Seventy Ninth Visit to Taft

I thought I would be able to visit Ron every Friday of his incarceration, but no, now man has gotten in the way. A few months ago we had a family day planned at Taft that got snowed out. I was in LA, on my way to Taft, when Ron called to tell me the event was cancelled. Natural causes prevented us from getting there safely. Now, along comes "Carmegeddon." That's what the media called the shutdown of the 405 freeway for 53 hours this past weekend. They closed a 10 mile stretch of the freeway in order to remove a bridge at Mulholland Dr. I knew I would have no problem getting to Taft, but coming home could have been a big problem, so I opted not to go visit Ron on Friday. As it turned out, everyone heeded the Cal Trans warning and stayed home, and traffic was very light. So, I missed 2 visits, one caused my nature, the other by man. I will make my last visit on Sunday, July 24. So we really didn't have a 79th visit, however we spent quite a bit of time on the phone. It's just not the same.

I'm getting a little anxious and very excited. It's hard to describe. I just want it to be here. It seems that time is passing so slowly. I have done everything I can to keep busy and active, hoping that will make time pass. Keeping busy helps, but it's not enough. A day at the beach, a long walk, or an evening of bridge are the activities that distract me. Ron, however, has little distraction. Taft administrators have taken him off work for the last two weeks, so that they can get the bookkeeping on him wrapped up. I guess it takes time for them to figure it all out. At 12 cents an hour Ron only wanted to continue working to keep busy, but they don't allow him to work or purchase any items from the commissary for the last two weeks. It was about 2 weeks ago that Ron called and told me it all seemed real to him now. They said he was "pending release." That was when time started progressing at a snail's pace. We're down to single digits now, so the end is near. At least he's got his WSJ to read everyday and the track to walk if it's not too hot, and a few interesting men to talk to that have kept him sane.

This week I will be making a big shopping trip to purchase foods that he wants in the house. Lox, cream cheese and bagels are at the top of his list. Sounds good to me. I've already got his clothes ready for my final trip. I will arrive at 7am at the main prison, with his clothes in hand. He'll change there and then walk out with his little box of "stuff." I have brought pants in 2 sizes, as I'm not sure what's going to fit. Then it's off to Denny's for bacon and eggs, just the two of us.