january 27th
M-
As unnerving as the first week was I am feeling very settled here. I am renting a room from a last in the southeast and I found a job although I am sure to quit soon. The work is not terribly difficult but my job is to walk around neighborhoods, knocking on people's doors and asking them for their signature and 35 dollars to pass a proposal to expand a recycling bill. None of it has been too disagreeable except meeting a 90 dollar quota off the public's generosity. But I should be able to keep at it until I find a more agreeable job.

Coffee shops are inescapable here. and although several of them aren't as alternative/retro 50-80's poly-pop culture oriented as some, these unfortunately are terribly crowded. From what I ear it is due to an article published in the paper.

Slightly discouraging are the high bus fare and the fact that my car sits 33 blocks from my house unable to start but since my hob and grocery stores are close to my house the need to fix it is not urgent. I am writing this from one of the crowded coffee shops so I will continue this when the atmosphere is more settling.

February 2 1996 I have not written for a few days because nothing interesting has happened. I lost my job at OSPIRG (environmental job) after not meeting the $90 daily quota after four days and have been spending most of my time looking for a job and the rest with a friend named L that I met at OSPIRG who suffered the same fate. I have not seen very much of N but I was able to fix my car and I plan on visiting her tomorrow.

The weather here has not been too unpleasant although the news doesn't seem to agree. After one day of high winds and the temperature being in the twenties the past week, to listen to the radio or tv you would think Christ had returned to punish the sinners -

I tried to record a radio program about immortality to send to you but the host obviously did not believe in or care about the subject. Someone called in to say that he did not experience time linearly and was about ti discuss what man could expect in the next decade or two (which was beginning to sound like what I had read in Cosmic Trigger) when the host told him, without explanation, that the caller was mortal so how could he possibly know, then cut him off the air. I'll never trust Am radio again.

Writing is coming slowly, but more than it was before. Let me try again. I am writing more than I had been before.

Pittsburg is as stagnant as ever from what I hear. I do miss some people, not as many as I thought I might, which makes me think that pretending was part of my turmoil but although a few days have been difficult I do feel quite at ease.

I am hoping to get my own hone line but until then my number is (503) 236-3238

I feel that as soon as I find a job will be truly infatuated with this city. Already it seems familiar but still? Fascinating and I hope you are doing at least as well. Through your letters you kept me motivated more than anything else did.

Should you call between Sunday and Thursday try to call before 9:30 (bizarre rule) which I suppose is actually 11:30 in Kansas.

Hopefully I'll have a job the next time I write. Wish me luck. Love E