Well! First off I want to thank you all who helped me get here in our mad dash. I’d worked on a blog post I will probably post after this one but I’ve not even looked at it since the last month of turmoil I’ve got to report. But Sincerely thank you for your kindnesses, they’ve not been forgotten.
On the 11th of September I parked Matilda at the Bozeman Walmart. At 2am on the 12th, we were woke up by police who’d run my plates and ended up arresting me on an outstanding Idaho warrant. They were shining their flashlights in Atreyu’s face asking him if he was me. How ridiculous that they’d even ask a 9 year old boy if he was the owner of the vehicle with a female first name.
Led off in handcuffs in a mini skirt and tank top wrapping one of Caleb’s blankets around me for warmth, I refused to get my cell phone or anything else out of the bus, but thank my lucky stars Caleb was there to take care of the kids! He checked to make sure they were asleep after the commotion and called my family to have my brother drive Matilda home.
Once I got to jail I couldn’t get a hold of anybody so I just curled up in the holding cell in a mental hygiene blanket because they were running low on blankets. By 6am they put me in the pod assigning me a cell. My celly (cellmate) Jones came in a couple hours after me though she’d been in the holding cell on transfer from Mammoth before me.
I spent a total of 12 days in the Bozeman jail with a court date with Judge Brown after 10 days to waive my extradition to Idaho, meaning they could come get me without contest. I spent my time in f pod, the lower classification where all the ladies were incredibly nice and helpful. Joni was a very pedantic celly cleaning things multiple times in a day, keeping us stocked on toilet paper. The cell itself has two bunks, a little metal table, shelf, and stool, sink and toilet with an intense flush. The mirror is more of a reflective shiny plate. The pod has a total of about 16 cells divided between 2 stories, if you’re in a bottom cell you’re not allowed up the stairs. There’s three showers, two small ones upstairs and a large one downstairs with a top and lower nozzle, warm water and OK pressure. Some tables were in the middle of the pod on carpet, a communal sink between the microwave and vending machines, one soda and another stocked with snacks all intensely overpriced except the Ramen. The commissary ordering tablet attached to the snack vend, adjacent to phones. Those were close to the door that had a big observation window to the guards station. Next to that a lock box with tablets to check out and a main tablet kiosk for online visitations. The food was what you’d expect from jail: disgusting. But they served lots of cake sometimes doubling up to the point where I couldn’t stand the sight and Joni and I word slam poetried about fresh vegetables and salads. But all the women were super nice though harder spanners than I’d ever been.
They did have some amazing programs like Meditation, writing, church, and addiction recovery. I got to attend meditation twice for the week in between they had staffing problems and weren’t allowing volunteers to enter, but I really enjoyed it as the volunteers were kind and the ladies partaking were also very nice vibes to be around
The day they came to get me for Idaho was only two days after my court. I was surprised at how fast they came for me. The officers said they’d come for someone else who’d been bailed out, so they were gonna take me instead, but not all the way to Soda Springs, but to Idaho Falls, Bonneville County Jail. I was happy to get moving rather than sit in the Bozeman jail where I couldn’t resolve anything.
The ride to Idaho Falls was long and cold, they wodve turned on the cars heater, but I wrapped myself in Caleb’s blanket and slept for about one of the four hours drive. The jail there is huge and the pod an open floor plan without cells, but 40 bunks lining the wall, two bathroom rooms, a TV above the microwave and bookshelves, tablets and kiosk, and some exercise equipment. The women there were friendly and on top of exercising by walking in circles or doing the Kardashian booty exercises. I depression slept. And read books. Felt grateful for Soda Springs officer Jensen to come get me after 48 hours. The food was better than Bozeman.T
The ride to Soda Springs would’ve been fine with music and great scenery, but I really had to pee most of the way.
The Caribou County Jail of Soda Springs was so small with only 6 pods and one single cell as the hole. My pod had 4 bunks, 8 beds and I filled the last one which only lasted 24hrs before a girl got released, another day and another went. By the end of the week we were a total of 5 girls in all of the jail of a 39 human population. 2 tables, a sink, shower and toilet and TV for us to share. They gave us daily recreation where I was the closest to outside I’d been in weeks. The girls in my pod were a variety but all nice individuals. I complained about there being no microwave to make my commissary coffee hot.
I’ll not touch on the system… yet, but I had a lot of things going on the inside of myself. The separation from my kids, worrying about the stress it put on my mom and family in general was the most significant factor. The kids schooling felt on hold to me, though blessings upon my mom for being diligent with their workbooks throughout my absence! Caleb stood by me throughout this time which put strain on him, having just met my family and trying his best he knew to be supportive, getting money on my books and being a communication liaison. He brought the kids for visits while I was in Bozeman at all available times, Tuesday and Thursday at 9am getting them up and almost appropriately dressed for the settling season.
