More Bananas

I returned to the dorm much earlier than usual yesterday afternoon due to the inclement weather. Of course I did my laundry in the afternoon and I really need a new pair of workout underwear since I am now down to one pair. I started out with six pairs but the laundry lost four of these and I wore the other out. I have state issued boxers but I much prefer my own underwear to workout in but this lone pair has seen better days. I do wash it everyday which I’m sure adds to the wear and tear. Anyhow, I completed the laundry and waited for “mail call”. However, I only received an internal piece of mail also known as junk mail.

I fell asleep at my usual time and had my usual sleep. I did have a few dreams and when I woke up the first time I remembered this first dream but now (due to old age) I can’t remember it. I was able to fall back asleep and have another dream which had to do with college. I was at the University of Florida (not one of the many colleges I have attended) and weird things were happening. One of those things was that everyone had a set of golf clubs including me. However, no one was playing golf; they were just carrying the golf bags around anywhere they went. There was more but this is the main thing I remembered. Can’t figure this one out. Any guesses?

It was again a late breakfast and the breakfast did have a banana on the tray for the second straight day. Since I took two yesterday, I didn’t want to be greedy this morning. I ate one of the two bananas and thought that taking two out of the dining hall this morning was too much so I decided to take only one. Yes, the Fruit Nazi was once again on duty and it was a good thing I only took one banana instead of two. I placed it in my waistband, but as I approached the Fruit Nazi, the banana fell out of my waistband and ended up at the bottom of my sweatpants near my foot! Thankfully, the sweatpants have elastic at the bottom so the banana did not fall to the floor; it stayed inside my leg. All of this was fortunate since the Fruit Nazi patted me down near my waistband as I exited the dining hall. He hardly ever pats me down and usually lets me go by untouched. However, he does have a sense for stolen fruit and I guess he sensed it on me this morning. Since the banana was near my foot when he patted me down, he let me go outside without discovering the banana. This was a close call but now I have three bananas safely hidden inside my locker. My lunches are set for the weekend and I might even try a peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwich in the next few days. Wow! The highlight of my day is stealing a banana! But is this really stealing since I am entitled to the banana with my breakfast? I guess it’s a matter of semantics. Oh, my!

When I first got back to the dorm after morning yard, my dorm mates were watching the news at 11:00 am which is very unusual for then. They were watching something on the overcrowding problem in the prisons. Governor Schwarzeneger was signing the bill which is supposed to relieve the overcrowding in California prisons. It is now official as the state is adding 18,000 new beds (mostly bunks) throughout various prisons. This will cost seven billion dollars to implement and is a done deal. This report didn’t mention anything regarding the Federal Judge’s approval of this plan. Come to think of it no report I have seen had mentioned this. I am guessing but I think this new law supersedes the Federal Judge and the prospect of anyone being released early has been negated. Ever since I came to prison almost 10 months ago, the rumors about early release have swirled and now they have come to a standstill since this bill has been approved. Even I had faint hope of being released earlier than February of next year; now I am focusing on getting to fire camp and getting back to my family. Supposedly there are court dates this month and next month regarding the overcrowding but now it appears anticlimactic. It should be business as usual for every inmate and I for one look forward to my release date sometime in February or March of next year.