BASEBALL 5-03-07

COLORADO SPRINGS-rained out

TULSA-3&ARKANSAS-1 (Frey 244 & Rifkin 278)

14&13 1st

MODESTO-no game

ASHVILLE-cancelled

I went back to OSP to pay Michael a visit. Things went very well. I left early because I had forgotten to gas up after work. I arrived in Salem about 11:30 and I waited in a fast food parking lot. I rested and read a book I had. Grabbed a little lunch and when I tried to get on Hawthorne I ended up on I5North so I had to make a quick U-turn and made it to the duck pond in plenty of time. When I hit the Guard Tower they gave me directions for a regular visit and when I reminded them he was IMU they sent me on my way.

No one was in the Office so I used the phone and no one showed up for five or ten minutes. Some fat guy finally opened the door and apologized for being late. He said they were having a tough day. A lady had joined me and went in with us. Michael was waiting and seemed glad to see me. He really is quite a guy. I cannot help myself but like him better every time we have a meeting. I really hope we become good friends and I can help him have a better and productive life. I think he is having difficulty figuring out what to do. Sometimes I have to lay some stuff on him and if he doesn't like it then we will try something else. I guess I look at it as how I would approach the whole thing.

As it turned out we had over two hours together because the lady is charge finally showed up and she thought we were all visiting inmates on "death row" who apparently are allowed to have two hours visits. Anyway it was a nice screw up and we used the time to our advantage and got to know each other better I am sure. I am planning on three more visits before he is released. I am still playing around with the idea about what to do on the day he is released whether to go for a day or for longer. I sort of laid some ideas on him and let him think it over for a while. I certainly don't want to smother him because I think he is going to need some time to just adjust.

The drive home was okay except the nearer we got to Portland the more congested the traffic became and then up the gorge was no problem. I stopped at Cousins and it was disappointing.

Of course, the Most Memorable Positive Moment today had to be seeing Michael's face again when I popped into view.