Ho Ho Ho….Merry Christmas from good ol T.I.
I really can’t believe I am spending Christmas in prison… I woke up this morning in good spirits but it was one of those mornings that felt completely surreal… like this reality just can’t be happening… can it?? I can’t actually be in prison right now on Christmas! But… it’s real… I am here and I will be here tomorrow as well. Certainly not how I could have ever imagined myself or my loved ones having to spend any day of their lives…especially Christmas day…but… we plan and God laughs… right?
Anyway – lets dive into what actually is happening on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day around here because T.I. goes hard in the paint for Christmas! Per usual… holiday bingo is taking place out on the south yard on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day… the guys line up as early as possible and get their bingo cards just after 7am… from the looks of things… seems like the winners are getting a six pack of Coke cans and some candy… makes me laugh every time seeing the enthusiasm bubbling out of these grown men for the simple pleasures but seeing their happiness makes me happy so it’s a win all around. Once bingo winds down and the morning count clears… prep starts for the Christmas Eve meal/s (in the unit)… and when I say prep… I mean restaurant style… tables set up in hallways… multiple “prep cooks”… real deal meal prep going down. We have guys prepping tamales… burritos… tacos… nachos… ceviche… chimichangas… Asian sausage bowls… cheesecakes… lemon marange pie… and that was just in my range. I am continuously blown away by all the prison ingenuity to be able to create this legit dishes with absolutely zero kitchen appliances or tools to do it and on top of that…the finished product is fantastic… especially given the circumstances and ingredients. Christmas eve night… my “homeboys” and I enjoyed an Asian rice bowl finished off with a peanut butter chocolate cheesecake with coconut macaroon crust… delicious!
Now to Christmas Day festivities and meals. Bingo is poppin off on the South yard bright and early… huge turn out… even bigger than usual… I would say almost 500 guys… crazy! Then we have the official holiday meal in the chow hall around 11am… for being in prison… this meal was incredible. 2 full BBQ chickens… crispy skin on the outside… juicy, perfectly cooked meat on the inside… and actually BBQ’d over an open flame which made it even more delicious and feel like a meal that we would get outside these walls. Our birds were accompanied by 2 large garlic dinner rolls… thanksgiving style stuffing… chunky mashed potatoes with gravy… cranberry sauce… garden salad with ranch dressing and a Halo Top ice cream cone with a slice of banana cream pie for dessert. I mean… I almost feel like I shouldn’t be telling you guys how good this meal was but I have promised myself that I would be honest from here on out so I’m obligated to tell you the facts. It was solid! And I’m not done yet… the unit was in full restaurant mode again… food being prepared and prepped all throughout the ranges… brought a smile to my face throughout the entire day as I was able to watch the guys work together and with such joy and passion driving their culinary creations… very cool to experience. My guys and I enjoyed MASSIVE calzones for dinner… stuffed with enough cheese, pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers and onions to feed 5 grown men and topped off with an Oreo cheesecake for dessert.
All in all – although I would move mountains to be outside these walls… having my boys jump on me in bed to get me up so we can rush downstairs and see if Santa ate his cookies or if Rudolph made hoof tracks on the floor… Watching their eyes light up at the sight of their presents… making hot chocolate with them and read them Christmas stories before bed on Christmas Eve… I would do anything… absolutely anything for even 5 minutes with them… but once again, this is not our reality and I must accept that. And in this reality… the Christmas that I did have… was very special in it’s own unique way.
I hope everyone out there had an incredible holiday… full of laughs and happy cries… memories made and memories shared… and all the magic that comes with the most magical holiday of them all.
Happy Holidays!