From Dragonfly: Beep, Beep, Beep

At least twice per month, the sound of the fire alarm fills our ears in our housing units. It is one of those sounds that stays within your head for hours after the alarm stops. This morning, a Saturday, it was 5:15am when it was going off. I was one of the lucky ones, I was already awake and just exiting the restroom. Most were still fast asleep, others were in the shower. It was cold outside, so I can't imagine having to go out there wet!! I wasn't dressed for the weather, either, shorts, shower shoes (crocs), tshirt and sweatshirt... My legs and face were downright shivering. It takes more than 10 minutes for everyone to exit the towers (housing units not attached to the medical facility). There are almost 1,000 women living in them. Some have to walk down 4 double flights of stairs --- 96 stairs in total. When the alarm is over, they need to walk right back up those same stairs. Others have to be put in their wheel chairs and hope that someone will assist them out of the building (one thing people are good about here, is helping out those in wheelchairs - especially the elderly). I know that it's part of the safety record to do fire drills... and some are during daylight hours, but many are in the middle of the night. To me, that seems like corporal punishment. I'm not sure how often they do the housing units within the medical facility, but since there would be so much dependence on staff (people in hospital beds, etc.), it can't be all that often. Since my job is in the medical facility, I have yet to hear a fire alarm (drill) during the normal work hours in the medical facility.

I couldn't fall back asleep, so I laid in my bed and read using my book light. I am so grateful that I could purchase a book light in the commissary. It is actually decent quality and I use it every night. Last night I didn't use it much, because I went to sleep just after dinner (around 6 pm). I woke for count (which was late at 10pm) and then again just before this morning's fire drill. Guess I needed my sleep. Acquaintances, here, say that I seem a lot more tired these days, but I know that's normal with my physical condition. I took a lot of naps in the last year, and here, I don't get naps.

I am very grateful to many friends on the outside who decided to give me subscriptions to magazines. They are the perfect read for waiting in the clinic lobby, resting, and more! I recently received my first copies of "Reader's Digest," "National Geographic," and "People." I read them all cover to cover. They remind me of life outside of these walls! I highly recommend magazine subscriptions for anyone going to prison!