Saturday, April 5th
Went to the pill line first thing at 6 am as the line is always shorter on the weekend. Standing in line with Dennis who is three cells down from me. He told me Steve , the guy with terminal prostate cancer, was airlifted out yesterday to Butler prison, a medical prison. What a shock that was and an early Saturday morning wake up call as well.
Got outside 8-9 on a beautiful morning just walking the track for an hour. Funny the folks I meet sometimes. I’d met a new guy from Long Bleach recently, but now really spoke to him as he joined our threesome. About 49, clean cut normal guy on the surface, but what a story. Must have been a screw off in high school, as he had his 3rd offense at age 19, hit the third strike you’re out standard, and got life sentence at 19. Third strike was throwing a firecracker into an empty car, believe it or not! Luckily for him he paroled after 20 years, as California passed Prop 57, making the third strike that it “must be violent” and his wasn’t. So he got out at 42, but still a very sheltered individual regarding technology, iPhone and all that. Apparently after about 5 years out, he got ahold of a red laser and shined it unknowingly at a police helicopter a few miles away and got busted. So he got 6 months here. As he says, he should have followed his Release Plan, which he prepared for the State Parole Board and Governor when he got out previously, just a sad example of recidivism with a basically nice guy. As I’ve said before, there are so many interesting and different stories people have, several a result of our prison model we have…..
After our 9:30 lockdown and chow, went back outside 12:30-2 for a good workout. At 12:30 we have a weekly “Mando”, as in mandatory meeting for whites in the prison in the area we call “the grove” or landscaped grassy area for whites just off the track, next to a similar area for Indians. About 60 X 60 ft for both. The pretext is for all the guys to meet each other from different Units,for 15-20 minutes weekly, though I hear snide comments from a couple of my black buddies about how stupid that is:) Its a big deal if you miss it and don’t have an excuse like visitors etc. Welcome to the 21st century!
At 2 they shut down the Yard for the day as well. Which was a bummer as I wanted to come back out at 5 to do weights. So ended up watching both NCAA Final 4 games which wasn’t all bad:)
Sunday, April 6th
Once every two weeks or so we get a day with decent weather and no screwups like fights, early Yard shutdown, late moves and all that. Today was thankfully one of those!
Productive morning till 8 finishing off Steve’s court filing and some emails. 8-9 went outside on the track, just beautiful out there. Inside 9:30-11 for lockdown, so used most of this time for quiet reading. Recently I started a workbook, Experiencing God, and today Section 3 really hit me. Looking for where God is at work around you, and it struck me definitely in a prison HE’s trying to help those willing to change their lives. The workbook was basically suggesting that if you see God at work, you should jump in. Well clearly the A Better Tomorrow book is all about that, so I definitely clicked on making progress on finishing the book a highest priority! That was an answer to pray recently, and it was further reinforced at church today, 12:30-2. Our chaplain was speaking of prayer, actually walking through and explaining the Lord’s prayer that everyone knows. The way he explained how God answers prayers struck me as further emphasizing the importance of finishing the book as well!
Raced back to the Unit and then went outside 2-3 to do weights, which was a perfect window to get done. Rest of the day/evening was a little TV, but mainly reading from 6-10. Almost went to the movie Seabiscuit, but my Brad Thor book was as good as ever, and I had peace for once as my cell to myself, so it won out!
Monday, April 7th
Big week this week starting with commissary today, after a long 3 weeks. Cupboards are low that’s for sure! Plus I have a new personal shopper to tryout as my previous one just transferred to Kentucky. Went well fortunately, despite the commissary being at 50% inventory levels of items in stock. They had inventory count last week of March, and didn’t reorder so couldn’t reload product. Don’t get me started…. But since I needed new tennis shoes,I used $70 of my $180 there, knowing I wouldn’t get the food stuff I wanted. Not a total waste:) But since 3 weeks ago was only 50% or $90 going into the inventory count(and low inventory as well), its been a brutal 5 week stretch for the cupboard.
Haircut at 1 today, case manager Tuesday to hopefully begin transfer process to camp, 6 am Thursday to medical to get lab results plus hope to see doctor on my status for referral to rheumatologist, as nothing so far after two months.
Never did make it outside today, as the 2 pm move was 2:30, so 25 minutes wasn’t worth it. Then at 5, I went to chow as we had a real slice of turkey, so didn’t want to miss it:) Then the Final 4 championship game was on and couldn’t miss that as well:) Next thing I knew it was 8 pm, oh well….
Tuesday, April 8th
Woke up to fog, so sure enough, 7 am all my plans went bye bye. Even though fog ended at 8:30 am, guards took advantage and kept us in our cells till 10. Always fun… Of course they have enough guards to come around not once but twice to count us, just in case things changed 🙂
Sometimes I find that I need to not let my attitude deteriorate toward working on my projects when we have these fog lockdowns. Causes three hours of lost productivity, not the end of the world but…. Meanwhile just showered and watched TV till 12 until we got outside at 12.
Outside for cardio 12-1, back in as my case manager has office hours at 2. But at 2 he was nowhere to be found. Oh well,I’m mentally prepared for 2-3 try’s until it happens. Then around 3 he walked into our Unit, so I walked up to him and asked about camp. Knowing I’m a month early, but having heard they want to empty out this location for more illegals, didn’t
to want to miss out.. He mentioned he had just reviewed my file, and since end of next month I become eligible, he wanted me to come back in 30 days. So that was it!
