🔵 By Michael Klevene. Photo by lauragrafie.
Michael’s Weekly Diary 24.01-30.01.22
Thought for the week: From Proverbs 1: „Let the wise listen and add to their learning“.
God will never stop teaching us if we’re willing to open our heart and mind to His guidance and instruction.
Today’s Bible reading-Jeremiah 18: 1-6. Monday Jan. 24, 2022. Breakfast was as listed on the menu – grits, potatoes, biscuits & gravy. Was very frosty going to pick it up – icy grass & everything is white like snow – very cold. High of only 56 today – rain expected tomorrow with another front. Many staff out sick with Covid – 1,432 has it right now in all BOP facilities. Total inmate cases are above 9,020, or up 17% over the previous high number back on December 28, 2020. At least 301 inmates have died from Covid so far. Rec called at 8am but too cold out for me to go – maybe Wednesday next. Lunch picked up- pizza, salad, collard greens, pasta. Tried to nap – but called to town hall meeting with Ms. Brin. Covid has shown up next door in C2 so we probably have some cases too- not tested here so we don’t know. Mail call gave me newspaper & 4 magazines today. Dinner pickup supposed to be chicken fried rice – but (surprise) no CFR but baked ziti – which was very good this time. Also black beans & green beans, and a half-hamburger bun for bread.
Today’s Bible reading – 1 John 4: 10-21. Tuesday Jan. 25. Not so cold this morning – picked up corn flakes & French toast, banana & only 2 milks today. French toast & banana unusual for a Tuesday but appreciated! Started to rain on the way back from the chow hall – gonna be a rainy day it looks like – and we have to go to commissary this afternoon. Hope it doesn’t last long… Lunch called – went to pick up chicken patty parmesan, pasta & marinara, mixed vegs., beans, garlic bread, bananas. Mostly the same as on the menu – bananas an extra treat. Raining just slightly so not too bad- hope it holds off for commissary later. Facilities finally came to fix my 3 sinks – hope they do the job properly. Well – they spent several hours working & messing up the place but clogged sink needed acid treatment, leaky faucet was replaced, leaky trap needs still to be replaced. Not much accomplished yet – have to wait until 4pm Wed. to try to clear drain. Dinner called after count – picked up „sloppy joe“ – supposed to be BBQ beef – still tasted OK. Along with beans & mixed vegs. Mail call brought 4 magazines but no newspaper…
Today’s Bible reading – Ecclesiastes 3:9-14. Wed. Jan. 26. Rainy this morning yet but not as cold – 52 deg. so far & heading to 59 for a high. Rec should be at 9:30 but it’s too wet for me so I’ll probably stay in today. Picked up breakfast of pancakes and grits. Ate the pancakes – made peach fruit & cream oatmeal. Checking out some organ music for my MP3 – I love Mendelssohn’s organ music! Downloaded several organ sonatas. „Grown Man“ Mr. Williams & Counselor Thomas came through the dorm and raised holy h**l about the way it looked – we had to get „inspection ready – by 7:30am, NOT 8 or 9 but 7:30, or shake-downs will happen“. My cube is always ready so no problem there – too many others were „lacking“ and we are warned everything will be locked down if the mess persists. Then, we were given the news we are on Covid lockdown anyway as some positive cases have been found here in our dorm. No more going out to rec, commissary, picking up meals – testing should be done soon and all positives will be sent to the SHU – (special housing unit) for quarantine. Don’t know for how long- time will tell. Lunch delivered to us at 1pm – should be hamburgers/fries but got fried chicken- my cellie Tony told me the cooler in food service broke, the hamburgers got to 60 degrees, and were thrown out, so we have tomorrows‘ lunch today. Mail call brought today’s USA Today paper and 2 new crossword dictionaries I had ordered back in September – Second Chance Bookstore (which I use to order special requested books) was flooded with orders last year after the stimulus checks came out. They deal specifically with jails/prisons – then Covid shut them down. Then the owner went through cancer treatments – then one of their important employees suddenly died – so they were way behind on orders. I still have 2 other books due maybe next week as they are getting caught up finally. Dinner delivered – should be spaghetti & meatballs but got pasta & spaghetti sauce with meat. Tasted good though – came with carrots & beans. 2 broken sinks from yesterday finally unclogged and one faucet replaced -so cleaned them up for use. One still needs leaky trap pipe replaced with new.
Today’s Bible reading – Romans 12:12-21. Thursday Jan. 27. One advantage to being under Covid lockdown is our meals are delivered so we don’t have to go out in the cold or rain. Breakfast tray is corn flakes and biscuits – don’t know why the biscuits – not on the menu for today – (they are overbaked and hard as hockey pucks anyway). Made a Pop-Tart instead. No ice yet for my milks until „Grown Man“ Williams comes to work at 8am. Ice call at 9:30 so iced my milks for the day. On lockdown for at least 9 more days so no going out or coming in. Lunch delivered early – got yesterday’s burgers & fries so must have gotten a shipment in to replace the damaged ones from yesterday. Napped from 11:30 till 1pm. Dinner delivered at 5pm – hot dogs & chips, collard greens & navy beans. Mail call called in the middle of eating dinner – only 2 newspapers – Tues. & Thurs. Went back to cold hot dogs – wish Jacobs would have waited 10 more minutes until after dinner…
Today’s Bible reading – Jeremiah 17:5-8. Friday Jan. 28. Another early breakfast delivery- French toast, muffin, banana & bran flakes – should have been oatmeal but they must be out of it again. Ice room locked early but opened by 8am so I can get ice to keep my milks cold. „Grown man“, Ms. Brin, Counselor Thomas all out today so quiet morning so far. Nurse coming around asking if we feel good so they don’t have to Covid test us all – they don’t have enough test for everyone. Another taken out of my dorm yesterday sick with Covid – none today so far. The new population report shows total BOP inmates down 4,303 this week from 157,596 to 153,293 due to the First Step Act releases. We had 21 released from here at Coleman Complex last week, from 1642 to 1621 at all 5 compounds. Lunch delivered – supposed to be tuna salad but they made a sort of tuna casserole with butterfly pasta and tuna, along with peas and biscuits – yellow cake for dessert (overbaked, hard & dry). Not sleeping or napping well last 36 hours… although I do feel OK and have had all shots & booster. Mail call brought newspaper & 4 magazines – Hemmings Muscle Machines had great articles on GTO’s and (my dream car) a 1968 Oldsmobile 442. Beauty! Dinner delivered – supposed to be chicken cheese steak but got beef tacos & rice – instead, made a P.B. & honey sandwich, also pkg. of pb&j crackers and milk. Zebra Cake for dessert.
Today’s Bible reading – Matthew 19: 16-26. Sat. Jan. 29. Bran flakes, banana & muffin breakfast delivered at 7am – kept the banana & made a Pop-Tart instead. Very cold wind coming in the window all night – kept me shivering – think I caught a cold already. Don’t think it’s Covid though – I don’t want to be tested and go to the SHU for quarantine… Still cold all day – lunch delivered scrambled eggs, flour wraps, potatoes to make „breakfast burrito“. Napped very long today – 12-2:30- must have been really tired (or this cold is taking the energy from me). Listened, with sorrow, to CNN that our Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has decided to retire – I’m devastated. Had hoped he’d try one more year for another Super Bowl ring but apparently his family is more important right now. At 44 years old, he’s accomplished more than any other quarterback, or for that matter, any other football player, had ever done. Not sure yet who can replace him – the team had remained intact for 3 years, and at least the 2 years Tom led them – probably several others won’t be coming back either. He will be sorely missed. After that news, dinner delivered – chili, cornbread, mixed vegs. This time the chili is WAY TOO HOT spice-wise – too many jalapeno peppers – I’d say at least a 7 alarm chili so I can’t eat this without burning up my mouth and creating extreme heartburn. Ate the vegs. & cornbread – will have something else later. Zebra Cake & decaf coffee helps fill the void…
Today’s Bible reading – Psalm 6. Sunday Jan. 30. Late delivery of grits & cake, banana – after 7:30. Got my window finally mostly closed last night so it wasn’t cold & windy for sleeping – have gotten a cold either from the window open or being out at commissary on Tues. night- hope it gets better soon – blowing nose, sneezing, achy. Lunch delivered- good today except for the boiled eggs – French toast & potatoes OK. Nice not having to go out in the cold…Slow afternoon typical for Sunday. Dinner delivered – should be beef tacos but we had that Friday night – instead we got great slice of roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy & biscuits. Very good beef tonight. Now received news that Buccaneers‘ quarterback Tom Brady may not be retiring yet – hope it’s not just a rumor…