Message Por Favor

If anyone visits Micah this week could you please tell him our internet is out? He has been trying to call us, and hopefully he has figured out it is the ICE thing again. I just don´t want him to think we have up and moved or something. Thanks!

Another one Down

Another Christmas out of the way and down. For my gift Micah sang a song for me on the phone last night. It was the same one he has on youtube and I loved hearing him sing. He said he had to sing quietly so he did not get accused of being weird. I told him that his voice has grown better. He has more voice control and can even sing quiet now. He said yeah he works on it a lot.

The week was awesome and I enjoyed speaking on the phone with Micah every single day. It was great and I will miss not being able to talk every day. One thing is for sure, I'm not sure whose life is more boring, his or mine.

Christmas Carolers

I wish I could give a big hug and thank you to each and every person that came in the group to Christmas carol at the Coconino County jail yesterday! If they only knew how much joy they brought to one young man there it would make them feel all warm and fuzzy all over!

In fact Micah was so beside himself with excitement over the singing, people, and hot cocoa that he accidentally spilled the cocoa of the guy next to him. Lucky for him they gave him another cup. He was just higher than a kite last night with Christmas spirit and excitement.

Also there is a rumor circulating that they are going to reduce the percentage of your sentence served from 85% to 60%. That would mean Micah is almost half way done. We can only hope that one passes. He said it was between that and raising the taxes on the good folks of Arizona, I vote for the prison reduction!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Micah said to tell everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. He also wanted to thank all who have given money and helped make his holiday a little more pleasant. Let's all hope he has a much better year next year, and gets to the yard soon.

Christmas Cards

Our family just finished making Christmas cards to send to Micah. Since it takes about 10 days for our letters to get from here to the States we have to plan ahead. So far we have sent one letter everyday for the last 10 days, hoping he will get them one at a time rather than all at once. Usually the guards will hold them all and give them to him all at once. At least they give them to him sometimes.

Micah has visits this week if anyone has time. He was saying that he is drawing Christmas cards for trades for coffee. Keeps him busy I'm sure.

Free at last, well relatively speaking

I finally received a call yesterday that made my holiday season. Micah is finally out of the hole. After two weeks there they let him out. He is in a different pod in a different cell, but just very happy to be out.

He called yesterday, though got out on Wed. He was waiting to talk to his lawyer and hopefully give us some good news. No news, but the good news of him being out was enough for one day.

We have been mailing out one letter a day so he should be slammed with really boring reading materials really soon. Happy Holidays to all.

Still in the Hole

No call, means still in the Hole. Micah was really hoping to get out this week, at least that is what the guy told him. Evidently it did not happen today as he had hoped. He is hoping to hear from his attorney tomorrow and we sure to have some good news by then. In the meantime keep the letters coming, he really needs them right now and is about the lowest I have seen him since he went to Coconino County seventeen months ago.

Stll in the Hole

I spoke with Micah yesterday and unfortunately he is still in the hole. Maleah has been praying at night now, "please help Micah get out of that hole." Hard one to explain to a six year old.

In fact it is a hard one for anyone to wrap their mind around if they have not experienced it for themselves. Hopefully Micah will be out of the hole this week and be able to get settled in somewhere before the holidays.

Our family will be sending Micah a letter a day for the next week so that he can receive one a day until Christmas. We did it last year with cards, but he did not get all of them. This year we will try the letters and hope that he gets them all.

Micah is asking for letters from everyone. He is not allowed to watch t.v. and is pretty bored with nobody to talk to. Letter time everyone!!!

In The Hole

Poor Micah, in the Hole again! I think that Micah may hold the record for the most time spent in Coconino County, and maybe even the record for the most time in the hole. The biggest problem is that people tend to think because he is just a kid they can just attack him, with a screw no less.

His celly came after him with a screw, which the guy has a few loose already anyway, and Micah was defending himself. What the heck? As Micah pointed out, in jail you cannot just walk away, there is no place to walk. If someone attacks you you have no choice but to let him beat you to a pulp, or defend yourself.

There will be a hearing on Wednesday to determine whose fault the fight was. There was one witness so Micah is planning on being out of the hole on Wed. The bad news is if he is found guilty he will be there 30 days, which will be until Dec. 26th. And the really bad news? This time in the hole he is not allowed anything. No writing stuff, no reading material, nada!

After we talked this morning when he called me for my birthday he said he was going to go back to sleep. I guess he will be sleeping from now until Wed. Let's all pray he gets out of the hole on Wed. I can't imagine him spending Christmas there, no good for him. He already said he feels like he's going a little crazy there after just four days. Yes it happened on Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

When I told Micah we were not really doing anything for Thanksgiving this year her got very upset with me. He informed me that we better all go out somewhere and eat enough for us as well as him.

Happy Thanksgiving to all from Micah and family!

Poems

I received the last of Micah's notebook yesterday. It is all his poems that he has written up until last week. He wanted me to enter some of his poetry in some contests, but after reading about them I changed our mind.

Soon Micah will be out and I don't want to give the rights to his poetry to anyone. I am thinking that once he gets out and starts going all over the country giving his motivational talks, he will want the rights to all his writings.

For that reason I am going to put them together in a book and keep the rights to all his writings. I will post some samples here on his site, but not any complete ones, there are people who steal things on the internet.

After talking to Micah yesterday I went and checked airfare. Woo it is high right now. He was telling me that he can't wait to go to prison, in fact it would be the best Christmas present he could receive. He asked me if that was not the weirdest thing I had ever heard, someone that could not wait to go to prison!

Best Day Yet

Today Micah had his best day ever in Coconino County. Actually it wasn't exactly in the jail, but at the police station so maybe it does not count. At any rate they came to get him in the morning and took him outside. Yes you heard that right, outside. He got to walk all the 30 ft. to the police station.

When he got inside they had menus on the table! I am surprised he did not break down and cry, but he was manly about it and just giggled. The biggest problem was he could not decide what to order. His lawyer had to order his grilled chicken pita wrap for him.

The whole six hours he was being cross examined he was able to sit in a chair with a back! Yes even a back on it. He sat comfortably in a chair. And the bathrooms. Now there was true luxury for Micah, a full length mirror. He said he kept taking peeks at his abs the whole time he was in there.

After eating one of the lawyers asked for some of the shitty coffee. Micah piped up and asked if he could have some of the shitty coffee also. He took one drink and said that was the best shitty coffee he had ever tasted.

The frosting on the cake for the day came as they led him back to jail. They exited the police station right as the sun was setting. He said the sky was all pink and purple over the pine trees and he walked as slowly as he possibly could to take it in for a longer time. I thank God for the good day he gave Micah today, he deserved a nice day after 16 months!

Back in the Cell

Micah finally got out of lock down, 10 days later.

Finally

I finally heard from Micah yesterday. I was so relieved to talk to him. He is still in lock down, which I was not happy to hear. That is surely the punishment of choice at Coconino county.

?

Has anyone seen or heard from Micah? I am concerned as I have not heard from him since last Wed. He was supposed to get out of lock down on Sat. and call me in the morning. Still not word. I am sure hoping he is not still in lockdown. If you have any word you can email me or just comment, thanks!

Haircut Time

What do you do when you don't want to pay for a haircut? Oh and of course you are not allowed to have scissors? Well Micah solved that problem. His hair was about down to his shoulders and he got really ingenious. He took out his handy dandy nail clippers and chopped that stuff right off! Yeah for sure took it down to about eighth of an inch, oh yea that is until the clippers broke, when he got to the back. So now my guapo son has a mullet! Good thing he is not worried about it at the moment. Maybe he will break down and get a haircut someday. Until then he will be the mullet dude.

Inmates are People too!

Since when did inmates become worth less than regular people? Since when did they become worth any less than anybody else in this crazy world? I just read an article on Yahoo that they are giving swine flu shots to inmates who are in the at risk group. People are pissed off about it! WTF are they not people as much as the people you love and share your life with? How have people become so hardened that they would turn their back on those in prison, just because they made a mistake and got caught? How many people are running around free who made just as many if not more mistakes but never got caught? When we quit caring about ANY whole group of people, be it fetuses, inmates, illegals, etc. we are on a slippery slope that mirrors that of Nazi Germany. No one is worth more than anyone else.

Pictures

I got a call today from Sgt. Wildermooth. He told me the reason that Micah did not get his birthday cards is because they were too big. He also informed us that because of this they did a "shakedown" on his cell and found a whole bunch of cards that he was not supposed to have. That may explain why Micah has not called us today ha?

Birthday Cards

I am sorry to announce that Micah did not receive most of his birthday cards. I finally got to talk to Sgt. Wildermuth at Coconino County and he said he would find out what had happened to the cards. Micah was in lock down today so when he finally called he said he had just gotten five of his fifteen cards.

The reason he will not get the rest of his cards? They were too big!

He is in lockdown because some kid was threatening him, so they put him in lockdown. Go figure. As far as I can tell jail does not make sense, and if you figure out the system please clue me in!

