As Outside, So Within
I think I am finally getting into a routine and the days are going by faster and faster, which is a good thing. Today was full as I had two video calls. One in the am with my husband and one in the pm with my family (the girls and momma). As always, it is good to see everyone. It is amazing how fast twenty five minutes goes by. I really do not call home a lot, my primary form of communication with my family has been through email and video calls. I like it that way. I literally check my email at least five times a day and I always get excited when I see that I have a new message. The line to the phone is always crazy and it just feels like a huge waste of time for 15 minutes. Luckily, however, we get 510 minutes of phone time each month for free because of the CARES Act.
Not much happened at Atwood today, except the case of the missing peanut butter. Yes, you read this correctly, apparently there is a full out investigation being launched to see what happened to jars of peanut butter that went missing from the cafe. SMH. You would think no one would want that, but with commissary being so low on food right now the cafe has become a very popular place. What is the commissary, you ask? Simply put, it is a prison convenience store. It has everything from body wash to chips to cheese to sneakers. It’s our own little mini Walmart. Some people here only eat items from the commissary and rarely go the cafe’. But we are at the end of the fiscal year, so everything is low or completely out. On commissary day, you would think it was a Black Friday sale or a Yeezy drop going down. The line to purchase stuff is typically wrapped around the corner. Last week, I saw grown women arguing with staff over honey buns, cereal and coffee creamer. It’s simply amazing to see.
But the commissary is also where the prison chefs get all the ingredients to make sushi, Frappuccinos, cheese balls, you name it. It is amazing what can be done with a pack of tuna, instant rice, and Asian sauce. And you thought Starbucks could whip up a mean frap? Oh no honey, you’ve obviously never had a prison frap with ice that was crushed between the door jam. And all I hear about is how everyone is ready for the air conditioners to go off and the heaters to come on. Apparently, there are plans brewing to make some mean grilled cheese sandwiches and quesadillas. We have a whole food court up in here. There are even rooms named after restaurants because they specialize in food. For example, the Cheesecake Factory is a room that houses around ten women on five bunk beds. They are known for making the best cheesecake this side of Kentucky.
Pretty much everything that exists on the outside you can find on the inside as well, just in a modified way. This week, I have an appointment booked for the beauty salon. Today, I talked with the girls about threading my eyebrows with the thread from my work shirt. Next week I am going to book my $5 massage and a mani/pedi.
Today, I was also able to get into two classes. A health class and my favorite, crochet. I have learned to crochet, and I now walk around with a ball of yarn in my bra just looking for a place to pull out my needle. I am also taking up knitting. When I get back home, I plan to teach Ness and Ma how to do both; although my mom knows already, she just needs a gentle reminder. Both knitting and crochet bring me peace and also help time go by. I’m not sure if I will be as skilled as some of the other ladies in here though. They can literally make anything. There’s so much talent inside these walls, just waiting to be unleashed. Hopefully, one day the world will get to experience it the way that I have.
