From St. Peter, Minnesota: Checking in with Ben Alverson

00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:23,900 [Speaker 0]
[instrumental music] From the PenPals.buzz corporate headquarters- quarters in Northern California, right next to the abandoned beauty salon, it's the Prison Pen Pal- Pen Pal Podcast. It i- i- is about time. Hear stories from real inmates who wanna write to you, from free world people who enjoy w- writing prisoners, and for just about anyone involved in the world of prison pen pals. Pen pals. 

00:00:24,940 --> 00:00:26,259 [Speaker 0]
On today's episode... 

00:00:26,260 --> 00:00:36,420 [Ben Alverson]
You can get your license now on, um, you know, sooner. You can get your driver's permit sooner. You can get access to the internet sooner. You can get, you know, independent living within, you know, a year and a half. 

00:00:36,420 --> 00:00:41,769 [Speaker 0]
Now, here's your host of the Prison Pen Pal Podcast, Big Steve. 

00:00:41,769 --> 00:00:44,540 [Big Steve]
Ben Alverson, man, it's been a while. 

00:00:44,540 --> 00:00:48,940 [Ben Alverson]
It has been. Uh, at least a little over a year, I think, since my last guest. 

00:00:48,940 --> 00:01:04,019 [Big Steve]
Yeah, you're like our, uh... We have a couple regulars now. You're, like, our number one regular guest- ... 'cause I believe this is now your 3rd episode. We've got a couple guys with 2 episodes, but Ben Alverson, you're like the OG of the Pen Pal Podcast. 

00:01:04,019 --> 00:01:12,180 [Ben Alverson]
[laughs] Well, well, I did jump in at the very beginning when you guys had those, uh, the Lifetime special thingy, so I think I'm still hanging in there. 

00:01:12,180 --> 00:01:13,020 [Big Steve]
I know you're younger- 

00:01:13,020 --> 00:01:13,030 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:01:13,030 --> 00:01:16,260 [Big Steve]
... than I am, and you realize that's for my lifetime, not yours. 

00:01:16,260 --> 00:01:20,440 [Ben Alverson]
[laughs] I'm 50 years old. Really? That's... [laughs] 

00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:21,020 [Big Steve]
Oh. 

00:01:21,020 --> 00:01:21,530 [Ben Alverson]
All right. [laughs] 

00:01:21,530 --> 00:01:25,890 [Big Steve]
So, so what's, uh, what's new with you, man? How you been? How's things going there at St. Peter? 

00:01:25,890 --> 00:02:03,460 [Ben Alverson]
Been doing okay. Um, uh, from a legal standpoint, uh, I have my next court date on the 5th. We'll see what happens, but, uh, in the interim, what's been happening is that there's been a number of people that have gone straight from inside the perimeter, bypassing the transitions program, or CPS, and going straight out to provisional discharge, straight to the street. So I am hoping that, you know, with all of the low-risk scores that I have on the assessments and everything, that that'll be, you know, sufficient enough to be like, "Oh, you know what? He's been out there. He's done some things. He made some connections and, you know, he hasn't raised his risk, so, you know, let's get him back, his ass back out there." So that would be nice. 

00:02:03,460 --> 00:02:04,370 [Big Steve]
Wow. So, uh- 

00:02:04,370 --> 00:02:04,630 [Ben Alverson]
It'd be good to do that, so- 

00:02:04,630 --> 00:02:06,300 [Big Steve]
... the, the last time we talked, so- 

00:02:06,300 --> 00:02:06,310 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:02:06,310 --> 00:02:09,440 [Big Steve]
... the... I think it was, like, like you said, a year ago, you were at that- 

00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:09,460 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. 

00:02:09,460 --> 00:02:12,940 [Big Steve]
Just for people that didn't listen to that, you're at the, the Civil Commitment Center- 

00:02:12,940 --> 00:02:12,950 [Ben Alverson]
Oh 

00:02:12,950 --> 00:02:16,269 [Big Steve]
... in St. Peter, Minnesota. But, uh, at that time, I remember- 

00:02:16,269 --> 00:02:16,300 [Ben Alverson]
Sure 

00:02:16,300 --> 00:02:27,580 [Big Steve]
... we talked about how more people had actually died in that facility than had been released. And then you had mentioned that it, it's, like, almost impossible and you have to go through, like you said, the transition of- 

00:02:27,580 --> 00:02:28,090 [Ben Alverson]
A lot of- 

00:02:28,090 --> 00:02:29,160 [Big Steve]
... you could work outside- 

00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:29,310 [Ben Alverson]
A lot of 

00:02:29,310 --> 00:02:35,600 [Big Steve]
... of the perimeter, but not in, not outside of the fence and, and this stuff. So now it sounds like it's gotten better, then. Is that what you're saying? 

00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:47,600 [Ben Alverson]
It has. I think a lot of it has to do with politics. Um, as you obviously, it's Minnesota. Minnesota's been in the news with regards to a lot of fraud and, you know, Department of Human Services and, you know, healthcare and things of that nature, so let's put that on the table. 

00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:47,880 [Big Steve]
Yeah. 

00:02:47,880 --> 00:03:37,440 [Ben Alverson]
Um, and I think, uh, this has been, as it used to be part of DHS, it, uh, kinda falls into that same venue of, you know what? There have been some, shall we say, oversight that has not been too, uh, pleased with the progress or lack of progress thereof of a lot of the guys that have been in the program. And so they have stepped it up over the last couple of years of moving people forward faster. Um, in addition to that, the guys that are on the street, the provisional discharge guys, um, have been able to a- get accessibility to, uh, well, what they call liberties. Um, you can get your license now on, um, you know, sooner. You can get your driver's permit sooner. You can get access to the internet sooner. You can get, you know, independent living within, you know, a year and a half versus, you know, waiting 2 years to get your thing. So, um, in addition to that, on that track, 

00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:54,240 [Ben Alverson]
uh, one of my good friends, his name is Clarence, he, um, actually was out and completed the entire perimeter. He got out in less than 2 years, had his own house, and got fully discharged. So now there's a timeline where in which, when I talked to you before, there really wasn't- 

00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:54,250 [Big Steve]
Mm-hmm 

00:03:54,250 --> 00:03:56,049 [Ben Alverson]
... a defined line. 