Great Article

I was just getting ready to do this post when Micah called. It was good to talk to him, as we missed our Monday call. He was doing well and seemed to be in a good mood. He was a little bummed because they moved his cell mate out. The worst part was they moved him in with his other friend, so now his two best buds are cellies without him. He will get by I'm sure and make new friends quickly, because that is just how Micah is :)

This paper was written by a friend of Micah's and she was able to put into words lots of feelings that all of us that know and love Micah have had at one time or another. I thank her for sharing and everyone else who shares their love and support at times. Thanks and pura vida!


Empty Spaces
Today the media has warped people’s brains into thinking prison or jail is where all these monstrous things go, not even thinking of inmates as human beings. People have this idea that if you are locked up you must have done something atrocious. For example, some may think of Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, or even Jeffrey Dahmer. These men would all be considered to be monstrous human beings for their actions. But do all inmates deserve to be thought of in that way? Some may think so, but what if that was your brother or sister? What people don’t realize is the reality of where these not monstrous, but actual human beings, come from. Many come from different backgrounds anywhere from being raised in a world of violence to the world of the wealthy. People can’t jump to quick conclusions about an inmate, or any one for that matter, without first seeing clearly about that person. No one can truly wrap their minds of how one feels having someone in a jail or prison. It’s like having a lion rip all your insides apart, chew them slowly, and then spit them back out at you. This reality hit me all too soon as my world came colliding with that of an inmates, and changed my whole outlook on life.
I never thought that one day I myself would be sitting at that shield of brokenness with my eyes glazed over as reality hit me. Never would I have imagined that this filthy square box, no more than 3 by 3 ft, with steel solemn gray walls on either side, that is engraved with graffiti writings, has a rugged circle they call a seat in the middle, and an inch of glass dividing these worlds, would become a place where these two worlds became one. Contemplating whether or not it was even sanitary to touch anything, my body became numb as I grasped the rugged phone in my hands. This space of emptiness takes hold of every inch of you like vines intertwining; sucking the life out of you. A sunken face on the other side trying to pour out every bit of light left in him, just to make it seem like he is ok.
I have always been blinded by the stories and media about this space of regret. In my eyes it was all a bunch of low life people who lived in this captive area where they didn’t get treated harsh enough. Never once did it cross my mind that one day a family friend from church and a best friend from school would cross paths and enter a situation they would both have to deal with day in and day out the rest of their lives. Both having to live and know that this past shame will haunt them like a ghost.
This place is a vast city of battered people trying to live with past regrets. If only visiting feels like a giant microscope watching your every movement I can’t even fathom being an inmate. Trapped in a box of rusting metal, an almost lifeless body lays on a brick of a bed surrounded by random souls all living with the pain of regretful choices. The outside universe spinning as time slowly passes by while in their space it’s frozen like a glacier. A mere inch, of a glass window, divides us by two different realities of vastness. It’s crushing how a simple inch of space can feel as though you are a million miles apart. The time was up and once again I had to drag myself out of the seat and float back into the world that keeps spinning. The dreaded lonely walk of hollowness over whelmed me; as I walked the long corridors of gloomy walls back to the light of day. The heavy sorrow of pain and remorse moved me to go on with my day and be thankful for what I have. Unless anyone has ever visited that space or actually lived in it, no one can come near comprehending the stabbing pain or sorrow it brings. I live day to day now searching for the happiness in every bad moment hoping that joy will come out of it. For now I live in the spinning world hurrying and trying to fit into this vast universe until I go back to sit in the same filthy box where this inch thick glass separates us. But, where for a moment the space of two worlds collide and freeze together.
How could in all my life it ever be possible that sitting in a gloomy jail talking with a best friend would ever mean so much to me and become such a major part in my life? To actually step out of this “real” world and dive into one that just seems to stand still. Where the smallest of things are the things that are missed the most. I couldn’t think of what it would be like to go without at least talking to my family every day, or receiving a simple warm hug from someone close to me. Even doing the things I hate the most like having to study hours on end just to get the “A” seems to be more fun now. It definitely puts a lot of things people take for granted into perspective. Having to live day to day trying to have a relationship with a person you can only pour out to on a piece of paper , having only fifteen minute phone calls before the little creaky voice comes on and tells you “times up”, and can only see through a window, is a reality no one should have to face. This entire situation has impacted my whole way of thinking. I used to be so closed minded and judgmental about anyone and everyone I saw whether it was an inmate or somebody just walking down the street. Now my eyes have been cleared of the blindness and I realize that why judge people when I have absolutely no idea who they are or what could be going on in their own lives. I can’t believe that it can take someone the harshest of situations to realize the “big picture”. All in all I now see the big picture and want to “pay it forward” to those who live in this world blind. My ultimate goal from this journey is to see things clearly and understand all the different perspectives of people. This heartbreaking situation has and will forever more keep changing me into a better person. Now the reality is you can’t jump to quick conclusions or perspectives about others without first removing the fog from your own eyes and seeing the crystal clear picture of how others may be living or suffering

Hope

I got to talk to my baby boy today! He is so darn cute. He was asking for addresses, so if he owes you a letter hopefully he is writing to you. He told me that when he sees other people involved in the case they all cross their fingers hoping for the best for each other. Now that is what I call a lot of hope, even after a year and a half he is still hoping.

THANKS

Micah wanted me to thank everyone who thought of and sent cards and wishes for his birthday. He saved up all his goodies and enjoyed them yesterday. We talked twice to celebrate the day and it was great. It is like we can have him sitting here with us hanging out when we get to talk for a longer time.

I was thinking last night how thankful I am that Micah is being so good humored about this whole thing. How difficult this would be for his family if he was whining and crying the whole time. I would feel so helpless and sad if he was crying and depressed when we talked. He has never, not holidays or any other day showed any sign of being sad or down.

Last year on his birthday they woke him up at midnight to have him change into big boy scrubs and move him into the big boy pod. That was a difficult time for him and I am still thankful we were able to visit him in that time. Unfortunately he has adapted to the sick and twisted environment he is living in and is just doing his time first in coconino county and then onto who knows where.

BIRTHDAY BOY

Happy Birthday Micah!

A CALL FINALLY

I am a worrier, and when I did not hear from Micah on Sat. as I normally do I got very worried. I thought maybe he was on lockdown or sick or something. When he did not call again yesterday I got very worried. I called and asked if he was having visits to make sure he was not on lockdown, they assured me he had visits left.

Today low and behold I finally got my phone call. He told me that the phones at coconino county were down for the weekend. Maybe they don't realize how a phone call can make all the difference in the week of an inmate.

FEBRUARY

We received an email from Micah's lawyer today. Apparently she was right on about time in coco county. She said it looks like Feb. for the trial. That will make two years for Micah in county it is looking like.

NEWS

Finally a morsel of news. We talked to Micah yesterday and found out that he has a meeting with Hamilton's lawyer November 5. That is a long way off, so I can only assume, though we have not heard for sure, the trial must be an even longer way off.

I guess Micah's lawyer was not exaggerating when she said 2010 before he landed in the yard. It is looking like he will be in Coconino County almost a year.

HAPPY DAY OF PEACE

I got to talk to Micah today and wish him a beautiful Day of Peace! He said he had not heard that today was The International Day of Peace. I guess he learned something talking to his mom today. He is excited about his birthday. I can't believe he will be 19, time flies when you are in jail I guess.

BUSY

I can't believe Micah put me on "hold" today! That's right, we were talking away and the guard shows up to tell him he has a visitor. So he tells me he will call me back in half an hour!

I am glad he has people visiting and writing him. In fact we got him his birthday present today. We bought him a subscription to Backpacking magazine. I am hoping he receives it by his birthday on 10/4.

While we were talking the second time I had to ask someone to get the cookies out of the oven. As soon as the words were out of my mouth I realized I had made a big mistake. He just said, "I really wish you had not just said that." I apologized and told him that is what I would bring him when we finally get to visit him in prison.

He said not just one kind of cookie, he wants a whole big plate of assorted homemade cookies. He is like him mom in his love of cookies for sure.

NEW PLANS

So Micah has new plans now. I hope he is writing down all the plans he makes while he is Coconino County because they would fill a book for sure. This weeks plan is to open a b&b with his brother in Costa Rica. Of course it would include massage, and he would be the massage therapist. His brother would be in charge of the cooking and coffee. They decided it should be on the beach. I think he forgot how hot it is on the beach.

Right now he is trying to decide on a magazine we can order for him for his birthday. He wants a mens magazine with lots of workouts and nutrition advice. He and his dad are researching it and he will talk to the boss man at the jail to get it approved. He is looking forward to having a weekly magazine. He is also looking forward to football season, right around the corner.

RECOVERY

Micah is well! He said he was only sick for a couple of days with the killer headache. He figured it was from being too tight in his neck and upper back, so I gave him some stretches to do.

Micahs birthday is October 4, so if you have an inkling to send him a card or letter that would be a great time. We are going to send him about 20 cards so he knows he is loved lots!

SICK POST

So Micah is sick. He has a bad headache as well as achy shoulders and neck. I told him to get something for his headache and he said it cost $5.00 for pain killers. Now I had a migraine today and that sure makes me appreciate my IBprofin that I can take just like that. Poor kid we will be praying for him.

He also said he ate all the goodies from his $80.00 pack in just three hours! He said he felt a little ill afterward, but otherwise O.K. I can imagine for awhile after he gets out he may experience a bit of an eating disorder, I know I would.

