Dear [Lynn],
I knew you were going to ream me for not calling. But I was rather startled when I heard Fred’s name and I wanted to regain my composure before leaving a message. So, I hung up before the beep, and just decided to send you an email instead. 
So, tell me about Fred’s cat. Does it get along with your two and the spare cat? Does it purr and sleep with you?
All is okay here. Work on the new business is progressing, albeit slowly. I just finished wiring the office lighting in the blue room across the hall from my bedroom. The insulation installation is about 2/3 done. Hope to complete the rest of it before the end of the year.
Also, there are two new air conditioners to install up there – one in each room. I have to get help on that though because they require that big holes be cut in the walls, clear through to the outside. Rich is probably going to assist me.
The pavilion is going well. Just had about 10 ton of 1B limestone dumped there in preparation for the concrete slabs I hope to poor in the spring. Need about 5 more tons though. The way the yard slopes down toward the river complicates things a bit, and I wanted to make sure these patios have solid beds so they don’t crack too soon. The pads themselves will be 6” thick.
We had a new roof installed in June, and there have been a few difficulties with that – primarily caused by lack of attentiveness on the part of the contractor. But my hands are rather tied as how to get him to finish the job or give me some of my money back, because he’s my sister['s] [...] step son.
Most issues are resolved however and the leaks have just about been eliminated. This guy didn’t seal the places where the roof meets the house, thus the leaks. And he’d never returned my calls [once things started going bad]. So, I went up there a couple weeks ago and sealed them. About 90 percent of the leaks disappeared. There’s one more troublesome drip that has me scratching my head. But I’ll get it. There’s a tree growing out of the top of the chimney too, so when I go up to seal again, I have to pull that out.
I’ve been to Philly a few times, and to Pittsburgh for our school’s alumni celebration. It’s been a busy summer.
There’s a lady [Tina] I’ve been seeing for about a year now who lives in Philly. She’s a school teacher and she speaks in such a way that always invites smiles and laughter. Not sure where it’s going (if anywhere). She’s not leaving Philly, and, unfortunately, I must get my career straightened around before I move back there.
I’ve gotten much more confident talking to strangers and have made lots of new female acquaintances. But they’re all in Philly. Don’t get too much opportunity here in Altoona to go out scouting. But that’s probably just as well. I’m really not in a position now, with the career in limbo, to pursue a serious relationship. Once I make the transition to full-time writing, well, we’ll just have to see what happens.
Well, gotta get going. Take care and write more when you get a chance.
Tommy