Hey lifers! Just checking in to see how you all are doing.... where is everyone? ;)

Me, I'm doing pretty good.. :)

Hi!
I just wanted to say HI from Europe! :wave:
Everything is o.k. here. :thumbsup:
But we had a earth quahe in my country yesterday and some people did die! :(
And because I´m fine I´m thinking about the victims that lost their houses!:(
Amy

HI Qwerty...I am better! lol On Saturday we had my kids Double graduation party...I recovered for 2 days! Its a relief to have it over though, the house is less stressed for sure. Not one of my family members showed up. The have issues because of jerry. Ya know the funny thing bout people judging you cuz your with a lifer is...its not like he is coming to Christmas dinner or the next family b-b-q! So yea thats over and my kids start college in sept. I too am starting college and going back for my Nursing degree. Besides that, same ole-same ole! We are waiting fir jerry to go to GP from Seg anyday now. Then another 6 months plus for a transfer closer to home. I am losing a great deal of hosehold income in Aug and will not be able to make the visits. I dont know when i iwll ever see him again. But thats bout it for me...hope everyone else is well...

Dawn

Hey everyone!! I'am doing just OK. WA. state has been transfering inmates out of state and the first wave of inmates were sent out last week from the prison my man is in. Word is that there will be another one this week and then yet more more to nevada in a couple of weeks. Neddless to say I am on pins and needles because my Man is on the list of inmates they choose from! Other thanthat life is normal.
You all should check out the cute questionairre that 2scorpios did ! It's in the suggestion and feedback post!! I did it with my husband and had a good laugh!!
take care!! penwife

Hi guys....suffering in the hot and muggy Ohio heat here. Love coming home and going to sleep. Haven't heard from Gary in like 2 months, due to him obsessing with the rest of his life behind bars....he's been there 12 years already and it's only hitting him now? Other than that, just hanging with the hounds and taking it easy.

Hi all, Penwife, my friend who I am going to visit is a lifer in WA too! (I am usually in the WA forum). My friend is always afraid it is going to hit him (the life I mean) and sometimes it does, but after a while things go better again, just like with all of us really. It is tough though, and he is nearly always full of hope.
I still do not know for certain, like Penwife, if my friend is going to be moved out of state or not. If they do, they better wait until I have finished my visit to him!!
Abelle

I'm on my way out to Home Depot to pick up paint....and am having a lot of fun making this place my own ;)

Shawn is on the down side these days...his cell was stripped for investigation, and he just got a pen and paper yesterday after 4 days without any of his property (hasn't gotten anything else back, tho, nor has he gotten a property removal sheet!). He asked to make a special phone call home to his father in Missouri, to convince him to let me help him move here to Kansas...and was denied permission. The father's place was flooded out last month, but because he is not in the best financial situation, he and his wife have decided to try to salvage it.....which is, IMO, not a good idea (water damage, termite damage). To make matters worse, he doesn't even OWN the house; he rents it. The landlord had no insurance, and will not be making any repairs. It's such a mess.

All Shawn was asking for was a 10- or 15-minute phone call, just to touch base with his Dad. The phone lines at the house had gotten flooded as well, so Dad got a cell phone, which the facility refuses to add to Shawn's approved phone list. After all, it's such a HUGE security risk and all....to let my guy talk to his 64-year old father about moving to Kansas so he doesn't have a heart attack trying to salvage SOMEONE ELSE'S house.

So...my day is going well, but the Kansas DOC sucks, big time. Heartless b*stards.

I have a question? How far could this affect your visits and whatnot? I mean for me to visit, its far enough i should be in another state...525 miles, 10 hours one way. We have losts of inmate movement going on in michigan, but not out of the state, jsut re-organizing of prisons and stuff. Just was wondering that and thought i would ask...