COMEDIAN

That Micah, he is such a comedian! When he called today I asked him how he felt about possibly spending 7-10 more months in Coconino County. He just said "well now Mom there is not a lot we can do about it is there?" He has pretty much accepted it and was in a great mood.

We were discussing his "new body" and he was saying that if he could go back in time he would have taken better care of his body. I was glad to hear that but assured him that even with the extra 20 lbs. and "man boobs" I still loved him the same.

He just burst out laughing and told his buddies what I had said. He got his $80.00 pack this week and was tickled pink. It included candy, cookies, as well as stamps and papers and other neccessities. He was very excited, it was like Christmas or something. It was good to talk to him today and I am glad he thought to change our calls to three days a week, makes my day.

CUSSIN TIME

I am ready to cuss, and I'm sure that Micah is cussin. I talked with him today about the update hearing that did not happen and he did not know what had come of it. After he called I called Jesse and told him to go visit and he headed over. Good thing to because Micah is going to be mad when he hears the news we got today.

Apparently the shooter did not get offered a plea and now is working on his trial hearing. To make a long story short and very ugly he will be spending another seven to ten months in county! That is sooo messed up.

Now you tell me of another place on the planet where this picture would make any sense. The two boys who did not shoot someone are sitting in County, not furthering their education, not taking any classes, not working, not able to visit face to face with family and friends. The one who did the shooting and started the whole mess is with his family, working a 9-5 and doing whatever he pleases. The whole consolation? We just kept getting told, "well he is doing his time and this counts toward his time". That is bull.

Anybody who has any experience at all knows the differences between county and prison. In prison he can actually have a job, he can attend classes for his GED and take it, he can even go on and take college classes. Do you know it has been two years since I have been able to hug or touch my boy? In prison we can actually have a 30 second hug at the beginning and end of the visit and actually talk face to face. Another 7-10 months, that is friggin messed up.

:(

So far no news about a hearing today. I am assuming that means there was a continuance, but will know more tomorrow. Bummer.

CALLING ALL SUPPORT

O.K. lets get the prayers, good juju vibes, or whatever you can conjure up to get things moving here. Tomorrow is the update hearing for the shooter and it would be so wonderful if he would get an offer or take a plea from the prosecution. That way Micah could get out of coconino county and move on.

He has been reading up on the GED and taken all the practice exams in the book available to him. Needless to say he aced them all and is ready to take the exam. He has decided to still take the course just to help him do better. He may even get a scholarship, if they give those to prisoners, who knows?

At any rate we would appreciate some good energy, and prayers going out to Micah tomorrow so he can get on with this. Really 14 months in county is a lot of time to do without a lot to do.

UPDATE HEARING

So lots of prayers and good vibes please for the update hearing August 27th. That would be this Thursday. We are sooo hoping for some news to get things moving South so to speak.

Micah said now that it is cooling down in the valley he is ready to go. I am glad that he suggested we talk more often. We are able to talk three times a week now and it is great.

I am looking forward to seeing him in the next few weeks.

THANK YOU

Here is a big thank you from Micah for the 30.00 deposited into his account this week. It was much needed and much appreciated. Now he can brush his teeth and wash his hair and take a shower woo hoo!

He has decided he has had enough alone time and now that he can shower will join the rest of the pod. He was also down to three one inch pencils so he is very grateful to be able to write again.

Friends mean lots more when you are in a helpless situation yourself!

COCONINO COUNTY FIRE

I just got a call from Micah and evidently there is a pretty bad fire in Flagstaff right now. We asked him what they do with the prisoners if they have to evacuate and he said probably let them burn.

He was a little down in the dumps because of no dinero. He is tired of being broke, and unfortunately because his family is in the same boat we cannot help him much right now. I would love to help him, but would rather talk to him than have him have soap and toothpaste. He agrees with that.

We are just praying that we can help him out soon. He has received good letters and loves them. He is reading Moby Dick right now. He says that some parts are easier to read than others but he is plugging along with it.

The librarian visits him about once a week and loads him up on books. She has been giving him the classics to read and I am thrilled he has been reading them. He was never much of a reader before.

NO NEWS IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD NEWS

Micah now has his whole pod to himself. They have segregated him from all the other prisoners. I was very upset when I heard this and started throwing a fit. He finally convinced me there was no one in Coconino County jail that he was really interested in talking to anyway so leave it alone.

I just know how Micah is and he is a social butterfly. He loves people, but says he is much happier keeping to himself and reading and writing. He is broke and if you have written to him and not received a reply he is rationing his stamps. We are working on it.

LETTER DAY

Today was a great day. I received a very nice letter from Micah. It was funny because Rick also received a letter from his sister who is in jail in Missouri. The funniest part was that both letters were talking about being in lockdown.

Apparently my sister-in-law was in solitary for not getting along with her cell mate. Micah was in for the opposite thing :) Micah was talking about how he yelled for hours on end once they put him away.

The thing is they will not tell you why they are putting you in lock down. They just come get you, take away your books and writing things and lock you up. Like Micah says, like it is not already miserable enough they just want to taunt you. He had some really choice things to say about the gaurds at Coconino county for sure.

But true to his great nature he reminded me that he would be out in a couple of years and he would still be incredibly good looking, talented and funny, while they would just go on with their miserabale lives and jobs. It is called karma for sure.

MISSING MICAH

We just returned from Grenada and I couldn't help thinking about how much Micah would have loved it there. Tons of parties, bars and tourists, not to mention kareoke at one of the bars, until three in the morning even.

While we were gone Micah called and chatted with his brother for awhile. He told him he is in solitary because of a "funny letter" he wrote to his friend. He was joking around and in detail told his buddy about how many times he had been, well I will not say it here, but something that happens frequently in jail to men.

So now he knows they really do read all his mail comming and going. So for his own protection they have isolated him from the other inmates. As you all know who know Micah this is true torture for him, being alone that is. I figure he just sings and talks louder to hear someone talking to him!

Lesson number 150 learned at Coconino County!

VISIT THANKS

This is a big thank you to those who have been to visit Micah. He has been enjoying having visitors. Thank you also to those of you who have spoken with the mitigation team in Micahs behalf. Of course curses on you if you are not speaking on his behalf.

I have gotten to talk to Micah twice this week and have enjoyed talking to him. We are sending him the books to start his anatomy work for massage. He figured he might as well learn something while he is there. So he will be starting with learning all the muscles, their origins and insertions. That will keep him busy for a few weeks to be sure.

He did say that he had been working on his cellys shoulder because he hurt it doing push-ups. He said the gaurd just looked at them like they were gay or something, and I just said she was jealous because she wants a massage really bad. I can imagine all the gaurds could use a massage. But I don't think they would get a very nice one from Micah :)

MITIGATION

Micah has a mitigation team that will be working on his case. His lawyer told us they would be in touch with us, after talking to Micah, and asked that we be honest and helpful with them. How can you lie about a 17 year old? Yeah he was married and he was a great husband and father? I mean really his grades, friends and school record pretty much tell the story that is Micah.

Of course he has become a writer in the past year so it is harder to figure out who my son is now. Being an inmate tends to change a person a tad bit and maybe he has changed a bunch. I hope not, I pretty much liked him the way he was.

We are just hoping this will help.

ONE YEAR DOWN.......

Today was double talk day and it was nice. It is one year since Micah went to Coconino County jail to report that some guys were trying to kill him and got arrested. When we talked today I told him how proud I am of him for staying sane and keeping his chin up.He is still waiting, as he will be for quite awhile.

When we talk we talk about the latest story he is writing and if he got my cards and letters for the week. This week he was commenting on a card that I sent him celebrating his one year mark. I had forgotten that in the picture there was a bagel sitting next to me on the grass. Big no no! We don't ever talk about food or send pictures of food, too difficult for him.

After I assured him that it was just a bagel and not a doughnut he did feel a little better. I asked him if he wanted me to send him a picture of all his favorite foods, he said absolutely not!

He is looking forward to the day when he gets to prison and is able to enjoy the food day visits. Some prisons make a day that family can bring you food. I don't know if he would be happier to see us or the food! A close tie I am sure.

FINALLY

I finally got to talk to my boy today. I have so missed talking to him for the past 10 days and was very happy to be able to speak with him again. He is doing well and working hard on story number two. He is still hairy scary man and looking forward to his one year mark this week.

We will all celebrate on the 11th the passing of one year. I made the mistake of telling Micah that we were celebrating the year mark of one wasted year. I got a tongue lashing for that comment. As he pointed out he has not wasted the year at all.

He has spent the year doing lots of reading, writing and getting into shape. I guess I was just comparing it to all the things I feel he missed out on this year and thinking it was wasted. In fact it was not wasted at all and I am glad he can be so positive about it.

Now we are all looking forward to the day when we tick off the last day of his incarceration and we will certainly have the celebration to beat all celebrations on that fine day.

SALT

Micah is now saving recipes of foods he wants to eat once he is free again. Most of them include salt or sugar or both. When we talk I do not talk to him about food, it is just too sad. This is the boy who when he lived here in Costa Rica loved to go and get a big cola with me and a package of cookies. In fact when we were both trying to lose weight we only allowed them on weekends.

