Ok Ok OK  I know I didn't post right away after seeing dave and many of you are anxious to hear how it went.  I'm sorry.

I drove down to see Dave and of course couldn't sleep the night before so I was awake since 9pm friday evening until about midnight Sunday am.  I left here just before 5am which would put me there at about 6:30am.  It was a drizzly drive all the way down there.  Google said it was 91 miles door to door, but somehow I shaved 8 miles off of that.  I got to the turnoff at about 6:15am and sat on the shoulder with the rest of the visitors in our cars waiting for the ok to drive in and get passes.
6:30am comes and we start driving in.  I get my pass  Central #11 - wow.. such a low number, but ok, and I drive in to the handicapped parking and park until 7:45.  I read my book and filled out my pass.  They gathered passes at 8am and started processing them.  They collect your slip and your ID at the same time.  Well I got my name called over the loud speaker.  My guess was a destroyed ID.  Sure enough - what DMV considers a fine ID, CDCR doesn't.  I talked to the gal and we figured out I'd just bring in my old ID until both of these expire (in 5 years).  Some noticeable improvements have been made, like a 2nd waiting area tent has been set up with more seating and they have 2 propane heaters going in one of the tents.  How wonderful.  :)  Finally after 9am we get called in to go through the metal detectors.  I heard the sensitivity was turned up, but I didn't realize it was that high.  My rings and glasses set it off.  I passed through that, put my shoes back on and off to go to the visiting building.

I walk in and hand in my slip and I'm asked if I want a number to be able to purchase food from the vendor.  ?????  What does he bring??  I'm used to having to eat out of the vending machines there.  pizza, cake, fruit, sandwiches, "real food" type stuff. - ok, why not.  Then I walk into the visiting room and what do I see... tables - real human height tables.  These are however the outdoor plastic round tables,but they are at least no longer shin high and you can sit at them and face your inmate at a 45 degree angle instead of having to sit side by side, shoulder to shoulder, and unable to move your chair to be able to chat with your inmate.  That was so wonderful.  Again - another improvement.  Dave finally walks out at about 9:30, we hug, kiss, hold each other.... it was so wonderful.

He was going a mile a minute, not wanting to shut up and let me get a word in edge wise - the old dave.  I had to calm him down a bit, and we were able to catch up.  There was so much to talk about, so much to catch up with.  All of our calls have been monitored.  All of our mail has been read, and this was the first time to communicate freely.  We got to talk about problems and issues, we got to talk about what happened when I didn't hear from him and I was so worried. (He ended up going into the hole because he did get lunged after by a skinhead who wanted his wedding ring, however, the rest of the dorm took "care" of the skinhead while dave was in the hole)  We worked on next quarters package list and he told me over and over and over how he wants a tv and I tried to come back with how it costs $150-200 for one, but he has a one track mind.  I am taking donations to his package funds as well as his tv funds.  

We went and got our lunch - a little caesars pizza, fruit and a soda and enjoyed it.  His first time eating pizza since he was home back in Nov 2006.  We played Scrabble, got our picture taken, played UNO and then decided to get some ice cream for dessert.  This is when everything made a turn for the bad.  We found these delicious snicker brownie ice cream sandwiches and I got 2 of them.  I reached inside the bottom of the vending machine and the door pinched my arm causing me to yelp.  It basically bit me and broke the skin.  We walked back to our table and sat down, but I noticed that it was really starting to bruise so I thought I'd go ask for an ice pack.  I ended up talking to the guard at the check in desk and she called medical.  Medical came in, I tried to flag the 2 girls but they ignored me.  They went to the podium and I then was called up there.  They took a report and one of the girls was all snooty when I said the vending machine bit me. The guard thought it was funny and I was saying how I don't understand because I fed it money and everything, but she was just in a mood.  After the report was finished  medical said ok you can go now.  I asked if I could have an ice pack for the bruising and I got told that they can call an ambulance for me if I need something, or I can seek medical help from my own doctor if I think I need more medical care, but that there is no way my arm was going to bruise.  I  was starting to see the bruising myself and for me being a certified EMT for 10 years - pinched/broken blood vessels under the skin turn into bruises and I only had one open cut a the time and another area that the top first layer of dermis/skin had broken, but was not bleeding out - aka bruise.  Anyways  I went back to the table where dave was and told him what happened.  I was already tired and starting to get cranky at this time and he told me that this is why he doesn't go to medical for anything unless he is dying or like when his jaw was broken.  Eventually the sargent on duty showed up and checked in with me to make sure I was ok and he was nice about things, but emphasized the medical treatment thing too.  Oh well.  It was about 2:40 and visiting was over at 3 so I told dave I wanted to go, but I would be back the 12th because of my birthday.  He was sad to see me go, but he understood, could see I was tired and we hugged, kissed and bid each other a fond farewell.

