Diary for October 27, 1952
Property of Theodore McArdle
412 A Deck

-See if you can find daddy’s army dog tags and wear them whenever possible. It won’t kill you and he will like it.

-Answer Professor Mandell’s letter when you get a chance and the patience. Ask him not to send me any more poetry books. I already have enough for 1 year anyway. I am quite sick of it anyway. A man walks along the beach and unfortunately gets hit in the head by a cocoanut. His head unfortunately cracks open in two halves. Then his wife comes along the beach singing a song and sees the 2 halves and recognizes them and picks them up. She gets very sad of course and cries heart breakingly. That is exactly where I am tired of poetry. Supposing the lady just picks up the 2 halves and shouts into them very angrily “Stop that!” Do not mention this when you answer his letter, however. It is quite controversial and Mrs. Mandell is a poet besides.

-Get Sven’s address in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It would be interesting to meet his wife, also his dog Lindy. However, I would not like to own a dog myself.

-Write condolence letter to Dr. Wokawara about his nephritis. Get his new address from mother.

-Try the sports deck for meditation tomorrow morning before breakfast but do not lose consciousness. Also do not lose consciousness in the dining room if that waiter drops that big spoon again. Daddy was quite furious.

-Words and expressions to look up in library tomorrow when you return the books–

Nephritis
myriad
gift horse
cunning
triumvirate

-Be nicer to librarian. Discuss some general things with him when he gets kittenish.

(Teddy – J.D. Salinger)