After an excellent day yesterday singing and praising God in worship here in the chapel, we begin a new week. The last full week in March of 2025.
I awake early hoping to see and help the counselor this morning, but I hear someone say aloud that he will not be in until tomorrow, so I lay back down and close my eyes until the 7:30 work call. I get up, fold my sheets, organize my things, and make myself a hot green tea with lemon. For now that I am assigned as an orderly in the unit, I put my shoes on, grab some degreaser soap of my own, and a few brushes to clean the steps around the “flat” in the dayroom of the Glasshouse.
After nearly two and a half hours of scrubbing and mopping, I left a good twenty-five foot section as clean as I could get it. It is amazing how much dirt and grime is in between the cracks at the edges of the steps. My shirt is drenched in sweat, some are asking me, why did I shower with my clothes on; HAHA!
Tomorrow is another day to continue the scrubbing. I put everything away, and head to my room and change my shirt since I will be going to recreation at the first move before lunch. I grab a cup ramen soup and a yellow-fin tuna steak pouch and make myself a quick brunch, followed by some water to wash it down and a cafecito to back it up. I quickly wash my bowl and fork, and put it away; I grab my water bottle, gloves, identification, and wait for the move. As I wait I sit down to read my daily devotionals and the word today from “Jesus First for Men 365 Devotions to Start Your Day” is excellent!
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet”.
[Proverbs 3:24]
I love this verse, and it is one I will keep close to my heart and mind. I thank God that because of Him I can sleep in peace, I can sleep without any nightmares and can wake up refreshed in mind and body each and every day. This verse reminds me of one I repeated to myself every night before going to sleep while I was in FDC Miami, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” [Psalm 4:8].
The move is called and out I go. I think this is the second time in 23 months that I take this move to rec. The first time I did it was when I arrived April of 2023, where my roommate and I took the move to the rec yard to see what it was like, not knowing we would get stuck there and miss lunch. Today was different, I took the move on purpose, as I had a haircut scheduled in the barber shop, but I also went ready to do some exercises when I was done. The barber I scheduled with did not arrive on that move, and I know they are always busy when they are there, so I took advantage of the other barber that had a few minutes available to just trim my beard. It went from just a trim to a full beard makeover, and cleaned up my sides which I was grateful for. When complete, I thanked him, and went on my way. I began walking around the main track and noticed Mr. Wolfe on the other side calling me over, so I cross the grass to the other side and walk with him for a little while, until Mr. Greenberg met with us and we decided to get the frisbee and throw around for a little while. Once they tired out, I went back to walking the track stopping at each box set and doing my exercises. On my second lap I did a slow jog, and today I was able to get around the full track focusing on my breathing and put on a good sweat. By the time I finished my second lap the officer called for everyone to head to the front gate where the weight shack is, so that ended my workouts, as the move was called a few minutes later.
I take my walk around the lake back to my unit. Once in the unit, Mr. Campos tells me my name was being called that I had mail in R&D, so I asked the officer to call over for me so I could collect my mail, and when I did I returned to my room to look it over. Time to shower, so I grab my clean clothes, hygiene products and towels and head to the first shower nearest me. Out of the shower, back in my room I put my dirty clothes in the laundry bags and make myself a cafecito. Now we wait for count.
The officers pass through counting, and we begin to put our chairs out in the dayroom to mark our spots to watch television. I’m going to the dining room for dinner tonight as it is supposed to be “Yankton [Pork] Tacos w/ Cilantro Slaw”. Mr. Rivero is not going, so I look for Bon-Bon, and get the wheelchair ready. Once in the dining room, the food was on point to what the menu showed. We had the pork, black beans, white rice, and the cilantro sauce cole slaw. There was a tortilla somewhere in all that but I guess Bon-Bon took it to his tray when I wasn’t looking. “Better for me”, I say, as I also did not eat the rice, but only the beans, pork and slaw. Bon-Bon is ready and we head back to the unit, drop off the wheelchair, I prepare myself a cafecito and leave the unit over to Education for my Monday class of Accounting. Once there, several guys were waiting outside for the officer to arrive, but between 6:15 and 6:20pm, we all began returning to our units as no one arrived to open up. Back in the unit, Mr. Rivero asks me to help him translate something he wrote, that he wants to send to the medical department so over to the computers I go and begin typing it for him, then send it with his approval.
I sit down to watch some television, but it quickly becomes 8pm, so time to call mom. Somehow I only have 3 minutes left to talk, I hope it is not what I have left until the end of this month. Even though the BOP policy is 510 free minutes if you have the FSA incentive for programming, good behavior and productive activity, somehow they said they have no way of programming it for the 510 minutes, so we have to deal with the 300 minutes. I keep the call short to one minute and say goodbye.
I will end my evening watching some television before count, then going right to sleep and hope for a great day tomorrow.
Father God, I thank you in every way possible. I pray asking for your forgiveness on any wrong I may be doing, and ask for your guidance to live a life according to Your ways. Thank you Father for my family, friends and loved ones. I pray for a goodnight sleep tonight O Lord, give me rest, and please restore my sleep tonight. Let me know you will carry my burdens through the night and never leave my side. Thank you for all you do, in your name I pray, Amen.
Eduardo Luis Valdes
02499-506
March 24, 2025
21:02
