MyTimeToBlog
I'm dreading my workday duties. We have to mow the facility's grounds, and it's a headache in the sun. Still, I'm off. My crew and I arrive at the gate where we wait on our supervisor. Already, I see that three of the seven man crew is missing. Great, that means more grass for me to cut. As I'm waiting, I see one of my nemeses, who kissed my mom during a visit. Ever since that day, I have made it my duty to playfully harass him. He knows this and grins as I make my approach.
Instead of my usual antics, I hand him my web address for my blog. He's smiling and promises to share it with his family. I turn and see my boss arrive with lawnmowers and weed eaters.
I rush over and grab a weed eater, and head to the front of the facility with my crew. We get to go where no other incarcerated men are allowed. I feel privileged to have a job that keeps me in the sun...until I turn on the weed eater. We cut enough grass for two NFL games to be played on. I don't dwell on it, because I'm thinking about Chino departing for a new job.
He is this Cambodian who shares a lot of wisdom with me on our breaks. Like today he opens up and says, "I'll miss working with you, Tut, because you craft a life of a real man. What we have around us is men who craft lives to be larceny. They waste their day doing that, while men like us work hard for a better life." I smile, simply because what he says is true.
When we finished our job, we were informed that after lunch we come back for round two: cutting in front of the N&O Building. I hurry back to my cell and grab my shower bag. The water is lukewarm, but I enjoy it nonetheless. When I am done, I head in and watch Avatar: The Last Airbender.
This anime series is good. I'm on Book 2: Earth, watching Aang learn how to be an Earth Bender. My little brother Red and I open up some cookies and Doritos. We snack, and watch TV; this is our mental break from all the nonsense that is prison before heading back out to work.
Lunch call I see two chicken wings on my tray that should be discarded. They are small pieces of chicken that I eat in a single bite. I shake my head in disgust, going back to work. This time we have a six man crew. I stroll to the front of the N&O Building and get to work. We finish the job in thirty minutes and follow it up with an excursion to the recreation yard to cut more grass.
The yard is massive, but with a crew like mine, we get the job done in an hour. After, I sit with my boss and two of my crew, chatting about losing out on a parlay ticket that has a sixteen dollar payout. Screw you Pittsburgh Steelers, put in Russell Wilson. He can win a game or two that I'm betting on...I hope.
Anyway, I return to my housing unit and discover we have a booth officer who refuses to let us in our cells. He has it in his mind that I should wait an hour to get in my cell for my shower bag. Hell no! I turn to my buddy, Link, who is the diplomatic type that speaks prison. Thanks to Link, I get in my cell and gather my things. As I do, the booth officer locks me in the cell. WTF. I call Link and the door soon opens again.
It's 2:00 PM, and I've been working since 7:20 AM. I'm tired, but thankfully the water is steaming hot. I'm resting my head on my hand as I brace myself under the showerhead. The water works my muscles, and that tells me I'll be on my bunk soon, stealing a nap.
As I'm fantasizing about what Aang has in store for me later on tonight, I hear: "Inside grounds workers, you have to go to work." This also has a follow-up from Red: "Get out the shower Tut, and dump some trash," he chuckles. I don't. More work. Groan.
I quickly dry off, thinking about the trash we haven't dumped. So, I again have to battle with the booth officer about my needing to get in my cell, and out the front door. He really has it in his mind that the doors must remain shut. Even as he does, I get out of the building and discover I have to cut more grass!
The head supervisor, who is over my boss, tells me that the warden wants the front of the A&B Building and C&D Building grass cut. It's only a three man crew this time, myself included. Still, as I'm fuming about all of this, I get back to work. I'm sweating before I depart from A&B Building. Plus, the head supervisor is all about his work, so mouthing off about how I worked all morning doesn't escape my lips. I just bow my head and let the lawnmower chew up the grass in front of me.
We work for a solid hour. As we do, another member of my crew shows up. He grabs a weed eater and gets into the swing of things. Nobody is talking. Our job is cutting grass, and we do it...even at the price of a third shower. I shake my head at that, but the head supervisor tells our boss to fire everybody who didn't come back to work. Damn, he's cutthroat.
I amble back to my housing unit and find a shower stall to crawl into. The water is boiling hot, but I do a quick wash up because the booth officer shouts chow call. They are having real hamburger meat in the meal. So, I hop out of the shower, dry off and dress...with no socks. My boots beat up my still damp feet as I make my way to the chow hall.
I step inside and find Vee pitching woo at this new transgender who arrived a few days ago. He and I catch eyes and I mime a violin being played. We both laugh as I join Carlos and Tim. The food is good, but I am exhausted, but not enough to dish out my web address for my blog. You always gotta hustle for your dreams...even at the price of three showers.
I get back to my cell and climb into my bunk. The TV is on, and I'm eager to close my eyes and sleep. I'll do that after I close out this article with this: the day ends with me being grateful for another day...minus the THREE SHOWERS I TOOK.
Have you ever had a day where you take three showers? If so, your butt is clean. Mines too. THREE SHOWERS.