Write a Letter!

Letters. Written ones. This will be a topic I will be using more often than I originally planned. I might have mentioned it, but I am organizing the family letters of several generations of Richerts. I am amazed at how often some wrote and ashamed at how little I write.

Part of my slow progress in organizing the family letters has been cause by curiosity. When I see a letter from my father to my grandfather, I want to stop and read it. It is very hard to resist reading, instead of sorting, the war years letters to and from my B-17 navigator great-uncle. The letters to my great-grandfather from my great-great- grandfather I can’t read; there in 19^th century German cursive. Going to need some technology on that one.

I am not going to suggest any correlation between frequency of correspondence to degree of affection. We all have friends and relatives whom we infrequently contact and are most precious to us. Conversely, there are people who communicate daily with us and if that communication were cut in half, it would still be too often.

 Now, there is no doubt that in the last generation methods of communication have become faster and more ephemeral. While the telephone was invented in the 19^th century (no way am I going to start a debate on its inventor) cost and network issues kept it from really impacting the use of mail until the second half of the 20^th century. We are all familiar with what email, text, and video chat have done to written correspondence. Like shopping at Walmart due to price and convenience, we are using these newer means of communication instead of letter writing.

        There are nuggets of history in the letters, but mostly insights to the family and day to day life. We’ll have more visual records of that for future generations, but I think the ability to hold, feel, and read a letter somehow convey additional import to the experience. An email just isn’t the same.

        As I admit, I certainly have been guilty of this and that is part of my shame. There was a time in my life where I let other considerations take priority and I now have a better grasp of the special ingredients that add to our life experience. A piece of paper with markings on it is certainly one of them. I will make a greater effort to write one to you. I hope you save it.

Rant:Leaf Blowers

        Today is a rant. It is a rant about leaf blowers. I do not like leaf blowers. I think they are bad. Achhh, enough. I thought by starting with simple sentences, I could control my emotions on the topic and not go into (pardon the pun) full blown rant and shrill mode. Not possible. If hell has a sound track, you won’t hear it because of the leaf blowers.

        Let’s start there, the sound make, or rather the soul-disturbing NOISE they generate. Isn’t it the epitome of irony that environments (gardens and landscaping) that are supposed to be peaceful and relaxing are maintained by devices seemingly created to elicit information form prisoners at Guantanamo Bay?

        Depending on where you live, it isn’t even a once a week distraction, but a siren call that comes at different times on different days. Apartment dwellers are often spared the multiple ear-drum piercings per week, but must suffer a lengthier torture session that is guaranteed to disrupt whatever one is attempting at the moment (late or overnight shift? Good luck at anything more than a couple hours of sleep.)

        It is a fact that the smaller engines that require a fuel-oil mixture are proportionally higher polluting than their larger cousins. Yet, we allow thousands of these smog-spewing creatures to breath in clean air and then spit out their stench. And it’s the not only crap that they produce, but embedded in their name is their function that further pollutes: blower.

        They don’t CLEAN anything. They move dirt and debris off of one property to another. Then, the next day, another will come along and blow it back onto your property. There is the rare occasion when they are actually used to blow leaves into a pile and then the pile is picked up. I challenge anyone to document that use on a large scale outside of fall, though.

        So we have something that causes noise pollution, air pollution, AND particulate pollution, but is somehow legal. You are banned from burning wood in your fireplace, but THESE things are OK? Anyplace below 4,000 feet in California is only going to have a limited period of time when they’ll actually WANT extra heat produced. In many parts of California, figure out how to live 24 hours a day in a pool and you’ll be a billionaire. But these contraptions are allowed every day, in every season, in every community.

        Just imagine how peaceful our offices and our homes would be without these machines. There are those that argue for their use due to labor and cost savings, but isn’t the improvement in our health and sanity worth a couple of bucks?

Granted, the evil of leaf blowers is a trivial issue to most of the world whose concerns are geared more towards obtaining the basic necessities of life: food, clothing, and shelter. This issue must be unfathomable those who can only imagine having the freedom to bitch about anything without the terror of a door smashing in. This really is a perfect example of a first world problem. Another reason to hate these demonic creations.

Check Yourself

     Without a doubt, this post is my most valuable one. Not in quality (surely, you've realized that by now.) Not in future worth like an early piece of a writing from Hemingway or Mark Twain (what will the blog entries of the next Faulkner be worth, anything? The computer he typed on?) But in value to you , the reader. For it could mean money, real cash.

     I am talking about the state unclaimed property database and begging you to search for yourself on it. You can search by name and city. Do it both ways as some will have a name but not a city. You can play the leprechaun, search for a friend, and then tell them about their pot of gold.

     What is this money? Perhaps a check from a deposit you were entitled to but never cashed. Settlements, refunds, something from an apartment you used to rent. Most amounts are not life changing. The vary in value from the price of a gumball machine to a nice dinner. Some are larger. But, in any case, it is YOUR money. Go get it.

Link to search in California.

Note: each state has this department so make sure to search every state you have lived in.

Restaurant Review: Casa Corona

This requires an introduction. First, it is a letter written several years ago and I had to pull it out to post it because I was running late and what I was writing for today was descending into real garbage as my brain went mushy due to the late hour.

The experience IS several years old, some current standards could be different, but I never received a response from management, had several similar type experiences before (I'll never publicly call out a restaurant on ONE meal; everyone has an off day) so I have no problem giving them a negative review.