It seems he has finished his second short story and it is in the mail, can't wait to read it. I asked him last night if he was o.k. I told him he sounded a little blue. He assured me he is still very white and doing great. Sometimes I wish he would just break down and scream or cry or cuss or something, but he just tries to be upbeat and positive.

Like I have said before when I told him he did not need to be positive and upbeat just for me he assured me that it was for him that he was doing it, not me. It seems he does not get letters anymore from anyone but a few blessed saints, thank you to all you who take the time and energy to write letters, he loves them.

I told him in a letter that I wrote that I could not really write anything exciting on here, so maybe I should just make stuff up. I am reminded of my all time favorite movie, "Life is Beautiful" and maybe I should start telling Micah this is all just a game and the winner wins a tank!

CHANGE AND THANKS

First of all I would like to thank our anonymos donor for Micah. He was thrilled to be able to buy more paper and envelopes to send some letters. If anyone likes receiving letters just send him one, he will write back.

Things are pretty much same ole in good old Coconino County. Micah is still spending the bulk of him time bulking up and reading and writing. He is about done with his "long, short story". I am excited to read it after the great job he did on his short story.

Micah actually had openings on Sunday for visitors, so if you are in need of some great entertainment give them a call and go visit him, it is well worth it.

MICAH THE ARTIST

I thought I would share some of Micahs' artwork here. He was on a roll with artwork but has not sent any for awhile. This picture is especially good I think. He got some pretty good likeness going on with our family. I just try and encourage him to keep busy creating, makes the time go faster. He has been getting pretty compulsive about the working out again. I guess it would be the only thing in his life that he can control right now.

This picture is very much along the lines of his older brothers' work that he does. He laughed and asked if I noticed that it looks like Jesses' work. For sure. The good thing is Jesse sales his and maybe if Micah can focus and keep at it he can sell his also.

Did I tell you he writes small? This is Micahs' idea of saving paper. Not that he is tree hugger or anything, he just does not like to spend his few pennies for commisary on paper. So he writes at the size of an ant. I had to buy reading glasses just to read his letters!

FUNNY BOY

Micah said he called his lawyer today. He just wanted to make sure she did not forget about him here in coconino county! Not like she could forget him, but you gotta stay on top of these things for sure.

He has started his second short story. I was finally able to read his last one and it was great. He said he has not done much art work as he is low on funds, hence low on paper etc. He goes through lots of paper, even though he writes the size of an ant.

Some weeks I just miss him lots, and unfortunately this week was one of those weeks when I have been thinking about him lots.

GRADUATION

What a bittersweet time for Micah. He does wish to send out his congrats and best wishes to all his friends and family graduating this week. It would have been fun, but not everyone walks down the same road, for sure.

Micah is still just hoping for a short wait for his transfer, we can all send good juju vibes to help out with this. Thanks and again congratulations.

AWESOME ARTIST

Well in good ole Coconino County Micah is on to bigger and better things, artistically speaking. He just sent me some awesome artwork that he did. He has a great imagination and his pic of his dad is great. I will take pics and post them this week.

Other than that he is doing well. He is still juggling visitors, so if you have missed him keep trying, he loves visits. He also loves letters, especially with $$$ in them. It helps him to have some for commisary.

He wanted me to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers and cards and letters.

WEDNESDAY PHONE CALL

I truly look forward to Sundays and Wednesdays. Those are my days to talk to Micah on the telephone. He called early today and we had a great chat. He is working with his brother in law to help him learn how to read and write in English. They will be writing letters about Micahs' hero Jim Morrison.

Last Sunday they had a great discussion on the phone about him and we decided they should write to each other to help out. Today Micah had a question for me like he always does. His question of the day was, how much protien is in an egg, and what is the best way to maintain the protien in it when cooking.

Pretty much it is boiling, but not sure about the protien content, a good google subject. Other than that he is good and we are waiting to get some letters from him with some of his new drawings.

POST CARDS

Ok come on you know you want to do it. Log into www.prisonpaper.com and send Micah a free post card with a smiley face. You don't even have to pay postage or anything, just fill it out and send it. He has only received two, one from me and one from his sis.
When I spoke with Micah yesterday he was feeling a little blue. He was thankful to hear from one of his sisters friends, and told us that made his day. You wouldn't believe how much a letter from anyone can cheer him up and make his day.
So like I said you know you want to and just have not taken the time..... do it......!

TEETH

The tooth issue goes on for Micah. He had a dentist appointment last week and they pulled yet another tooth. So I suppose we should set up an account with our dentist now to get his inplants once he finally gets out. I figure if we start paying on it now we will have his teeth paid for when he gets out and he will be able to chew.
He has started taking vitamins and says he is feeling better. Thank you to the friend who contributed to this! He also has new shoes from mom and is able to continue running without wearing out his socks. I believe he was also able to get more than two pair of underwear now. He feels like he is set for the wait now. Hopefully it will not be too awful long.
Coconino County can get awfully boring to be sure. He is reading some classics now and working on his short story book. He is tired of poems and onto something more interesting. I look forward to reading his first short story.

BOOK REVIEW

The book is almost done. I have finally gotten around to getting all the poems typed up that Micah has sent me and it is looking good. He has decided to do a book of short stories next and that looking pretty good.
I got to talk to him for awhile yesterday. He is well and now I am doing personal training for him as well as his celly that is trying to get in shape. What the heck, unlimited time to work out, he should be in pretty good shape before too long.
Can't say the same for the poor teeth. Just got two more pulled last week and I think they are pulling one more. That would be four molars which means that he will be pretty darn toothless for the next couple of years. Hopefully that is all he will lose in jail.
He worked out four hours the other day and ended up being a little too agressive. He will have to take it easy with that one. His lawyer is always reminding him how important it is for him to have good behavior. That is a tricky one.
Difficult for any 18 year old to be sure. Being in Coconino county makes it double difficult for sure.

CARD SITE

I just found something really cool online. It is called http://www.prisonpaper.com/. You should all, if you are Micahs' friends that is, check it out. You can mail him letters as well as cards and pictures at this site.
There is one smiley card that you can send free. Just get Micahs' address off the side here and go on over and make him a card. Believe me he would love it and it would really be cool if he got a whole ton of them this week.
One thing him and I talked about and decided is that when he gets out of prison we will still always write and visit inmates!

BACK IN B POD

I remember the first time that we went to Coconino County to visit Micah. There was barf in the hallway by the trash can. We were so excited to finally see Micah after two months of trying to arrange calls and writing letters. the girl at the front desk told us he was in a-pod. I was really nervous and started to giggle and said they have a-pod, b-pod, and c-pod, but no i-pod. She agreed that it was pretty funny.
This visit was much more relaxed and I felt much better visiting. At least now we have a good idea of what to expect and what is going to happen with his life. When we visit now he is freer to talk about his case and what is going on for him.
He told me about his first memory when he got to jail ten months ago. He was put in a cell with a kid who was being very mouthy and talkin smack to Micah. He just ignored him and went on with what he had to do. Later on in the evening the news came on and they were all watching. The news was still sensationalizing the killing that had landed Micah there. The kid looked at Micah, looked at the T.V., looked back at Micah, and back at the T.V. left the room for a minute. He returned with some tuna and crackers and offered them to Micah! He is still learning lessons and how his life will be for the next few years.
The good part is he can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now he knows that he will get out before he is 30 and that he needs to make some plans and goals for his future. It is great to hear him talking about those plans and goals again.
Letters are still much appreciated and if you are feeling generous he would appreciate magazine subscriptions. Thanks to all for the continued support and prayers, he needs them.

HEARING

Thank you to all who attended Micahs' hearing on Wed. I was so glad that I could be there to see Micah and very appreciative of all the support there. I got to visit Micah after the hearing and he was in pretty good spirits.
Here is the thing about jail though. They must have caught wind of the fact that he was in good spirits so they worked right away to remedy that. As soon as he returned they made him gather all his stuff and moved him to lockdown in c pod. Now of course he was very happy and content in b pod, he has lived there almost a year right?
When I went to visit they almost did not let me in. Thank goodness for Sgt. Wildermuth who had flagged a visit from me. Can you imagine if I had come all the way from Costa Rica and they would not let me visit? I would of ended up in there with him for sure.
Anyway so once I did get in he was pretty upset about being moved. We did have a great chat and he is anxious to get on with his life and get his time done. He is almost a year down. You can read all the detail about his plea at www.azdailysun.com.
Now begins the waiting game as we wait for Hamilton to be tried. Micah said that he will not know what prison he will be in until it happens, like until he is on the way there. Just pray that is happens fast and that he can get out of c pod.
I did call his attorney and she said she would see that he was moved back. Evidently the attorneys and pi had all talked and decided he would not be moved, someone obviously did not get that memo. They like to move him and get him upset though, gives them a little sick joy or something, good ole coconino county.

HEARING

There will be a hearing for Micah tomorrow (Wed.) at 3:00. Hope everyone in the world that loves, likes or just kind of likes Micah can be there.

