April 30, 2021 @ OSCI

Hey all!

Still at OSCI but the time is winding down fairly quickly now until release. It's a short time (under 90 days) but sometimes it feels pretty slow when I start paying attention to dates. I've officially contracted short-timer syndrome. It's characterized by generalized anxiety manifesting in impatience toward the stupidity of others. Hey wait... that's how I normally feel! Hah!

I finally got my first dose of the vaccine last week. I'm pretty happy about that. It seriously relieves my anxiety about dying in here during a variant surge. I was fortunate enough to get vaccinated while the J&J was on hold so I got the Pfizer one. No real bad side effects, just sleepy.

I'm almost done with my paralegal course. Just working on lesson 25 out of 31. It's been going at a good pace and keeps my interest. Currently working on the Constitutional law to be followed by Legal Research/Writing, Employability Skills and Ethics. Then I'll be eligible for certification as a paralegal.

I'm slowly formulating my plans for release. Odds are that I won't find work as a paralegal right away so I'll focus on running a bakery food cart. It's got a low cost of entry, requires no license and there will be 304 months left of the season in the year after my release.

I figure during that time I can take my paralegal certification test. Then go to school for the winter/spring semester and the local tech college. While I do that I can put out some feelers about paralegal work and see if I have a market. That'll allow me to develop my future plans for 2022.

Can't really plan much more beyond that at this point. That's because of the uncertainties of the parole system for the most part. I figure that it's enough on my plate already as far as getting things together regarding housing, health, etc.

The weather's gotten warmer so I get outside a bit each day. When I initially get out I'll have a lot of walking to do before I have a reliable vehicle. I'm giving serious thought to an e-bike. Even taking a three wheel bike and adding an electric motor would be kind of interesting and give me a good project to work on.

Basically, I'd like to build my e-bike and food cart withing my first month out. The cart probably before the bike as I could always just push the cart until the bike is done. Things are kind of getting organized in my mind.

Well, that's all for now. Stay safe and sane all!

Solidarity,
Tony