Douglas Richert

doug.richert@gmail.com

June 13, 2011

General Manager

Casa Corona

7044 N. Cedar Ave.

Fresno, CA 93720

Dear General Manager:

On Wednesday, June 8 2011, I had a very disappointing dining experience at Casa Corona. It was a little after ten when I entered and sat myself at the bar. After years in the restaurant business in both the back and front of the house, I usually prefer the bar as the service is usually a notch above. Tonight was not the case.

I sat for several minutes before being approached by what I thought was the barback, as he was concentrated on breaking and cleaning the bar. When finally approached, I said I wanted a menu and “I’ll start (emphasis added) with water.” For the rest of the night, no one asked if I wanted anything else to drink or offered to refill the glass. This is also the first Mexican restaurant were I haven’t even been offered chips and salsa, let alone an upsell attempt on appetizer. In fact, the only interaction with the bartender was when he asked for the three ingredients I wanted in my combo plate burrito.

After the initial delay in approach and ordering, the food did arrive in a timely matter, but, with the exception of the refried beans, barely warm. If I had to guess, I would say the steam table had been broken down to be cleaned and the cook relied on the cheese melter to heat the food. He was not successful. Even, if hot, the food would only have been average. The chicken in the enchilada was flavorless and the burrito was so light in ingredients it tasted like a flour burrito instead of the ground beef I had ordered.

As I have mentioned, I have worked in the restaurant business and understand the need to clean up and get off the clock. I understand closing duties and the need to start them before end of service can lead to a different experience for the 10 pm guest than the 6 pm guest. But, if they are charged the same prices, shouldn’t they have the same experience? I feel that I was ignored by the bar staff who were busy cleaning and an afterthought to the kitchen. Since the late night priority seems to be closing the restaurant, I will do my part by not creating anymore work for the crew of Casa Corona.

Thank you for your time.

How Politicians Make Decisions

    For a laugh during this political season, here is my favorite scene from one of the greatest comedies. Both actors create such great humor just through their facial reactions. The remake will be hard pressed to get such a laugh. 

A Promise Not To

     It might seem that I procrastinated all day and am just now writing something of poor quality (like any of my other stuff is Pulitzer grade) just to make the goal of something new every day. It IS late and I AM writing to meet the goal, by the way, there is nothing wrong with wanting to meet a goal. But it WAS a busy day for me.

     Being honest, though, I was busy because I DID put stuff off. All the little errands I raced around completing today in Fresno could have been done in more bite-size pieces during the previous week. It would have made today better and my life calmer.

     Unfortunately, this has been one of my biggest faults and really traced back to homework I would finish on the bus to school. Staying up late could have been justified if it meant completing the short story due in the morning. Catching a first run of Charlie's Angels doesn't. It wouldn't be the same in today's technological age. It would be binge watching House of Cards. After the free internet porn, of course.

     

     I actually have started to work on this a little. I've taken advantage of the scheduling feature of blogs to get ahead, one day, on the Richert Letters blog. Obviously, I didn't on this one. Over the course of time, I will. I plan to write book reviews of the books I've read and use those for days when I need a little help. Like today.

     

The Richert Archives

I have been working on what I call the “Richert Archives.” The majority of the collections consists of family letters. The bulk of that consists of letters between my great-grandfather and his contemporaries and his children. The children take over the bulk of the letters after his death in 1938. We are not talking just a few, not dozens, but complete sent and received correspondence between some individuals.

The letters were stored at my grandfather’s house. What appeared to have happen, is when a sibling passed away, grandpa had the garage to store the personal effects and thus the letters stockpiled at his house. When we had to clean out his house, I took possession of the Archives (whoops, forgot to mention the four banker boxes of other printed memorabilia and photos.)  My great-uncle Robert recently passed away and his correspondence passed to me.

After having possession of the Archives for a dozen years and only piecemeal poking at the contents, I am making the concentrated effort to organize them. I won’t bore you with the technical details, but I’m down to two banker boxes to sort and actually realize that I might be in a tunnel. I don’t see any light, but at least I don’t feel I’m in the middle of an endless void.

I’ve finally trained myself to stop reading letters as I sort. It is sooooo tempting to stall and read some correspondence that confirms a family story or brings a new facet of it to life, like a letter drawn by my dad that I recently posted. But then five minutes are lost reading. Except for the German letters.

I did take several years of German in high school and like most Americans, didn’t continue to practice it. Today, the internet and computers make it easier to retain and improve foreign language competency, but it’s ridiculous for me to suggest that not being able to Skype with a native speaker is the reason the only German I can speak is to ask for another beer, (Noch einmal Bier, Bitte?)

But even if I had been an exchange student, moved to Germany, married a German women and had raised dozens of bilingual children, for all the fluency I would have obtained, some of these letters might as well have been written on an Enigma machine. Especially, the 19^th century ones from my great-grandfather’s family. Here, take a look.

I think it will take someone who learned German as their first language, who learned cursive writing, who is ALSO familiar with the older German script to translate these letters. Probably won’t find that on Fiverr. I do hold hope for translating the typewritten German. Perhaps some crowdsourcing project. All those serious science projects have to get boring, a bunch of Germans writing about wheat prices is certainly more exciting.

But, in case YOU find such mundane tidbits exciting, or have already looked at the Reddit front page and need a new way to kill 5 minutes, here is a link to a blog that postsa letter from the Richert Archives. I try to pick something written on that date, but will stretch it to the postmark and sometimes just the same week/month. In that effort, as in this, I am trying to post something daily. And you will see, in that, as well as this, I’m not always successful. But it beats having to actually write a letter.