3-Strike Stories: A.J.

`This letter was written to one of the Inmates of the Three Strikes Law from a family member.

Howdy hi bro. What's been going down with you lately? I truly with all my heart and soul hop and pray that this letter finds everything going well enough to put you in the absolute highest of sprits.

As for each of us everything is going as well as can possibly be excepted. We're both fine truly we are. Although we've definitely went through more than our share of changes lately. Some of them are or have been for the better. Or so they seemed at the time. Or they will end up to be for the good changes. Once we go through some of the bull-shit changes, trying to get some good changes out of all we've been through lately. First of all around the first of the month, In the middle of the night almost, we had a truly serious accident involving Mom and her oxygen.

See we have all been pretty careful or at least so we thought. Since we tried to keep the smoking down while we were in the same room as the machine. Only there were a few days last month that mom had more trouble breathing than other days or normal in fact. So the doctor decided that the oxygen should be turned up at the machine for her. Weather she still continued to wear the mask all the time or not. Well this one day mom was having more trouble than what was normal, even on one of the bad days. To the point I had to call the Dr. not once but three times that day. So instead of making a house call that day, like he has before for me to get mom the right thing she needed, he called in scripts of medication to be delivered to the house, plus he ordered the oxygen to be turned up from 1 /12 to 2 liters per min. For part of the day. Then after 5 O'clock that afternoon he ordered the oxygen to be turned down again to 3 1`/2 liters of oxygen per min. To be left that way, with a appointment to see him the first thing the next morning. Only that night after I got home from Eureka by a ride by, Dennis Cox and a partner of his.

Then Dennis decided to go see Kenny while he was down there that close to him. Which was cool, so his partner and I took Dennis over there and drooped him off. Then we were supposed to go back to pick him up when he got through and called the house.

So while we drove from our house to Kenny's, plus waited exactly five min. For Dennis to get done in the house and walk out to the car. I was gone a total of exactly ten min. From the time I left the house until I walked back in the house. Someone walked into the bathroom and left a lite cigarettes going in the ash tray.

Only it feel out of the ash tray, While mom was in the bathroom,, well anyway it burnt the hose in half, plus it exploded into mom face. Her whole face was burnt completely black. With her hair on fire in the front. So while I called 911 for the ambulance to come, I had another friend of mine be with mom to help put out the fire and keep putting cold water on her face. To keep the damage and pain down as much as possible, at least until the ambulance there to take care of her

Since thank God in Heaven it turned out to look a whole lot worse than it actually was, even though she was kept in the hospital over night. More for pain control and to see if by chance the fire went up into her nose, plus going directly down into her lungs. Then the next morning they were going to transfer her into the burn center. Only the next morning I had just walked out of the ICU into the hall for quick min. To see her doctor in the hall talking to another person, but I didn't know who the other person was. To walk up and tell the doctor that mom was in the ICU and what had gone down, or as much as I knew about it. Since I wasn't there when it actually happened, so her doctor walked into check on her.

He decided that she was to be released from the hosp. Except instead of transferring her into the burn unit or any thing like that he decided she could go home.

Since he didn't think that the fire had gone directly down into her lungs after all.

Even though the inside of her nose has been burnt bad enough that she's still having trouble dealing with that, so the two times she's been back to him since. He's been so totally proud of her and the way she's healing/ In fact if she doesn't catch a cold or lung infection while she's healing with the rest of this, then things should all be alright with no sign of scaring at all in another six months.

Only don't you know that since we finally had to be moved out of the house by the Sheriff on the morning of the 18th of last month.

We were put in a motel over night by A.C.C.A. and the faith paid for the room over night at the Ranch Motel. I'm not even saying that I didn't apperate them doing what they did for us, because it gave us a room for the night.

Then the next day, after check out time, Rick came and got mom and I and took us down to Jimmy Dunn's Bar, so I could talk to the owner about renting a room from him. In one of the houses he owns. Well it started out that we were put in one house only at he time we had absolutely no money, food, transportation or very many of our cloths, plus we had tink. Damn it, I've had think for so long that I totally refuse to give her up. Well it was agreed that think would have to be left outside because for one thing the one house had a person that is afraid of dogs, but they had a camper in the back yard that was fixed up with a bed and stuff for think to stay in. So she'd be able to be on a leash so she couldn't be in the house with me all of the time.

Since they wouldn't consider letting me stay in the camper full time for whatever reason except the camper was dirty. Shit I was so wore out and everything that by the time I got here that it took me days to finally even try to get anything else squared away. So it was decided that instead of us taking over in the blue house, where we would have had to sleep on the floor for awhile, which there was no way possible of that we would move in next door, where our meals would be cooked for us, and everything would be included into the rent.

Butch would do what he could to provide someone close to us that would be our s in home care person/. Well since than almost every night there been this one dude that had decided to stay in my ass. He stays drunk 24-7 and the more he drinks the absolute worse it gets. One night just after we moved in he invited another person to come to spend the night, which was cool, or should have been. The police have been called both times, with nothing being done. We've all been told to watch ourselves and have taken all the knives to be locked away until the next morning when he has gotten up and left. After getting me out of the house to go by cigarettes for him, only to have my bank card to missing both times It's never moms card, its always my card, only last time there just didn't happen to be any money in the account, except I have my whole check minus 280.00 that I took out on the day of the first.

