Goodbye to a good friend

Last night I found out that my friend Will is leaving the unit. I don't have a clue where he's going but he had a parole interview a month and a half ago, so I hope he is headed home. I wanted to talk with him before he left but I was cleaning my usual spot in cell block for shower crew and couldn't trade locations.

After I finished cleaning cell block I just walked down to Will's dorm. The guard on the hallway knew we were friends and didn't care if I was there. He let me into Will's dorm and Will was surprised to see me. I offered him encouragement and told him to write from wherever he ended up, then we prayed together for a bit. I'm going to miss having him around.

I put in a request for the electrician job two days ago. However, Will told me tonight that the boss isn't looking for new guys right now. Apparently the recession has hit here, too... ha, ha.

Nouvelle cuisine redefined

We went to commissary today for the second time in a week. I was already stocked up on food so all I was going to buy was stamps. Every time we go to commissary, Shawn and Bob have a glutton war to see who can eat the most of the sweetest food. In the past they have done pints of ice cream with multiple add-ins. Each time they keep the ingredients secret from each other to make sure ideas aren't stolen.

This time they decided to split some of the cost, then branch off to their own creations. It sounded like the main ingredient was going to be oatmeal. I decided to join in, trying to make the best creation for the lowest price. They capped their spending at five dollars; I shot for half of that.

Other than the stamps and treats for a few guys who aren't able to go to commissary, I got a small bag of Butterfinger cookies, a Baby Ruth bar, Snickers bar, and two mint sticks. I had class at noon so I had to mix my stuff pretty quickly, as it was already 10:30.

I crushed the cookies, wet them and then flattened them into a crust. Next, I crushed the candy bars and mint sticks and put them in a layer on top of the cookie crust so the whole thing was about 3/4" thick. Lastly, I rolled it up into a burrito thing to dry.

Forty-five minutes later the log was ready to eat. Because it was too much for me to eat alone, I cut it up and spread it around to a bunch of guys. I had about a third of the log to myself and it was great. It was like a tube of candy cookie dough, the stuff that comes in a tube. Very chocolaty, too. It was awesome for $2.46.

I found out about Bob and Shawn's gluttony after class. They had mixed five oatmeal packs each with all kinds of other stuff. They weren't even able to finish half of it and made themselves sick to their stomachs. Crazy guys! I think they beat me in the gluttony but mine tasted far better.

Words from John X 3

"One's collection of books comes to symbolize the contents of one's mind." - John Updike

"Even after years of God's rescues and surprises and blessing upon blessing, there's part of me that gets irritated when someone says, 'Let's ask God.' The act itself is a disruption. Sometimes it feels like grinding the gears. Stop? Now? Ask God? I'm bugged. That's part of it. And the other part is, if we do hear something, we'll have to obey." - John Eldredge

"Every step the mind takes in its progress toward knowledge makes some discovery, which is not only new, but the best, for the time at least." - John Locke

Giants and Electricity

Last night the chaplain had an open invitation for us to watch a movie called Facing the Giants about a high school football coach who sees his community and football team turn around for the better after he puts his faith in God and allows God to work through him.

From what I understand, the movie was put together by a single church, so the acting and directing isn't the greatest, but it is a good story. Some of it was a bit much for some guys and they just laughed but it was an alright movie.


After the movie I talked to one guy for a while and he asked me if I wanted a job on the electrician crew. I initially said no, but then I said I would think about it. The electrician's boss is a Christian guy who is really active in the community around here. I wouldn't mind working under him, but I also have some cool guys in the dorm with me who are good for a lot of fun conversation. I'll be praying about it until I get a clear answer.

The Nightmare of History *

We had our first history exam today on what should have been our day off from classes. For some reason this college has classes either Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs and always has Fridays free. I remember reading somewhere that schools that have Friday classes have less drinking among students, but I guess they don't have to worry about that here. Anyway, we missed a class last week because the teacher had to go to a funeral, so we had our make-up class today.

I'm usually in a mood where I'm ready and willing to take a test. I don't really know why - maybe I enjoy the challenge or being measured. That was not the case today. I just wanted to get it over with and go back to my dorm to curl up in my bunk and nap for a while, catching up on lost sleep.

I completed the exam and waited for the rest of the class to finish to have the exams graded and returned, wishing I had been a little more careful in starring my notes for things to study. When I saw my grade I was surprised to see an A. I checked it over and realized the teacher had let a couple of answers slide by with approval. Why he did that, I don't know. What I did know is that I did well on the exam and was ready to get some shut-eye.

*History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awaken." - James Joyce

The meaning of noise

Well, the noise has kicked up again in the dorm. For a while I could go to sleep after work without waking up an hour later to someone next to me yelling across the dorm holding a conversation. I was just getting used yo getting a full night's sleep when it got loud again.

The noise this time is a little different. There are two types: plain old loud talking and people singing. The songs now all all Tejano music so, not only is it loud, but I also can't understand it. The talking wouldn't be so bad if it was two people close together, but instead it's four or more people spread out around the dorm that have to yell to be heard over the singing.

What these guys fail to realize is little more than half the dorm is shower crew, which leaves quite a few who sleep while we work at night. And even some of us on shower crew have school during the day that we need to rest up for. I wish these guys would respect others more. Unfortunately, if anyone says anything about it, someone will get their ego bruised and want to fight before stopping. They think better a bruised eye than a bruised ego. This is a difficult kind of world and I can't wait to get out.


“Ignorant people think it's the noise which fighting cats make that is so aggravating, but it ain't so; it's the sickening grammar they use”- Mark Twain

A little bit of outside

It was a beautiful day outside today and I had to take full advantage and share it with some other guys. I tried to convince a couple of other guys to come out and play hacky sack with me, but they both wanted to stay in and lay on their bunks. Only when Rabbit, fresh out of cell block, said he would join us from his new dorm did Shawn agree to go out.

