THE DAY BEFORE PAROLE BOARD FINALLY ARRIVED

THE DAY FINLLY ARRIVED.....JIMMY WENT BEFORE THE PAROLE BOARD TODAY.....HE WILL NOT BE COMING HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS......IN FACT HE WON'T BE COMING HOME FOR X-MAS, NEW YEAR'S , VALENTINE'S DAY, OR EASTER....HE HAS BEEN GRANTED PAROLE FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT SUMMER........THAT IS AT LEAST 8 OR MORE MONTHS AWAY.........THAT IS ANOTHER ROUND OF DAYS AND HOLIDAYS ALONE, COUNTING MINUTES, AND TIME, UNTIL IT'S ALL OVER........

IN A FEW DAYS, THE PAROLE BOARD WILL SEND HIM A LETTER WITH THE EXACT DATE HE WILL BE SENT HOME......

AT LEAST, WE KNOW NOW, WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, INSTEAD OF LIVING IN SUSPENDED ANIMATION.

THE OTHER OPTION MAY HAVE BEEN THAT THE PAROLE BOARD COULD HAVE SENT HIM BACK TO THE PRISON TODAY....I WOULD HAVE HAD NO NOTIFICATION OF THAT, AND JIMMY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CALL ME FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS OR SO, TILL HIS PIN NUMBER FOR THE PHONE WAS TURNED ON....AND THEN THE PROCESS WOULD HAVE STARTED ALL OVER.........AND SO THIS IS A MILLION TIMES BETTER (HIM STAYING AT THE HALF-WAY HOUSE)........

JIMMY HAD CALLED ME LAST NIGHT, MONDAY AT 10PM, AND SAID IT WAS JUST POSTED THAT HE WAS GOING TO PAROLE IN THE MORNING AT 8:30 am.  THE GUYS THERE YELLED AT HIM, SAYING WHY DID YOU CALL YOUR WIFE LATE AT NITE TO WORRY HER.  NOW SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO SLEEP.  WELL, THEY WERE WRONG!  WHEN I AM DEPRESSED I SLEEP...AND SLEEP....AND I JUST CAN;'T STOP SLEEPING........SO I SLEPT ALL NITE, INTO THE MORNING, MISSING BREAKFAST AND LUNCH, AND FINALLY HIS CALL CAME TO ME AT 2PM, WITH THE NEWS....HE HAD JUST RETURNED TO THE HALFWAY HOUSE.....AND HE CALLED ME RIGHT AWAY...........WE TALKED, BUT I STILL COULD REALLY BARELY TALK, BECAUSE WHEN I AM LIKE THAT, I STOP TALKING....I STOP THINKING.....I STOP EVERYTHING IN MY WORLD.....FINALLY AT 7PM, I GOT UP, FED THE DOG AND CATS, TOOK PRINCE OUTSIDE FOR A WALK.  I MADE SOME FOOD, WHICH I COULD BARELY EAT....AND MY BLOOD SUGARS TODAY WERE ALMOST PERFECT, AT 120 .................

........AND THEN, I SNAPPED OUT OF IT, AND STARTED WRITING LIKE CRAZY........I HAVE ALREADY STARTED A FULL- FEATURE STORY FOR "TRUE ROMANCE."..................YOU SEE, JIMMY AND I HAVE ONCE AGAIN DECIDED TO MAKE THIS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE TIME THAT WE CAN......WE ARE ALREADY PLANNING THE FUTURE.................

NEXT WEEK HE WILL BE STARTING A NEW JOB.  HE WILL BE SENDING ME THOSE PAYCHECKS HOME.......

NEXT WEEK I WILL BE BUYING HIM SOME NEW SHIRTS, PANTS, SOCKS, GLOVES AND SCARF FOR CHRISTMAS.........ON THANKSGIVING DAY, I BROUGHT HIM SEVERAL SHIRTS......THE GUYS HAVE TOLD HIM, "GEE JIMMY, YOU ARE DRESSING SO NICELY SINCE YOUR WIFE VISITED!"............

I'LL SAY GOOD-NIGHT, NOW.........ANOTHER COLD AND LONELY NIGHT ALONE.........I GUESS 8 MORE MONTHS REALLY WON'T MATTER..........