August 9th Read Free Page A

have to admit the atmosphere there is electric. If Stanford is about innovation and money, Cal is sort of a consciousness incubator. I love them both but I also loved UCLA, so maybe I just love the college environment. Maggie and I really enjoy walking around Berkeley and Haight-Ashbury. This was and still is the center of the hippie, anti-war, free-love world and there can’t be better people watching anywhere.
    Getting back to my career, I can’t believe it’s all starting, right now. As you can tell I’m excited about my new life and actually being able to apply what I’ve learned to solve real problems. Or to quote my favorite professor, Rufus Sinclair, at Stanford, “Apply the applicable thought process to solve any specific challenge.”
    There’s even more good news. With what I’m making I’ll be able to pay off my student loans in about three years. I’ll be glad to get that overhang taken care of since I might have even better news in the very near future.
    Maggie and I really love living together. Since she’s my best friend I’d rather hang out with her than anyone and we really are compatible. She’s much easier to live with than me. Her patience and wonderful perspective help balance my impetuous nature. Although we’re not engaged, just yet, it may happen soon.
    Gosh, I’ve written seven paragraphs all about me which is interesting because in business I’ve learned to use the pronoun “we” instead of “I” whenever possible. I’m not sure that’s relevant and what I’m trying to say is, how are you? I know that’s a question I’ll probably never receive an answer to but I really hope you are happy, healthy and excited about your future. I did get a notice from the post office of your address change. Although I’ve never been to Boston I can’t help but wonder if you’re going to grad school or doing something else. Tess, I still see you every day and in my rapidly changing life you remain a wonderful, beautiful constant.
    Wow, I just heard the news that Nixon resigned today. Guess he realized impeachment was a certainty and chose to leave on his own. I guess that ends this letter on a high note. Good riddance Dick.

Hi Tess,
    It’s been such a crazy busy year that I don’t know where to start, but since work’s been the biggest change in my life I’ll start there. It’s been overwhelming, exciting, stressful and rewarding. There is no such thing as a 40 hour work week. My week is more like 70-80 hours or, as Maggie consistently reminds me, way too much. This whole geographical area is in play, meaning deals, deals and more deals. Meetings and phone calls consume most of my days. Paperwork and preparation for the meetings fill up my evenings. I love the days much more than the nights which too frequently keep me in the office till midnight. The Company is working on all sorts of great new products like video game consoles and compatible computers.
    My role is to provide a financial analysis of potential deals and new products. Is it a good deal or product? Will we make money and how much? It sounds prettysimple but gets awfully complicated very quickly. There’s always a wild card that hovers over everything. That card is everything always seems to be for sale, including the company, if the price is right. It’s the culture of this tech industry. Build, sell and then build something new. Job security is offset by the huge returns for the owners of the companies, either public or private. Getting to that sweet spot is my objective.
    Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in the week and work takes me away from Maggie far too often. She’s been very understanding and more concerned about the toll it takes on me, but we both agree that now, while we’re young, is the time to go for it. Plus it seems like the best investment we can make for our future.
    Although work has been the biggest change in my life it hasn’t been the most eventful. April 26th is Maggie’s birthday