Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 80
Time I woke: 3:30 am
Journal of activities:

Today I had a magnificent day. I left my house at 4:30 for a long drive to San Jose. I had a meeting scheduled with the principle of a juvenile hall in San Jose. I wore my black suit, as I wanted to look professional and I brought copies of the Straight-A Guide workbook that we’re offering. The principle greeted me out front and then escorted me inside the facility. The institutions were eerily familiar to me, with the locked doors and the institutional loud speakers. But I was enthusiastic to have the opportunity of presenting to the principle and her staff. She graciously introduced me to several people, and we then went to the meeting, where I met probation officers, teachers, and other service providers.  I presented for more than three hours, and in the end, I received a purchase order. It’s very exciting for me to receive this vote of confidence from educators and law enforcement professionals. I’m enthusiastic about possibilities to expand our network of partners who use the Straight-A Guide as a teaching tool. Then I drove to San Francisco to teach my students about the prison’s disciplinary code. I had a very full day, making me feel productive.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Beautiful and sunny in Petaluma, and in San Jose, and in San Francisco
• Consecutive days: 0
• Cumulative miles since day off: 0
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m grateful that God continues to open opportunities for me to build a career around my 26 year journey as a federal prisoner.

Appointments:

I met with officials at the juvenile hall facility in San Jose.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 79
Time I woke: 4:00 am
Journal of activities:

I began this morning with a wonderful 12-mile run. I would’ve liked to have run farther, but I had to create a PowerPoint presentation to guide me through the class that I have to teach tomorrow. I also had to make some preparations for a meeting I had with officials at the Santa Clara County juvenile hall.  The principal of that school is interested in using our Straight-A Guide as a teaching tool for the young offenders who are serving time inside that facility. I plan on leaving my home at 4:30 am tomorrow so that I can be on time for the 8:00 am meeting. I will likely be in San Jose until around 1:00. Then I’ll drive to San Francisco State University to teach my class in the evening. Tomorrow I’ll be teaching on the disciplinary code.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 11:00 am
• Lenght of time: 2.2 hours
• Miles run today: 12
• Weather: Beautiful and sunny in Petaluma
• Consecutive days: 1
• Cumulative miles since day off: 12
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m grateful that I had an opportunity to spend more time working with Carole today. She was with me during the morning, then went to her hospital to do some clinical work for school. She returned to work beside me during the afternoon.

Appointments:

I did not meet with anyone today.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 78
Time I woke: 4:00 am
Journal of activities:

I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to run today. My run yesterday went really well and I hoped to run a marathon distance. But the doctor that I saw yesterday ordered that I had to have some blood drawn for a baseline analysis, and some of the tests required that I fast before providing the blood sample. That meant I couldn’t eat since last night, and I didn’t want to run a marathon distance without being able to eat anything. Instead, I worked this morning at my computer and I reported to the blood lab in the mid morning. Then I resumed my work, as I had a lot of work to complete. I caught up with the work I need to complete for my students at SFSU. Then I updated all the grades. I had a productive day working mostly on university projects. When I consider all of the hours I invest in this class, my earnings about to slightly less than $9 per hour, but this role I have of influencing the ways that future criminal justice leaders perceive the prison system fulfills me.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Beautiful and sunny in Petaluma
• Consecutive days: 0
• Cumulative miles since day off: 0
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m grateful for my good health and for the wonderful marriage I have with Carole.

Appointments:

I did not meet with anyone today other than the professionals at the health care center that drew my blood for lab work.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 77
Time I woke: 3:30 am
Journal of activities:

Today I worked to refine our website and our marketing packages. At 7:00 am I went outside for a 15 mile run. I set a goal of running 13 marathon distances this year and I am way behind. I wanted to run a marathon today but my schedule would not allow for me to take five hours off. I run slowly, so I need to budget five hours to complete the 26.2 mile distance. I need to get going in order to reach my goal. But today I had a lot of writing to complete, so I stayed at my computer until 4:00 pm, when I had to drive to a doctor’s office for my first physical examination. It went fine, but I learned that I would have to return to the health clinic tomorrow in order to provide some blood samples for testing. At least I made my wife happy by getting this initial physical examination.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 7:00
• Lenght of time: 2.7
• Miles run today: 15
• Weather: Cool but sunny morning
• Consecutive days: 1
• Cumulative miles since day off: 14
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m grateful for every breath I take in liberty.

Appointments:

Today I met with a medical doctor who performed a physical examination on me.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 76
Time I woke: 4:30
Journal of activities:

This morning I was able to complete some work on my computer in the pre dawn hours. At 7:30 Carole, her mother Linda, and I drove to a restaurant in Santa Rosa for breakfast. We were taking Linda to the airport for her flight home to Seattle and she treated us to a generous breakfast on the way. During our meal we discussed different ways that Carole and I could build a business around her nursing experience. On our way from the restaurant to the airport I had an opportunity to watch Carole’s nursing expertise. Linda and her saw a man take a fall onto the sidewalk. Carole insisted that we turn the car around so that she could provide some medical assistance until the ambulance arrived. It was wonderful to watch the care she took to ease the man’s pain. Her generosity of spirit truly inspired me, giving more reason for me to respect her compassion.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise today
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Cloudy and cool in Petaluma
• Consecutive days: 0
• Cumulative miles since day off: 0
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m grateful to have had a pleasant morning with Carole and my mother-in-law, and to have spent the remainder of the day working at home with Carole.

Appointments:

I didn’t meet with anyone other than Carole and my mother-in-law today.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 75
Time I woke: 4:40
Journal of activities:

This morning I woke and began working to complete ongoing writing projects that require my attention. At 8:30 I went to my friend Lee Nobmann’s house to exercise in his home gym. I rode the stationary bicycle while he rowed. Following our exercise we discussed the business strategy that Justin and I are working to implement. I left Lee’s house and brought Carole’s vehicle to the local Oilstop service center. The workers at that establishment impressed me so much that I took time out of my day to write an article and call the owner, Larry Dahl to compliment him on the exceptional customer service I received. In the evening I saw a movie and had dinner with Lee.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 8:30
• Lenght of time: 1 hour
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Beautiful and Sunny in Petaluma
• Consecutive days: 6
• Cumulative miles since day off: 37
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m grateful that Carole and I have great family and friends to support us through this journey.

Appointments:

Today I spent many hours with my friend Lee Nobmann.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 74
Time I woke: 4:30
Journal of activities:

I left my house early this morning because I had a meeting scheduled for 9:00 am in Larkspur, a city in Marin county, about 25 miles south of my home in Petaluma. Since I was concerned about hitting rush hour traffic, I left my house at 4:50 am and I arrived in Larkspur in time to begin my run at 5:30. I ran around the shopping center because I needed the lighting until the sun came up, then I ran around the bay across the street from the shopping center where my meeting was scheduled. I ran up toward the sign at the entrance of the famous San Quentin prison. After finishing my run, I returned to my car, wiped myself off, changed my clothes, then walked to the Rustic Bakery and ordered an oatmeal. With cherries and some type of vanilla flavoring, oatmeal tasted better than any I’ve eaten before. I worked on my MacBook Pro while waiting for Chris to show up. We spoke about the possibility of using the Straight-A Guide Life Skills program that my friend Justin and I created as a feeder program for The Last Mile. In principle, we wanted to work with Chris in persuade administrators at the California Department of Corrections to allow people in prisons across the state of California to work through the Straight-A Guide. Those who thrived would advance their candidacy for transfer to San Quentin so that they could participate in The Last Mile program. I’m glad to have his support.

Following my meeting with Chris, I stopped by Golden State Lumber to say hello to my friends Danny Della Santina and Tom Schmierer. I spent about 30 minutes with them, telling them about the challenges and progress I’m making in building my career. Then I drove home to resume my work. My mother-in-law, Linda, was visiting from Seattle. She flew down to watch Carole being inducted into the Beta Gamma Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, The International Honor Society of Nursing. I’m so proud of my wife. I smiled with joy as I watched her colleagues recognizing Carole for her academic excellence. She is the center of my life.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 5:30
• Lenght of time: 1.2
• Miles run today: 8
• Weather: Beautiful and Sunny in Petaluma
• Consecutive days: 5
• Cumulative miles since day off: 37
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m grateful to have many friend and mentors who work together with me as I strive to build my career.

Appointments:

This morning I met with Chris Redlitz, the founder of The Last Mile, and then I met with Tom Schmierer and Danny Della Santina, of Golden State Lumber.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 73
Time I woke: 4:00 am
Journal of activities:

This morning Carole and I worked side by side. We knew that she would not be able to join my class this evening because her mother, Linda, was flying in to visit us from Seattle. Carole and I went on a short run in the morning. Then I left for school as I had a lot to prepare. I needed to continue reading mid-term exams that our students submitted and update the grading profile. At 3:30, Kenyatta Leal arrived. Kenyatta has an amazing story of redemption and I was grateful that he agreed to visit my class as a guest lecturer. I met Kenyatta through my friend Chris Redlitz, who is the founder of The Last Mile, a learning program at San Quentin that is becoming quite famous. During our first meeting together, Chis told me about Kenyatta. Kenyatta was serving a life sentence under the three-strikes laws, but legislative changes and probono legal representation resulted in Kenyatta being released last Summer. He has been free for 100 days. Our class received the treat of listening to his story, and he was a gifted presenter. I look forward to doing more work with Kenyatta in the months and years ahead.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 7:30
• Lenght of time: 8:30
• Miles run today: 5
• Weather: Cool, damp in morning, but sunny
• Consecutive days: 4
• Cumulative miles since day off: 32
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

Every day brings joy to my life, but it comes with a sense of urgency and responsibility. I have so much work ahead of me and I need to be thankful for the opportunities.

Appointments:

I met with my students at San Francisco State University and I also met with Kenyatta Leal, who visited our class as a guest speaker.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 72
Time I woke: 4:30 am
Journal of activities:

I enjoyed the first long run that I’ve had in quite a while. My ankle did not hurt to the extent that it had been, so I ran slowly and covered 14 miles. Then I returned to the office where I work in my house and I wrote some marketing materials to help Justin and me introduce our product. In the afternoon I had lunch with Lee, then I joined him in a flight to his ranch with his grandson Keeton. I saw many cows, bulls, and a lot of land. I enjoyed seeing Lee with his grandson. Good times.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 6:30 am
• Lenght of time: 9:00 am
• Miles run today: 14
• Weather: Cool, damp in morning, but sunny
• Consecutive days: 3
• Cumulative miles since day off: 27
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m thankful for the blessing of good health. Even though I have some pain, I’m still able to exercise regularly, and I’m grateful for this privilege.

Appointments:

Today I spent a lot of time with my friend Lee Nobmann.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 71
Time I woke: 3:15
Journal of activities:

I spent the morning working to create more resources that would help Justin and I prospect into the field of corrections more effectively. With that end in mind, I worked with Tulio to update both websites by adding more video content. Our websites need to capture the attention of our viewers and I’m hopeful that all of the press coverage we’ve received will bring more interest to our work. I also had a wonderfully encouraging call with a principal from a juvenile hall in the Silicon Valley area. We’ve established a meeting date for next week and I’ll look forward to presenting our products. I also spoke with Chris Redlitz, the founder of The Last Mile and spoke with him about using our program as a feeder system that would validate candidates of The Last Mile. In the afternoon I met with Jen Porter and Jane Wilson, founders of Reset Foundation, which aspires to operate a prison system that focuses on transforming the lives of offenders with a focus on education.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 6:30
• Lenght of time: 1.4
• Miles run today: 8
• Weather: Cool and damp, cloudy in Petaluma morning. Turns sunny in afternoon.
• Consecutive days: 2
• Cumulative miles since day off: 13
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m thankful to God for the guidance I receive as I continue these efforts to reach into the marketplace.

Appointments:

Today I met with Jen Porter and Jane Wilson. They are the founders behind Project Remade, an organization that aspires to operate prison systems that transform offenders into law-abiding, contributing citizens.

Links to publications: