TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2008
Today is December 30, 2008, the last Tuesday of the year. It's 3:35 P.M. and I'm writing from my assigned cubicle at Taft Federal Prison Camp. At 4:00 P.M. all inmates will stand for the daily census count. In the interim, I figured I'd knock out my daily blog.
My day can best be summarized by replaying a conversation I just had with my bunkie.
"Hi, Steve. How was your day? Do anything exciting? I was enthusiastic. Steve was not. "Well, I'll tell you how today was. Today was just another godd--- day in prison." Clearly, he's had enough of Taft Camp.
Scores of men find Taft Camp too boring and too dull. They despise that every day is just another day.The monotony can be too much for some to take, let alone embrace. Not me. I've come to enjoy the peace and freedom of my day.
As usual, I woke up at 5:00 A.M., made a cup of coffee and went to the quiet room. I finished reading The Last Lecture, A Year of Magical Thinking and Tuesdays with Morrie. I'm not sure why, but I always have three books in the rotation. I've just started reading Talent is Overrated, Obamanomics and Naked Conversations.
At 7:45 A.M. I hit the track. I ran for an hour and twenty minutes, listening to 95.3 on my radio. 95.3 is one of only a few stations that does not play country music (which I can't stand). I often lay on my rack dreaming of the day that I'll run with my iPod. I've yet to run in prison without hearing constant static, non-stop commercials or, of course, country music. So far in December I've run 210 miles. When I self-surrendered back in April 2008, the only sport I truly loved was baseball. I can now add another sport to the list, specifically while serving time in a federal prison camp. If my legs hold up, I'll run until the day I die.
After my run I ate lunch consisting of tuna, brown rice, soy sauce, pineapples and almonds, in my cubicle by myself. This dish has become my staple meal after every run. Then I mopped the floors, played two games of chess (won one), cleaned my cubicle, took a 30 minute power nap, called my close friend, Sam, and ate again - banana, apple, and a peanut butter sandwich.
