Daughter Answers Father's 8/8/88 letter on 11/11/11

Dear Dad,

I just found your letter in a box of old stuff the other day. I was pleasantly surprised to find it just in time to write you back. Thank you so much for the present. I have no memory of what it was but I'm sure I liked it a lot. Don't feel bad that you were late in sending it. Even though I was only 10 I still understood that it is hard to ship packages when you are stationed out at sea.

The letter from your computer is very nice. I am using a laptop in my living room to write this letter while watching my husband play video games on our 42" LCD TV. Our technology is quite out of date but it is sufficient for our needs. When I am finished I will post this letter on my blog.  Most people don't hand-write letters anymore. Most people don't even use email anymore. Everyone uses the "FaceySpaceys," texting, or online chatting to communicate. I wonder how much longer the Post Office can survive with the internet's world wide free communication. I read an article in the paper recently (an honest to goodness print paper) about the USPS having to close down many of the small town PO's because of the decrease in revenue over the past 10 or so years. I never realized that the USPS has not received tax payer dollars since the 1980's. It's a shame the USPS has been taking such a hit lately but I do really like the ability to embed links in my letters. Cool, huh?

Did you notice the time stamp on this post? It is the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year. It has only been 23 years since your wrote the 8/8/88 letter. Now that we are at the beginning of the century the same digit date happens more often. The next time the date is all the same digit will be nexy year on 12/12/12.

I am no longer in school anymore. I work full time now. I will have been with the company for 11 years next January. It was not exactly how I imagined myself in the future but my benefits are pretty good and I get a ton of vacation days.

Oh! Do you know how old I was this birthday? I turned 33. I'm getting old, ain't I? I still have never returned to California. I like to tell people that I was born there but I've never been. I have always intended on going to San Diego to see the place I came into the world. Maybe stick my feet in the Pacific Ocean while I'm at it. I don't know when or if that will ever happen but I am staying optimistic.

As for Kenny and Jane, I have not seen them in years. I probably wouldn't know Kenny from Adam if I bumped into him. I'm guessing their daughter must be in her early twenties now.

I hope to come visit you sometime next summer. Maybe sometime around my birthday. You don't have to worry if I like your gifts anymore. I think now that I am in my 30s money is always better, LOL! Tell everyone I said, "Hi!"

Love,
Em

P.S.
I've scanned a copy of the letter you sent with the gift just in case you forgot what it said.