Radio Chatter

I worked an RDO (or Regular Day Off) yesterday to get myself off of the top of the mandatory overtime list. Since there's only sixteen or seventeen of us on the list, it goes around pretty quickly.

Stuck me out in C-zone, which meant I had to monitor all of the laundry movements and make sure the counts were correct.

And let me tell you, trying to count straggling inmates with the radio chattering numbers in my ear is kind of a challenge. I took to writing numbers on my hand in between groups.

I knew there were 105 of them in total. So I wrote that down on the back of my hand. And then I started counting them as they went by. The first thirty or so went easy because there was no radio traffic. Then....

33, 34, 35.....

"45 to A-yard releasing nine to A-dining and two to three house."

"10-4"

36! 37, 38, 39....

"19 to 23, 10-15 262 or 10-10"

Augh! (wrote 39 on my hand)
40, 41, 42...

"47 to 69"

"69!"

"10-15 407"

"10-4! In one!"

Augh! 43, dammit! 44, 45, 46, 47....

"47 to 69 disregard."

"10-4!"

69.... No! 48... sheesh! (wrote that down...)

"78 to 69"

Is that me? No, I'm 82. But he's calling me.

"82"

49, 50, 51, 52...... (wrote that down)

"I copy 105, correct?"

"10-4" Snap! Now I'm doing it to myself!

Finally managed to get them all counted without screwing it up. But I ended up with numbers scribbled all over the palm of my hand and a real good headache.

I cannot wait until they get this new laundry shack built and the fence fixed so we can go back to the old way of letting them walk down there unescorted. If we are real lucky it will only take them another three months or so....

And tonight Tilt decided to put his own two cents in out there on the radio.

We were outside supervising the inmates watering the garden. They always have to be supervised if they have a hose.

Tilt had just got done eating and was patting his belly and groaning softly. I remarked that he looked full. He looked at me and said "Well, I won't be here in a minute!" and off into the house he went, heading for the bathroom.

About ten minutes later he calls me on the radio.

"97 to 92..."

Now what? I thought he was in the bathroom!

"92.."

"Be advised..." he says "That detail is complete."

I just stood there for a second dumbfounded before I could reply "10-4"

Couldn't really believe that he just called me on the radio to tell me he pooped.

I finally stopped laughing about ten minutes later.

Too much, yeah?

So! ( I had to look at my watch to remember what day this is) Saturday is going to be Grey Day, International Jazz Day, Julia Pierpont Day, Amateur radio Military Appreciation Day and National Blueberry Cheesecake Day.

And just who the snap is Julia Pierpont when she's at home?