Dawn

Hey everyone!! I'am doing just OK. WA. state has been transfering inmates out of state and the first wave of inmates were sent out last week from the prison my man is in. Word is that there will be another one this week and then yet more more to nevada in a couple of weeks. Neddless to say I am on pins and needles because my Man is on the list of inmates they choose from! Other thanthat life is normal.
You all should check out the cute questionairre that 2scorpios did ! It's in the suggestion and feedback post!! I did it with my husband and had a good laugh!!
take care!! penwife

Wow this is interesting to me lisa...like a 12 year denial thing? I would wig out if i didnt hear from jerry in two months, i think the last time we went that long between communication was in 1999 when i was getting married. Hmmmm. Anyway, you give them big ole slobbering babies a hug for me and one for you too!

Dawn

Hi guys....suffering in the hot and muggy Ohio heat here. Love coming home and going to sleep. Haven't heard from Gary in like 2 months, due to him obsessing with the rest of his life behind bars....he's been there 12 years already and it's only hitting him now? Other than that, just hanging with the hounds and taking it easy.

I am a painting finatic...as most of you know. <Home Depot/Bear Paint...I am excited!> I am sorry to hear that Shawn is having such a hard time of it. I would think perhaps a call to the Warden to request the special call and a note to him from Shawn as well? Gosh i jsut dont know what to say to help. Either way, like i said in chat, he will be getting better and stronger and soon he will have proven himself to get his belongings back. Tell him best wishes from me...

I'm on my way out to Home Depot to pick up paint....and am having a lot of fun making this place my own ;)

Shawn is on the down side these days...his cell was stripped for investigation, and he just got a pen and paper yesterday after 4 days without any of his property (hasn't gotten anything else back, tho, nor has he gotten a property removal sheet!). He asked to make a special phone call home to his father in Missouri, to convince him to let me help him move here to Kansas...and was denied permission. The father's place was flooded out last month, but because he is not in the best financial situation, he and his wife have decided to try to salvage it.....which is, IMO, not a good idea (water damage, termite damage). To make matters worse, he doesn't even OWN the house; he rents it. The landlord had no insurance, and will not be making any repairs. It's such a mess.

All Shawn was asking for was a 10- or 15-minute phone call, just to touch base with his Dad. The phone lines at the house had gotten flooded as well, so Dad got a cell phone, which the facility refuses to add to Shawn's approved phone list. After all, it's such a HUGE security risk and all....to let my guy talk to his 64-year old father about moving to Kansas so he doesn't have a heart attack trying to salvage SOMEONE ELSE'S house.

So...my day is going well, but the Kansas DOC sucks, big time. Heartless b*stards.

Dawn,
the whole time I have known and been involved with him has been one big "when I get out" thing. It never hurts to hope, but reality is also a factor in getting older. And as for the slobber monsters....no problem, since it's been storming every night they have been stuck to me. I have to wait till they start to sleep really good before I move from my 12 inches of bed space to the couch so I can sleep with some little bit of comfort.

I have to wait till they start to sleep really good before I move from my 12 inches of bed space to the couch so I can sleep with some little bit of comfort.

LOL...does that sound like me or what? Except I don't even have a bed yet--I'm still trying to decide which one to buy! So, every night it's me, two dogs, and a new kitten on the sofa...no wonder I don't sleep well!

Susan

irisheyes, your picture in your siggy is adorable!

im doing ok too ... i will be able to see billy on july 23rd. it feels like FOREVER :(:(:(
im just trying to keep busy!!!

Hey, it's good to hear everybody's still strong and keeping busy, though it sounds like some of yall are going through some hard times out there... me, I'm feeling guilty, I haven't sent a letter in a while, but today I just mailed out a big packet of letters and cool stuff from the internet. My friend said he only got one b'day card -- mine :( .

Well, keep those head up high!

Hi, hope all is well with everyone. Everything is good over this side.

Whew!!! No transfers from my husbands prison this week!! Now if we can just get thru next week.....

Wow, penwife... what an awful thing to have hanging over you. I would go crazy thinking of that possiblity... I hope they stop that madness soon.

