the visitation

The trip to see Brandon went well. There were things that, had I let them get to me, could have ruined it all, or at least put me in a mood. There was not supposed to be much snow, and the further West we travelled, the more unpredictable it got. There were squalls, patches of snow-covered road, terrible crosswinds nearing the prison because of elevation, all that. I hate the snow when you're on a mission and you have to maintain a healthy respect for mountainous drop-offs behind a guardrail. But we lost no time whatsoever. The situation with the metal detector is getting more strident. There is no wand guy anymore, which means if you set off the detector, you sit outside during a visit. My underwire bra, once again, set it off, so that meant I took it off or I didn't see Bran. I took it off (thankfully I was wearing a black blazer which they had no problem with, so I was mercifully well covered). This means a trip to Penneys to find a lycra body suit with no wire because bras without it can't tame these girls. Oh, I also got my period and my back was killing me, plus the ladies room where I had to change had a clogged toilet.

On to the visit...it was wonderful to see Brandon! He looks well, and seems fine. He seems to have adjusted to life in his cell, and really doesn't mind it. He's on supposedly one of the worst blocks, and yet, as they say, a block of lifers is usually the calmest place in a prison because these guys know their fate (he's not there, but with some people who are a little crazy!). He likes these guys and likes his cellie, which is truly a blessing. We heard about men nicknamed "Duck Sauce" (we actually met this man), "Creeping Death" (so old Bran says coffee and a coughing spell in the morning keep him alive, "Timmy" (even though the man's name isn't, they all yell it going to chow) and the guy who screams "nacho!" in count. These are his mates and looking around during our visit, one could only imagine the situations because they all seemed so happy and normal sans the faded brown jumpsuits, while with family members, friends and girlfriends. The place gradually became packed with people, and I heard the guard say after noon count, there were 62 inmates present. The prison holds 2,300.

The time passed all too quickly and we were chucked out after four hours because there were too many people. I was really getting a massive headache from no food (I still can't take the vending machine products), and the coffee machine broken (man!), plus a backache from sitting so godawfully long....four hours in the car going and four hours visitation and then back home...but I realized I'm adjusting. This is what I need to do to help my son. My father used to drive hours DAILY to work to support his family. Emotionally I'm coping, too. Plus Bran is working on a phone list. I think that will go a long way to easing the separation anxiety. All I can do now is look to the future and try to get there the best way possible! Thanks for prayers.