This is the third day of April since the day we moved over here. I've lost I have no idea of how much money total. Your complete box either by having no room in any of the cars we were brought into Eureka to do what we've had to do to at least get in the door of where we are, or by not being able to get back down to Fortune until after the box was gone. Shawn and I have no idea of how to tell you that Sam any less sorry about this than I am. Please believe me that if there was any way on Gods given way of you being able to have gotten that box, it would definitely have gotten it.

Pleas if at all possible send me another package slip as soon as possible, I swear to God with all that is holly you will definitely get all of the art supplies that you are allowed to have. Just as soon as you send another slip. We haven't heard a word from Tom and Katie since two days after we moved into where we've at now. This is after they left us with a phone bill that is over 300.00 for the month of Feb. To say nothing of the light bill that was for over 500.00 until the day I had it shut off.

Shawn it would not have made any different wether we had been moving or not, which we were I still would have turned the light off the day we received that light bill for over 500.00. To say the least I was hot, but than so was everyone else. Especially since we had just pain over a hundred and fifty dollars on the bill two days before this bill came in the mail.

Although now since we had the lights shut off the light company has decided they would do whatever was necessary to get this checked out. So they sent us a new closing bill of less than 150.00 for the entire month of Feb.., which we can definitely deal with. Wether we pay it during the time we're not using any lights except what includes in our rent for this month or wether we pa it after we find another place to rent. Only you can also believe that at this point there are no plans of us moving back in with Tom and Katie or let thing them move back in with us, not that any more has been said about it one way or the other, since Katie quit working for us. Although they did buy a motor home that was almost the same size as the on Doc and I bought from another friend of mine, only they didn't have it all paid off, and weren't supposed to until they got Tom's check on the 3rd. Only I truly hope to catch up with Toms pays Kathy either before Tom does or shortly there after so I can collect some money on these bills. Plus some of the money they owe mom before they finish paying off this motor home. To show this dude what it feels like to be owed some money by these tow people and not be able to get it exactly when he's supposed to, yeah buddy that idea makes me feel good just thinking about it, just like he did us, only if this goes down the way I'd like to see it go down, he'd still have his own check, which is definitely more than he did us. Since he knew that Tom and Katie owed all of this money on these bills plus another 150.00 they owe mom and I. He still went ahead and sold them the motor home with only half the money which I don't believe for a hot min. Except it doesn't really matter to me one way or the other, except what I've already told you about.

Have you by chance heard from Howard lately? His probably so pissed at me for not writing to him yet, because he told me to start staying in touch with him once he got down S. Q. Again, only he never has written , letting me know where he is or how long he'll be down again this time, although I'm not sure if he has the P.O. Box Num.. Or not, but if he writes to you any time soon please give him the address and tell him to write. Will you also tell him they we all said to tell him that we said hello and hope that everything is going really well with him.

I'm just real sorry that I haven't had a chance to go over to see his ole lady, even to say hello to her either since before he went down this time, only I am really hoping that we'll be able to get changed before very much longer. Now that it seems that this weather will hopefully be getting warmer, or at least lets hope. I know I'm definitely more than ready for a serious weather change especially if it will get warmer. Now to tell you some of the good things going on with mom and I. First of all if mom's oxygen level keeps staying where its at it will be gone for good. Thank God and we're definitely looking forward to that action coming into a reality. Weather we're in a lace of our own or not, but especially if we're in a place of our own, because than no one would have to worry about another accident going down again like it did over on Palmer. Only we can all only hope and pray nothing like that goes down again, at any time or place

He I'm going to get another camera from some where to take some more pictures of at least mom and I so that you will be able to see for yourself just how good mom looks lately. Everyone is just totally thrilled about the way mom is healing, plus I went to the beauty shop this afternoon and to have my hair cut and my nails donee, except once I got there I found out that my hair cut and getting my nails done wouldn't cost me any thing, since I had one of the students do it. I was supposed to take mom with me, but she didn't want to go for some unknown reason other than she's come down with another lung infection. As to how serious it is at this point is anyone guess since we though I went to the doctors office with her, Carl went into the actual app. With her so there no idea of what exactly was said, Good or Bad or indifferent. Although I do know that the doctor prescribed some antibiotic for he. Hopefully she'll start to feel better like her old self pretty soon. I went over to Sylivas last night so she said to tell you that she said to say hello. She's also moved again only this time she moved over to hillficker. Her apartment is a one bedroom plus everything included she's paying only 300.00 a month, without any kind of deposits to be paid. No way She's paying a fifty dollar deposit for her animal, and I gorget what ever else deposits she has to pay. Although it was some unreasonable, in fact to good to be true, plus they have another apartment over close to her that for rent. That she wanted me to check into although it was to late last night to check into them last night while I was over there I talked to Her yesterday while he was in the hosp. Yes from another case of phem. This is the second time that I've know about him being in the hosp. Just since we moved into Eureka which was the 19 th of last mo. I'm truly glad in a lot of ways that we are living here in Eureka, even though I haven't really had a chance to get about yet. Only that is definitely my own fault which may or may not change, it will be my own dcission. About the only person that I've really wanted to check on, an dhavent is Chrisie, only the few people I've care about where she is or how she is or if they do they damn sure aremn't letting me know anyas usual I'm afraid. Well bro I truly hate to do this buut its almost time for wveryone else to get up. So I'm going to close this up and get it in the mail.

So good night, sweet dreams and God bless you forever and always in each and everything you do . Take care and write soon. I promise to try to do the same

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Date last modified: 6/19/98.