Glad you made it thru the week. :)

WEll i am feeling like i am stuck in a vortex of nothing and inaction. I am sitting here waiting for the phone to ring or running to get letters from the mailbox telling me he has been transferred to GP. After getting sent to seg for a bogus ticket, we are at the end of that 6 months as of in 2 days, and now BACK again to wait for another 6 months for a transfer to a level 4 facility. We have been fighting for 2 long years for a transfer to a level 4 facility. Thats 2 YEARS! We never seem to get any closer to our goals of increased visits. We are bickering in the letters, and its just terrible. No control ya know? we have no control. I feel like i am going to jump out of my skin just wanting something to change. We are both doing the best we can and nothing we do or dont do seems to make a change in the situation.
I feel so unsettled. like i got my underwear on backwards all the time!

Waiting to Wait...
Dawn

penwife: the transfers suck. lemme know what happens. as you know my baby got moved 900 miles away.
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I need to come in this folder more often.
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been busy with classes , painting myself, working and trying to get financial stuff in order.

i am doing just fine. just missing the hell outta my baby. but i will get to see him again at the end of next month. this 6 month wait has been hard, but thru it i really see how much i truly do love my baby and we have gotten so much stronger thru this. so i guess you can say im doing just fine!!!

Thanks QWERTY and Ashley!! It has been hard waiting and wondering what is going to happen. I sure will let you know what happens!!

penwife, is there a certain time frame, what I mean is if they don't move him by a certain date you'll know they aren't gonna move him at all? Or does this go on indefinitely?

that so sucks... :(

Next week we should be in the clear, but the medium security prison my husband is at is slated for reconstruction in the fall. They will have to move two thirds of the population to other prisons, so even if my guy isn't moved out of state he still runs a good chance of getting transfered to another WA. state prison. He did hear an official say that the lifers were staying put but i just can't be sure.

Hey Q, and everyone else! I took a break from PTO! All is good!

Hey!!!!!!!! Good to have you back! :D

I am doing fine. Missing my honey. I am in Georgia and he is in New York. Looking forward to our next trailer visit in November. I keep myself busy with work, school, kids, etc.

Ummmm.... Still waiting for that phone call telling me he is in Seg GP. Still trying to figure out how i can get the money for a visit. Its like a creative challenge for me sometimes! Hanging with my kids, working, reading PTO posts... SSDD! lol

Signed...
The Queen of WAIT!

Hi, everyone. Been busy BIG time; working, of course (summer is always busy, staff out on vacation, etc.; plenty of overtime), working on the house, packing & getting ready to move; all with the usual snags & glitches. I want that part to be over! I look and feel like a bedraggled wreck, and CERTAINLY don't want to visit like this!

My guy & I have been doing fine; it's hot & he gets a bit cranky when he can't sleep till way late, when it cools down a bit. He gets so mad when he's trying to write a letter & gets sweat on it; personally, I like that just fine ;). It's hot here, too, but I MUCH prefer that to being cold---seems like it took forever for summer to get here.

Right now, it looks like I'll be actually moving around the end of the first week of September; isn't that about the hottest time to be driving from Oregon to Florida? I won't mind much, but the animals (except the iguanas) probably won't care for that too much---especially my big, fuzzy dog. Trying to figure out how to make them as comfortable as possible; it's a LONG drive!

That's about all the news from out here; boring, aren't I? Been in a bit of a funk lately (mostly tired, I think) & hoping for a letter today, which always makes things much better. I'm so glad to be able to come here---between the shift I work (1800-0600) and all the stuff I've been doing on the house, and my natural tendency to keep to myself, I'd really be feeling isolated without you guys---so THANK YOU!!! :D

I am doing ok but sometimes I have trouble of running out of things to say with my close friend who is serving a life sentence. I do about the same thing every week. I send him pictures of my area, jokes etc. but as far as what i am doing I have nothing to say. I guess you can say I am getting writers block. what do you guys "write" about?? what do you write about for the rest of your life? His life?

