Sunday,
2/2/41
Dear Mom,
Thanks a million for the birthday gift - you really shouldn't have bothered - don't forget I'm supposed to be on the governments' payroll too! I've been on duty watch for the past week so haven't left the station - however its over tomorrow & I'm going to try & see if I can't look up those friends of "Mom" C.s. We finished our midterm exams yesterday - the results of which will decide whether we stay on or not. They were a little tougher than we expected but I didn't have a great deal of trouble with them.
A new bunch of observers are coming to the school tomorrow so I guess we'll get a weekend pass next week. If so I think I'll run down to Brandon & see if I can locate Herb Ashford - I think that is where he is now but I'm not certain. Our work takes us a radius of 300 miles north east west & south of here on mock bombing and reconnaissance raids. They tell us the weather to be expected & the job to be done & by various mathematical methods we have to figure the wind direction & speed, the ground speed & airspeed of the air craft which vary with the temperature & air pressure & weight of the ship; we have to give the pilot one of several courses to fly & correct him when he veers off & on top of all that we have to estimate our time of arrival to within one minute. Most of the pilots are former bush pilots who flew by the seat of their pants & can't understand how come our calculations are so accurate - neither can I after all the boners we pull. We start night flying in a week or so & from what I hear that is supposed to be a humdinger of an exercise.
I'm sorry to hear that you can't find a satisfactory house - that place on the corner of 45th & Collingwood sounded like a pretty good thing at first. It seems as the Vancouver taxes are juts about the same as taxes anywhere else. If you are going to build I think it would be a good idea to hop right down to a bank & apply for one of those National Housing Loans. To all appearances they are quite likely to be curtailed for war reasons & there certainly won't be anything lost by applying for it soon. However you may not even be interested in them - I really don't know what the set up is in any case. Best of luck anyways - & watch your step if you do build.
I'm glad you liked the pictures - "Mom" C. says she thinks the one you chose was much the nicer - for my part one is as bad as the other. I've still got a fist full of photo coupons for the same studio & I may drop ina gain if I get around to it sometime. Eric wrote me the nicest little letter I've seen for some time, well written & good spelling - providing he did it by himself. You ought to get him to write Mary & Blanche & if you get time you should try & drop them a line yourself.
I see the fellows rushing by the window for the mess hall - turkey dinner on Sundays, so I guess I"d better hurry if I want a hot meal. Boy - what wouldn't I give to be home for Sunday dinner right now.
I don't want you to work so hard around the house - it isn't worth it. You looked a little tired while I was home so take good care of yourself & take things easy.
Loads of love
Newton
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