Saturday, March 7, 2015

March 7 - Long Distance Chess Games

Saturday, March 7

Clayton was able to get a call out to family today, just before his wife came to visit him with a friend.  He had received mail the night before including a letter from his mother, and one from his wife that included photos of Clayton with family and friends.  She had also included an order form for envelopes from the USPS, hoping that Clayton might be able to order himself postage-printed envelopes to use instead of being limited to the 20 stamps per week available through commissary.*

Clayton explained that he had already calculated out his commissary order for the next day in advance, and hoped to order file folders from the list to organize his paperwork and incoming mail.  His friends discussed what kind of mail he would like to receive from them, and some of the plans they had to send him information on movies that would be coming out soon - in a way he could experience.

Epiphany!

Clayton was very excited to explain that he had an epiphany earlier in the day of something he could do with friends and family long distance.  He wanted to play chess!  Clayton had been in the chess club as a young student, and had frequently played with his father.

“There came a day when he stopped winning,” Clayton said with a smile, "but it has been a long time and I'm pretty rusty."

He encouraged anyone who wanted to play a chess game with him to set up a chess board at home, and send him their movements by mail.  He planned to track it on a piece of paper, and then respond with moves of his own.  His wife said she would find an example of the board with the numbered squares, and an example with the pieces laid out so he could be refreshed on how to start; and keep the movements clear in each game.

An Otherwise Calm Day

Clayton said that the day had otherwise been uneventful.  He didn't know much more about his cell mate than he had the day before, but they had no problems.  Clayton commented that the prison slang for a cell mate was a "Celly," but he refused to use the term.

"The guards and inmates look at me funny when I call the person my roommate," Clayton explained, "but I don't want to use the term celly.  I refuse to be depressed about anything.  I've decided to look at this like an extended stay at a hotel.  I get room service.  I get to eat breakfast in bed, and I get to read all day."

Clayton wouldn't receive commissary for a while, so he wouldn't have access to stationary, but he was eager to get mailing addresses for friends and family so he could begin writing right away when it finally did come.  He was really grateful for the magazines he had been sent by friends, and the recent opportunity to read a copy of the ADN from another inmate, which had been passed to him by a guard.   He still wasn't sure how to disburse property out to his wife, and this would be needed eventually as magazines and books piled up, so he had submitted a cop-out form requesting information on how to do so. Otherwise, Clayton looked forward to seeing his family the next day.



AUTHORS NOTE: *Much later Clayton learned the envelopes are not an option. 

1 comment:

  1. Clayton is making me laugh with his persistent image of being at an unexpected Hotel visit. Go Clay! We Love you!

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