Thirty First Visit to Taft

Last week I came home physically and emotionally spent from my visit to Taft. It was the last time I would be driving from LA to Taft with Carole. We've been driving together this summer but she is moving away to finish school and I will be driving alone. We've gotten to know each other quickly because we share the common bond of both having a husband at Taft. It makes for instant commraderie, for the Taft wives all understand each other, regardless of how different we are.

Carole has had years of experience in the prison system and has taught me so much. I'm new to it all and appreciated her honesty and candor. I will miss her. I know her hubby will too, as they'll only see each other once every 3-4 weeks.

We spent the entire day at Taft, and with the lack of anything good to eat there, I was upset that I would resort to eating a lot of junk. That's exactly what I did, but what are you going to do when all they offer is cheesecake, chips, candy, soda and a few sandwiches? So much for healthy eating.

Ron's childhood friends, Philip and Ellen came for their second visit. It was great to see them, and Ron loved spending time with them. They had just attended their high school's 50th class reunion, and had lots of stories to tell. They had sent Ron a class picture from the reunion in advance. He couldn't bring it into the visiting room, but they still had a great time reminiscing. Their dedication to maintain a friendship and to support Ron during this period is amazing. Ron and I appreciate their friendship more than we can say.

I came to Taft completely on edge. This was due to the fact that I hadn't slept the night before because I had so much on my mind to discuss with Ron. Each week I come to Taft with a list of things we need to talk about. These things can be as simple as talking about a budget when he comes home, to possible business ideas for the future, to where Ron wants to go eat when he is released from Taft. The funny thing is that the list doesn't get shorter every week, in fact it gets longer. Household bill paying was always Ron's job, but obviously I have taken over that chore. I always seem to have a few things to ask him. I want to make sure I'm doing everything correctly.

It was hard to say goodbye this week, both to Ron at the end of the visiting day, and to Carole at the end of our ride back to LA. I will miss Ron this week but know I will see him again next Friday with a new and longer list in hand. Carole, on the other hand, I will not see for a while, but will call or e-mail her to see how her school is going. Her husband will miss her terribly, but with what they've been through, this is just another minor hurdle. I hope the time passes quickly for them.