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Dear Hawkeye,
I'm sorry I haven't written before now. I guess I just haven't had the heart for it. It's been rough, I don't mind telling you. Soon Lee and I found her family, but that was last good news for quite a while.
We got back to Toledo, welcoming it with open arms, but Toledo didn't have their arms open for us. Even my family didn't have anything good to say about Soon Lee or my choice in marrying her.
That hurt. More than just about anything. You know how much I wanted to get home - all the crazy stuff I did to try to get there. To have Toledo and especially my family - the people that are supposed to have your back, no matter what - reject me like that?? I didn't know what to do with that.
It didn't help that I was having trouble getting a job.
I'd just about given up, I don’t mind telling you, when I had a thought. (I know there are people out there who’d doubt that, but I know you’re not one of those guys. Why I’m writing you this - or at least one of the reasons.) Well, actually, it was more of a memory. Anyway, I remembered back to that time when you had such a craving for Adam’s Ribs - and all the crazy shenanigans we went through to make that happen.
And how happy everybody was when we did. Especially you. Now, Adam’s Ribs isn’t in Toledo, but Tony Packo’s Hotdogs are. So I went to them and told them that they should hire me - that someone as determined as I’d been then would be a genuine asset to the company (Yeah, I can come up with the fancy language sometimes.).
And you know what? They agreed with me and they did!! You’re reading the letter of the Chief Expansion Manager for all of Tony Packo’s. They said that that kind of spirit and determination was exactly what they were looking for - and they got the bonus of helping out a guy who’d helped his country, too.
I wasn’t going to argue with that!! Things had been getting tight and it was starting to mess with my marriage. I don’t want anything to come between Soon Lee and me - especially not something stupid like money.
Well, it won’t now. I know it can be kinda crass to talk about money, but I think it’s okay to say that I’m making more money than I ever thought I would - some kid from Toledo. And they’re happy to pay me too! They say I’ve already increased sales by two times already - and they have confidence that I’ll do more in the future.
Confidence in me - who knew?? Certainly not me. But I’ve been doing good so far. I think I just need to have some confidence in myself. I’ll try, anyway.
I’ve got some ideas of other things we can try. Maybe going into grocery stores - a way to reach people that can’t come to a restaurant. It won’t be the same, of course - can’t beat the atmosphere and the taste of going into the restaurant, after all - but it would be better than nothing. (We sure got used to making do in the war, didn’t we??)
Maybe even coming to a city near you. We’re looking at possibly going into franchising - bringing the joy and deliciousness that is Tony Packo’s Hot Dogs to the rest of the country. I personally can recommend their fried pickles!! Alongside a pair of their hot dogs, it’s a treat that can’t be beat, as they say.
Anyway, I’ve talked to you enough for one letter, I think. Hope you write me back - I’d love to know how it’s been going in Crabapple Cove for you. Good, I hope.
Your scrounger-of-ribs-and-now-hot-dogs,
Maxwell Q Klinger, Chief Expansion Manager of Tony Packo’s Hot Dogs