History Bytes

This blog has been a tad historical lately, hasn't it? Wait, here's more! I was trying to organize my CD/DVD archive discs and I came across a directory of files written in 1986. These were typed on my very first IBM compatible in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Originally saved on a 360K floppy disk, these keystrokes were made 18 years ago in WordStar. My current copy of Office 2003 opened them with ease. Here's a letter I sent to my father:

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Siyanco SOCP 06

Box R-168
APO, New York 09017

December 18th 6:30am

Dear Dad,

I'm sure that this letter won't get to you before Christmas.
The APO mail DOES slow during this time of year. It may take
several weeks to get there. But that's nothing. I just got a
wedding invitation from a girl in Sunapee. She sent it "interna-
tional mail" and included only 22 cents postage. It took three
months and one day to arrive!

This is the 'thirteenth' computer letter that I've sent
to you. Although you won't be able to tell, I'm writing this on a
new version of word-processing program. This WordStar improved
version cost me $1.33 as a copying fee. It retails for $170 in
the States!

I haven't done many interesting things lately. You know how
life is: Get up, go to work, and sleep. Oh yeah, I forgot the
eating part. Even though I haven't been pigging-out, I must buy
size 34' pants, AGAIN! That's O.K., I look better with a little
meat on me. (How trim are you?) Next week, on Christmas day,
there's an Interdenominational Christmas Service at the McDonnell-
Douglas Company (the aircraft people). In the afternoon I have
volunteered to bring a few company employees to Jeddah to catch
their flight for vacation time. Why, not? It's better than
sitting around here all afternoon.

A whole lot of people left from here yesterday. There are
many people who like to be home during the Christmas season. I
would too, but I am looking forward to vacation in the spring.
Maybe prepare for a teaching job in the Seattle area? See, you
will be able to take a trip out the the PAC NORTHWEST to see me.
It really is a nice place.

My car is sitting outside with a little problem. Last week
my battery was dead. At first I thought I had left on the
parking lights or something stupid like that. But upon closer
inspection, I discovered that the adjustment for the brake light
switch was off. Essentially the circuit was open all the time.
Hence, no juice. My Delco Freedom Battery is now all charged up
and ready to reinstall. Isn't it fun owning old junks? Oh, I
forgot, you don't anymore. Still, I wish they made new cars like
that old, blue Dodge Dart that we had for a while. (Back
before they'd screwed up the old slant 6's.) Why do people think
that cars are something more than t r a n s p o r t a t i o n ?

Enough editorial content, I have got to get ready for
breakfast. Just wanted to say "hi". Get ready for 1987. (It
sounds like something out of a Science Fiction book.) I love
you. Your son,

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