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

This morning I woke early with a lot of pain in my ankle. Yesterday’s ankle sprain really caused some damage. I’m very eager to resume my running and somewhat concerned that the injury will result in my having to stop running for longer than I would like. Despite the pain in my ankle, I was able to make a lot of progress with my work today. My friend Tulio joined me in my home office and we worked until nine in the evening preparing workbooks for our Straight-A Guide reentry program. I wrote the manuscripts, or lesson plans, earlier this summer. Today we formatted all of that writing into 10 individual books. I’m pleased with the progress that we made and I look forward to receiving proofs within the next two weeks.

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 that I am able to work on my computers from home.

Appointments:

Tulio Cardozo spent the day working alongside me in my home office.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 29
Time I woke: 4:00 am
Journal of activities:

Today was a difficult day for me. I woke early because Carole had scheduled our car for service. I drove the car over to the dealership at 5:00 am and intended to go for a long run after I dropped off the car. The sky was still quite dark when I began my run and I ran on unfamiliar roads. Within about 30 minutes, I stepped into some type of pothole that caused my ankle to twist badly. My knees gave way in an instant and I fell to the ground. I lay on my back for several minutes in real pain, not only from the ankle, but also from knowing that several weeks would pass before I’d recover sufficiently so that I could run again. I called my wife and she immediately came to pick me up. I’ve always been able to count on her and I’m so grateful. When Carole saw my ankle, she quickly said that I would have to have an x-ray. To her surprise, the x-ray revealed that my bones were intact. A doctor wrapped my ankle in a bandage and Carole drove us home. I rested for a while and then resumed my work writing. Today I needed to prepare for the class that I will teach on Thursday afternoon at San Francisco State University.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 5:00 am until 8:12 am
• Lenght of time: 30 minutes
• Miles run today: 3
• Weather: Beautiful, sunny day in Petaluma
• Consecutive days: 3
• Cumulative miles since day off: 35
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m grateful to have gone so many years without an injury related to fitness, and I’m grateful that my injury today was not too terribly bad.

Appointments:

This morning I had to visit the emergency room at the hospital and I met a couple of doctors. I saw my friend Lee Nobmann, too. I spent the rest of the day working from home alone.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 27
Time I woke: 4:15 am
Journal of activities:

I began the day early with a long run. I woke early, did some quick writing, and then left my house at 5:00 am. I ran for three hours and 12 minutes, then returned home. Carole had cooked breakfast for my mom and me. After we ate, my mom and Carole went shopping while I worked on writing new content for the website and school. In the afternoon I joined my mother to watch a movie at a local theater. It was the first movie that I saw since my release from prison. The theater was quite nice but I didn’t laugh at all during the comedy. Afterwards, we went for ice cream sundays at Lala’s a local ice creamery in Petaluma.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 5:00 am until 8:12 am
• Lenght of time: 3.2 hours
• Miles run today: 18
• Weather: Sunny day in the San Francisco Bay area
• Consecutive days: 1
• Cumulative miles since day off: 1
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I thank God for my good health and my good spirits.

Appointments:

Today I spent the day with my mother.

Links to publications:

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

Once again, I had to sacrifice my exercise. I do not like it when I can’t exercise, but responsibilities frequently pull me away. Today my mother was flying in from Los Angeles. Since Carole and I had to leave our house at 7:00 am, we chose to use our early morning hours to write. We picked my mom up at 8:30, then drove to the IHOP for a breakfast of Belgian waffles, which I love. From there, we drove through San Francisco to the Alcatraz landing. I thought that I heard my mother say that she wanted to see the island, so Carole purchased tickets for the three of us to take the boat over to the historic penitentiary. It was a lovely day for a boat ride, especially since the big boats were racing for the America’s Cub today. When we landed on the island, however, my mother expressed concern about making the long walk. Sensing that she didn’t really want to go, we got back in line to ride the ferry back to San Francisco. We drove to Sausalito for a nice lunch, then returned to our home. I wrote an article for The Daily Love, then I continued progress toward my other writing projects.

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 a wonderful day visiting with my mother.

