Dear Family

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year I imagine is the seasonal greeting, or will be by the time this reaches you. Anyway, many of them.
As usual, excuse my lack of letter-writing, although I've been much better than usual lately, havent I?

One reason is that I've just come back from Battle School! Somewhere in England I've been crawling through mud, running like fury, crawling through mud, cursed (under my breath, if I had any) at the instructors, climbed walls, cliffs, towers, swum and done all the other things usually done at Battle Schools. And am I in condition. Boy! I could run from Magog to Georgeville with the outboard engine on my back, before breakfast, at the moment. At the end of the course we had a terrific party at a golf club near the school, and what a party. First drink anyone had had for 3 weeks, so you can imagine what happened. Just like a bunch of college boys after a football game.

On Friday I go on 9 days leave. Does it seem that I'm always going on leave. We get 48 hours a month and 7 days every 3 months. Sounds like a lot, but we're not off any of the rest of the time. I think I'll fly to the Isle of Man, if I can arrange it, for the week-end, spend the week at the Colstons, if they'll have me, then a weekend in London, if I'm not broke. If all these ifs work out, should be quite a leave.

By the way, thanks for the parcel of food and the choclates, they both were waiting for me after my course and very fine too. My roommate and I are just finishing up the choclates, with a certain amount of noise, because they're hard centres, which I like best.

Thanks for the letters, which are very much appreciated, giving all the local dirt. I've come back from a place that specializes in strong backs and weak minds to find that I'm instructor in English (composition etc.) for the company, in a new educational scheme. What a life.

Well, cheerio, and I'll cable before Xmas, drink one for me at 7 P.M. Xmas as usual and I'll do the same.

love Geoff.