HEARING

No news yet on the hearing will post tomorrow if there will be one, stay tuned :)

NEWS FLASH

So I have been lax in my reporting skills, sorry. I usually only read the news coming out of Flagstaff when I absolutely have to, or when I know of a development. I have to apologize for my lousy reporting in not reporting that Jesse Collier is back in Coconino County Jail.
Evidently he decided to accept his plea of manslaughter and a testimony against Hamilton for a 7-20 yr sentence. That of course according to the newspaper, which I'm not in any way sure if it is the truth.
This may be the reason for the change in the hearing, the one that we don't know if it is going to happen or not. I will know by Monday if there will be a hearing or not.
We do hope you all can make it for the hearing should it happen. The newspaper was very quick to point out that Collier was such a good boy, and had lots of family and community support. I guess dealing drugs and wearing a bullet proof vest don't count against "good boy" status anymore. Also not sure whether to believe that one since it came from the same source that said Micah had no family members present at his hearing, when in fact there has never been a hearing that he did not have a family member present for.
I'm sure all of you that have tried to visit Micah know how difficult that is, community support, ha?

JUSTICE SYSTEM

What a system we have ha? Only in this system can you make plans that involve travelling a thousand miles and over five hundred dollars and have them change plans. Only in this system are you at the whim of every other person involved other than the one on trial. Only in this system do prisoners really and truly have absolutely no rights.
There may be no hearing on Wed. Will keep all posted as we will find out on Monday. Stay tuned to the moods and decisions of Coconino County Justice System.

LONG HAIRED HIPPY

So I hear Micah has long hair now! And he is freakin huge. That of course is his way of preparin for prison life. He wears his hair in a pony that he ties back with a piece of sheet.
A problem seems to be going on with the officers at coconino county. Evidently they can't keep track of if he has visits available or not. Yesterday two people went to visit and were told he did not have any visits left.
Then he called girlfriend and asked why she had not visited him. So she called again and was told that he did not have any visits. She took a chance and went down anyway. Lo and behold he did have visits. What the heck?
You would think it is enough to have your freedom taken from you. Your family removed from you and your friends. Your life put on hold. This does not seem to be enough for some people. They seem to take joy out of making life just a little more miserable. Woo hoo, what a thrill!

SECRET,SECRET

So I have been hearing from long lost friends and relatives of Micahs' that have not been able to visit or attend hearings. Looks like the hearing in two weeks will be well attended. woo hoo!

HEARING TWO WEEKS

Two weeks from tomorrow is Micahs' hearing at 3:00. It is looking like there will be big group there to support Micah. He was so happy last time to see people he had not seen in awhile and to feel the "love". Keep up the encouragement and if you see something funny pass it along to Micah. He could use a good laugh these day. Jokes, stories, or just great lines he can use on people are much appreciated. His address is under his pic and isn't he just the cutest darn thing?

LAUGHING

I love talking to Micah, it always makes me laugh and makes my day. He is soo funny and has a way with words that reminds me that if he can laugh and joke then I have no excuses not to laugh about life.
I was asking if life was better with his new celly. He said he liked this pod much better because time goes by faster. He has actually started going outside every chance he gets and running and working out. Hopefully this will help with his teeth and health problems.
He did tell me that they have vitamins he could take. They are five bucks a bottle so he had not bought any. I think I will put money on his account so that he can take vitamins. Knowing Micah he will buy doughnuts though instead of vitamins, for sure!
Also he is having trouble getting his mail delivered. They have been with holding his mail until they feel like giving it to him. He said he was coming in from the yard the other day and saw some of his mail on some guys desk. He said hey that is my mail can I have it? They said sure so he took it.
Evidently if you mouth off or as Micah put it "act like an asshole", they will keep your toilet paper, or your mail. Whichever one you need or want worse I suppose. This is their way of getting even for you treating them like your maid, or so he says.
If you feel like getting a funny letter ,just write to Micah, I promise you will not be disappointed he will write you a funny letter and make you smile.

COMMENTS WELCOME

I would like to thank all of you who write and add comments on this site. It makes me feel so good to know all of you are thinking about Micah, and I can tell who his real friends were and still are. The comment on the post past was such a great description of Micah it made me tear up!
The boy who wrote the comment obviously knew Micah very well. I will definately pass on to Micah the thought and support. When we talk on the phone he always tells me who has visited and written to him. I always tell him who has written and made comments on his blog. As his hearings come and go I think he fears everyone will forget about him and his case.
Of course our wish is that the people who wish him bad would forget about him and all the people, who are the majority, who wish him well would just keep remembering him.
He is busy still writing his novel. He loves to give his cellies a hard time. He calls them grandpa to tease them. If I was in jail I would love to have Micah for a celly. Any guy in Coconino County is lucky to get him for a celly. He is like built in entertainment for sure. If he can't think of a joke he will make on up to be sure he is a hoot.
He was complaining the other day that he would need dentures when he gets out of jail. For some reason he is having lots of dental problems. I think he has a little case of rickets, but am not sure how to check for that. The problem at county is they don't take them out in the sun very often and as we all know you need vitamin d to synthesize your calcium. So now I am concerned, not that it will make any difference, but dang he has the prettiest white teeth of any of his siblings!

QUE GUAPO !

This picture is a little fuzzy, but still has the Micah attitude written all over it. I got to talk to him yesterday and he is doing great. Well great relatively speaking of course. He has not been doing much writing because the pencil sharpener in his new cell is not working too well. He has finally gotten to move into a new cell. His old celly was such a downer he is thrilled with his new cell.

He is now with two as he calls them "really old" guys. That means they are probably over 40 or something. They have good stories though and one thing Micah loves is a good story. Maybe it will add to his writing.

Micah said the Coconino County was so nice yesterday they put three jelly beans on their cake for lunch! Woo Hoo! He is sooo anxious to get out of County. It is just sooo boring there. They don't offer classes, no exercise yards, no nothing.

I pointed out that at least he got to talk to me and girlfriend unlimited. He said not to be rude of course but he would take the limited calls if it meant getting out of County. Boredom is a drag to be sure.

GOOD FRIDAY?

With eight and a half months in Coconino County jail Micah has about experienced all of the holidays in jail. I don't know which one has been hardest for him, probably Christmas. On Christmas we were able to talk to him, and we will be able to talk to him on Easter.
He will have visits from several friends and his brother on Easter, so that makes me feel better. I do wish I had sent him a card, but I forgot to and just hope he does not feel too bummed out.
If anyone wants to visit Micah just let me know and we will get you in. We are trying to coordinate his visits so that he can see more people and get as much outside contact as possible. He sends his love and appreciation for all who have visited and written and please keep them coming :)

RED HAT AND RED BALLOON

Oh man Jesse you are such a chicken! The good part is the support for Micah is growing and he is thrilled to say the least. I talked to Micah after the hearing today, which was forwarded until May 6th. He commented that he was glad to see so many people there but was not sure they were all "friendly" faces.
He did say it is very difficult to go to these hearings. He sees everyone coming, and then leaving in their cars free to go and do as they please. It is a very difficult reminder of the life he is missing living in Coconino County Jail.
One observation he has made is that jail is a writers paradise, minus the se# of course. He has all the time he needs to write and it is really easy to concentrate on his writing. He said his novel is coming along well and he is really excited about it.
I asked him if he would like any magazines and he said some writers magazines might be good with tips etc. to help him out. If anyone knows of any good ones input on this is appreciated.
As for news, we know about as much as everyone else, which is not much.

HEARING UPDATE

Just a reminder, tomorrow three oclock for the hearing. I have been told by my loving son, who would be Micahs' brother that he is not, repeat not, going to do the red hat red balloon thing. Oh well can't say I did not try.
I am still waitning on pictures and will post them as soon as I get them. I am looking forward to my chat with Micah tomorrow, it is hard to just talk twice a week. Thanks to his girlfriend for keeping me up to speed, much appreciated. :)

SUNDAY NEWS

Micah only called once today, as we are trying to save money and only talk twice a week. It is difficult, but at least he gets his visits and girlfriend calls. I try to send him a card every week and of course his long rambly Sunday letters from the family.
I am supposed to receive some pictures of him that he got from girlfriend, so will post those as I get them. They are probably the most recent pictures I have of him other than the ones I have already posted.
Of course there are the mug shots on the Daily Scum, where he was pretty beat up and very angry about that. They were also pretty excited I'm sure to get a picture of him at his initial hearing with all the chains on. Oh the things that sell papers ha?
This week on Wed. is Micahs' update hearing. Probably no new news, but we can always get a surprise. Most likely another forward, but we will see.
I made the mistake of complaining to Micah about how much we are not making, and he reminded me that when he was living here we were all living on 200.00 per month. That made me feel better and I promptly apologized to him for complaining and swore not to do it again.
He only had one half hour visit today, so is hoping his brother Jesse will be able to get over to visit him this week. He did say he has been using his money to buy a few things he needs. He bought some socks and deoderant. I asked him if he was going to buy curtains and a matching bedspread for his cell and he said he was actually eying some silk sheets. Looks like he is planning on being in Coconino County for awhile.

