From Dragonfly: A new mattress

I have a new mattress. I did not go down the hallway and exchange my mattress like everyone told me to do. I did not get the mattress the CO was going to give me because, unfortunately, that mattress with missing its cover and therefore, was not regulation. I told him that I thought there were some mattresses being unused (empty beds) on the floor that my roommate told me about. The CO asked me who had the mattresses, I said that I honestly did not know. I have never once walked the floor of my unit. I have no reason to and I have the most safety by going directly to my room. I also said that I do not want to get anyone into trouble. He said he would try and help me the next day, today. Later yesterday, a woman from another room on my unit brought me a different mattress. It was actually mattress Olympics, as the fIrst mattress she brought me was not the one they chose to get rid of, so after making my bed, we had to exchange mattresses agaIn. However, I did end up with a real mattress last night. I do not know exactly what happened. I do not know if the Co found the unused mattress and told them to bring it to me. I won't know. It doesn't matter. I followed regular protocol and now, instead of a stiff hard half inch pad, I have a not so good, but bouncy, with springs, torn regular mattress. I slept better last night.

On the subject of our beds, we sleep "on" our bed, not "in" our bed. I remember that line in "Orange", and didn't really know what it meant. Well, it is obviously true. The day I arrived, I was given a sheet and a blanket. My roommate showed me how to tie this sheet on to the mattress so it will not become untucked. Then she tied the blanket the same way. I looked at her funny. Didn't I need a blanket for over me while I sleep? She said, "I'm not telling you what to do, but this is how we do things here. You will get another blanket and sheet tomorrow - use those over you and fold them on your bed in the morning. Don't use the ones below you. We get inspected and if the bed does not look tight, we lose points." So, I sleep on top of a sheet and blanket and then use a sheet over me at night. As the weather cools, I will probably use a blanket as well. Every time I've made my bed, I have yet to actually  tie the sheet around the mattress. It is a certain kind of skill that I suppose I just do not have yet.