thank you, everyone. it is a "warm fuzzy" to know i haven't been forgotten. pm me if you want to. i answer those as i can.

i do read, but not each day. since i quit posting and sitting here a long time, my pain has decreased significantly. i don't have to take regular pain pills now and am sleeping much better.

i love PMs. i answer them when i'm pain free.

i've started training for my new job. i have to learn how to deal with a prisoner in case one becomes agitated or aggressive in my office. there is always a guard just outside the door as a lot of the information is confidential and she has to stand just out of hearing. (unless i yell.. ) for my position, i am being trained in "talking" a woman "down". no one has had to do that in years and years.

the tours are interesting. they have two growing industries there and the prisoners work and stay busy. it helps them pay child support, buy commissary items and send money home and pay the system for their room and board.

i've seen nothing but respect and calmness. but, i'm not in a pod, so i'm nowhere near the cells. i will have to wear a uniform because anyone that the offender comes in contact with is an "officer". you cannot imagine how thrilled i was to learn that it is a "no pantyhose zone" for me. just the clerical workers and it is by choice.

no weapons are allowed inside. learning how to take someone down was really cool. it is done with a minimum amount of fuss. the offender has to do something really drastic to be taken down. there hasn't been an offender assault on any employee in 13 years.

only one escape since the prison opened. there are beautiful dogs on the property. the security is minimal. that is way down from "minimum" here. there is a "ad seg" unit and solitary confinement. after solitary, they're shipped back to a tighter unit. (see, i'm learning the lingo )

the offenders have worked hard to get to this prison and any infraction cuts into their "good" time. it sets them back quite a bit. so, these people are on their best behavior.the offenders are "two timers". two years left on their sentences and then it's parole time!!

i have been told that there are fights among the inmates...and guess what? the women fight more than the men.

i hope all are doing well. i try to "keep" up, but i know things do slip by me here.

i'm up to 200mg lamictal and eating like crazy. the med is helping me a lot, no headaches or nausea from the increase!!!!!

have a happy halloween and don't eat too much candy!!! xoxoxo pat

p.s. it takes me 6 minutes to get to work (i found a shortcut) and i get to sell jewelry. (not to offenders..employees)