Sunday 4/14
Have to admit, Sunday at the Masters is different this year. 30 minutes here, 15 minutes there, then the channel switches. So much for brunch on the couch!
The weather finally started turning this morning, and we’re set for a good 10 days finally. 39 degrees in mid April isn’t quite normal. Restarted my Purpose Driven Life in reverse today, so will write a book report on each section, or about every 6-7 chapters. Could really write on each chapter as there is so much there. Will see what its like to end up at the beginning that’s for sure.
Started at library at 7:30-9 only to find out all the computers down and cant be fixed till Monday. Oh well…
Had a great church service at 12:30-2, with a new chaplain. He’s from Korea in a little village, but sings well and shares stories while reading scripture, a huge step up! I’m going to share with him my thoughts on Prison Fellowship Ministry and getting that going here. Seems like the kind of guy who gets it.
Then outside for a great workout, and then lockdown and dinner and then back outside 6-7:30. Couple hours reading my CIA books and its a wrap!
Monday 4/15 and Tuesday 4/16
Big day to day as its our first double commissary, so we now go every other week and spend double or $180. Should be way more efficient and less time consuming. Went smooth for once, though they are out of so much I only spent $140.
The good news is the Yard is now back open during the day, so we can go outside 8-10 and 12:30-3 plus evenings. Hallelujah! Great timing actually as my legal research at library is winding down so I don’t need to go so often! Time for a bit of a tan as well:)
Was at library at 9 this morning for my tutor class- they want to assign me a class to teach. Told the guy I was working with his boss on my own curriculum so might not be available, he wasn’t too happy being out of the loop:)
Was coming back to my cell around 3, and my buddy who was shipping out to Atwater at 9 am today was there- thought I was seeing a mirage:) You really can’t make this up- he packed out last Wednesday, so had bare minimum items to live in, then found out bus isn’t coming till Monday. Spent the entire weekend with bare bones. Monday 9 am shuts down his bed again, grabs his few belongings and goes to shipping department. Waits 6 hours to find out bus isn’t coming from Victorville. So he’s back in his call with even fewer items and no bedding:) Lent him some tooth paste and he scrounged for a brush and shoes. Good news I learned what not to do if I ever get transferred:)
Finished with Spanish at the library, slowly but surely picking it up!
Tuesday I went to Medical at 6 am to turn in form for head of medical to meet on my doctors letter and deal with my charger for my hearing aids. After 12 weeks of trying, they have determined it is lost, so they will buy me new ones(much cheaper I’m sure). I offered to buy my own charger but that’s not allowed of course. Really can’t make this up! Guess I will try and deal with head of Medical when I meet him. Amazing to me how their budgets are so tight and these things keep happening that cost so much money for nothing!
Making great progress on my legal. Sent 3 emails so far and one more today. That will leave one more for tomorrow and one final for next week. Will be kind of weird to now just wait while the team digests and continues their own analysis. Good news is the Supreme Court came out with a good ruling last week on disclosures and the 9th circuit appeals court as well, which the team really liked. Slowly but surely…….
The weather was so perfect today with crystal clear blue skies that I could see the Space X launch pad 5 miles away. We get 1-3 launches a week, and they make the earth vibrate for what seems like 45 seconds, kind of a cool feeling. Last week on a beautiful evening at sunset, the big one launched, and we could see for 3-4 minutes, bright as ever, just an amazing thing to see! Anyways, good long workout today that’s for sure!
Wednesday 4/17
Well woke up to fog, that’s the price we pay for beautiful weather I guess. Thinking that as the temps warm the fog burns off quicker, that’s my hope anyways! And that’s exactly what happened! No lockdown at 7 per usual, and by 7:30 it was gone.
