November 2, 1944

Dear Mom

Thanks a lot for the pictures I'll get these back to you eventually. I can't remember having seen them before. That one at the Chem picnic looks completely candid. It also shows that I've matured considerably in three years. Perhaps I should add Thank God!

I'm awfully sorry to hear that you haven't been feeling well lately hope you're well now. I have a hunch that you work too hard you really should take a rest once in a while.

I had a physical fitness test today. I managed to pull off 20 chip ups, which is my record so far. The only thing I'm relatively week on is running do you remember that I was even fast enough to be on the track team at POLY? Surprising degenerative although the only reason I could run was their [sic] was as a means of escaping fights and other physical contacts. Now I avoid then by using my tongue a much lazier method.

Tomorrow I will have been in the army one whole God-damned year. It's too bad I don't have enough money to go out and celebrate by getting drunk. It would be the only fitting celebration.

Christmas is just around the corner so I'd better start relating my desires. Besides a discharge, a car, a boat, a home, a wife, and an income of $10,000 a year there isn't much that I need. I did succeed in thinking of a few things, though. How about having an engraving plate with Linus Pauling Jr on it made and a ream or so of stationary run off? You could send batches of it to me at intervals. Also the plate would be a permanent investment. I leave the choice of type up to you and Dad I think it should be small and masculine . Not too small, though I don't want this writing to drown out the little L.P. Jr.

The other things are a subscription to Time and Look and money, in that order of importance. I'm really looking forward , by the way, to tastes of your Christmas cooking.

You might give me some suggestions for the family I'm rather at a disadvantage. I don't like just wandering into a store and buying anything it's too impersonal.

Did you try Pierres' crepe suzettes they are what he's noted for. I'll bet Dad enjoyed his steak. I haven't had a really good one since Texas.

Give my kind regards to the family and everyone. I hope, by the way, that the family takes my letters to you as being in part to them too. Especially Dad since I succeed writing him almost once a year.

All my love,

Linus

P.S. Does J. Rooke still work for Dad? How has being married changed V. Shoemaker? Probably disillusioned, since it's J.Rooke!