Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 40
Time I woke: 3:30
Journal of activities:

I woke this morning at my grandmother’s home in Norwalk. I slept in that home many times while growing up and I was happy that I had an opportunity to enjoy the company of my mom and grandmother. Carole’s flight brought her into LAX at 8:00 and in the morning. Her sister Susan and Mark picked her up, then drove over to Norwalk to get me. I hadn’t met Mark before, so it was nice to introduce everyone to my mom and grandma.

Susan and Mark then drove us to Santa Monica for a magnificent meal at the Casa Del Mar Hotel. The hotel is directly on the Santa Monica beach, next to the famous Shutters. Before our meal we walked over to the Santa Monica Pier, appreciating the beautiful sand and all of the people who were exercising on the beach. I really enjoyed our time together.

Susan and Mark’s friends Kathleen and Jack joined us for the meal. We visited together for longer than an hour and I really the privilege of so much company.

Carole and I checked into the Hotel Angeleno in Los Angeles. We visited with Justin, the groom, and I met Walt Pavlo, the well known Forbes crime journalist, for the first time. In the evening we all attended an extraordinary dinner that Jesse Bonderman hosted for Justin at his home. If I’m not mistaken, it was the first time that Carole and I attended a dinner party together at someone’s house. Redemption Foods catered the affair and it was really magnificent. I visited with dozens of people who had come together to celebrate the wedding of my friends Justin and Sandra.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Beautiful sunny day 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 so grateful that Carole arrived in Los Angeles safely and that we were able to enjoy time together.

Appointments:

Today I visited with many people, as I will describe in the journal. I visited with my mom and grandma; with Carole’s sister Susan and her husband Mark; and then with scores of people who were in Los Angeles for my friend Justin’s wedding.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 39
Time I woke: 4:00 am
Journal of activities:

Today I was scheduled to attend a sales meeting in Los Angeles. It was a wonderful event. I left my home very early so that I could make a flight out to San Francisco by 6:45. Soon after landing, I joined my friends Justin and Lori. We drove to Seal Beach for a breakfast meeting with MaryLou Vachet. MaryLou was our first client and she is becoming a friend as well. We discussed the direction that we were taking our program and plans for building capacity. Both Justin and I are thrilled Lori has agreed to join our board of directors. We’re moving forward, working to build a sustainable organization Lori is a third-year law student and a great contributor. Then we went to meet with other educational administrators in a different county and we secured a verbal commitment for another purchase order. We’re moving in the right direction. I spent the afternoon with mother and grandmother, then used my laptop to prepare for future work.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Overcast in Los Angeles
• 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 landed in Los Angeles safely and to have had an opportunity to spend time with friends and clients, then with my mother and grandmother.

Appointments:

My friend Justin Paperny set up a breakfast appointment with MaryLou Vachet from a California school district and we were joined by Lorrie Levine, our newest board member. I spent the afternoon with my mother and grandmother.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 38
Time I woke: 5:00
Journal of activities:

Today I did some work at my home on the computer in the early morning. I still am not able to run because my ankle sprain continues to bother me. I don’t want to aggravate the injury. I expect that I’ll be able to resume my regular running by next week. Carole and I drove to SFSU in mid morning and we set up our computers in the library. We enjoy working side by side. My class was going to be quite easy today because I scheduled Ronnie Massero to visit the class as a guest speaker. He served multiple decades in prison and I knew that he would provide the students with real insight into the prison system. Ronnie showed up around 5:00 pm and he delivered a magnificent narration. It was as if he stepped directly our of the pages from one of my early books on prison life. I was glad to have his participation and I know the students appreciated his contribution.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Beautiful sunny day 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 God for continuing to open opportunities. Each day I sense more opportunities opening that bring a new breath a life, restoring expectations for better times ahead.

Appointments:

I met with my class at San Francisco State University today. My friend Tulio Cardozo showed up and we also had a guest speaker, Ronnie Massero.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 37
Time I woke: 5:30 am
Journal of activities:

Carole and I stayed at the Andril Fireplace Cottages in Pacific Grove. We enjoyed the time away in such a beautiful coastal community. We wanted to stay in the Carmel area longer, but both of us had so much work to complete that we had to leave early. We drove to San Ramon, where we picked up boxed sets of 10 DVDs for our Straight-A Guide reentry program. I was very happy to get my hands on the finished product. Then we drove to Berkeley and had lunch with Professor Alan Ross. I’m scheduled to speak at Berkeley again on Wednesday, October 16. After lunch, we drove home and I participated in a two-hour classroom discussion with law students in Chicago via  Google Hangout. I spent time this evening catching up on writing projects and preparing for the class that I’ll teach tomorrow at SFSU.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Sunny day in the San Francisco Bay area
• 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 enjoyed  the company of my wife while we attended an event in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

Appointments:

Today I met with several members of a writer’s club in Pacific Grove, California

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 36
Time I woke: 4:00 am
Journal of activities:

Today my wife and I left Petaluma in the early morning. We drove to the Central Coast of California where I was scheduled to speak at an event held by the Central Coast Writer’s Club. Dorothy Vriend, the club’s program coordinator, contacted me last January and extended the invitation. I was still in custody then, and we had to postpone my participation until I had the liberty to travel freely. The event included gratuity of a night in a quaint cottage hotel called the Andril Fireplace Cottages that is just minutes from the roaring waves of the Pacific Ocean. We also had a wonderful dinner and received $75 to cover our fuel expense. Basically, the opportunity allowed us to enjoy our first mini-vacation at no cost. Soon I expect to coordinate speaking engagements like this that pay a livable wage. But I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to share my story and to enjoy this incredibly beautiful part of the country.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Sunny and beautiful as Carole and I drove to Monterey, Pebble Beach area.
• 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 so grateful that God blesses Carole and me with opportunities to make meaning out of my lengthy journey through prison.

