Oct. 5, 2003

Yeah I'm still living in the same place and Mark is still here. I'm living in College Park, Maryland, not Georgetown.

Mark is continuing to work at the national archives, while I work in Virginia at the Army Preservation Center for Records Research. It is about a hour drive each way. I have to drive around D.C. which was ranked the third worst city to drive in the United States and now I know why.

We are continuing to work on Agent Orange material and other pesticide related documents. We still have another month worth of work at the archives to do and I have about a month of work in Virginia. But the lawyers said as soon as we have a week worth of work left, that they would get us some more work.

So no one know what is going on, especially our boss.

See ya in a couple of weeks.

Matt

Hey Dad,

............

I just started doing some new work in Virginia. It is in a small ramshackle building in the middle of nowhere. I am the only researcher there. I had to set up my whole office though. I had to buy tables, set up a copier, and do pretty much everything myself.

See ya,

Matt

Hey Mom,

Wow, you moved the plants in! I'm just kidding. It rained here a lot after the hurricane and it flooded some places, but not where we live.

When is Bonnie having her baby?

I'm going to be coming home for a week next month. I'm flying in on October 15 and I will be flying back out on October 21. I will probably stay at the house. Penny will pick me up from the airport. If you want you can set up a family get together that Sunday.

Well nothing much else going on here. I'm going to watch some more soccer games this weekend, because I just can't get enough. I will also be starting some work at an archives in Virginia on October 1st. Pretty much the same stuff I'm doing now, but at a different place.

You need to go out and party. Have some fun, so next time you write me an e-mail I will be like NO WAY! But be safe.

Take it easy from your loving son,

Matt

Hey Mom and Dad,

I'm still alive. Sorry dad I couldn't give you an hour by hour coverage, but the power was out. It went out on Thursday night and came back on Friday night. Nothing too bad.

We didn't get to see the bulk of hurricane. It mainly had turned into a tropical storm by the time it hit us. We still felt the effects though. They closed the universities and all federal buildings. The power has been real unstable everywhere.

The winds and rain were intense, but I've seen at home. What was worse was the debris. There were branches and tree parts all over the roads. The roads were real dark with the power being out too. There were some odd lightning flashes in the sky. Something I can't really explain, but they looked cool.

Well, I made it, so you'll have to keep worrying about me.

See ya,

Matt

Hi Dad,

..............

On another note, Hurricane Isabell is going to hit the East coast tomorrow night. I think it will be hitting below us, but I would love to see it. Take it easy.

Thanks,

Matt

Mom,

Well, I'm not sure how long we will be here. We will done with the work they have given us by the end of September. The lawyers we are working for come by periodically and give us more work. They just haven't given us a lot of work yet. Just a little at a time. We plan on getting enough work to last to December. We will see.

Sounds like you do have an exciting life. I was able to see another Major League Soccer game last night. I saw DC United play San Jose Earthquakes. It is real cool see them play because there are two players on each team that have played for the US National Team.

I'm going to watch the University of Maryland play against North Carolina State today. I get to play every Wednesday night and Saturday morning. I play in a pick-up game on the front lawn of the University. That is the funnest thing I have been doing since I have been here.

Peace Out,

Matt

Hey everyone,

Well, I hate copying. But I like money.

Besides that I am enjoying myself very much. I'm just writing this e-mail to let you know some of the experiences have had that are cool. This last weekend was probably one of the funnest I have ever had.

On Thursday, I was able to go to a free NFL kickoff concert on the mall in Washington D.C. The mall in D.C. is an open grassy area in between the Nation's Capital and the Washington Monument. There was an estimated 300,000 people there and somehow we got 10 feet from the stage. We saw some bands you might not of heard of like Good Charlotte and Mary J. Blige. I also got to see Britney Spears and let me tell you, she is even hotter in person and her clothes are even skimpier. The coolest band by far was Aerosmith. They just had a way of making it rock.

On Sunday I was able to see three more bands play in D.C., Brand New, MXPX, and Dashboard Confessionals.

I also had the opportunity to see the University of Maryland soccer team, who was ranked #2 in the nation play the #1 ranked team in the nation, UCLA. Talk about intensity. After Maryland won 1-0, I was overjoyed, and I didn't even care who won. What I wouldn't give to play soccer on that level in front of thousands of people. The worst part is when you see them play and you know you could play with them.

I went to a Major League Soccer Game on Saturday. It was D.C. United vs. L.A. Galaxy. There was over 20,000 people there. I was about a 1/4 mile away from the stadium when the game started and there was an early goal. The stadium just erupted, you could hear them for blocks and blocks. When the game was in its final minutes and L.A. Galaxy was down 2-1, Cobi Jones, who is one of the most famous American soccer players, was taking a corner kick. The whole stadium started chanting his name "Cobi, Cobi". It was amazing. I don't even like the guy and I was just hoping he would do something amazing. He whiffed it, but that's beside the point. What would it be like to have thousands of people chanting your name?