BOOK TIME

I got to talk to Micah today. It was good to talk to him and I enjoyed his good humor. He was talking to his Dad about the new book he is writing. He is really into Greek mythology right now so he is writing a modern version of Odysseus.
When I asked him if he was writing any poetry he said "Mom that is so last week, so old school, so old news, now it is the novel".
I suggested to him that it would be really cool if he printed it really neatly and we published it in his handwriting. I asked him how many people handwrite their own books? He was just quiet then started laughing.
"You are just trying to get out of typing it up, you can't fool me!" Ok he caught me, I hate typing and I am also literary illiterate. As in I can't even begin to edit or add anything to his work. Hopefully he does not expect me to do anything other than type it up, because that is my limit of expertise when it comes to writing.
He is hoping to find out something concrete about his case in the coming weeks, as of now we know about as much as we did about eight months ago, nothing. Oh except eight months ago the other two boys were in jail too, but now they are out and enjoying the lovely spring weather of Flagstaff.
It is funny but Micah never ever talks about that fact. He just tells me to chill and not to get angry or sad, because that does not help him or the case or myself. Like he says "don't worry be happy".

APRIL FOOLS

Coconino County Jail is a great place to spend eight months of your life. Especially your senior year when you are 18 years old. Lots of time to think, ponder your belly button and you get to visit once a week with someone from the real world.
The prison system is fair, with fair sentences and it all makes sense.
Lawyers are truly concerned with the truth and finding out what really happened and who is guilty and innocent.
Newspapers tell the truth.




APRIL FOOLS, APRIL FOOLS, APRIL FOOLS, APRIL FOOLS, APRIL FOOLS, APRIL FOOLS

POETRY PEEK OF THE WEEK

I was able to speak with Micah today. It was great to hear his voice and be assured that he is fine. He is so great about always being upbeat and keeping positive. I am sure he does not always feel that way, but he tries to assure his mom that he is fine.
His quote for the week is:
"What started whole is down to shatter. You must start with nothing and become whole."
Next Wed. is Micahs' update hearing. It will be 3:00
Jesse make sure you wear a big red hat and carry a big red balloon so that people will know his brother is there.
Micah decided to share a poem with you all. He wanted me to be sure and tell you all that this is a rarity and only a little peek at how good his poetry is getting. I did tell him not to go back and destroy all his old poems. He just laughed and said that he is really getting better for sure. It has helped to have access to some good poetry and it has surely got him on a roll.
He is planning a novel now and already has the outline for that. His biggest problem right now is the fact that he has run out of pages in his notebook. He got the notebook when he was in juvy and they don't sell them in county. They only sell paper, and he prefers the notebook. I guess he will get used to the paper.
I am kind of hoping he will start writing bigger now that he has more access to paper. I don't know how much they charge for paper, but his crazy little writing is sure hard to make out. Anyway here is the poetry peek:

Shall we dance
with the moon, as the stars serenade us with Spanish love songs?
Shall we walk with the earth as the trees whisper
"kiss her"
so softly into my pale ear?
Or rather, my darling, let us sing de amor shining brightly for lovers to see
helping love entwine two young souls, two hearts in his everlasting tango.

YOGA

Micah has been doing yoga. He took yoga in school classes last year at school and has been practicing it once again. I'm pretty sure he is the only one in Coconino County jail practicing yoga, but I could be wrong. He has asked his dad to send him some workouts as well as some Tai Chi work outs.
One day last week he worked out two and a half hours in one day. When he calls me and they come on to tell me that I have a call from an inmate he always identifies himself as "Mr. Musculo". That is the name of a guy on a commercial here in Costa Rica, and it is pretty funny. Of course doing 2,000 push-ups a day I'm sure he is pretty much Mr. Musculo!
The news of the day is that Micahs' attorney will be meeting with the prosecutor and his boss on Monday. They will be discussing Micahs' sentence. That sounds so bizarre to me. "Hey guys you want to get together and maybe talk about this 18 year olds next five or ten years?" Like isn't that something that should really take lots of time, thought, pondering, getting to know the kid, his case etc?
I am obviously very biased, but I would surely suggest this for any kid they were discussing the fate of. Even the other two boys who are as I have mentioned at home enjoying the company of friends and family as I write.
Anyway we will know more after Monday, probably not much more than we can talk about, but maybe. Micah read me a great poem that he wrote about the Indian guy that he saw get hit and killed on highway 89 one night when I was bringing him home from work.
I had caught only a brief view of a tennis shoe flying through the air, but he saw the whole thing. Once we turned around and went back he went to see if he could help the poor guy dying in the street, and I went to help the poor girl that had hit him. It was pretty traumatic, and next thing I knew Micah was sitting on the curb holding his head in his hands and trying not to pass out! That is a Neumann thing the passing out.
He ended up being a witness, and was also a witness to a death there that night on Highway 89. His poem was great, and I told him I can see he remembered that night very well. He said "heck yeah I saw that guy get hit and killed, of course I remember that". I did remind him that he did not include the part about him almost passing out in the poem. Of course he just said Ha Ha!

WAITING FOR CALLS

I spend half the day looking forward to talking to Micah, and then I spend the rest wondering when he will call, then I just wonder if I told him to call today!
I must be losing it because I can't remember when I told him to call me. He is working on some more writings and I am looking forward to getting that first book of poetry put together for him. It will be awesome and I hope that lots of people get to enjoy his writings.

MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!!

Micah wants to say a huge thank you to all his friends and family that showed up for his hearing today!!!!
When I spoke with him tonight his first comment was, "they did not forget about me". He was just so thrilled that some friends he had not seen or heard from were there to support him. His hearing was forwarded to April 8th.
One of the boys has a new lawyer, so they have to give him a chance to get up to snuff. Or whatever he wants to do. Maybe catch up on all the "stories".
Micah of course is just ready to get out of coconino county, even if it means a new cell. Bordem is a great motivator to accept pleas I suspect.
It was good to talk to him and find him in good spirits. He said that he has to practice what he preaches. And we all have to keep smilin, even though it is obvious we are not the ones driving!

LONG AWAITED DAY?

Tomorrow is Micahs update hearing that has been forwarded for five months. He said the most thing he looks forward to is the van ride! And of course seeing his loved ones in the courtroom. He would like to thank all of you who continue to show up, even though it appears nothing is happening. I have been assured something is happening and will happen tomorrow.
He impressed on me that he is the one who has been waiving his right to a speedy trial, as well as putting up with the excuses and dragging out of the thing by the prosecution.
If I have learned anything from this experience it is to trust Micah and his attorney.She is sharp and is truly looking out for his good. We will see how tomorrow goes and in advance thank you to all who are able to attend and just let him see your face and feel your great juju vibes!
Coconino County was great when I called yesterday to check on my boy by the way! He did not call as scheduled on Sunday and I of course was worried. I called the jail and they assured me that he was fine and there were no problems with him or at the jail! Never can tell.

TWILIGHT OF THE IDOLS

Micah has been excited about reading a new book that the librarian has shared with him. Thank you whoever the kind librarian that even gives a care what my big hearted inmate reads! She found him a book of poetry and is bringing him some more books she thought he would be interested in.
The book he is into right now is "Twilight of the Idols" by Friedrich Nietzsche. In looking up the author I discovered he was 19th century German philosopher who wrote on religion, morality, culture, philosophy and science.
He was born Oct. 15th 1844 and died August 25th 1900. He was famous for his anti-God stance and his anti morality stance. Of course like lots of authors of that period he was not famous until he had died of senility.
I will include some of Micahs' favorite quotes from the book tomorrow when I am able to talk to him a little bit more.
Micah is now working out two and a half hours a day. He was supposed to do 2,000 push-ups today. I am anxious to see if he completed them or not. I am just glad he has been busy and trying to keep the mind from worrying about what is going to happen this week, or not happen.

UNBELIEVABLE

We finally heard from Micahs lawyer today. I am constantly amazed and upset by the other lawyers as well as the prosecution. She told us that she just received the other kids record of testimony yesterday. This is the same testimony that was made in October! Kind of understandable that Micah can be getting frustrated ha?

ONE WEEK COUNTDOWN

There is one week left until Micah's update hearing. Maybe! Unless like the last four it gets forwarded again. In which case he will continue in limbo while the other two boys walk free with friends and family. One of Micahs' friends saw one of the boys out hiking with friends. Thought they were on house arrest ha?
After speaking with Micah last night his biggest frustration at the moment is the uncertainty of the whole thing. He really wants to know what and where he will be for the next few months or years. That has him really stressed out.
He has requested a Thai Chi book from his Dad and is working out about two hours a day right now. Did 1700 push-ups yesterday and still going strong.
I told him that his sister and I were training for a marathon. He commented that if they would just open those doors and let him out he would run for at least 26 miles without stopping for anything. It will sure be a happy day when he is a free man again.
Today is the day to call the coconino county jail and try and track down the sixty dollars worth of books I had sent from Amazon that never arrived. Not sure why they did not get there, but it is sure frustrating to work with that system they have going on over there.

TOO MANY DAYS

I have been trying to have Micah call only twice a week. It doesn't work for me, I need to talk to him more than that. I guess I will have to go back to three times a week. I did not receive anymore writings from my boy this week so not much of his wisdom to share.
Just a shout out to all of his friends to enjoy spring break and I am glad that he has happy memories of his spring breaks the last two years in Costa Rica!

