🔵 By Michael Klevene. Photo by lauragrafie.
Hi all – Here is „Michael’s Weekly Diary“ for the week. I would love to hear from you – please write with comments, questions, etc… Thanks!
Monday 11/22 – Sinks (as always) 5:15 am. Cloudy today – still warm, damp, rainy. Pick up breakfast tray – biscuit, jelly, potatoes & gravy, oatmeal, choc. cake. Cake in my oatmeal; jellies in my gravy. Work call for Voc. Tech., education, rec workers, facilities by 9 am. 11 am lunch chow call – finally eating in the chow hall – and with the other 3 C unit dorms for the first time in 20 months were all called together. Saw a few old friends – first time in 20 months. Once finished eating we could go back to the dorm. Rec call at noon – again all 4 dorms called together – saw some other friends again. After shower, dinner call – chicken fried rice on the menu but got just some chicken pieces – no rice – bread – made a sandwich from chicken pieces & mayo. Late mail call – very light mail day. Minor „scuffle“ with Puerto Ricans in cube 26. Unusual for us. 9 pm count – lights out – quiet time. Bible reading John 4:19-26.
Tues. 11/23 – Sinks 5:10 am. Clear skies today – front came through so cool – 46 deg. Bran flakes for breakfast so stayed in & made oatmeal again. 8 am work call. Sent some emails, read USA Today, The Week magazine, Bible. Lunch in chow hall at 11 am – chicken patty sandwich, beans & rice. Very small patty this time. Saw Tony & Basil (friends) from C3. Early commissary call at 12:30 – still cold out. Only about 100 items out of stock this week – getting better. Dinner pick – up of chicken cheese steak & baked potato. Rec call at 5-7:30 tonight – still cold so stayed in. 9 pm count – lights out – quiet time. Bible reading 2 Timothy 3: 10-17.
Wed. 11/24 – Sinks 5:15 am. Colder – 41deg. & windy. Picked up breakfast tray of pancakes & grits, milks. Rec call C bldg…. at 7:30 am – too cold to go out yet with no coat for 3 hours. Lots of names called to R&D (Receiving & Discharge) today – going home. Lunch call hamburgers & fries – in the chow hall – hot food for once! Thanksgiving Eve. so substitute CO – no supervision in the dorm, but relatively quiet & behaved. Mail call – only 1 magazine & newspaper. Dinner of Chef’s Salad – (lettuce, boiled egg, turkey, cheese, beets) – Ranch dressing. Slow night. 9 pm count – lights out – quiet time. Bible reading-Psalm 62.
Thurs. 11/25 – Thanksgiving Day. Sinks 5:20 am. Breakfast of bran flakes & duplex cookies – 2 milks – banana. Made peach & cream oatmeal instead. Holiday 10 am stand-up count. We’re all here… Went to chow hall & picked up special Thanksgiving meal – turkey, ham, stuffing, greens, mac & cheese, pecan pie & bag dinner for tonight (peanut butter/bread/bologna/jelly). Cleaned & mopped cube. Prepared/sent first diary to Laura today for last week – try to stay current & caught up now…4 pm stand-up count – still all here. No dinner call so long evening drags on. Made ham sandwich from left-over lunch. Did crossword puzzles until 9 pm count/lights out/quiet time. Bible reading Colossians 4:2-6.
Fri. 11/26 – Sinks 5 am. Breakfast French Toast, grits, no oatmeal again. Made blueberry oatmeal. Holiday schedule – no inspection, beds made, lights on. 10 am count. Lunch in chow hall – menu says fish patty but had beef stew & rice instead – my favorite! Better than fish! Rec call 12-3 pm- walked 7 laps (3.5 miles) on fully-open track – it had been blocked off half-way around but now is all open again. Talked to pal Basil K. from C3 on the bocce ball court for first time in 20 months. Picked up 5 photos taken last week to send with Christmas cards. I look old…oh well. 4 pm count. Out to pick up dinner of chicken fried rice at 5:30. Mail call had 6 magazines & 1 letter. No papers. Another slow evening until 9 pm count/lights out/quiet time. Bible reading Judges 6:11-16.
Sat. 11/27 – Sinks 5:10 am. Another cold front came through so cold again – 41deg. Breakfast pick-up is corn flakes, pink cake, banana. Made banana & cream oatmeal instead. Rec call 7-9:30 am – stayed in – too cold. Listened to NPR Weekend Edition until 10 am count. Eating brunch in the chow hall today – C unit called last – had scrambled eggs, potatoes & pancakes. Napped until 2:30. 4 pm count. Chow call 5 pm – pick-up „chicken Ala King“, noodles, peas & bread. Little serving – needs more gravy – too dry. Wrote emails, last weekly diary to send to you! 9 pm count/lights out/quiet time. Bible reading Acts 4:8-13.
Sun. 11/28 – Sinks 5 am. Rested until breakfast call at 7:15 – picked up (more) grits, yellow cake, apple, milks. Made strawberry & cream oatmeal instead. Listened to CNN News, the NPR Weekend Edition until 10 am count. Lunch call at 11 am of scrambled eggs, potatoes, biscuits. Rec call 12-3 pm. Stayed in to listen to Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football Team play the Indianapolis Colts – Bucs beat them 38-31. Great game! 4 pm count. Picked up dinner box – roast beef, green beans, potatoes & gravy. Pretty good tonight. Another slow night until 9 pm count/lights out/quiet time. Bible reading Job 5:17-27.
Hello to everyone reading my diary! I’ll tell you that I am a „Bi“ member of the LGBT community. I’ve had girlfriends & boyfriends – my „husband“ Terry & I were together 28 years. He died of lung cancer in 2004 at age 44. I love being able to love both sexes; it’s a bit tough as us „bi’s“ are not really accepted by either the straights or the gays – because we are neither, but both – but I feel lucky to be unlimited in who I can love. (Although I do prefer to be with a guy…;) I would love to hear from anyone – especially from the LGBTQ community. If you write to me with your address and email address I can enter it into our system, and you will be directed to the BOP „Corrlinks“ web site so we can email each other. Hope to hear from you soon!