Sept. 2, 1945
Sept. 2, 1945
Ahoy Sweetheart,
Why wait until tonight? Just fortified myself with four cups of coffee.
Jesus H. O’Toole you’re an expensive babe. Your letter came 20 hours ago and since then you’ve cost me forty-six cigarettes eleven sheets of paper and eight hours telephone waiting. The time and paper are O.K. but 46 cigarettes! Wow! Incidentally will I send you ten bucks next payday.
About the adventure in Las Cruces! It’s just a small town 64 miles south of the field. I went to a show there. (Hopalong Mcgillicuddy or sumthin) sight saw?? And had a hamburger. Hitchhiking back I caught a ride with a truck. There is only one sign of civilization between Alamogordo and Las Cruces. We broke down there. It was a town ( I guess). A combination gas station and bar, grocery store and two houses. Two buildings on each side of the road. When we pulled in there I happened to see a sign in front of the gas station. You are now in “Organ” NM. Elevation 5000 ft. Population 12. I’ll bet Margie will get a kick out of that. T’aint everybody who has towns named after them.
I’m really glad you sent that letter. At least you’re not going to sit back and take all the stuff I feel like handing out. Good for you! If needs be , slap my ears back.
Look honey, figuring and planning (away from you) is my favorite pastime. I do it continually. You were right. You weren’t figured in those plans much except that you’d be around. BUT - those plans aren’t real. Ya know, I can sit down and dream that some rich uncle kicked off and left 77 million dollars. Could spend all day just planning on how to spend that money. Also dream that I’m a big executive. Planned out completely. Also a Hollywood writer. Also a prospector, also a vacuum cleaner salesman. Also millions of things. Each one is planned out to the most minute detail. That’s some of the far fetched things. The same thing goes with you and me. I find you an old copy of Better Homes and Gardens. Our house is picked out. The furnishings. The grounds. Where it is. Who’s coming for dinner. What kind of drinks we’ll serve. Even had us up early Sunday morning simonizing our car. I can actually live all that. So much so that I hate to be brought back to realization.
Okey Doke! Unless I get discharged from the Army soon we’ll be able to do some of the things we want as soon as I do get out. I haven’t the slightest idea how long we’ll take, where we’ll go or how much it’ll cost each day. I really don’t care. We’ll just wander around till we’re either tired of it or we’re broke. Or better yet, we’ll do what you want to do. Honey, I’ll follow you any place any time. Being with you is all that I want. Anything else is just whipped cream. You’d better believe that you woman you.
When I wrote you all that stuff, that was one dream. There have been ten different dreams since then. There will be hundreds more. Each just as detailed. For instance the first time we were going to Saskatchewan, the reason time we weren’t - too far out of the way. What way!! Was wondering if we should spend three or four days in Denver. Are we going to Denver? I don’t know, do you? Even ran out of water crossing the desert (what desert) and had to hitch hike to the gas station. We went together because I was worried about you staying in the car alone. (What car)? The fella that picked us up was nice!????
See how it is darling?
One day we were in New York and went to the Stork Club. We didn’t like it.
All this stuff is “I this” and “me this”. You’re there but you Ian’t sayin much. In a way it’s taking you for granted. Except when we were in Los Angeles. You wouldn’t go to the Burlesque show. Stubborn critter!
So far we’ve been in every city in every state in four or five countries. It makes me happy to dream these dreams. I wrote down a couple of them and sent them to you.
Darling, I love you and being with you is going to be the biggest and best dream of them all. From then on my dreams are going to be real. Until then I’ll keep on with my storybook dreams. I just better leave them in my head though.
Maybe this straightens everything out. Maybe it makes it worse. You had every right to be mad and worse at what I wrote if you took it serious. It probably sounded like you were supposed to jump when I snapped my fingers. I’d rather have you pitching rolling pins at me then have you be a weak sister. Ye Gods, if you turn out tome that way, we’d never be happy.
I’m not asking you to see things my way. If you think I’m all wet say so. I probably am wrong. But until we’re together I’m going to grasp onto any little thing that has you in it. So there!
So you’ve got another letter full of stuff and things. All one sided - my way. They’ll all turn out differently. Either the way we want them to turn out or the way they were meant to turn out. Our 50th anniversary will probably be a lot different than I planned it. Your father may not have to stay with me for a week because he slugged Adeline. Mom and Myles may not own a grocery store??? The continental bank may not be run by Bill alone. Harry may not slip on a banana peel. Someday you may tell me that joke!!! Queen Save?
So help me, I’ll shoot paper wads at your grandfather if you call me childish again!! So I’m feeble minded - O.K. so my mentality is equivalent to a two year old - O.K. I’m a moron - O.K. Think anything you want to and call me so and so’s six times a day. Ok just so it’s you that’s doing it for the next 72 and 97/99 years.
I love you, I love you,I love you,I love you,I love you,I love you,I love you,I love you,I love you,I love you,I love you,
Ray
P.S. You’re nice, pretty too.
There’s just one other slight thing. I may never say much about your happiness or how I can make you feel. Please don’t even think that it doesn’t occur to me. Sometimes it worries me silly. Words won’t do any good this time. We’ll both know when the time comes.
Always
Ray