As I mentioned in Part 1, this birthday turned out to be one of the best of my life — and not just because of the incredible outpouring of gifts from the outside world. The rest of what made it so special actually happened inside these prison walls. Let me tell you about it.
If you read my last few posts, you know I’ve been battling a stubborn cold for weeks now (thank you, prison healthcare system). So on the morning of my birthday, I was already up early — mostly because I couldn’t sleep from the constant sneezing and runny nose. But when I heard they were serving freshly made French toast for breakfast, I didn’t mind dragging myself out of bed. It was as delicious as I remembered and the perfect way to start the day.
After breakfast, I headed to my RDAP (Residential Drug Abuse Program) meeting at 7:45 a.m. During the “positive praise” portion, one of my new friends stood up to shout me out. He praised my fitness routine and wished me a happy birthday in front of everyone. Then, nearly all 70 people in the room joined in with birthday wishes. It brought such a big smile to my heart — they definitely don’t do that for everyone, and I could tell it was genuine.
After the meeting, still feeling sick, I went back to my bunk to try and catch a nap. No luck.
When I woke up around 1 p.m., I knew I had to do something physical to mark my birthday, just like I do every year — to prove to myself that I’m still moving forward, still fighting against the pull of time.
So I decided to run 4.2 miles for my 42nd birthday. It would be my longest run on the prison track so far. I’d done that distance on a treadmill before, but anyone who runs knows the track is a lot tougher.
I told myself it was fine to take walking breaks since I was sick — but then one of my younger, super-fit friends came over while I was stretching and said, “You’re gonna run it all at once, right?”
Well… what could I say? “Yes,” I answered, even though I wasn’t sure I could pull it off.
And guess what? I did it!
I ran the full 4.2 miles, no walking breaks, in about 35 minutes — a new personal record for me on the track. It was brutally hard, especially feeling sick, but pushing through it gave me a sense of pride and happiness that lasted the whole day.
I had to cancel my outdoor yoga class afterward because a swarm of bugs had taken over our yoga spot (because… prison life), but I still did a solo yoga flow in the gym to cool down and stretch out.
After a shower, it was time for the party.
I’ve always had great birthday parties on the outside — Disney-themed, Heroes and Villains, even a surprise 80s bash. (And yes, these were all adult parties, for anyone wondering.)
So I had high hopes, even for my first (and hopefully only) birthday party in prison. And my friends here really came through.
My buddy Matt, who used to be my cube-mate, went above and beyond. He helped arrange a venue (his cube), got the supplies for two homemade pizzas, and made three of his famous cheesecakes. Matt’s a good guy — the kind you’re lucky to meet in a place like this. (I know he won’t see this post, but… thank you, Matt!)
Around 7 p.m., we started setting up for the party.
And then… disaster struck.
Matt was filling up a trash bag with 190-degree water (our makeshift “oven” for pizza baking) when the bag burst, sending scalding water all over his legs. His thermals trapped the boiling water against his skin, and he suffered some really nasty burns.
It was bad.
We quickly brought in a fellow inmate who used to be a doctor to assess the situation. Then, after a lot of begging, we got the guards to call a nurse. I helped wheel Matt over to the med center, where they bandaged him up and gave him burn cream.
The doc said he’d definitely have a scar — which Matt is already brainstorming cooler stories about (something about a race riot instead of pizza-making gone wrong, LOL).
I wanted to cancel the party, but Matt wouldn’t hear of it.
“F* that, I want some pizza!**” he said.
So the party was back on.
I learned how to make my first hot-water pizza oven (with double-bagging this time, lesson learned). No explosions, no injuries.
The party only lasted about an hour, but it was one of the best hours I’ve had since being locked up.
Twelve of my new friends showed up. We ate pizza, laughed, swapped stories about our favorite birthdays from the outside, and for a little while… we all forgot where we were.
The pizza was amazing — made with tortillas for crust and a scratch-made marinara sauce.
The cheesecake? Even better.
Matt made three versions — Snickers, peanut M&Ms, and Reese’s. Honestly, if you served those cheesecakes at a 5-star restaurant, nobody would question it.
I went to bed that night with a full belly, a full heart, and a huge smile on my face.
This birthday — even in a place like this — was truly special.
One I’ll never forget.
Happy birthday Larry aka Belize! I don’t know much about prison but you seem to be adapting well. Keep on brother! You will be home soon. That guy Matt seems like a good guy too.
P.S. 100 inmates vs a gorilla ……. Any thoughts?