Since they opened the Yard back up yesterday, we can now be outside during the day finally! So i did a 9-10, 4 miles, and then will do 12:30-3 later. That way I can do weights till 2, and then sit at a picnic table and read/write for an hour, all the while not being inside the Unit!! Hoping that’s my new schedule for awhile as the weather gets better. And if I need library time, I’ll just do 6-7:30 after dinner. Should be less need for library given my legal is getting buttoned up, at least what I’m capable of doing for the team:)
Walking back from library at 7:30 pm ran into the normal group of guards in the hallway. One was the paramedic, Mr.Wong, who took my hearing aid charger at surrender Jan.4 th as until his boss gave approval I could have it. Told him, after 14 weeks they can’t find it so are getting me new cheap ones. He shook his head and said he would look again. Fingers crossed…..
Thursday 4/18
Getting my final emails proofed to send in, so starting to get free time. Thinking I will try and take a week vacation next week and recharge! No resorts or fancy dinners, just less PC time:) If nothing else I’ll take time to email friends and catchup a bit, just like a real vacation.
At 9 am the guard came to my cell and said Medical called and want me there. That never happens. So I’m thinking they want either fit me with new hearing aids or maybe address my doctors letter, so I brought everything with me. Turns out the nurse who has been helping me with the hearing aids called, and she found my charger. Finally! As one of my buddies said, that’s quick for here:) I sent a cop out to the head of Medical Tuesday, so will see if or when he responds. Can’t give a copy of the letter to my case manager as he’s on vacation this week, but I need him to push as well.
Looks like I will have no excuse to get better at studying my Spanish now as my time frees up. Guess that’s a good thing:)
Friday 4/19
Nothing like finishing and sending off 2 final emails on my legal stuff to the team to feel a weight off my shoulders. After all these years of scratching and digging and fighting, now all of a sudden my work is done and all I can do is sit back and watch the team assemble the appeal and hope and pray two out of three judges agree. Kind of surreal….
Friday ended up going outside 9-10,1-2, and 6-7:30, but no weights. Just needed walking to get our of the unit and a recovery day for my muscles. The third time out I took my friend Derek out and pushed him around the track and chatted the whole time about everything, nice way to end the week. We both have the business bug, so a lot of discussion around ideas. He’s a big mobile app guy so is always thinking about new applications.
Been a month or so, but I ordered a pepperoni and jalapeno pizza from my buddy, so my roommate and I shared it for dinner. Hit the spot to have food with flavor:) Amazing how tortillas can make such a good crust!
Saturday 4/20
Well a weekend without visitors, been awhile to have none. With the library closed on Saturdays and the movie theatre under repair, it just leaves outside and watching TV or reading a book today. Oh joy!
When I got on my PC this morning, my attorney had sent a case last night that was on point. Issued a week ago by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, focused on misrepresentations need to be about the bargain(business deal), not just a random misrep. They cited a case my attorney won a couple years ago serval times as the basis for the law which was encouraging as well! Of course yesterday I thought I was done with legal stuff, and now I’m back in it responding on this case:)
Wrote a book report this morning on the US the military response to 9/11 thru 2014. Actual planning and missions run by a newly created group to coordinate the armed forces, Joint Security Operations Command. Have a lot better understanding of how much training and prep goes into everything they do, that’s for sure! Will post my report shortly.
Was outside today twice for 4.5 hours combined, so much better than being inside. Going to be a mellow evening, NBA playoffs and reading and going back and forth between both.
And I got an inmate with an electrical outlet to let me charge the hearing aids in his cell, slowly buy surely getting there!
One doesn’t realize until you’re in prison how much help is needed from the outside. My girlfriend generally does several things for me each week, and my kids each do something each week as well. This is especially so if you’re doing active legal filings and a case while here. Between no internet, search engine or copy/paste and forwarding function in email in today’s world, you really forget how much revolves around those tools. Apparently some prisons have WORD as a tool , but not here unfortunately. I’m just grateful for all the support I get from everyone, that’s for sure! BJ
Praying for Liberty and Freedom and to see my Family and Friends soon! BJ