BROTHERS

Sorry to say Micah has lost a very consistant visitor! Happy to say I have one of my sons here in Costa Rica. I really needed it and am so glad Jake came to visit. I know Micah will miss his visits, or at least when he could beat Jaima to the punch and actually get a visit. I'm sure they will both remember the last one a couple of Sundays ago and cherish it for a very long time. The good part is now Micah can actually talk to Jake more since he can call him on our phone.
I have not been able to talk to Micah as much as I would like, it gets pretty expensive thanks to the companys that take over the phone lines and charge four bucks for every 15 miinutes. And that is for a local call, the long distance was fifty bucks for 15 minutes! That was why we got a area code to match the one where Micah is currently at.
I have not figured out how they managed to pull this scam on the people, but it is impossible to get an answer. One woman tried to talk to the phone service where her son was incarcerated and was told maybe they charged so much because the prisoners deserved it for whatever they did to get there in the first place.
So many people forget that prisoners are people doing their time for a crime, and sometimes with excessive sentences, we don't need to add to their pain and suffering anymore than they already have.

JAIL TIME PUSH-UPS

If you had all the time in the world, and could only spend so much time reading and writing, what else would you do with your time?
Micah has decided to get really buff. He did 1500 push-ups yesterday and 750 today. He does them in rounds throughout the day. I have been giving him additional personal trainer advice and hopefully he will start working some other muscles.
He is doing ab work and is developing a six pack for the first time ever.
He told his celly that he would have some news in two weeks. Then he realized he has been telling him that for the past three months. He is begining to feel like the boy who cried wolf. Today is the day marking 8 months in the county jail in Flagstaff for Micah. It is hard to believe that he has been incarcerated that long already. Hopefully there is a great deal coming from the prosecution soon.
We can only hope and pray.

NEW BOOK

I received two books in the mail today. They are true lifesavers and I truly wish I had had them sooner. The are both by an author Carol Kent. Her only son is serving a life sentence with no chance for parole for murder one.
The first book is When I Lay My Isaac Down, the second one is A New Kind of Normal. It was so nice to find someone that I could relate to. She knows the feelings of failure, regret, sadness, and just pure frustration that accompany a tale like Micahs.
I just kept shaking my head at the feelings she experienced which only a mother can relate to. Not my husband, nor any of the kids. They all have their own kind of grief over the whole thing, but only a mother can relate to a mother who has lost a son to the prison system.
I share this quote out of the first book:
"Life is very different than it was before. It's harder. More challenging. Agonizingly painful. But different in a good way too.
I've discovered the joy of simplicity. Jason's life is uncomplicated without the accumulation of "stuff," the pressures of career advancement, the exhausting drive to achieve status and to impress people.
I've learned that tears create a common ground with all classes of people. Pain is pain is pain is pain. Mothers who are hurting do not feel envious, spiteful, or resentful of other mothers who are hurting. Our shared heartache produces an instant connection not based on status, achievement, or income level."

All I can say to this is a huge AMEN

MEMORIES

We spent the weekend at Manual Antonio beach and I spent a lot of time thinking about Micah. There were quite a few young folks celebrating spring break. Two years ago Micah was living here in Costa Rica and spent spring break at the beach.

One of his friends families was coming down for spring break and invited Micah to spend the week hanging out with them. I think they invited him anyway :)

So Micah being the adventurer that he is hopped on the bus and because there was standing room only stood for the three and a half hour bus ride to the beach. Once there he took a taxi and found his friends and had a great week surfing and hanging out.

You can see why I could not help but think about Micah when I saw all those youngsters out there taking surf lessons and enjoying the sun and fun.

Soon hopefully soon.

FEEL GOOD

2009
I guess everybody feels down at one point or another. But when you start to feel down in jail, everything, every single thing, tumbles into your lap. Every bad aspect about the place floods your mind. The fact that tomorrow and the next day will be the same as today, that I'll still be in thes here cell with only men, talking about the same things, my mind will still run circles reminissin about all I'm missin; I'll still end the day by laying my head on my blanket, or "make-shift" pillow, pulling my sheet over my body. My toes will still be cold, I'll wake up to a cold cereal breakfast, now over 200 times in a row, and nothing will change. God help me. Yet through all these thoughts i must make it known I had a smile on my face, my mind soon drifts to a better place, reality will fade, for it's not the place I want to be living in and I will follow this routine until the day these people let me out of my cage doors, when I go free. Back to life, back to where I belong, It won't be long. Everything always turns out perfect in the end!

TATTOO

The one thing I told, asked, pleaded with Micah not to do in jail? Don't get a tattoo! Did he listen? Does he ever listen? Of course not. Now he has a big tattoo on his upper back. Now if you're like me you are wondering how the heck someone in jail gets a tattoo.
Well apparently it took him eight hours and a staple. Yes a staple. You know you can catch things doing things like that. His excuse was if his mom can get dreadlocks he can get a tattoo. Great excuse except he got the tattoo first!

LEMONADE

9/14/08
What if life gives you lemons and you just so happen to be allergic to lemon juice!? What then, do you make? Sometimes, though it may be very seldom, life may throw you something you can't wiggle out of!
I, however, have a wrinkle of how to deal with it: it all has to do with two simple syllables: mindset. When you are happy, without a obvious reason to be so, are the most crucial times in life.
Take a couple of deep breaths when you feel wroth, for problems will wittingly find you and wreath themselves around your happiness. But the thing about your happiness is that it is stronger than any obstacle, for it is all up to you and your mind therefore you're in complete control.
You don't have to woo happiness! It's in you all the time, push the problems from your mind and woolgather happy thoughts till the moon shines bright and silent snores fill your room.....ahem....cell.

SAD CALL

I am happy to say that Micah finally called last night and was bummed out. That may sound weird but I felt like he needed to finally let his guard down a bit and share how he was really feeling. His Dad told him that it is ok to be down once in awhile, especially in his circumstances. He seems to feel that he has to stay upbeat all the time.

When we visited him in Oct. I told him it was o.k. if he wanted to tell me how awful it was. I assured him he did not need to keep upbeat for me. He told me "for you? I am trying to stay upbeat for myself!"

He is even to the point of not taking it to trial just so that he can get to prison sooner and get out of county. There are advantages as well as disadvantages of prison. He is just ready to find out what is going to happen and not sit around wondering all the time what is going to happen to him.

I feel like the procecuting is prolonging his hearing for this very reason. The county of course does not want the expense and time of going to trial. If you wait in county long enough you will take just about anything to get out of there. He will be at the 8 month mark next week.

If any of you out there were thinking about writing letters, or cards this would be a good time to do it. He is having a pretty rough time of it right now. That call last night was the very first time in the past six months that he has called just out of the blue because he had had a rough day. Lots of prayers would be good right now also.

SPEAKING OF HAPPINESS

Micah:
When I write, or speak, about happiness, it's usually about how much it will improve your own life. How as long as you stay happy and smile all the while, life is that much better! Tonight I feel the need, pressed upon me by the frowning face and negativity seeping from across the cell, to tell you yet another aspect of the good that comes out of happiness: And it's happiness! (imagine that!) for when you refuse to let life get you down the positive vibes you have will be passed on to any and everybody around.
People feel it just as they will feel negativity, just as I feel the negative thoughts seeping out of this mans mind and scattering their sorrow all across the cell! But I'm fighting back! My happiness has armored up and battled his negativity out, in an INSTANT! Yet when he felt that he ran, escaped to the next, and only other, room.
This is the kind of person, or mood, we commonly refer to as "negative Nancy". Something about positivity kills them! And the only way to help them is to wait, invite them to open their minds, and with hope they will realize positivity feels better!
But for the rest of you to help, smile! Start the chain reaction! Be a real friend and as you take the frown from your face, take it from people around you....you can do it!

DECEMBER LETTERS

This is a journal entry of Micahs that I received in the mail this week.

12-15-08
We live life day to day because that is nature, its in our programming. When things dont go our way, when life looks hard we dont just off ourselves, for we are told that would result in eternal torment, and we believe it will improve, the latter, both for that matter, are opinion! What is reality? What is this life? How do we break away from those who only follow who only run with society? Furthermore, and the more important question asked is once your mind is free, ready with its own ideas and philosophies, how do you introduce the world? How do you know who will follow you, who will, in my case, free themselves from the world as a group? The simple fact that you should be and believe EXACTLY what your own mind tells you!
Well, where are we going? Where are we from? What should we do while we are here? So many questions that seem to have such complex answers. But they can all be answered so SIMPLY! We will go to the afterlife, wherever it may be! We are from a vast and beautiful area, big enough to hold the population of many worlds, and finally, we are here to make sure we live the happiest lives we can. And while we live to be happy, we do any and everything we can to help our fellow humanity live the happiest lives they can! But we must do this without sacrificing our own happiness. And in the afterlife, we will end up where we belong, where we will be the happiest!

Excuse the poor use or should I say absence of hyphens, cant find them on this keyboard.

