🔵 By Michael Klevene. Photo by lauragrafie.
Michael’s Weekly Diary 06.12.21-12.12.21
Monday 12/6 – Sinks after count – 5am. First sink on left is plugged up. Can’t clear – work call in to facilities. Finished, showered, & came back to lay down before breakfast call – went & picked up biscuits, potatoes, gravy, jelly, apple, milks. No fog yet today – cool this morning. Listened to CNN then NPR radio Morning Edition. 8am lights on, inspection ready. Mr. Stewart is gathering the Horticulture students for the first day of class- but he just got „augmented“ to be our CO today instead so no class…unhappy students and teacher. Computers & phones not working- „system maintenance“ is being performed. Scheduled to be back on by noon. At 10:15 our 2 recorded announcements* sounded on the PA system- (timing is wrong so timer must be resetting). Sounds again at noon so time reset must have been done. Lunch call – eating in chow hall – had chicken tacos, rice, black beans, corn, taco shells, & pie. I took a flour tortilla & made a „burrito“ from that – can’t chew the hard shells. Noon rec call at noon delayed until 12:30-tried to nap but it wouldn’t work. Tried computer again at 1:30 but still out. Same at 2:30. Finally working at 3:40 – but must get ready for 4pm count. Mail call at 5pm – only newspaper today. We’re the last unit to be called to dinner – 5:50pm. Picked up trays – menu says barbecue beef but served „sloppy joes“, coleslaw, & beans instead. Had enough „joe“ to save & use tomorrow. Looked over USA Today – article on my Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ Tom Brady & Rob Gronkowski who keep breaking & setting new franchise & NFL records. 9pm count/lights out/quiet time. Read until 10pm. Bible reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15.
Tues. 12/7 – Sinks after count. Showered, breakfast delivered due to heavy fog – corn flakes, banana, yellow cake, milks. No classes or work call until fog lifts – fog count taken at 9am. Fog hung in until 11am when another fog count was taken! Lunch then also delivered to us – should have gotten our favorite chicken patty sandwich, but got chicken fried rice & black beans instead! Made PB & honey sandwich instead. Pies delivered shortly after so something good to eat at least. I traded 2 Hershey’s bars for 2 pineapple pies. Yum! Things got going again after lunch – work & education calls, rec call for A unit. Tried to nap but not able to do so. Sent emails, read USA Today & magazines. 4pm count – mail call after – got USA Today & 1 magazine (Hot Rod magazine – read the editorial article about the new ZZ632 – the 632 Cubic Inch, 1004 horsepower Crate engine from Chevrolet!!!). Went to eat dinner in the chow hall – bean burritos, rice, corn. Ate some corn only. Went directly to commissary after eating – still many items I need out-of-stock so couldn’t spend much money. Rec call also 5-7:30 pm – either got to go to commissary or rec but not both. Stuffed commissary items into my bulging locker. Quiet rest of the night until 9pm count/lights out/quiet time. Read until 9:45. Bible reading: Isaiah 7:10-17.
Wed. 12/8 – Sinks after 5am count. Showered, no fog – went to chow hall & ate inside today – pancakes (cooked too hard), grits, apple, milks. Came back, got cube lights on & inspection ready – Ms. Brin was checking us out & yelling today. Work call, education call at 8:30 – another late start. Did work on this diary, typed letter of explanation of former work experience for Unit Team meeting coming up. Cleaned the cube. Lunch call 11:45 – hamburgers, tater tots, sauteed onions(!), carrot cake. Tots were cold & very hard & crispy. Sauteed onions a nice treat – usually just sliced raw. Picked up pills at medical on the way back to the unit after eating. Managed a short nap – just laid down & had to get up for mail call. 1 letter from my best high school buddy Art & USA Today. No magazines. Called to chow hall at 6pm- eating in of pizza, kidney beans, & green beans. Raining earlier but quit by dinner time so didn’t get wet. Listened to CNN – looked through paper. Not much else going on until 9pm count/lights out/quiet time. Bible reading: Ephesians 4:1-6.