It turned out that Rabbit didn't show up anyway. Shawn and I played hacky sack with a few other guys from other dorms. Since we have been playing in the dorm frequently, we were far better and dropped their jaws with a few tricks. About an hour passed and the other guys went back inside, so I got to running.

I only finished a mile before some guys asked me to play soccer with them. The last time I played soccer was late last fall, but I'm always up for kicking the ball around. We played until the sun went down thirty minutes later.

It was so nice to be outside for such a long time (little more than two hours), especially after nightfall. I'm really looking forward to going camping when I get out. Even just walking around or going running on my own time sounds great. It can't come soon enough.

She Walks in Beauty

The first exam of the new classes was today in Brit Lit II. We have to write an essay over our choice of one of the poems we covered in class and turn it in before each exam. This exam covered Wordsworth, Coleridge and Blake, so last night, before I did my studying, I wrote about Rime of the Ancient Mariner Coleridge's amazing imagery.

I finished the exam pretty quickly and , as I usually do when I'm confident and speedy, I made a few a couple of stupid mistakes. After the exam I had about two hours until class ended so I read poems for the next class. The new poets are Byron, Shelley and Keats. After I read a few poems I decided to memorize one. I haven't memorized any passages in a long time, so I chose a short 18-liner by Byron - She Walks in Beauty.


By the end of class I had the poem memorized. I read an article a few eeks ago in which the author talked about memorizing poetry and the feeling of ownership of something beautiful that she could recite any time, like an old companion. I hope that I can store more in my brain and make it into a gallery to look at and enjoy during slow times.





She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

WSD - Weapons of Soap Destruction

My assigned dorm for the shower crew is cell block, which is where the administrative segregation inmates are housed. It's a quick, easy job with only two showers and a little bit of floor to clean. Cell block is usually quiet but there is sometimes a good bit of noise because guys have to yell to talk between their individual cells.

Lately, every time I go back to clean, the guys wait for me to go into the back, opening the door between two halves of barred cells. As I clean the back shower I hear whizzing and cracking as the guys shoot bits of soap at each other. Because they are in their cells all day, with nothing to do, they have started soap wars between the two sides. Their weapons are elastic bands from boxers as slingshots and plastic spoons as catapults. It's funny to hear their banter as the insults and taunts fly with each shot. They duck and doge to avoid hits. Even sleeping guys can't stay out of the game for long. They just get hit and wake up to join in the fray.

Dreamin' of cars and other stuff

Over the past few weeks a passion for cars, especially imports, has been reignited through conversations with Shawn, a guy in the dorm who knows imports extremely well. After talking about cars we would like to have and fix up, I was the only one who came out with any decision. My picks: the Nissan S13 240SX hatchback and my current obsession, the Mazda FC and FD RX-7.

Shawn and I have been poring over the import magazines in his possession for more information on these cars, but it's been nothing compared to what would be available if we had an internet connection and access to a computer. Man, I took the internet for granted when I was out. I needed it for my job and had unfettered access whether at home, work or school. I am so grateful for parents who research stuff for me; I received a good-sized packet of info on the RX-7 and its rotary engine.

Today I tapped Shawn to help me work out a budget for when I get out so that I can save for a car and school. If I am able to live with either my parents or grandparents, the amount for savings is encouragingly high. I plan as much as I can to hold back on spending but even the high estimate I came up with looks doable - almost easy until I start school again. Even tough it's all conceptual, it feels good to plan this stuff out. I can't wait to have a real job and some independence again.

Am I really this busy?

When I signed up for these summer classes I had no idea how difficult it would be to get to them on time.

I showed up to for my 5:30 PM U.S. History class today at 7:00 PM, interrupting the first lecture of the semester. I was ready to leave for dinner and school at 4:30 and was still waiting at 5:30. I knocked on the door to the dorm and asked what was going on. The guard said he didn't know but would find out. He never came back.

Around 6:15 another guard came in looking for a different guy who had class at the same time as I did. The guards in education were looking for him because he didn't show up for class. Neither of us had been to eat yet. Also, when I asked if they were missing me in education, he said no.So I showed him my lay-in, a printed pass for movement around the unit, but he still had doubts.

We stood in the hallway for twenty more minutes before the other guy was allowed to go to class. It took another five minutes to make a decision on my situation. They just wouldn't trust all the official paperwork I gave them, including the lay-in and the class sign-up sheet.

Finally I was able to go eat and go to class, an hour and half late.

This little piggy went to prison, this little piggy stayed home...

This weekend we had an unexpected cancellation of all
visitation. The H1N1 virus, better known as swine flu, is apparently on the move. It must be much worse that what I read about earlier this week in the news if they are limiting contact with the outside. The Sunday New York Times from last week said only that it was bad in Mexico and only a few confirmed cases were in the U.S. I don't remember reading about any deaths caused by the disease.

The cancellation really caught us off guard. Fliers were posted Friday afternoon, though there is no way we could have notified visitors before the weekend. Our only form of communication is by mail. In an amazing act of kindness, the warden sent a special guard around to each dorm taking names and phone numbers of expected visitors so the staff could notify visitors by phone. I was pretty surprised by the humanity shown by the administration here during the weekend. They usually couldn't care less about any difficulties we face.

I was looking forward to seeing some friends who I don't get the opportunity to see very often. It was a bit of a disappointment. It must have been an inconvenience for many folks out there who had planned a major excursion to see their locked up loved ones. I hope this disease runs it course quickly so guys can see their family and friends.