Appointments:

Carole and I spent the day with my mother.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 25
Time I woke: I woke at 4:30 this morning.
Journal of activities:

I spent a lot of time writing today, but I don’t feel as if I made sufficient progress. Many responsibilities are competing for my time and the work is making me feel fragmented. I need to complete some of my projects before I can launch any new projects. I’m grateful for every opportunity that has opened for me, but I feel as though I need to catch my breath. My mother is flying in for a visit this weekend, so I’ll be away from my computer for several hours. I don’t know how I’m going to catch up with my work, but I will do my best.

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 asking God to bring me more strength and discipline so that I can complete the tasks I’ve set for myself.

Appointments:

Today I took a break from my work to get a haircut. Other than that, I worked the entire day at my computer.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 24
Time I woke: 4:00 am
Journal of activities:

Thursdays are busy days for me because I teach. In order to get my run in on time, I left the house at 5:00 am and I ran until nearly 7:36 am. I showered, gathered my computer equipment, and packed two cases of Earning Freedom: Conquering a 45-Year Prison Term. The book store requested additional copies because of the overflow students who have enrolled in my class. Carole and I spent the entire day in the library. She helped me put a PowerPoint presentation together so the students would have an easier time following the lecture. I really enjoy teaching and I look forward to sharing all that I learned about the prison system with my amazing students at San Francisco State University.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 5:00 am until 7:36 am
• Lenght of time: 2.6 hours
• Miles run today: 15
• Weather: Sunny day in the San Francisco Bay area
• Consecutive days: 2
• Cumulative miles since day off: 29
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m thankful that God blesses me with strength and good health because I’ve got an incredibly busy schedule that requires me to invest long hours every day. I’m grateful for the work.

Appointments:

Carole and I spent the entire day at San Francisco State University. In the afternoon I taught 65 students in the class. Tulio attended as a guest and to show support.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 23
Time I woke: 3:45 am
Journal of activities:

Early this morning I woke to resume my writing responsibilities. At 5:20 am I left my residence to begin a run that would keep me outside until until after 8:00 in the morning. Then I returned home and resumed my work. My friend Tulio Cardozo joined me in the late morning and worked alongside me for several hours. We began building a new website for the nonprofit foundation that my friend Justin Paperny runs. It’s the Michael G. Santos Foundation (MGSF). The MGSF distributes our Straight-A Guide Reentry Program. We recently finished filming 50 separate videos that go along with 50 separate lesson plans that facilitators can use to teach offenders steps to prepare for law-abiding, contributing lives. We’re pleased to have three clients for our reentry program already. To distribute our work to a wider audience, we need to complete some marketing work, and building a new website is a key component of that project. I’m glad that Tulio helped me considerably today. We’ll launch the new website before the end of this month.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 5:20 am until 8:00 am
• Lenght of time: 2.6 hours
• Miles run today: 14
• Weather: Sunny day in the San Francisco Bay area
• Consecutive days: 1
• Cumulative miles since day off: 14
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

Each day God blesses me with new opportunities, and I give thanks throughout each day.

Appointments:

Tulio Cardozo and I worked side by side in my residence building a new website the nonprofit foundation that Justin Paperny runs. It will be ready to launch as soon as I write more content.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 22
Time I woke: 4:15
Journal of activities:

