Prison Crud & It's Done...

So I've got a touch of "prison crud" going and I'm hoping it resolves itself soon. 

Let me explain...

Old Collins St. Prison

We have an old prison in town; it's been shut down for over a decade, and deteriorating like crazy. Squatters, vandals, the odd kids out for a thrill...the place is a wreck. I was in there about 8 years ago for a special tour. 

Promptly got sick and landed in the hospital. Prison crud. 

Coughing, scratchy throat and eyes. Feeling of "crud" in your chest. And blowing your nose like crazy. At least that's my version of "prison crud." 

So the city bought it from the state and is turning it into a museum. It's been used in "The Blues Brothers," and in the series, "Prison Break" so there's a lot of modern recognition. 

Cellblock 

And in spite of "prison crud," I'm going back as a volunteer to help clean it up. The release form would (or should) scare the crap out of you because you're basically letting the city and state off if you contract anything from rodents, radon, spiders, poisons, asbestos, fiberglass, rust, falling debris, and "any and all" other crappy things that can happen. Or as the supervisor last week said, "Pretty much anything in here will kill you - or at least severely hurt you." 

No joke. Between the poison ivy, the buildings decimated by fire, the mold, the asbestos, the (probably) lead-based paint peeling off the walls...add in some structural instability in parts? Yep, it's an adventure. Oh, and don't forget broken glass all over the place. And razor wire. And the fact that, if you're stupid enough (and people have been) and think you're being funny, you go into a cell (which may or may not have been occupied by a vagrant -- at least it was mostly dry and secure), and slam the door. And you're locked in. Just wait for someone to come, with a bolt cutter, to get you out. 

It's going to be a great museum, once it's done. But it'll be done in stages. Unless some money-fairy barfs a big wad of $$$ on us! Which won't happen. But the buzz is out there, and if they open building by building, it'll keep it in the news. 

Razor wire

I was able to take pictures, which the Historical Society may want to use; either in an exhibit or as documentation of what was and how it will have changed. Then, I got to really work; I ended up in the front garden to do clean-up and spent about 3 hours there. Then we moved to the back to one of the buildings, the Commissary, to clean up for the street sweepers to come through. 

In the front, they asked us to "weed around and clean up." Well - there was razor wire. Galore! We were obviously not going to get very far there, and they're eventually going to get some of the folks in the trades to take care of this kind of thing. Volunteers are enthusiastic, but we're not equipped to do some of this stuff. 

I felt kind of bad removing the thistle plants. I know that butterflies and bees love them, but really - the vegetation is out of control. We tossed a bunch of stuff into a vacant spot and called it "The Compost Heap." Historically, the spot we chose WAS a garden in the way-back time. It just seemed more logical than to fill up trash bags and cans with stuff that really could "recycle" itself. We did sweep up glass and bits of stray metal, but that's understandable. 

Double occupancy

This is a double cell. If you notice the slight brown markings along the white tile, this would be where a set of bunk beds would be. Most of the cells in the cellblock we were in were "doubles." I was in one building with "singles," but for the most part, they doubled them up. In one part of the cellblock, there was evidence that someone had been sleeping there. It makes you think that someone has to be incredibly desperate to want to sleep in a decrepit old prison building, risking getting arrested for trespass, notwithstanding the health issues... 

As you may be able to visualize, the commode is actually partially blocked by where the beds would be - just enough for a modicum of privacy, but still visible. As the prisoners would have looked out, they wouldn't have seen another block of cells. This particular catwalk had cells only on one side. 

Commode

No, I wasn't tempted to step inside that double cell. I'm terribly claustrophobic, and even though I knew the guy with me wouldn't shut me in there, it wasn't something I felt comfortable doing. On the last tour I was on, the guard did suggest I step in. I politely declined - it was a solitary confinement cell - with a solid door with only a peep hole in there. Yeah, that cell was "larger," but still... Nope. 

In one of the single cells, I got a close-up of the commode assembly. You know, it looks kind of like something an airline would use in the bathrooms, given a slightly different configuration. 

I found it particularly poignant to see the carton of milk (didn't pick it up to see if it was full or not) and the books there. You kind of had to wonder about who left it like that. 

Was it a worker? Was it from the final inmate to occupy the cell? 

I mean, literally when they shut this place down, it was like everyone finished their shift and walked away. Never to return. 

Door in Warden's Quarters

Or, if you like the space-invader storyline, like everyone was lifted from their spot and just disappeared. Very creepy. 

The architecture was very much "of the time" for the older buildings. There are some slightly modern ones, but for the main building (photo up top there), it's clearly a gothic thing. When I showed them to someone unfamiliar to the building, he commented that it was "pretty fancy" for a prison. 

Yes, it would have been. The craftsmen hired to build the place, with limestone quarried on-site, would have been expert masons, stone-cutters, plasterers, etc. They were artisans and these jobs fed their families. 

So the very fancy doors, the cove moldings, the fireplace surrounds, the walnut balusters? They were very much the fine craftsmanship of the age. 

Workroom in Machine Shop

The more modern buildings inside the wall were a combination of cinderblock and brick. Still quite substantial, of course, but much more plain and utilitarian. Not that they were trying to show off with the front building - I expect that the front was the first building, and the others came later. 

And yes, in case you're curious, I desperately want to be a docent and give tours! I'm a prison geek, I suppose. 

I took several shots in the Machine Shop. The equipment, files and office furniture are still, for the most part, there. Tools are all gone, as you can imagine. Either taken when the place closed or scavenged over the years. I'm not sure how much of this will be restored, but it will eventually all be cleaned out. 

I tried to not breathe too much, if you know what I mean. Because while some of the places didn't have exposed fixtures, over the course of weathering and time, there was a lot of mold. 

