Folsom Prison Blues

Shaboom sends us her update from Paris, France :

I don't sleep well. Call it insomnia or neurotic or stress or what have you, but I am a night person and have trouble falling asleep. Which is no big deal when you can sleep until the crack of 3pm. Unfortunately, unlike when I was a teenager, I cannot do that anymore. Not because I don't want to but because for some reason I seem to wake up about 3 hours after finally falling asleep.

This morning I stood in front of the bright lights of the bathroom mirror and put on my makeup before stumbling into the kitchen to drink my first cup of coffee and continuing into the living room to eat my yogurt and read my email. Then I realized it was 9:20am and that I was fully made up. That just seems unnatural to me! A full face of make up before happy hour? Who am I?!

I went to a French prison for men today to sing for the inmates and their children. In France, families of inmates are permitted to visit 3 times a week (space is limited) provided they schedule their appointments in advance. However, the children never get a chance to spend time alone with their fathers as their mothers or other guardians are always present. I am part of a program that tries to facilitate keeping the connection between these fathers and their children so they have more reason to stay straight once they're back outside, and so these children don't suffer more than they have to from the absence of their fathers.

I don't know how you parents have the energy for kids. My inmate has 4 daughters - 14, 12, 10 and 3 years old. All I had to do was accompany them to the gym and keep them occupied until the prisoners (their dad) arrived. These girls are all pretty shy, very polite and respectful - extremely well behaved.

Once the kids were reunited with the inmates, the singing started. We tried to involve the kids who were not busy with (or ill at ease with) their fathers. It wasn't that strenuous but 2 hours into it I thought, "Holy crap this better be over soon because I'm about to fall over."

I got home at about 5-6pm and promptly passed out on the couch, I was so beat up. Seriously, parents. Two hours wore me out. How do you sign up for 18+ years??