High Maintenance, Who Me???

Being able to have visits has been an amazing part of my journey. Prior to arriving here in May, I had three visits while I was in Jamestown. Quite frankly, I thought I wouldn’t have any visits while in Jamestown because it was too far from my friends and family; however, thanks to incredibly friends who are all a part of the Gamblers Anonymous Program, I was able to have those visits. Now that I am in close proximity to where many of my friends live, especially those involved in GA, I have had at least one visit every weekend (barring those weekends I was out on fires) since I arrived here. I am truly blessed in every way imaginable, and then some. This past weekend, as I have chronicled, my mother and sister came to visit. My mother came from New Jersey and my sister from Colorado. By the way, a few inmates who were down at visiting over the weekend saw my sister and asked if she were my “twin” sister. Yes, we do look very much alike; however, I’m not sure how my sister feels about being a twin to me. I, on the other hand, am quite flattered. It was magnificent to see them along with our dear friends from Las Vegas.

Going forward, I potentially (I say potentially because the family visit has yet to be rectified) have a family visit with my wife (only) in November, which is less than two months away. The GA meeting/visit meets every two weeks, and I keep getting more friends requesting to visit me in the coming months. I am touched with all the love and support in my life from so many different people.When anyone comes to visit me, they always ask what should they bring. I hate being too forward with this request because their presence is more than enough for me. I never thought of myself as high maintenance when it comes to food, but lately, I am getting the feeling I am, indeed, high maintenance when it comes to food.

Today, another very good friend sent in a visiting form and would like to visit me in mid-October. In the letter, my friend wrote, “Please give me a list of things you would like to bring food-wise, be specific, so I don’t mess up!” Wow, I guess my mother was right all along, I am a pain in the ass (sorry!) when it comes to food.Last night after the incredible visit and incredible food I went back to my room to write. Prior to dinner, the fire alarm sounded and four crews departed the camp. There have been several fires in the vicinity, and even though the temperatures have cooled, the fires have increased due to the winds. Gratefully, I have “retired” from being a firefighter, and now my biggest concern is soap scum!

I found myself in the television room for the second night in a row. I was interested in watching the San Diego Chargers /New England Patriots game. It wasn’t much of a game as New England routed the Chargers. I returned to my room, and I did talk with my roommate before going to sleep. We agreed that this has been a fascinating journey in so many ways. Yes, it certainly has, and this weekend was exceptional all thanks to my mother, sister, and two very dear friends.Here it is another Monday, and the work week commences. The weather is very fall-like and perfect for running. After running and breakfast, it was off to clean the bathrooms. In the evening, I picked up the package from my mother. This is the quarterly package that must be ordered from an approved catalogue. My mother added more items to my package than I had ordered. As I put all the items away, I spoke with two of my friends from “The View” as they made fun of the package order. They took turns guessing the items before I opened the box.