17 Nov 07

Release (7) letters to parents

A, who has been in prison since the 70s stopped by. His seventy-year old mum came from Florida to visit him today. The staff denied her entrance citing her low-cut blouse. His quick-thinking mum shuffled to the bathroom, removed her blouse and threw it into a trashcan. She buttoned up her jacket so nothing could be seen cleavagewise that may have excited the prisoners, and she was allowed in.

In the tradition of prisoners stopping by, chatting a while, and then requesting an item of my personal property that I’ll no longer need, A. asked for my belt. How could I refuse when he couched the request in terms of him needing a better belt than the decrepit one he was wearing for the special visit scheduled with Mum this Tuesday.

I read Tortilla Flat by Steinbeck today and laughed hard. I like how tuned in he was to the music of the ordinary. Almost as good as Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson which I urge you to read. I’m slacking on The Goodfather Returns as it isn't as gripping as The Godfather.

The meal I will miss most from here is the stuffed bell pepper. It’s stuffed with rice, cheese, celery and other ingredients I can’t remember. I just had four portions given to me by prisoners, who aren’t eating much in the chow hall because today is a food-visit day. Maybe you could find a recipe on the Internet, Mum.

Only three more days.

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