THE WOODS

Last night I finished reading THE WOODS by Harlan Coben. I believe this is my sixth or seventh book I have read by him. I have mentioned before he is my mother’s favorite author and is at the top of my list. This novel is very typical of the other novels as it was suspenseful, funny , and had very interesting characters. Mr. Coben does reside in NJ and this novel like most of the others has a definite “Jerseyesque” feel. He even brings in songs from NJ finest – The Boss, Bruce Springsteen. I enjoyed the novel very much. There was a point near the conclusion that I said to myself, “I hope it doesn’t end the way I am thinking it will end” and it did not. He always seems to have a twist and THE WOODS was no different. I believe this is his current release and he is very popular with other inmates as well. I was asked by several others if they could borrow the book when I was finished and now there is a long waiting list. This was a wonderful Christmas present.

I am fairly confident of the job I do cleaning the bathrooms. They aren’t sparkling clean because they will never be since they were built 20 years ago and I doubt much refurbishment has taken place over this period. The tiles are dated and the concrete floors have some wear and tear on them. I do my best to get the areas as clean as possible and it takes me all morning to do this. I have witnessed others who have cleaned the bathrooms in the past and there is nowhere the effort I put into it. I say this because sometimes I find it unfortunate when criticism is sent my way. The unfortunate part is the criticism is not constructive nor could actually be called criticism. It is more saying things just to say things. I have become used to it and it doesn’t bother me, but I will say there is really no need for this at all. I have less than two months and all of this will be in the past. As for now this is my present and I am dealing with it accordingly.

This afternoon I again put pen to paper because I received four more letters last night. I was in the mood to write and spent a good portion of the afternoon writing these letters. I also read most of the current issues of Time and Newsweek which were the year-end editions and I am certainly happy to see 2007 come to a close. I could consider this year a lost year as I have been separated from my family and also society. However, all was not certainly lost as I continue to discover wonderful things. I have discovered a peace of mind I have not had and this is all thanks to recovery. This has allowed me to move through this journey in a positive manner. These discoveries continue each and every day. Yes, I am happy to see the year come to a close as I look forward to a phenomenal 2008. I will re-enter society and obviously I can’t wait for that day. There could be a few challenges ahead but I prefer to view it as a new wondrous journey. I have and continue to move through this part very well. I have no doubts the next part will continue to provide more extraordinary discoveries and I am eager to see these one day at a time.

The time does pass and I spent the entire time in the library writing this afternoon. The library is now inhabited by Lucy the cat. Actually, she is more of a kitten but as far as cats go she seems okay. I may have grown out of my allergies towards cats because after spending several hours with her, I didn’t sneeze once nor did my eyes water. I kept a distance from the cat and didn’t pet her. I’m not much for cats because I always feel they are sneaky and can’t seem to trust them. I much prefer dogs, but I can understand why some people enjoy cats. Anyhow maybe I no longer have the cat allergy.

I am trying not to write about food so much but I have to say something about dinner these past two evenings. Apparently the kitchen has run out of rice and in its place potatoes have been served. I have tried these in the past, but I can no longer bring myself to eat them. This leaves me with only the beans to eat. Normally, I do not complain because I am grateful for whatever I get. However, maybe my roommate has spoiled me too much and now he is no longer working with the kitchen so I feel a little left out. Our friend has taken over my roommate’s old position and he is still finding his way. The absence of rice over the past two evenings caused my food intake to go down by 50% and the beans are a bit too potent on their own. My stomach wasn’t feeling very well last night and my roommate noticed my irritable mood and asked if he could get me some food. I declined his offer but gave in to the cornbread he brought back. This helped to settle my stomach and once again we had another great conversation during the evening.