Thurs. 12/9 – Sinks after 5am count. No fog yet outside my window. Finished cleaning at 5:45 – now heavy fog outside. While showering at 6:15, breakfast was called – but didn’t go today – and fog had disappeared now! Still cloudy – rain expected. Then – fog re-appeared by 8am – delaying outgoing calls – but gone again by 8:30 so work/rec/education/votec callouts can happen. Listened to NPR radio until lunch call at 11:30 in chow hall. BBQQ chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots, apple pie, milk. Back by 12:15. Napped until 1:45. Worked crosswords, read USA Today until 4pm count. Rec called at 5pm – choice of rec or eating dinner. Chose dinner – in chow hall had Chef’s salad with turkey, tomato, boiled egg, Ranch dressing, beets, BBQ potato chips. Mail call at 8:15- no mail or paper today. 9pm count/lights out/quiet time. Read until 10. Bible reading: Revelation 7:9-12.
Fri. 12/10 – Sinks after 5am count. Showered. No fog today – breakfast call in chow hall is supposed to be French toast & oatmeal – served corn flakes and chocolate cake instead! I drank 1 milk & went back to dorm & made blueberry & cream oatmeal and coffee. Listened to CNN and NPR news. Mowers out on compound so no work/education/VT callouts yet – should be later on. Called first to lunch – is supposed to be baked fish (yuck) but found beef stew, rice, green beans, corn, cornbread instead. (Yum!) Much better meal today! Came back to dorm – rec call at 12:00. Stayed in & napped instead until 1:30. Quiet with many outside. 4pm count – then mail call – got 1″People“ magazine & Friday’s USA Today, but haven’t gotten Thursday’s yet – Maybe next week. Called last for dinner – great meal of lasagna, lettuce salad, garlic toast. Was made properly for once & tasted good – wish they’d make it like this more often. Came back, did some crosswords, wasted time until 9pm count/lights out/quiet time. Read until 10. Bible reading: 2 Samuel 22:17-20.
Sat. 12/11 – Sinks after 5am count. Foggy at 5 – lifted by 6:45 – back at 7 – mostly gone by 7:45 when rec & breakfast was called. Went to get grits, yellow cake, apple & milk. Ate the cake & milk. Listened to NPR Weekend Edition until 10am count. Wasted time with „Z man“ until lunch call – we’re the last unit to be called so late start at 12:30. Had scrambled eggs, potatoes, pancakes. Got to eat with Basil K. from upstairs C3 – good to talk to him again after 20 months. Came back & napped 1-2pm. Did more crosswords & read USA Today until 4pm count. Looked through magazine pile until dinner call at 6pm – had BBQ shred chicken sandwich, potato salad & peas. Potato salad was better than usual – chicken was ok. Ate with Basil and Z-man again. Lounged around & wasted time until 9pm count/lights out/quiet time. Read until 10pm. Bible reading: Deuteronomy 15:7-11.
Sun. 12/12 – Sinks after 5am count. Breakfast called – bran flakes today. Left & made oatmeal instead. Listened to NPR Weekend Edition 8-10am. Count at 10 – everyone here. Lunch called – ate in chow hall- potatoes, scrambled eggs, biscuits. Napped 12-1:15 while many were out at rec yard. Wasted the afternoon until 4pm count – Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Buffalo Bills NFL Football today at 4:25pm. Dinner call of chicken fried rice – stayed in & listened to the game – Bucs were ahead 24-3 at halftime – only scored 3 points the whole second half while the Bills scored 24 – tied at the end. Overtime was good- Bills didn’t get anywhere & Bucs scored the winning touchdown on a 56-yard pass play. Bucs are 10 wins & 3 losses this season! Only 1 hour left until 9pm count/lights out/quiet time. Bible reading: 1 Corinthians 2: 1-10.
*Every 2 hours daily from 6am to 10pm 2 recorded announcements are heard from the PA system – First: „Notice to inmates; Male and female staff will be present in the housing unit during this shift“, followed in Spanish. Then – „Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, inmates & staff are reminded to wear your masks, maintain social distancing of 6 feet, continue cleaning high-touch areas at all times, and keep all areas sanitized“, also followed in Spanish. After the time change last month, the announcements went off starting at 5am, repeating every 2 hours, and ending at 9pm. Clock was finally reset so it’s back to 6am-10pm.