1969 Catherine's Letter -Feb.10

Monday, February 10, 1969

Dear Mother, Dad, Roberta, Serena, John and Mary,

Hi!  It was nice talking to you all the other night and then I did get the letter the next day.  I'm really excited about Career-Service.  Which reminds me, how would it be if you met me in Chicago that weekend the 21.  Gerti and I want to see about getting a place to stay and Bob has to find a place plus check with the University of Chicago about his German course.  The problem arises though that unless Woody (Gerti's friend) takes us all only Bob and I will be able to come because Bob only has room for one other person besides himself in the car.  So Bob and I can come for sure if you want to go to Chicago.  If not, you can still come here and we'll go to Chicago some other weekend. 

Gerti's parents are a little worried about us finding a place to stay.  They'd rather we paid more and got a 'safer' place.  I've got about $300 in the bank up here so I guess I could swing it.  We make $208 a month which certainly is no magnificent sum.  One nice thing is that we're furnished with uniforms to I won't have to worry about clothes.  Her mother suggested we check at the Windermere and the Del Prado.  There was a guy from K who worked at the museum two years ago but his report only says that he lived in a "gray-haired" hotel near the Museum.

Yesterday we decided Spring was officially here.  We went for a bike ride then got his car washed and put the top down.  It was a really lovely day but today the temperature has dropped about 30º, the sky is gray again and the wind is blowing.  It was a short Spring.  Hopefully it will come back soon.

I'm doing reasonably well – average, I guess – in all my classes, I'm having a a good time, I don't have any serious problems, or even minor ones that I can think of.  On the whole I'm extremely happy and obviously abnormal.  That is one thing that kind of bothers me.  Almost everyone else seems to have so many problems, I wonder what I did to deserve not having any.  Greg (who you may remember from previous quarters) didn't get a job for Career Service, the employer fizzled out at the last minute and there weren't any others he was interested in, he also can't go where he wanted to for Foreign Study because his grade-point isn't high enough so he is going to Miami U (Ohio) in the spring and if he likes it he's staying there. 

Joe F (Dad, you might remember meeting his parents at the banquet last Spring) decided last week that his chemistry and German courses weren't getting him anywhere as he's interested in film and TV so he went home yesterday.  He's coming back next quarter to finish up his sophomore year and then he's transferring out.  Gina is dropping her major course because she's getting D's in all her courses and she will have lost the whole quarter if she doesn't do better in something.  Carole is really swamped with her four courses (I can't see taking four courses to begin with) but she can't decide which one to drop so she is continually getting further behind in them all.  Rich's (who transferred out last year and then came back this year) parents are getting divorced which upsets him even more than the fact that he didn't think either one of them loved him anyway.

We have to declare majors by next week so I'm declaring history.  That probably won't be permanent but for the rest of this quarter it will satisfy the school.  I'm still really uncoordinated in modern dance class but it's fun and I enjoy it even if I never will become a great dancer.

I got two skirts dry-cleaned last week.  I also gave a pint of blood to the Red Cross.  I used the permission slip you sent me for K's blood drive.

Write soon and let me know about Chicago.  Does your coming the 21 mean that I shouldn't expect you to come and get me the end of the quarter?  Let me know so if necessary I can send a bunch of stuff home with you this time.

Love,
Catherine

PS
How soon do you need the copy of my dividends?  I guess I can send them now, I've got them all here.  The way I figure I've got $230.52 in dividends, $112.38 in interest, and $639.59 in wages.  And I'll get $34.60 back.  After deducting the $100 from the dividends it comes to a total of $882.49 – at least it's under $900.  I hope you don't have any more forms to send me, as I've sent in the form.

We start work March 31 and work for 11 weeks.  My last exam is about March 20.

I'll also get $3.28 back from state taxes.