BEST FRIENDS

I guess it all started with that phone call. I remember it came in very early in the am on a Friday night, and the officer on the other side of the phone first asked if I knew Micah was in custody, and I said no. Then he proceeded to tell me the list of possible charges, and I couldn’t think of anything to do but write them down so I wouldn’t mess up telling the family. The officer said he had no idea when anyone could see Micah, gave me the number to call to find out, and apologized for waking me and for the bad news, he was very kind. In my notebook from then I have the time, charge list, and the next day was all filled with thoughts and feelings and panic.


In my despair and panic I called my closest friend, who did not answer his phone… When he called me back I was in the middle of HomCo, shopping, and I simply sat down on some lawn furniture in the middle of the store and cried (the first time I had done so) and told him what was going on. It felt so good to talk to someone not personally involved and I will forever be grateful for his kind listening.

I told the family everything I knew, and I think by this time it had hit the papers. I did not know until days later that Jesse was there in Costa Rica , and it is all clouded in shock and disbelief. I do know I was on the phone to Costa Rica a lot, and I know that as things came out in the papers I was surrounded by kindness, and messages of support for not only me, but for me to pass on to the family. I contacted any friends of Micah’s I knew and asked them to write or visit or whatever they could do…

The next thing I remember clearly is a phone call from a PI…who works with the attorney, he was calling me because Micah had asked him to, and I will never forget what he told me. First, I was told to not go visit. Micah knew that those visiting were being somewhat investigated and he did not want me to have to deal with that. I cried. He is locked up, isolated, upset, and he thinks of my life and my responsibilities. Second, Micah needed funds. My mother was very kind and ran down the next day to open him an account and start his “books”.

Now, I am still in shock. I still just want to know what really happened and why he was there. I am still grateful that all the other boys were out of town. I’ve been told that none of them would have gotten involved, but that chance remains, that Micah could have called them, and they could have all been there. I hurt for Micah, for Rick and Robbie, and for everyone else involved. I still have not been able to see him face to face. Each time I’ve gone to visit there are none left, so I continue to write and hope that he knows I love him. I cannot think of anything else to do.

For his future, I still want everything. I hope this all goes away and he can move on, but as it is, we just don’t know, and my not know for a while. I just keep thinking, the part of my heart that belongs to Micah is locked up with him…I hope he knows in some way everyone who loves him is there.

Thank You!

"I always tell the truth. It is the easiest thing to remember." - Mark Twain

Ruth

MISSED CALL

Nothing makes me more frustrated about Micahs situation than missing his call. We are still down on our internet here and waiting to get it fixed. Since we have a VOIP phone it works through the internet. I am about to climb the wall trying to get the phone company out to fix our line. They have fixed once and looks like it may be an ongoing struggle with all the wind.

In the meantime I just received two really good posts from Micah that I will post today or tomorrow, when I get time to get back up here to the internet and get them posted. I have ordered two books that I am going to read and see if they help. They were written by a mom who has a son in jail for life. She is a motivational speaker by profession and it will be interesting to see what motivation she has to offer in this situation.

To date Micah has sent me 99 poems for his book. I am going to be sending some our for review and editing. If anyone has some spare minutes and would like a couple of pages to look at, check spelling and grammar feel free to write me or leave a comment and I will contact you about mailing you a few pages. It is a lot of reading and writing. It is about 40 pages worth.

I am so glad he has undertaken this project as it gives him something to think about. I am still trying to digest the fact that he is in a cell with a 33 year old man who is making his life difficult, as a Mom I just want to go and tell him off. Well in the meantime I read www.prisontalk.com and learn a lot of things to do and not to do to make his life easier. They do have lots of ideas and input not only from people who have been there, but people who have people there for a very long time.

My friend Ruth offered to do a guest blog for this site also. If anyone else would like to do a blog about Micah please let me know and I would love to post it. Remember he will see this someday and will be tickled pink that we all thought about him everyday and remembered him.

IN THE BEGINING

I thought since I did not have a blog from Micah today, until he calls me tomorrow that is, I would just tell my side of the day of. Our internet is dead at the moment so I am trying to do this at the internet cafe and the girl beside me is about to pound her keys right through the dang table, and I have my headphones on! It is making me crazy so I will try to focus.

On July 11th we were in Nicaragua. Since we are considered perpetual tourists we have to leave Costa Rica every 90 days and get our passport stamped. Our very favorite place to go is San Jaun Del Sur. It is an awesome beach town and is not as far as other cool places to hang out for a few days to wait and return.

So on that fateful weekend we had travelled there with our son Jesse and two of his buddies who were all spending the month hanging out in Costa Rica. I have to say if Jesse had not been there I dont think I could have coped. But I get ahead of myself for a moment.

We had arrived on Thursday and spent the day playing at the beach. On Friday we went to the internet cafe to check our email. I brought up my myspace and there were two urgent messages from Micahs legal guardian. I immediately brought them up. The first one was just a few lines. She told me she had received a call early that morning that Micah had been arrested and charged with murder 1, robbery, and kidnapping.

The next message was the Daily Scum report on the whole incident. By the way I hate, hate, hate the Daily Scum and in a way wish it was them that had lied and not the police lying to them, just so I could sue them. But again I digress.

When I read that message I felt like someone had just sucked all the air out of that little internet cafe in San Jaun del Sur. I have never experienced anything like that before in my life. I just freaked out and started yelling at Jesse and Rick. I was not even aware of any other person in the whole world at that time, like I had just fallen off the planet.

They both came running and we all stood in shock. Jesse was the first to respond with the words, Micah would never do this, something is wrong. From there we ran next door to the internationa l call center and called our friend. She gave us the number for juvy, since he was only 17 that is where he was.

When we called juvy Micah refused to talk to us. The police on duty told us he was fine and was just a little upset and we should try back later. I just could not think straight. I was just thinking I had to get to Flagstaff immediately and save my kid from what was happening. The flight or fight response had kicked in big time and I was in flight mode.

We all went for a walk and I just could not stop crying. There was a big political rally going on in the streets and megaphones, drunk people and shouting going on. We were sitting on a park bench in the middle of it all my daughter and I just sobbing. My husband headed to the Catholic church there to pray.

When we headed back we went to the call center and I called my daughter in Costa Rica. She was of course shocked and when we arrived home the next night she had cleaned our house and had a hot meal waiting there for us. She is awesome and knew just what we needed. She was also able to call the other boys and tell them what was going on.

I will always look back on that day as the day my life changed forever. I have had many trials and tribulations as we all do. But nothing could ever prepare me to lose my son in this way. I strive in every way I can to keep connected to him, but I know he will change. I will never have my little boy again, he is gone.

MONDAYS SUCK

It is difficult on Mondays after talking to Micah for a half an hour on Sunday to not talk to him at all. When I talked to him yesterday he said he was fresh out of things to say. Now that in and of itself is a miracel where Micah is involved.

He did say that he was very happy at the moment because his celly had a visit so was gone. While we were talking on the phone his celly came back. He was trying to laugh on the phone but I could tell he was upset. I asked him what was going on and he said his celly had just drank out of his coffee cup. He is really not too happy right now but refuses to say so.

While I am glad he wants to keep Mom happy I feel bad that he does not feel like he can say what is going on. He has never told me about any fights, which I know have happened, or anything else bad that goes on in jail.

He has made me promise to keep his blog positive and up beat so I will continue to strive to do that. In the meantime please remember him in your prayers.

JAIL GUARDS

Micah shared a funny story with me on Wednesday after his hearing. He was pretty discouraged, but as always managed to keep his chin up and find the humor in the situation.

On the way to the courthouse for the hearing he got to talking to the driver. Of course Micah got to talking to the driver, he talks to everyone. Anyway so they got to talking and the driver told him that he had been doing his job for 10 years.

Micah said, " wow you have been doing this since I was 7 years old! Just think about it you started doing this kind of job when I was just a little kid with a superman backpack that I would wear and pretend it could fly me around everywhere. You have been driving people to their hearings and I was like flying all around my yard".

He said the guy did not find it at all amusing and even got a little pissed off at him. I told him he better be careful or they will be driving him to the funny farm instead of his hearing!

STILL SMILING

If you don't want to cry don't read this post, it is a tear jerker.

"I never realized what it meant when I would hear about people fighting and dying for freedom. Being incarcerated I've come to see that the chance to fight for an entire countries' freedom would be an honor. To save them from living even in a situation remotely close to mine; without all the things Americans, everybody-for that matter-, takes for granted.

From being able to walk your dog-even have a dog!- under the sun or moon, anytime, anyday, to simply being able to associate yourself with whom you please, whenever you'd like!

I wish there was some way to make it known that lives without freedom are not for man to live! i.e. if I want to go on a walk I must close my eyes and dream. If I want to see people I love it's thru glass, making it impossible to touch them, to wipe the tears from their eyes, shed for little ole' me locked behind these steel doors.

Are there people who belong here? With these restrictions? Yes, of course, which is the cause for innocent men that don't belong here *cough, cough!* being here! Because lies never end! Where do they? Where can jurors, and everyone else see thru them and into the soul? Where guilty persons take their blame without pushing it upon another? Take me there! Take me where truth is all that matters. Where they laugh when they see me, and instantly say "not guilty!" And, this I swear, my life and everything in it will never be taken for granted again!-Still Smiling- :) I Love You Family!