My dad and step mom, Chris, were so supportive and encouraging reaching out to get legal advice from a family friend connection to allay my worries and theirs. They kept calm and would be a voice of reason. In the worst of situations to have put myself in, I couldn’t have had more luck and support. When I’d first received the ticket in Idaho I had felt alone and incapable of dealing with the situation monetarily or mentally. I would’ve lost my kids at that point having had just lost the people I’d considered my main support for years, Crikett and family, I felt on the verge of disaster and the past two years weighed heavy on me with loneliness. The fact I had been arrested in Bozeman with Caleb available to smoothe my shitshow into a manageable pile with my mom taking such great care of my Littles, I really pooped my shoe, but all in all… I thank God and the stars for how it’s gone so far.
OK, maybe a little system talk because a) I wanna say how nice the guards in Soda Springs were and b) I got assigned a public defender, who is a very nice person. My one complaint is that it was a guard who told me I should ask for a bail bond reduction which was set to 20k considering I’d been absent for 2 years. My public defender had said I wouldn’t get a bond reduction and wasn’t even going to try but when I asked he sent me a very solid example and questionnaire to make my own to ask for the reduction. When my lawyer read it he told me he couldn’t have written it better himself.
My public defender had tried to keep me in realism by telling me I would definitely be missing Galixy’s seventh birthday and I’d cried and moaned about it, but accepted it as much as I could. The judge and court accepted the waiving of preliminary trial but didn’t want to grant me a bond reduction. However, the prosecutor found it in his heart to accept my plea! My bond was reduced by $19k!
All of my savings went towards my freedom. I called my dad and then my mom and my mom agreed to jump into the car and drive 5.5-6 hours to come get me that same day!
She did have to stay a night at a hotel with my Rhea dog because my waiver of extradition, part of court stipulations for my bond, hadn’t been sent over yet. But first thing in the morning before any of the girls were up, I packed up and was released into my mom’s arms!
We had a lovely drive back home where I fell onto my kids who were having eggs made for them by Caleb. Galixy was squealing and jumping and hugging, and even Atreyu deigned to bestow a multitude of hugs upon me! He hasn’t stopped hugging me every time he gets a chance; he who usually prefers high fives to hugs! Caleb grabbed me up and spun me around with tears in his eyes.
Oh I’m so grateful!! I’m so so happy! The sunshine is seeping onto my soul!
I made it two days before Galixy’s birthday, so most of the thoughts towards prep was already prepared and decided. My mom had taken Atreyu shopping for a plethora of presents, Caleb had grabbed a little money from my bus and purchased a gift from the both of us. My brother, dad and Chris also attended our little party with Carrot cake Galixy decided on with the help of Omi, my mom. I got to bake her cake!
Caleb brought us to Jump time for an hour of bouncing and bought me nachos and a coffee. The Nachos were poorly compared to the Jail house Nacho Party I got to participate in twice in Soda Springs, so I got all the ingredients and recreated those for dinner a couple days ago and the kids also loved them!
I have court to attend in person on the 13th at 9 am. I’ve reached out on my personal Facebook to get personal letters of character recommendations. I’ve gotten one from my therapist, and one from Catie, but I’m truly hoping to overwhelm the court with my case to get a proper plea bargain that will allow me to continue on our educational travels. I’m worried about putting the kids in public school though that’s what I’m mentally preparing for, as well as getting a job in the area in case I get supervised probation, or worse, re-incarcerated.
I’m so beyond grateful to be back in nature and out of the cement block. I never believed that the jail or prison system benefits anyone truly, but I certainly didn’t feel like I belonged. I read a bunch of books, did yoga and meditated daily, started doing sets of 10 push-ups and worked up to doing 20 a piece. I participated in all the programs including addiction recovery and church. I was the most polite thanking everyone for the most miniscule of things. I spent all my days writing letters, mainly to Caleb, but my kids too, and received some amazingly heartfelt replies from them! I think I used my time wisely, though I surely could think of a million better things to do.
I’m really hoping for the best outcome while preparing mentally for the worst.
I do hope you all are grateful for what you have in your lives. I sincerely hope you will never have to see the interior of jail for yourself.
I know your smile isn’t as big as my freedom induced one, but that’s why I want to share it and keep sharing it.
May your faith be greater than your fears.
Loving you Sincerely from the bottom of my heart ❤️
Matilda the Bugus 