Early this morning I spent an hour writing a course plan for my second class at San Francisco State University. I want the students to have advance notice of the topics that we’ll cover during our second class. That way they’ll be able to follow along and contribute as well. Later today I will publish on the appropriate link of this website my notes for class-two and a powerpoint presentation I’ll use to provide the students with a visual perspective. I did not finish the article in the morning because I had to accompany my wife to a meeting that kept me busy until noon. When we returned, I continued my work on the article, but then I had to attend another meeting at Wells Fargo bank that kept me away from my work for two hours. These interruptions really interfere with the progress that I like to make. During the decades that I served in prison, I was able to keep a more disciplined schedule with regard to my exercise. Responsibilities now continuously require me to sacrifice something, and I’m cutting out exercise more frequently than I would like. I use the scale and the calendar to help me choose what activity I’m going to cut. As long as my weight stays within the 162 -168 pound range, I cut the exercise when the calendar dictates that I have too much to accomplish. Carole and I went to the bank because we need to arrange a mortgage. We negotiated with a real estate developer to build us a new home last September. Books I wrote while I was in prison, along with work that I did with my friend Justin Paperny on building a reentry program while I was inside provided me with an income. I deployed some of those resources toward the purchase of a new home. I explained my situation to the developer and persuaded him that I was a good credit risk. He agreed to finance the home until I could qualify for a mortgage. My problem is that 25 years of imprisonment resulted in my having a credit score of zero. Carole and I will not qualify for a mortgage until I have a credit score that is north of 660. Bank of America issued me a credit card a few months ago but that card has not yet begun to register on my credit report. Further, I need three separate lines of credit to begin feeding into the system, the mortgage banker explained. He authorized a second credit card for me that will begin a credit history. Then he opened another financial vehicle called a “portfolio line” that is going to give me a third credit line. We expect that I’ll have a valid credit score by the holiday season. It’s all part of a disciplined, sustained program to build my life and establish myself in society after 26 years of imprisonment. Fortunately, the real estate market has really perked up since Carole and I purchased our new home. Our equity level in the property has grown by more than $50,000 since we purchased our home, and property values in the San Francisco Bay area continue to rise.

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 apply lessons I’ve learned as a long-term prisoner to build a career around my journey.

Appointments:

Today I met with bankers at Wells Fargo to set a plan in motion to establish myself in society.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 21
Time I woke: 4:30 am
Journal of activities:

Today was Labor Day, the first federal holiday I celebrated in society since I completed 26 years in prison. Many responsibilities required that I spend the day working. I don’t mind at all. In fact, I’m very grateful for the work that I’m able to do. I began early this morning with more on an essay that I began writing yesterday, The essay exposed the dangers of responding to the criminal justice system without sufficient knowledge about how early decisions can influence life later on. I went outside to run 16 miles. I would’ve liked to have kept going, but I had to get back to write. Carole and I went to a store to purchase some kitchen items that she wanted, including a George Foreman Grill. She made me a delicious hamburger with bacon and egg and cheese. I spent the rest of the day writing, but I didn’t complete the essay I’m working on. More work tomorrow.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 6:00 am until 9:10 am
• Lenght of time: 3 hours
• Miles run today: 16
• Weather: Beautiful sunny day in Petaluma
• Consecutive days: 2
• Cumulative miles since day off: 32
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I’m grateful to God for giving Carole and me our first holiday in society without my being a prisoner.

Appointments:

I didn’t visit with anyone today buy my loving wife, Carole.

Links to publications:

Days since my release from 26 years in prison: 20
Time I woke: 3:45 am
Journal of activities:

I woke this morning very early, at 3:45 am. I still feel this sense of urgency to wake early because I have so much work to complete. It’s now 8:27 on Sunday evening so I’ve had a full day of work. Initially, I did some more social media work on the website.  At 5:30 I went outside to begin my run. I hadn’t been able to run for a few days because Carole needed me home to take care of her as she recovered. I don’t like missing my daily run, but I’ve learned since my release that responsibilities in society are different–some days I won’t be able to exercise.

I ran 16 miles. Afterward, Carole and I went to the International House of Pancakes, the IHOP. I love to order the Belgian Waffle meal and today’s breakfast did not disappoint. After our breakfast we stopped by an outlet mall to purchase some luggage I  need for my upcoming travel.  I spent the remainder of the day working on my website and writing new content.

I’m very fortunate to have these opportunities, and I’m grateful. My friend Tulio and I worked together to make it easier for readers to post comments to articles I write. I’m enjoying the learning process.

Exercise Routine-

• Time: 5:30 am until 8:30 am
• Lenght of time: 3 hours
• Miles run today: 16
• Weather: Beautiful sunny day in Petaluma
• Consecutive days: 1
• Cumulative miles since day off: 16
• Pushups today: 0
• Cumulative pushups for month: 0
• Annual marathon tally: 6

Gratitude prayer:

I feel grateful to God for the many blessings that continue to flow my way. I sense those blessings from the moment I wake until the moment I sleep.

Appointments:

Today I spent all of my time with Carole, which was wonderful.

Links to publications: