Title: Everyday Woes of Prison Life

March 6, 2013: Just another everyday problem in prison. My typewriter decided after over 10 years to just stop printing. Then when I explored inside I discovered that a tiny piece of plastic broke & without it, it won't print. Thanks God for carbon paper. They charge us almost $300 for these ancient outdated machines & I cannot ask my family for money to buy a new one. So I'll make do. I just cannot use a ribbon anymore. In 2 days it would have been my 16th anniversary with my Justine. She died 12 1/2 years ago & it still hurts. It's raining so we are not allowed outside for now. My neighbor is in the cell burning his hair & putting in homemade curlers made out of toilet paper. Yes, he is a homosexual & in prison, they do some unusual things to their hair. Anyway, I have a wonderful aunt who will be 34? :) On March 22, have a wonderful birthday Cindy. I love you & thank you for always being in my life. You'll share your birthday with baby Lucy but I know that will make it a happy day for you being around that little girl. Sadly, my aunt Diane doesn't really bother with me. I tried my best to form a relationship with her but I guess you can't have your entire family like you. My friend BJ, she & her boyfriend Garry are going to San Francisco soon. BJ has her birthday on April 2. So if you are reading this, happy birthday BJ, now go play with Dixon (her adopted shelter dog). Prison is a very boring place. We're locked in our cells a lot so if this seems boring, feel free to tell me, give suggestions, tell me what you'd like to know. I just got over 4 days of the stomach flu & in here, when 1 person gets it, everyone does. & me, I got it 2 times! My friends in Italy just got back from their 6 week long trip to Costa Rica. Christine & Nuccio, they had a great time but they ingested a lot of water that was used in drinks & for cooking with foods & the water was bad so they were sick often. They met there like 30 years ago & when they moved to Italy together, they never returned until now. So they made some great memories. They're family to me. Christine was worried at first because they left the house & animals in the care of Lisa, the oldest daughter, but Lisa did a great job & she should be proud of herself. Though Lisa is 21, she is still like my baby sister. They'll be reading this once I tell them about it. Christine is a writer. She wrote a book recently, but it's not in English so I can't read it. My days are filled with exercise. I have extreme fitness gym class coming up. We have a really good activities instructor in here, Jeff, good guy. Well, now I must write to a few repair shops & explain what's wrong with my typewriter & get some estimates for repairs.

They'll charge an arm & a leg because that's what happens to prisoners. For instance, the phones. Do you realize that we pay $5+ for a 15 minute phone call. If you call out of state, even just to New Jersey the next state over, the price doubles. But if I call my friends in Italy, it's $7 for 15 minutes. I guess most guys don't make international calls. There are ways to get around this but it forces our families to go out and buy pre-paid cell phones and this is an expensive detour. If anyone would like to learn more about this issue, please go to this site: www.phonejustice.org.

Hopefully, with the help of the FCC, we can get the cost of calls lowered. But it takes more than just 1 voice. Unity is a major problem in prison. There is so much hatred in here that we stand alone. Now I'm no one to judge but I've grown up in here these past 14 1/2 years & I do wish we could unite and find some common ground & treat each other as human beings. Sometimes prison can be the most dangerous place there is, and other times it can be the most boring place on the planet. So I will stop boring you now and sign off. To my baby niece Lucy, have a wonderful birthday, her mom bought a $100 cake for her party. I thought the cake was just for Lucy but then I learned it is for everyone who is at the party. I know Rachel will take a boat load of photos, so will my brother JJ. Congratulations. Happy birthday Lucy, my aunt Cindy and my friend BJ. I am lucky to have you's all in my life. And to my friend Maria, you make my days in here so much brighter. It's just another reason that I love you. My best friend & brother Aaron (AJ), his dad died from cancer last month. But as I have tattooed on my arm, "Morte non e la fine, e un nuovo inizio" (Death is not the end, it is a new beginning). And I truly believe that. At least Aaron got to be home with his dad for the last couple years of his life. No word from my daughter Krista but I still write and continue to have hope. I love you, Krista. That's all for now. Take care & God bless. Come back in a week or so and read more from Prison Dad. Ciao.

PS: You can also visit me on Facebook under my real name Robert Pezzeca.