Appointments:

Today I spoke at a Writer’s Club event in Monterey. It was a wonderful experience that provided us with an opportunity to visit a new community. We stayed in a very quaint cottage in Pacific Grove, just minutes from the Pacific Ocean.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 35
Time I woke: 4:00 am
Journal of activities:

I had one of the most amazing days since my release from federal prison. Today I attended a reentry court in San Francisco. The meeting allowed me to listen to a federal judge and other law enforcement officers work with high risk offenders who were striving to transition into society after lengthy terms in prison. The meeting really inspired me. I wrote a lengthy article about the meeting but I’m away from my home computer now. I will publish the lengthy article elsewhere on this website when I return to my home computer. The article will describe my day in detail. I look forward to sharing.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Beautiful sunny day 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 God for the many blessings that have come my way. Today brought amazing experiences and I’m grateful.

Appointments:

Today I met with Federal Magistrate Judge Beeler, with Shawn Halbert of the Federal Public Defender’s Office, and with Ms. Christine Butera-Ortiz, my probation officer. A wonderful day.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 34
Time I woke: 4:03
Journal of activities:

Earlier this morning I woke early to complete some of the responsibilities I have that are associated with my teaching at San Francisco State University. Then completed more work for the new website that I’m building. Later in the morning, Carole made waffles for breakfast. Zach is an amazing young man. He is the founder and CEO of Skyline Innovations, one of the fastest growing green energy companies in the United States. His company provides solar water heating services in states between Puerto Rico and Hawaii. I admire Zach immensely, as he has the leadership capabilities to make an enormous influence on the world. This morning we spoke about his business and about the businesses that I working to build. He’s very inspirational and I look forward to learning from him going forward, even though he is 20 years younger than I am.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Beautiful sunny day 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 an opportunity for another day of productive work and time with my lovely wife, Carole,

Appointments:

My young friend Zach Axelrod was our house guest last night. This morning Carole made waffles for breakfast and we spent the rest of the day at home working.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 33
Time I woke: 5:00 am
Journal of activities:

I slept this morning until 5:00 am, hoping the extra rest would help to heal my swollen ankle. I’m missing running very much. The ankle is feeling better, but I do not think that I’ll be able to resume my exercise until Monday at the earliest. In the morning I wrote a summary of my class from last Thursday. Then I worked with Carole to complete the PowerPoint presentation. I have a vision of recording each class, then showing it to criminal justice professors from across the state with hopes that they will adopt the course for students at their universities. After completing the academic projects, I resumed work on the Michael G. Santos Foundation website, and I wrote lesson plans for a work readiness program that I’m developing for Straight-A Guide Staffing Solutions. So I have a lot going on. In the evening, my young friend Zach Axelrod joined Carole and me for dinner. Zach is quite an impressive young man. He founded Skyline Innovations a few years ago and is building the solar water-heating company into a fabulous company. It’s only four years old, but the company has hundreds of customers and it will exceed $11 million in revenues this year. I’ve known Zach since he was 12.

Exercise Routine-

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

Gratitude prayer:

Each day that I’m able to enjoy with my wife at home brings reason for me to say a prayer of gratitude.

Appointments:

I spent the day writing along in my office. My friend Zachary Axelrod joined Carole and me for dinner at a local Petaluma restaurant.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 32
Time I woke: 3:30 am
Journal of activities:

The swelling on my ankle has yet to subside. I’m hopeful that it feels better by Monday because I really miss running. I also feel as though the lack of exercise is resulting in my putting on weight, which isn’t good, considering I’m striving to build a career around the concept of optimal personal performance. Oh well. When it heals I will resume my fitness training. I spent the day at my computer writing content that will lead to the expansion of a business I’m building I have so much work ahead of me that I don’t how I’m going to get my life under control. I did not finish writing the recap of my class yesterday, but I will do so before the weekend is over.  Busy days ahead.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise
• Lenght of time: No exercise
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Sunny day in the San Francisco Bay area
• Consecutive days: 0
• Cumulative miles since day off: 0
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

Each morning I feel more blessed, and I’m determined to continue working to prove worthy of the abundance I’ve received.

Appointments:

Today I dined with my friend Lee Nobmann. The rest of the day I spent at home working.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 31
Time I woke: 4:00 am
Journal of activities:

I woke quite early this morning, but the pain on my ankle persisted. I’m really beginning to wonder how long this injury will keep me from wondering. My friend is getting married in two weeks and I looked forward to dancing at the reception. If my ankle doesn’t heal by then, dancing won’t be an option.

Carole and I left our home early to drive to San Francisco State University. I spent most of the day in the library finalizing notes for this evening’s three-hour lecture. I taught between 4:10 and 6:40, really enjoying the opportunity to interact with so many young men and women who are interested in building a career in criminal justice. They’ve been quite generous in leaving comments to the course notes that I’m writing for the website. I feel as though I’m making a real contribution to the class and I’m looking forward to continuing with the resonsibility.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: No exercise.
• Lenght of time: No exercise.
• Miles run today: 0
• Weather: Sunny day in the San Francisco Bay area
• 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 every opportunity I have to contribute to society.

Appointments:

Today I spent the day at San Francisco State University and interacted with the 65 students who enrolled in my class.

Links to publications: