Rec, Cell Clean-up and Thinking About Family and Friends

Writings of Monday, January 24, 2011

  Today when the swamper came after breakfast neither my cellmate or I had any appointments but we both signed up for Rec. at 7:30 AM.  I was laying on my bunk for a while and when it seemed close to 7:30 I got up and got ready for Rec.  Made my bed, put on my shorts and my Rec. shoes and told my cellmate to get his ass up and get ready.  He didn't listen and before you knew it the C.O. was yelling to us, "Be sure your bunks are made, shirts are tucked in, shoes are tied and you I.D. is on!  You can step out for Rec!"  Well, lets just say, my cellmate couldn't get ready in time and got sent back for not tying his shoes.  I, on the other hand, went and worked out for 50 minutes in the downstairs Rec. room.  Maybe a dozen people were down there and damn near any exercise machine you could ask for.  After Rec. I took a short nap until lunch.

  After lunch we had standing count, then the C.O. had shift change.  Then came cell clean-up.  They open four cells at a time to let us sweep, mop and clean our toilet, sink and anything else you may touch that can use sanitation.  My cellmate likes to talk to everyone while I clean.  He's just too distracting and loud.  They keep warning him to quiet down and that he's so close to going to the hole for being loud and disruptive.  I try to tell him to calm down because a rule violation might get him kicked out of boot camp before he goes.  I hope for his sake and mine, that he takes them seriously so he will go to boot camp by February 2nd.

  Cell clean-up is finished and the C.O. just passed out a huge stack of mail.  Unfortunately nothing for me.... making me start to wonder about some people.  It's hard to not let your imagination to run too wild and start thinking about all the things your friends are doing while you're in here.  The majority of the time you find out what you were imagining was far from the truth, but one can't help but to imagine.  I will say one thing, you hear from your real family and friends that's true.  When you're locked up you find out who your real friends are. 

~J. Doe