Writers block! WELL after 6 years of writing, i tend to think i might have a couple ideas on the subject! lol I write bout everyday, and then mail the letters twice a week. They are a combination of replying to his letters and just stuff i am wanting to talk about. See the thing is this...writing letters is the only way we communicate for most of us, so what i do when i have nothing to say is..just talk to him. Its kinda like talking on the phone or just chatting. If he were there in the room or on the phone, what would ya say? I call it the 'blah, blah, blah' parts of the letters. Just hanging out and talkin to my best friend. See its not the quality of the content, its the quanity they love. He likes to here bout my everyday thoughts, it makes him feel more a part of my real life. Some tiimes he thinks bout when he was a little kid and shares stories with me, or askes me bout when i was a kid. and if all else fails, ask them what they like to hear about. Most time you will be suprised. I used to want to shelter him and not talk bout everything out here...but we are thier only connection with the outside world, they can feel that connection through the letters. Send them jokes from your e-mail, or you can play the 'whats your favorate?' game. This was fun to discover that alot of men have a favorate flower! Dont think about writing him for the rest of his life or yours, just talk and hang out...let us know how it goes or share any ideas!

Dawn

Dawn pretty much has what to write about covered. Anything and everything. I try to keep him involved in my every day life. Ask his opinion or what he would do in a certain situation. He's been in 10 years and I've known him near 20 so we've talked about eveything under the sun! things we've done, things we should be doing, anything. We write everyday, heck sometimes I write twice a day. sometimes it's crazy babble, but he gets a kick out of it.

NOTHING new with Dawn. Well my baby turns 18 on the 14th... this is just too odd for me. I also had to change my estrogen from a patch to oral medications for the first time in like 7 years. My body is REAL MAD at this adjustment, i just dont sleep. Still no visits or phone calls, but we are really trying to have positive attitudes here. Besides that, school starts for me in September, working and trying to hang in there the best i can.

Dawn

18! I had the hardest time when my neice turned 18, now she's 20 and I have to talk to her like an adult -- it IS strange! Not sleeping is hard, I am also getting little sleep, but it's because I just have too much to do... I love being busy, but this is a little too much, bordering on stressssss.

Me, I am happy my pal is OK after going into ad-seg, but now there's no phone calls and my letters take forever to reach him. I know I'll just to be very patient, it'll probably be months before I find out if he's caught another case or is going into the SHU.

thanks Dawn!!for the ideas of what to write and what kind of attitude i should have as far as writer to a lifer. thank for the suggestions for my writers block. :)

Hi, everyone. Nothing much new here---still packing like a maniac; do they have a 12-step program for collectors-of-everything? Packed 17 boxes of books yesterday (to go with the 12 boxes I already packed), and keep finding more....

My guy is doing fine; we're actually going to be able to see each other in just 5 1/2 weeks! Well, maybe less, if I can drive from Oregon to Florida without sleeping. We haven't seen each other since the beginning of April; I can't wait!

The only sad part about this move is leaving my job; I've gotten really attached. Two more weeks left there, then I'll be taking my vacation time (through October!). The people I work with are SO cool, and have been so good about my situation, something none of them have ever had any experience with. It'll be hard to find another place like that---but this time, I'm not going to even START looking for a job until I've at least unpacked my stuff; learned THAT one the hard way last time.

It's been really good being able to drop in here and read everyone's posts while I'm going insane with all this house-selling & moving stuff; the need for backup doesn't go away just 'cause I'm insanely busy, and you've all helped me out a TON; so thank you !!!!! Once I've moved & gotten settled, my posts won't be so scattered & dorky; thank you for your patience!!!! And please take care & stay safe, everyone!

*is calm and happy after yesterday, the Day From Hell*

My sweetie and I straightened things out on the phone this morning...*whew*! He told me not to sweat the "unpleasant" letter I should receive today, and I replied that he shouldn't be upset over the "sad" letter I sent out yesterday. Yeesh, I hate trying to argue through letters!

Janis, when I moved from Rhode Island to Kansas, I too had unpacked boxes from my previous move.....13 years ago! What is THAT all about??? I did a quick check to make sure there were no personal items in the boxes, then off to the Salvation Army they went. Like so many others here, I am a self-avowed "collector" of all kinds of crap *hangs head in shame*.

You're wise not to return to work until getting settled--I've gotten caught in that trap in the past. Every day, you say you're going to attack the piles and boxes...but it never happens. Days turn into weeks, months, then finally years. I always felt like such a loser, because my home was a mess and I felt powerless to stop it. UGH!

But here, I finally did things "the right way", LOL! I stored all my boxes in the garage, removing only the most necessary items. I only brought my antique furniture out here, so there really isn't much in the rooms themselves...that way, I can paint more easily, as I'm doing every room. I'll enjoy picking out new things when the house is ready to roll. Also, the hardwoods need to be refinished, and having less stuff in the house means the preparation will go much quicker. Already have the estimate, just waiting for my daughter to go back East before starting that process.

As for me, it's 3 miles on the treadmill, then a walk with the pooches......after that, a letter to write, then my bedroom to finish painting.

I just hope it isn't 100+ degrees again today *yuk*

Hugs to all,
Susan

Things Are Good Here As Well. I Am Going To The Doctor On The 10th And I Am Freaking Out. They Wanted To Put Me On Something To Balance Out The Hormones Last Year And I Said Forget It. But This Time When I Go I Am Going To Let Her Do Whatever It Takes! I Have Been A Raving Maniac The Past Few Months. I Am Only 32 Shouldn't Be Going Crazy Like This Just Yet! Sometimes I Don't Even Like Being With Myself. Lol That's Sad! Haha

Went For A Visit Yeaterday! It Was Great! They Are On Lockdown So We Only Got An Hour Visit. But I Needed It But Not As Much As He Did I Am Sure! When It Was Time To Leave And We Hugged He Wouldn't Let Me Go. I Felt So Bad Having To Pull Away From Him. I Sure Hope This Lockdown Ends Soon. He's About Out Of His Mind Not Being Able To Get Out For Anything.

Susan, I know what you mean about arguing through letters!!! It's impossible! But I'm glad things are better.. :) CLEE that lockdown stuff bites, my guy's prison has been locked down more often than not... now he's in the hole and actually there ain't a whole lotta difference...except lockdowns punish EVERYBODY, not just the involved parties. It's so unfair.

hey qwerty :wave: how have you been doing? ((((((((hugs))))))))

Spydie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey you!!!

I've had my ups and downs but basically good (this week, anyhow, hee-hee) and I am DEFINITELY smilin' to see you here!!!!! I've missed you girl ((((hugs)))) back at you!

BURNOUT BURNOUT BURNOUT!!! I'm so glad this moving mess will be over REALLY soon. My little sweetie has NOT been the world's best backup; he's going through one of his slack times on the writing; little bugger could have timed THAT better! So VERY glad I can drop in here & hang out with all of you; it makes life so much more sane!!! Thanks!!!

hi everybody my guy is in usp leavenworth and i jus got approved for visits he's a lifer lwop so we talk alot and he hasn't wrote in a week he is suppose to transferr so could that be the case i hope so i miss him

Glad to hear that you are doing well qwerty!!! :D Keep your head up girl!!!!

I just heard from my lifer... he's been facing a SHU term and they dropped some charges against him -- he says even the COs' testimony was in his favor. So at most, it sounds like he'll only do a few months SHU and the past two months will count as time served. So he might be back in GP in a couple of months... :D :D :D

SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOO happy!!!!

Wuzfuzz, sorry you're feeling so fried, but I'm glad you feel some comfort posting here! Vent away!!!

And welcome mz Aundrey!

qwerty!! That is good news!
WuzzFuzz....I thought you had already moved last month!
I say punish the poor fella for not writing...hmmm...let's seee.......write him only a half a letter and stop at the critical point.....leave him hanging!!

qwerty, that is wonderful news (((hugs)))

Wuz, it's been 11 weeks since I moved from Rhode Island to Kansas (2,000 miles), and I'm just starting to get my wind back....I never would have thought it would take so much out of me!

Yesterday's visit with Shawn was just awesome; we laughed like no tomorrow, and still managed to get some sweet talk in as well ;) He called this morning, to tell me that last night he dreamed TODAY was visiting day, and he woke up and ate his breakfast really quickly, thinking he had to shower and get ready....LOL! It hit him after a few minutes, and he said somehow we HAVE to get longer visits, because one hour a week just isn't cutting it. I agree!

Love that goofy country man of mine....*sigh*

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat News qwerty!?! :D so glad to hear it!!!