This past Monday was the mentor day for Defy. We are halfway through the curriculum and about to start the business planning phase. They brought in business people from around the area and the country (one was from Texas) to sit down with us one-on-one and give us...

Yesterday was a big day. We reached the midway point in the Defy program and they had a mentoring day. They brought in nearly 1 mentor for every student in the class, one even came all the way from Texas after reading about Defy online. They were all people who had...

I had an insight last week. During my first sentence in CA I constantly told myself (and others) that I wouldn't let prison change me. I planned on not coming out of prison "hardened," meaner or cynical. I intended to come out of the experience as emotionally...

WOOHOO! My keyboard arrived today so I can finally continue blogging. *cheer* Not only do I now avoid hitting the home key every other time I try to use the space bar but using the USB keyboard means that half my screen isn't taken up with the on-screen keyboard. *big...

I have crossed the darkest void and come out the far side. By that I mean I have received my tablet and can email again! *cheer* Unfortunately, the external USB keyboard for the old system doesn't work with this tablet so I have to use the on-screen keyboard and...

This will be my last journal entry for a while. We are switching to a new email system here and I have to turn in the MP4 player for AccessCorrections tomorrow to get the new tablet from JPay. It can take up to 60 days to get the tablet too so I might not have another...

Happy New Year! This past Thursday I gave my 3rd speech at Toastmasters. I was excited to try a less intellectual and more motivational topic but I was disappointed with the over-all audience reaction. My speech was titled "How to escape prison" and it was about...

It is Christmas Eve so Merry Christmas to all! As an early Christmas "gift" on Friday the powers that be decided to move me and my cellie, Jeff, from our old cell on the bottom tier to the high rent district of the upper tier. *chuckle* It's a pain to move, especially...

Woohoo! I sent the last of my Christmas letters today. I have had them all done for the past week but a few had to wait for confirmation that people's addresses hadn't changed. So far I've received emails or letters in response and it seems like people have enjoyed...

Last weekend I was very disappointed. Someone went into my cell and took the remote for my TV. This is the first time anyone has stolen anything from me and I'm more disappointed than angry because I thought everyone in F gallery respected me enough to not steal from...