After lockdown 3:30-5, outside 5-67:30 for a good weights workout. Then to a comedy movie, wasn’t bad and cant remember the name:)
Wednesday, April 9th
Another fog lockdown, but today I’m mentally prepared. 6:30 hit the showers, so by 7 ready to get to work, even in my cell. Much better than yesterday!
Read my devotionals today, I love it when one hits me right between the eyes:) Today’s one” Your problem is forming your thoughts off the past instead of the future.” Don’t do that! Unbelief looks at the past and says “It can’t be done”. But faith looks at the future and says “It can be done, and according to the promises of God, it is done”. Then putting past failures behind it forever, faith steps out and acts like the victory is already won. Or as Philippians 3:13 says ” But this one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before”. I write this to myself as that’s one reason I’m at peace about my appeal, just can’t say it as well! Amen!
Very productive morning, feels good. Then outside 12-1 and 2-3 and 6:30-7:30. Lots of exercise today that’s for sure. Besides working out at 12, I had a mission to accomplish as well. With commissary being such a bust none of us got saltine crackers, and its hard to eat anything like pepperoni, cheese or Peanut butter just on a spoon or with our hands:). So I put the word out in the Yard in a couple flea markets I’d pay 2 books of stamps, or $10 for a $3 box. Sure enough a guy showed up today with a box, mission accomplished:) Plus a good workout!
After getting in this evening at 7:45, just read the rest of the evening. I’m pretty blessed on the book front, as my sister in law sent two more Brad Thor books, and my buddy from Portland sent a well known novel “Catch 22”, so set for the next couple weeks!
Thursday, April 10th
Woke up to no fog, so put Plan A into action. Raced down to medical at 6:15 to get in line for sick call. Ms. Hoen handles 1-200 inmates every Tuesday/Thursday at sickcall at 6-7 am with their issues. Today was very busy, but for once got lucky, well sort of. Waiting in line for her, my doctor came in around 6:30 as well. My plan was to get a printout of my recent labs and then see the doctor about pushing for my referral for rheumatologist appointment as I’m no where. But I caught him in the hallway, asked him since its been 2 months, and he said there’s nothing he an do, even if it was his family. Good Lord, he’s the head doctor! He said check with Ms. Hoen, which I did and of course she said she can’t do anything either, but come back in 45 days and she’ll see what she can do:) She means well and is the most helpful down there, but it seems if she can help then she can help now! Looks like time for a court filing unfortunately.
Right at 8:15 the fog kind of rolled in, not too bad. But any excuse is a good one for the guards, so they brought everyone back from the yard, then education, then the workers and did a lockdown into our cells. Sure enough 30 minutes later at 9:15, bright sunshine:) Well, didn’t stop me from writing and being productive, but it did my cellmate who had to come back from his maintenance job:) He was telling me he doesn’t have to work the next couple days as his boss needs time to apply for a maintenance foreman job here and do all the paperwork. Based on what I’ve seen on DOGE when people retire, I can only imagine what application paperwork looks like:) 2 days for that? I have a rant written about shortage of guards that I guess I’ll save for another day:)
12-2 had my Threshold class, though since the move was 25 minutes late, was 12:30-2. Sometimes its so eye opening to see how people think. The topic was personal relationships and conflict management. Class is about 18 guys, mainly Mexican, with three of us from Orange county “professional “types, and one older Indian gent using the term loosely. He was in Kairos as well last summer, and is trying to redeem himself thru the Lord to makeup for his prior behavior. Tough story. Anyways,he asks the teacher how to deal with a trans who “urinates” next to him in the bathroom but then wants to be called a “her”. He feels its against his Christian faith somehow, and won’t call him a “her”. Most of us were biting our lower lips to keep from cracking up listening to him go on and on, and the teacher was kind of in shock for 5 minutes or so. I could just see the teachers wheels spinning between recovery therapy tools, personal affirmation importance, his counseling techniques and nothing was coming out:) The whole escapade took 15 minutes out of class! This trans thing is new as the BOP recently took all men who were trans at women’s prisons and brought them back to men’s prison and vice versa, per Trumps executive order on trans people.
Got outside after dinner 6:30-7:30, another beautiful evening. I intentionally took it easy today as my right Achilles has been acting up, so thought a little rest might help. Beginning to wonder if my new Under Armor tennis shoes have something to do with it??
Was emailing my girlfriend/partner afterward, and sure enough the computers went down right when I was hitting send, and lost it all. Shouldn’t complain I guess as its been couple months since they went down:)
Friday, April 11th
Beautiful morning to begin the day! Pretty normal Friday, though they did another random lockdown around 8:30 lasting till 10. We noticed out the rear window of the Unit there were like 60-70 guards in the parking lot, so weren’t sure if it was us or another facility was getting searched or what. Rumor was its training and will go on all afternoon, but as typical, just inmate.com gossip!
Went outside 1-3 and had a great workout. Another 70 degree afternoon with nice breeze:)
Went to movie again, that’s 2 in a week, my new record! Saw “Hole” with Sigourney Weaver, not bad at all.
I find myself way behind on typing and blogging as I’ve spent a lot of time this week helping guys with their legal stuff. Steve’s 2241 being the most time, but someone else on a BP-10 where the BOP is interpreting their sentence as making him ineligible for First Step Act credit,as opposed to just taking the sentence literally and not interpreting things. Another inmate is trying to get more credit for timer served at state prison for a crime. Sure seems to go on and on and on!!
Praying for freedom and liberty and to see my Family and Friends soon! BJ