And I'm allergic to mold. Of course. 

Burned out office space

At least 3 buildings were badly burned. One of them was the records room, and it was left with just the shell of the walls. Another one had offices in it, but I wasn't able to discern what the rest of the building had in it. Maybe classrooms or places where the inmates worked. It's hard to tell, and I have to brush up on my prison lore... 

The place has stories to tell. The town is legitimately a prison town, in spite of the fact that the town, for decades, wanted to downplay it. 

Guys, you gotta go with what you have. Joliet Jake and all that... But still, there are 3 prisons in close proximity. Let's just face the fact that it's a prison town. 

While we were there, cleaning up, people were POURING in. It's on Historic Rt. 66, after all. And they weren't coming inside; there are signs all around the parking lot talking about the place. People were snapping pictures and really taking it all in. It will be cool to see how it develops. 

And the next time I volunteer, two things: I will wear a mask, I promise. And one of the supervisors will take me up into one of the turrets to get a set of panoramic shots. I just have to be careful where I step...there's a "safe" way and a way that'll make a quick exit to the bottom...

It's Done...

I got the "help me" hank of Stone Tulips, and I thank my "knitting angel" who came to the rescue. I caked it up today and finished the Close to You Shawl. I think I might've gotten into a bind with the addition of the next ball of yarn, but I hope I can block it out.**

Now, I have to figure out what to do with approximately 390-ish yards of yarn. Actually, I have 4 oz. of it, which doesn't sound like much, but think about it - yarn doesn't weigh much! I figure if I "guesstimate" about 390 yards, I'm safe. I looked for patterns for 350 yards, just to be sure. 

I did find a ruffled shawlette that I could make. I really don't want to do socks with it. The yarn has such a definite twist to it that, quite honestly, I don't think it would be comfortable on the feet. 


Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. But it's a strong feeling I have, so I'm going with it. 

I have to block it out yet, and I have to do a fairly strong blocking to make the picots stand out. When I did this shawl last time, the yarn wasn't quite as thick. It was still sock yarn, but it wasn't as dense as this.

We'll see how it takes to a blocking. I think this one will be bigger, and I think it was about 405 yards. It's kind of hard to tell. 

Usually sock yarns have a put-up (how they're sold) of about 420 yards. Ish. I've seen it at around 410 sometimes, but usually it's a tad more than 400. 

This was 400 on the nose. And I used (I really should have measured this) about maybe a yard or two? Hard to tell with a picot bind-off, because it wasn't the whole length. But I'm going to fudge it and say that I have about 390 yards left, just to be on the safe side. 

Even unblocked, I can see that this is much more substantial than the one I made. I hope the recipient likes it. Not only for the color but for the fact that it should be nice and cozy. 

It's not really a "shawl" that you'd wrap yourself in to read a book, or to keep incredibly warm on a cold day. 

This is more like a foulard or a neck-warmer. You wear it with the point down, and wrap the "wings" back and then in front. 

When I get it blocked, I'll model it for you. Or get someone to model it for me so I can take pictures. I really stink at selfies. 

After spending an inordinate amount of time on Ravelry looking for the next phase of this yarn's life, I went back to the Green Traveling Socks. 

I'm about 2 rows from the 7" leg, and I think I'll get to the heel at lunch tomorrow. It's going to be another scorcher, so I'm planning on staying in for lunch. 

Yes, we were on a kick for walking, but honestly, in the heat? It's not cool to come back to work an afternoon shift when you can't really clean up. I love my Young Living Essential Oils Seedlings baby wipes, but they only go so far. And I can tell you that even with a sun-proof umbrella, my hair is a mess after a walk in the upper-80-degree heat. 

Not worth it. 

But back to knitting... I'm still really loving this green now. Don't even ask me why. But I love it. 

**"I can block this out" is a total fallacy. I'm going to have to do some fancy stepping to make that work. Pray to the Knitting Gods and Goddesses that it DOES work. But don't be surprised if it doesn't. 


 

Lunch Tomorrow...

I actually prepped lunch. Sort of. And no, this isn't my picture but a Google of "tuna salad" that mostly resembles mine. I use celery and I love the crunch. Hubby uses straight Miracle Whip and celery. 

Mine is as follows (at least how I made it tonight): 

2 cans Starkist Tuna in water, drained
1 large rib of celery, diced
1 T. brown mustard
1/4 t. ground horseradish
Salt & pepper to taste
2 heaping tablespoons mayo (real mayo)
1 heaping teaspoon DILL relish (not sweet relish)

Mash the tuna, mix it all together. Adjust seasonings as needed. 

I like this basic recipe because you can add hard boiled eggs. You can add garbanzo beans. You can add pimiento if you want. Dill. Parsley. Spring onions. 

The possibilities are endless. 

This will go on my salad tomorrow, with fresh radishes. Yum!! 

Random Picture...

From the floor in the SAC building. Solitary confinement for the most part. A bit of "prison wisdom" that was included whenever you walked inside. 


I apologize for the hi-res pictures. These were taken with the "big camera" because I wanted the shots to be useful for several purposes. 

When I go back, I'll try to get a picture of the floor from the "Prison Break" opener. I saw it the last time I was here. 

This says, in case you can't read it, "It's never too late to mend."

Truer words were never spoken, whether you're talking about life in prison or life, right now, in the US. 

We're broken. I don't think we're beaten. But we're definitely broken. From the inside. That's the saddest part. The life we had is done; we have to rebuild. But first, we have to excise the cancer that's eating us from the inside out. 

We will all have to work for this cure. Otherwise, it won't work. And Heaven only knows what we'll be left with. 

I don't want to even think about it.