This State Sucks

This is a letter sent to me by the fellow I often refer to as 'Turtle Nose'. You'd never guess that our friendship hung on the idea that I be willing to let him call me Rick. Some have argued that it should not have been so important to me. I would argue that it should not have been so important to him. 

Just a Short Letter

I found this letter in a pile of paperwork I had in a box and felt the need to publish it so the world could see. This fellow was my closest friend for eighteen years before returning from the army and making my life hell until I couldn't stand him any longer. Even in this letter he refers to me as "Rick" refusing to get my name right.

He evidently told his mother that we were no longer friends, because I wouldn't let him call me Rick. That's a good enough reason for me. 

Dish Army

12^th October 2014

Dear Cassi,

As it always does it started with a dirty sink. That’s how I let my few days off slip by like they never were. Saturday morning when I came home the sink was full of dishes, and they spilled out onto the counter and across the room.

       

I hadn’t the strength to tackle them coming from an eight hour shift of work, having suffered a write-up, and finally capping my day with two hours of cardio at the gym. With this as my backdrop I slept as well as any who sleep during the day and found myself waking often.

       

It was possible at the six or seventh of these wakings that I emptied my bladder and found Pickle awake. It was just past one in the morning and he was in his night garb but wondered if I would cook and so I took that time to rise. I made quinoa and sausages red sauce sandwiches then set onto the task of the dishes. 

       

I cleared the counter and empted the sink on to the old abused white tiles. The dishes I placed in rows like military ranks guarding the gates of the life I wish to be my own.

       

Before engaging this formation of grime armored dishware I set to the stinky towels I’d been soaking over night. I found that the smell of cat urine can only be truly removed by ammonia. The water once blue from this had turned brown and the smell of urine stayed as the towels left.

       

This was the nature of my day of drudgery. I would battle the ranks of the dishes, do laundry, and in the mess of this sleep and draw. I was hampered by a glaze in my left eye that told me how hard my kidneys were working after that workout.

       

Now it’s Sunday night at eight and the weekend is nearly gone. I’ve spent it all working, well, next week I promise myself time to relax, and I know I’ll break that promise.

Stay on top of things, little sister,

Richard Leland Neal

Security Blues

If there is one thing I need to get out of my “to be posted” box it’s the letters sent to Iraq.

That was a dark time in my life and I said so many idiotic things. Well, laugh at me why don’t you?

13^th July, 2007

Dear (soldier on deployment in Iraq),

I got your letter today, and I can’t tell you how much I regret not joining the army as a young man, and I can’t tell you how much I want to get done with school now. I hate everything about college at this point, but I want my degree and to move on with my life. (My evil sister) and his wife are now trying to do things with (my brother), meaning that they intend to do something about the Richard problem.

No typo here. My sister is very manly, and it has always been an inside joke that my brother-in-law is the wife of that marriage.

The same way the military should be moving is how I should be living my life. Move fast, hit hard, and get your ass out of there before they get a sight on you. That’s not how it’s happening I know, but if everyone wants to go killing each other in Iraq who are we to go stopping them? That’s the attitude I have to take with my family. Let them tare each other apart and get my ass out of here.

The plan at this point is to stage a few daring raids while building up a large force and then, when the moment is right, everything will charge. The night must become day and the day night. They will not know how to respond and be defeated. That is why I work on plays now, so that I will have a better chance of getting out of this shit faster.

As for your father, honestly, direct conflict is not the best action. If it were me in your shoes I would ask why he didn’t love me anymore. Seriously, why get angry and have him say, “That woman turned my son against me,” when you can make him feel like a shit? If you said “I don’t call you, because I don’t want to hear you tell me I’m as screw-up” or something of the nature it will change the way he looks at this.

You could also tell the truth, and say that (your wife) is helping you get your life back in order, which she is, and that he is standing in the way of that. In the end you could always say: “I thought you wanted me to be happy “. That would do the job.

Not that this is anything new with your family. They never understood how we could be such good friends. It’s like we are old army buddies, and I have never been in the army. In the end we must remember that life goes on no matter what may happen in the lives of men like us.   

In other news you would not believe what happen at work. One of the most junior officers got pissed off because he thought that I wasn’t doing enough work and started screaming at me. I told the company that he should be suspended because it’s obvious that I do the most work and that he is just lazy. They confirmed that I do the most work but refused to do anything about (the guard)'s actions. The next day at work one of the guards called me “wonder bread” it loud enough for me to hear. I promptly called (my supervisor) and left a voicemail about what happened, and now the other guards aren’t allowed to talk to me at all.

I was assigned to one of the out bound lanes, and I worked entirely alone. Only thing is that it’s less work for me to work one lane alone than to help other guards with two. I get more reading done now, and I’m far happier working this way.

I have no faith in the company’s ability to end this problem but my goal is not to find a comfortable place in security but to get out of security and move on to something better. That is why this is a change for the better. I’m unimpeded by the actions of the other officers.

Stay well my friend,

Richard Leland Neal

Letter to a Soldier's Family

This is a letter to the family and friends, sent by email, of a soldier who was stationed in Iraq back in 2007. It’s a funny thing how that friendship ended.

I imagine this is a less than thrilling post, but I’m trying to post three letters a week here and I’m lucky if I get to writing one.

 

30^th May 2007

 

Dear everyone,

(The soldier) called me yesterday to let me know that he is getting my mail, and that he is not writing me back because he is working very hard and has little time for anything personal. I’ve told him more than once now that he should be calling (his wife) or his family, but it was good to hear from him.

He said that he had an important job, and that he is doing good things. He told me that it was all a good experience for him, but the better parts did not out way the bad, and that he longed to come back to us. He didn’t say more because he had very little time and just came off a twelve hour shift.

(His father, his mother,) your boy has turned into a responsible man, and I hope that you are all as proud of him as I am. 

Best wishes to you all,

Richard

Letter to a Soldier Stationed in Iraq

Well, here is a nuts and bolts account of my life back in 2007. Still, it’s not a letter to Cassi, but for the majority of May I’ll be looking up old files and posting them as I find them. As is plain, I do a good amount of editing these things. I have to admit, you’d never guess that the man I wrote this to was an abusive and insensitive husband, and later, nearly as bad of a friend.

21^st of May 2007

Dear (soldier I know),

It’s been a little over a week from the last time I wrote you. There haven’t been any earth-shaking changes over here, but then are there ever? My boss told me that I couldn’t take the refrigerator from my last post to my new post so I set it up in my bedroom by the TV. Mostly I just keep the drinks I take to work in it, but it’s useful in that regard. I plugged the cable box back in and generally rearranged my entertainment center. That basically means that I can dry my boots on the cable box again, but at least I get dry boots out of the deal instead of crap gathering dust.

My computer was overheating every time I played Command & Conquer three, so I put a fan on it blowing air across the front vents. It cleared that up completely. The eventual plan is to have a three fan air system, one across the face, one behind the computer blowing air up and away from the computer, and one blowing air across the monitor’s vents. This should keep the computer room temperature.       

I’m settling into my new post nicely. It sucks and that is never going to change, but I have begun going to the gym after work. The first time I messed myself up reasonably. It felt like someone had put led in my legs for three days afterwords. Then I drank one of those (energy drinks), the orange one, and I felt better in less than an hour. I don’t know what it is they put in those things that gave me those results, but I can tell you I’ll be getting more of them. They come in three flavors and keep me going something fierce, especially on those hard days at the start of my week. We both know going to the gym will never do much for me, but at least I try.

Anyway, (Your wife) told me that you only get one day off every two weeks, and what happened to your laptop has to suck for communication. I never got the whole story on that, fool, so you better tell me about it sometime.

It came to me that if I want to communicate we should do it the old way so I’m printing you out some envelopes and such and sending some stamps. I’m going to print ten envelopes with my address on them all ready for you and send ten more with nothing on them. I’m going to include a sheet of stamps and a copy of my latest one act. Use your head: write me letters on the back of the pages. A standard stamp can accommodate two ounces. I don’t know how many sheets that is, but it’s not bad. Not to mention I’m swimming in envelopes that I bought when the bloetoezzor was still in school.

I think you should spend the majority of your internet time with your wife, she needs you more, and your family so they don’t say your wife stole you from them. I think they felt the same way about me for some time there you know.

I also figured that you would have time to write letters more often than an e-mail, and this way it won’t cost you anything. Let’s face it, old friend, if we need to keep in touch that this is the best way.

The (Family and friends) might want to hear from you so I’ll bring your letters over to them. It will give me and excuse to say hello every now and again.

If you need to show me a larger file or need to back something up I’ll send you a USB drive. I have four of them and can afford to lose one, and I think they are light enough for standard postage.  

Anyway, man, let me know if there is anything I can do for you to make life easier.

Your friend,

Richard Leland Neal