunch of generals happy with the amount of men and equipment we have available. It is continual compromise.
After last night, I’ve about decided to give up all social life. The Corsican is a peculiar animal indeed. They are to France as the Sicilian is to Northern Italy. Some of the officers have gotten all hepped up about some of the civilians, but I wouldn’t normally be caught at a dog fight with any of them. They are about an equivalent class to a good solid constable in a town of 300 pop.
Just to show how remote the war is, blackout has been out for months, even within a few miles of the front. We are getting four bottles of American beer per week, and you can walk into the PX and buy almost anything you could sensibly need.
Winter is just around the corner, and it is quite chilly. I have had on a jacket most of the day, which is rare for me. I hate to think of another winter in canvas, but I am in better physical shape than I have been for a couple of years, so it shouldn’t be too bad this time. This lack of work has at least given me a chance to do a little swimming, and mental strain has been nil. I think this studying I have been doing has done more to make me quit worrying than any rest camp could. There is something sort of solid and stable about the old engineering problems. They are changeless.
Well, snooks, I’m not sleepy, but I guess I’d better try to get some sleep. I love you more with each passing day. Cy
P.S. Please send Burrington’s Mathematical Tables