I don't Know

I need to address some administrative issues first. I must reiterate my big thank you to everyone who sent me paper, envelopes, and stamps. I understand sending writing utensils are prohibited which is a shame because my pen has run out of ink and I am back to using a pencil. I also understand that there seemed to be a lot of controversy concerning blank paper with holes in it. I am not sure if the prison’s website has posted holed paper as a prohibited item. However, I did receive holed paper from my mother without any problems. The only paper I cannot receive is stationery. I guess as long as it is plain white paper, it should be fine. I have received copies of e-mails in some letters along with copies of newspaper articles from the internet.

My wonderful friends in the GA Program keep me connected to the fellowship which is great! I was looking forward to receiving step-letters because this is a necessary part of my recovery. (Hopefully, I am allowed to get them) I am looking forward to adding these letters to the letters sent by my GA friends to stay fully connected to my recovery. I know once I move to wherever the next stop is, I will be able to receive literature directly from the GA office. I look forward to reading “A Day at a Time” as I had each day for almost 17 months. I must be patient because all good things come to those who wait and I am patiently waiting.

Earlier this week I wrote about how this dormitory transfer should be my last barring any unforeseen circumstances. Well, I have not been transferred but the fact of the matter is “I don’t know.” Today one of my bunk neighbors has been transferred to another dormitory for no apparent reason. This inmate was transferred to the main-line portion of the prison which is highly unusual. He will still be part of the reception center but housed with inmates who are going to serve their term in that prison. Again, it comes down to the only constant that is “change” and if I was transferred for the 4th time, it wouldn’t surprise me.

I did figure how to solve the overcrowding in the prison system. No, the solution is not to release all non-violent offenders regardless of their term. But come to think of it, I would fit into this category so I may reevaluate. Just Kidding! On a semi-serious note, I have noticed a few inefficiencies in the system and somewhere down the line, I may write about these but now is certainly not the time. Maybe someone out there can remind me in a few years when I close this horrible chapter of my life.

I was very fortunate to have finished yet another novel (ENTONBED sp? by Linda Faiestein sp?) prior to my transfer on Monday. The other times I had been transferred, I was not able to complete the book and I could not take it with me. In this new dormitory there is no shortage of books and everyone appears to be fine with sharing whatever novel they have finished. I read my first autobiography IACOCCA which to me was a bit of a “puff piece”. He was employed with the Ford Motor Co for 34 years before he was fired for no apparent reason. I do try to learn something from each book that I read even the fictional books. I learned that Lee Iacocca was a devoted family man and when my time is done I will try my best to be a devoted family man as well. I miss those three wonderful people so much and I look forward to the day when I can hug all of them at the same time. One other book I read this week was ROSES ARE RED by James Patterson. This is the second novel I read by Patterson and enjoyed just as well. He has a great writing style and the story moves quickly – almost too quickly in a place like this. There is a sequel to this one which is VIOLETS ARE BLUE floating around here somewhere which I need to find. The amazing part of ROSES ARE RED is that I had no idea “who done it” until the very last page. Hopefully, I can find more books by this author who has become my favorite out of the 26 books I have read.

I still have not found my way into working in the kitchen. I do have three different people trying to get me in. I may work tomorrow morning for my bunkmate because he had a tooth extracted today and wasn't feeling very well. There is something I pray to God that I stay away from in the next two years – prison dental work. I have been warned by a few people who have been in prison to not have any dental work done here. Hey, I supposedly will get a new 4 inch toothbrush every week so I should be fine, right? All joking aside, the federal gov’t had to take over the California Prison Health Care because it was so dreadful. There is a five-year phase- in period and currently they are in year two. I sure hope I stay healthy because I definitely don’t like the alternative.

Speaking of staying healthy, my regular workout routine has changed because of my close proximity to the workout area which is one foot away from my bunk. I do full pish-ups when I first get up but a less number of repetitions than the half-pushups. After the first few workout routines in the “workout” area are completed, I try to emulate these workouts by myself with more repetitions. I must be doing something right because when I finish I am my usual sweaty mess and right now my chest is sore (which is a good thing). Tomorrow is yard day and the yard on this side of the prison is four times the size of the yard on the other side of the prison with a running track. Hopefully, I will get some running in tomorrow.

There are more people in this dorm who I fell comfortable with than at any other previous dorms. There is one inmate who resides here that I saw when I was taking the diagnostic tests. When I saw him two weeks ago, I was taken aback because he looked very much like a few accountants I have worked with in the past. I wanted to go up to him then – but couldn’t – because we were in different lines. I was pleased when I recognized his face on Monday. Since then, I have gone out of my way to talk to him and he is very “normal” (normal meaning in the sense of people that I have been acquainted with on the outside). It turns out he is here for a probation violation on a DUI infraction and he is serving a 3 year sentence. I won’t go into any particulars now but his DUI infraction did not involve anyone who was killed or even injured. I also feel badly for him because he is currently in the military and was preparing for his 4th tour of Iraq before he was sentenced. He is one of the few inmates I can understand without referring to the “Prison Dictionary”. I guess it was a matter of time before I found the “needle” in the haystack and fortunately for me this “needle” makes my day go faster. It is nice to have a conversation with someone who understands what I am saying. Little things like this go a long way in a place like this.