Hurry, Rub, Scrub, Wipe, Sweep, Mop

Thursday, March 18, 1943

9:00 p.m.

 

Dear folks,

This is going to be a very short letter tonight. I just got off K.P. at 8:30 and I am pretty tired. I get my pass tomorrow noon I am told. I didn’t get it today because the two apprentice cooks have been put in our pass roster. That means we work 5 days instead of 3 for each pass. Of course these apprentice cooks get 3 days off to our one but we are only K.P.’s so that doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t get my pass tomorrow either. I worked like the dickens to get out of there tonight but it was still 8:30. When the mess sgt. gets back from his furlough we’ll be working until 10 or 11 every night. Starting tomorrow morning breakfast comes still earlier. I’ll be getting up at about 5:00.

I got no letters today. The last one I got from you was your Sat. & Sun. mailed Mar. 14. I got it Mar. 17. The important thing today was that I got my watch. It came tonight all O.K. and it is ticking away on my arm. It seems like an old friend. That is really a swell strap. It is much nicer than the one I had on it. Thanks a lot.

I was awakened in the dark at about 5:30. I dressed and made my bed in the dark and finally got ready to go to work. I worked on the dining room all day. Each meal is the same. We put on the food. Refill the dishes for seconds. Then when the meal is over we clear off the dishes, scrub the tables, wipe off the bottles of vinegar, salt, etc., fill and clean the sugar bowls, fill up the ketchup bottles, sweep, mop, reset the tables for the next meal. Then if there is any time left we have to do the odd jobs which need to be done. I did manage to do a little loafing at odd times but I earned it. I took my time on easy jobs like sweeping the porches. It doesn’t do much good to hurry. You can’t win. They figure to keep you there just so late anyway. If they want to leave early then we get done early. My day isn’t much to talk about any more. It is just hurry, rub, scrub, wipe, sweep, mop, and do it all over 3 times a day. Well enough for my complaints. I’ve just about resigned myself to my fate.

For breakfast I had shredded wheat, French toast and syrup and an apple. For dinner – roast beef, potatoes, gravy, beets, corn, salad, bread, butter and prunes (plums). For supper – stew, spinach with eggs, salad, bread, butter, and pineapple. I guess in all I ate about 24 pts. worth of pineapple. We also had lemonade for dinner which was good too.

My fingers are coming along O.K. although they are still sore. They have changed soap to see if it will help. Everybody has hand troubles. The captain got back from a 5 day pass today and everything was dirty and a mess he said. I can’t seem to think of a thing that is interesting to write about. The most important thing is that I got the watch O.K. I have the other one set to go back to you if I get a chance to mail it. I’ll insure it for $75. If you don’t get it don’t worry because for some reason I might not have mailed it. It will be a day or so behind this letter I imagine.

Well this is a pretty poor excuse for a letter but it is about all I am worth tonight. I hope I don’t sound too discouraged. I am beginning to get used to K.P. but it is still no good for a person day in and day out. It’s too grueling. Well good night and love to you all. Maybe someday I’ll get a chance to write you a real letter again. I sure hope so. No news of college from any source yet.

 

Arlington