28 December 1985

Dear Andy and Becky,

It sounds like you all had a really good time at the Greenbrier. Jeannie and I better understand now why cars are so expensive.

We got your package two days before Christmas. We opened it on Christmas Eve. The kids had too many presents to open them all on Christmas day. Thank you for the kids' toys and especially for my shirt and Jeannie's sweater (which will help keep us warm indoors).

Thank you for the one year subscription to "Run." I have heard of the magazine but have never seen one. I even have a few programs from it.

I still highly recommend "Compute!'s Gazette" for beginners like you.

I am so excited that you have a computer that is compatible with mine. It is taking all my strength to refrain from buying a Commodore 128. I am sure that I will after we get back to the States. They recently had them in stock here for $245.

On Christmas day we went next door to a big Christmas dinner. There were supposed to be several men from a ship there, but for some reason they were not able to go. So the neighbor asked three families. One of the men there has a Commodore 128, so I learned a lot more about the difference with a 64.

I spent four days making copies and compiling the enclosed list. I basically just copied the first 100 diskettes of mine. I still have about 30 more diskettes for which I did not send copies. If in the future you want them also, just send more blanks.

I am sending the diskettes separately from this letter and the enclosed list. You will soon receive several thousand dollars worth of programs (no joke). There are even more on these diskettes than the 933 programs listed. As I said, you must be VERY careful who you let know that you have so many programs. While it is not truly a violation of the copyright laws, the courts have yet to make a clear definition. (In Italy, there are no copyright laws.)

Do not feel overwhelmed with all the programs you are getting at once. Put most of them aside. It took me a year to collect this many and to get labels on them. Start with some of the simpler programs. Play the ones for the kids, like diskettes #15B and 68A.

Play some of the Atari style videogames. Don't you all have an Atari? Notice how many of the same games you now have for the Commodore 64.

Look at GOSPEL PLAN. I am very interested in your comments about this program I wrote. (Disk #50A.) I am going to try to market this, but not for profit. So, pass it around to other Commodore owners.

Before Steven turned 3 he learned where all the keys are on the keyboard by playing KIDS ON KEYS. LETTER BOMBER is similar.

It is difficult to categorize many educational games. There are no games for kids that are not educational.

I realize that your tastes in programs will be different from mine. But there are programs included that should suit everyone's taste.

I certainly have not answered many of your questions. Please write and ask anything. I will try to find the answer if I don't know it. Someone around here will know the answer. Hopefully, you have found someone with a Commodore that can help you with some of the simple problems you are running into.

There will be days that you will want to throw the computer out the window. There will be other days where you can't live without it.

I hope all four of you get the fullest advantage out of your computer. And have lots of fun doing it.

Let me hear from you soon so that I will know that you received all the diskettes. I may send the first two boxes faster than the rest.

Happy New Year! 1986 is the year we go home!!!!!!!!

Lots of love,

Michael