I also had the opportunity to go to New York City and Atlantic City on Labor Day weekend. I don't think I would ever wear a "I Love NY" t-shirt. Maybe you have to experience it in a good way. But I don't love honking horns, busy streets, disgusting people, and filthy air. Maybe it is just me. I have to say the view from the Empire State Building rivaled that of the Eiffel Tower. I was also amazed by the towering skyscrapers lining the huge rivers. It seemed like nature and man clashing into each over. I had the chance to drive through the Bronx and I don't recommend it, unless you want reassurance that your life is a good one.

I would also have to say that Atlantic City is also nothing more than a hole in the ground just like every other gambling city in the world. If you aren't in the big casinos, the city isn't very nice. I did win a $1000.00 at the Taj Mahal though playing Poker. I will save everyone the time and tell myself right now that gambling is a bad habit. There it's over.

Thanks for reading my e-mail and Peac Out,

Matt

P.S. For all of those D&D players. I was at the Smithsonian Museum in D.C. at the World History Museum, when what did I see before, but on the wall it said, "I am Darius. King of this land." Some ancient king who spells his name just like my character wrote that on a wall somewhere in an ancient Middle Eastern country. Crazy, but true.

Mom,

..................

To answer your question, I don't like the city life. I'm a country boy. It is alright for me right now, but I couldn't never live permanently in the city.

I did see the Statue of Liberty from a distance. You were right they won't let you in it anymore because of 9/11. They will only let you onto the island.

You and dad could come, but I don't know how much you would like it. I wouldn't mind though and I'm sure I could convince my roommate. Baltimore airport is what we flew into. It is about 1/2 hour away and DC is about 1/2 hour away. We live in a college town though and we live in college apartments. We are surrounded by college students. I don't think you would get a wink of sleep.

...................

Thanks and love ya,

Matt

Hey mom,

Don't worry, I talk to Penny almost every night. We don't hate each other, we are just in limbo.

We are working about 50 to 60 hours a week, but it is not to bad. I am already sick of the work, but that is nothing new.

We did get this weekend off because, so we went to Atlantic City and New York City. They were both cool. I saw ground-zero and the Empire State Building. I did do some gambling too, but don't worry I won. I just don't have a way to deposit the money, so I have about $2,000.00 sitting in my drawer.

I probably shouldn't of told you that, but you need something to worry about. I have seen a lot of things in D.C. I have seen all of the big monuments and I have been working on seeing everything in the Smithsonian, but it is taking some time.

Well I hope that is good enough update for you.

Bye,

Matt

Well, there isn't much going on. We're still working everyday. I've been to D.C. a few times, but I still haven't seen it all.

We have done about half of the work that they gave us, but they are supposed to double our workload, it just hasn't happened yet.

The archives is closed next weekend, so we are probably going to New York to see the sites.

Let me know if you want to know anything else.

Love,

Matt

Hi Everyone,

Well, I'm not actually in D.C. I'm living in College Park, Maryland. But everything is so close over here it doesn't make a difference. I'm 30 minutes from D.C. and Baltimore. I'm 4 1/2 hours from New York and 2 1/2 from Philadelphia.

I know College Park sounds like a nice wholesome town, but it isn't. It's a lot better than D.C. and it's perfect for two young college-age people. We are practically living on campus of the University of Maryland.

I found out U of M is one of the top universities in the nation in soccer. I already met the coach and I'm going to watch them practice next week. I also have plans to see the Yankees play next week in Baltimore and see D.C. United play (they are a professional soccer team in the U.S.)

I might even do some work while I'm here. I'm working for CaseData doing some scanning at the National Archives II. The archives has all of the governments documents from WWII on. There are some interesting documents that we have seen already, but we don't have much time to read them as we are scanning and copying all day long for 60 hours a week. Yeah, the work sucks.

The law firm we are working is researching information on how much the government knew of certain chemicals before they used them. Such as Agent Orange. Sorry dad I haven't seen your name yet, but I'll keep my eye out.

My coworker and roommate, Mark, and I get along pretty good. He's kind of like my friends back home. To give you an idea, he told me a week into the project that he thought Agent Orange must of been a really good secret agent because his name was everywhere. Don't worry I explained to him that Agent Orange was a good man but he had his faults. Don't tell him I told you that Bonnie or Leon.

I attached a couple of pictures from D.C. if anyone cares. I couldn't believe how many graves there were in Arlington. The picture doesn't do it justice. And I am happy in the other picture.

Peace Out,

Matt

P.S. Don't you dare play D&D without me. If you do, make sure the person playing him doesn't let everyone know that I'm a fairy because no one knows.

Arlington National Cemetary

Mark and I at Washington Monument