I will be seeing him again this Saturday April 12th, but I will be getting there later.  I have the responsibility of playing chauffeur to my parents to the airport before I can go anywhere.  Any messages will be passed on to him.

This is his address where he has now been moved to and can have  visits and telephone calls.  I will be seeing him this saturday.

David O'Shea V-32920
CTF Z wing 131u
P.O.Box 689
Soledad, CA 93960

He would love to hear from everyone.

O'Shea, David V-32920
NKSP B4A 116u
P.O. Box 4999
Delano, CA 93216

So I got a short letter from him today with this and the copy of my approval for my visiting form. FINALLY.

O'Shea, Dave V-32920
NKSP B4B 132
P.O.Box 4999
Delano, Ca 93216

I got a letter FINALLY today from him. It is dated 2/17/08.  He says he is doing much better than when he wrote me last. (when?)  The Bad news is that he got moved from the A yard back to the B yard and somehow - mysteriously, they lost ALL of his personal property.  He has no addresses, no letters from home, no pictures, no paper, no envelopes, no stamps, NADA.  (Yea right - they lost it, like thye keep losing everything else there).  I just sent him one letter (5 pages plus a few pic's) with an envelope stamped and 2 pieces of paper and I'm sending separately a pad of paper, and 10 stamped - preaddressed envelopes.  The good news - He saw his counselor 2/15/08 (which I already knew) and acknowledged him speaking with me, and showed the letter for a hardship I sent in.  Dave's counselor said he is a level 2 with 19 points.  He also strongly recommends that Dave goes to Soledad (yea!) or Solano.  The counselor put together the hardship placement packet and dave should be leaving Delano in 3-5 weeks.  Dave still has yet to hear anything about my visiting form (again - them losing everything).  He has been staying out of trouble and is getting sick of wearing Orange.  He says he doesn't look all that great in orange and is looking forward to be wearing blues.  He says he is really looking forward to hopefully have our first visit around my birthday (April 10th), so it would probably be on Sabre's b'day (April 12th).  He says he has only gotten the last letter dated 1/28/08 from me and none since.  (I have sent 3 - again them losing stuff).  He says his hair is getting even longer and can't wait for me to see it.  Last time I saw it, he shaved the underside of it and was able to barely pull all of the top back in a ponytail.  He says he is going to grow it all out the same length eventually.  He hopes that this letter makes my day/week (boy he doesn't know it, but he will once he reads my 5 page letter).  He promises to write again soon.

Other good news - if you all remember Dave was working with Comcast before he went in.  Well I have spoken to his boss there, (due to a 2007 1099 I got in the mail, but he was locked up for all of 2007) and his boss has open arms waiting for Dave when he gets out.  His boss thinks all of this is BS, but is willing to wait and have Dave take care of the business he has to take care of.  I greatly thanked him for that.  He said - pass on well wishes from everyone here to him.  <cry>

So today, after my body revolting on me all night (including the split decision of where to barf as I'm sitting on the toilet - answer garbage can full of used cat litter)  I called North Kern State Prison.  Dave is not in the hole.  There is no reason why he should not of written unless he is out of writing supplies, but they get some every month.  Dave saw his counselor 2 weeks ago and for sure he would of told me about that.  I don't know.  

Now I don't know if I got food poisoning last night (mac & cheese w/hotdogs)  everything within date, everything fridgerated, I didn't eat out any yesterday, but all I do know is I drank a bottle of Kaopectate throughout the night, I was overwhelmed by the scent of ammonia as I puked my brains out, I have no juice, I have no money and life just really sucks.
                                                                                             OR

It is all the stress of everything.  My chiropractor even said he couldn't get me adjusted well today.  I've now had a migrane for 3 days too.  ARGGHHHH!!!!

I have not heard from him since my last entry (his letter dated 2/3/08)  It is now 2/19/08.  I wanted to wait til today to see if there was anything in the mail from him, but nothing.  I'm hoping nothing has gone wrong with him.  I will be calling tomorrow to find out any information about him.  It is not like Dave not to write.  I'm starting to crawl up the walls here.  Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers

I got another letter from him today  :) however he still has not received any from me.  :(  This one was dated 1/10/08.  He says that he got some weird news today.  He got told he is a halftimer so maybe he'll be doing 5 year with halftime (2 1/2).  He was apparently contacted by the bridging teacher today and you only do bridging if you are a halftimer.  Don't ask me what bridging is, because I don't know yet.  He says he won't know for sure until he sees his counselor and that is mainly what he is waiting to do now.  Everything else is done.  He says he is glad he got to see me Christmas Day which is the day before he left.  He says it has been cold and foggy lately there.  Other than that nothing else is really going on.

I received this on the 9th, so I'm getting his mail rather quickly.  He apparently hasn't gotten any of mine yet, but I know the prisons are usually backed up some.  He asks, how am I doing and that he hopes I get these letters quickly.  He's sending me 3 more visiting forms (I have a total of 12 now I believe) He wants me to make sure that 

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