00:03:56,049 --> 00:03:56,079 [Big Steve]
Right. 

00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:03,480 [Ben Alverson]
Now there's, like, an accelerated part of the program, and there's an end. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not a train coming at your face. 

00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:04,030 [Big Steve]
Right. Is that- 

00:04:04,030 --> 00:04:04,140 [Ben Alverson]
So [laughs]- 

00:04:04,140 --> 00:04:11,320 [Big Steve]
Is that timeline, Ben, is that timeline the same for... Is it a 2-year thing for everyone, or do they set the timeline- 

00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:11,680 [Ben Alverson]
It- 

00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:12,540 [Big Steve]
... person by person? 

00:04:12,540 --> 00:04:24,580 [Ben Alverson]
No, there's, there's no... Yeah, no, no. It's, it's, it's individual. It's individual. There are guys out there that, uh, you know, had a couple of hiccups, you know, got grounded for a little bit, you know, and had to kind of, you know, reset themselves, all that kind of stuff, just like you would on your parole. 

00:04:24,580 --> 00:04:24,610 [Big Steve]
Uh-huh. 

00:04:24,610 --> 00:04:32,980 [Ben Alverson]
You know, if you get violated, you kinda get a timeout and you, you know, restart your thing. But my point being is that given the nature of what it is- 

00:04:32,980 --> 00:04:33,100 [Big Steve]
Yeah 

00:04:33,100 --> 00:04:46,440 [Ben Alverson]
... at, at present, you can get... One can get done in a very short amount of time in consideration to how long the program itself has been running and how long we've been inside the perimeter or inside the program proper. So 2 years is nothing. 

00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:46,620 [Big Steve]
Yeah. 

00:04:46,620 --> 00:04:47,039 [Ben Alverson]
So, yeah. 

00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:52,320 [Big Steve]
And that's, that's 2 years- Is that 2 years after they're released? 

00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:52,920 [Ben Alverson]
On the street. 

00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,560 [Big Steve]
Okay. What's the, what's the quickest- 

00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:55,900 [Ben Alverson]
discharge, yeah 

00:04:55,900 --> 00:05:08,560 [Big Steve]
... that, uh... What's the quickest you've seen of someone that enters the St. Peter facility and then leaves? What, what do you think the fastest time from in to out has been? 

00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,740 [Ben Alverson]
Oh, [sighs] good lord. Um, 

00:05:11,900 --> 00:05:19,080 [Ben Alverson]
yeah. I, I am not entirely sure what the fastest time is of when somebody comes into the program and was able to leave. Um, 

00:05:20,140 --> 00:05:20,880 [Ben Alverson]
yeah. 

00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:21,820 [Big Steve]
Okay. 

00:05:21,820 --> 00:05:23,099 [Ben Alverson]
It's, it's years. I mean- 

00:05:23,100 --> 00:05:23,150 [Big Steve]
Yeah 

00:05:23,150 --> 00:05:23,610 [Ben Alverson]
... it's more than 2 years. 

00:05:23,610 --> 00:05:24,960 [Big Steve]
More, more than those 2 years, yeah. 

00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:25,240 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. 

00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,900 [Big Steve]
What's kind of the plan? What's the purpose of this particular court date you have? 

00:05:29,900 --> 00:06:09,260 [Ben Alverson]
Uh, so there's 2 court dates. Well, it's not really a court date. There's the, um, the specialty board, which then makes a recommendation if you move forward or not. And then there's the, the Court of Appeals panel, or the CAP, and that is where you meet with the 3 judges and they determine, um, for sure, for sure whether you move forward or don't. Um, and what that forward looks like can be moving through transitions, the CPS program, which is still on campus but in, outside the fence, or provisional discharge, which is off campus in the regular public eye, or full discharge. So no matter what step you're going to, you have to go through this process each time you do it. 

00:06:09,260 --> 00:06:09,820 [Big Steve]
Okay. 

00:06:09,820 --> 00:06:28,422 [Ben Alverson]
Now, that means the court has the wherewithal to say where you go within that process, but- The step-through process, um, can be skipped, as I mentioned. You know, there's people who have gone right from the, right from the perimeter right out to the street, which is great. Um, I have not seen anyone go directly from inside the perimeter to full discharge. 

00:06:28,422 --> 00:06:28,432 [Big Steve]
Okay. 

00:06:28,432 --> 00:06:29,732 [Ben Alverson]
That has not happened- 

00:06:29,732 --> 00:06:30,092 [Big Steve]
Mm-hmm 

00:06:30,092 --> 00:06:31,111 [Ben Alverson]
... at least [laughs] not yet. 

00:06:31,112 --> 00:06:31,552 [Big Steve]
Yeah. 

00:06:31,552 --> 00:06:32,912 [Ben Alverson]
[laughs] So, but, um, it can be done. 

00:06:32,912 --> 00:06:35,412 [Big Steve]
I mean, that, even, even I would, even I would think that- 

00:06:35,412 --> 00:06:35,472 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:06:35,472 --> 00:06:41,362 [Big Steve]
... wouldn't really make any sense. I mean, if they're so concerned to keep people there for so many years, you'd think at least they'd wanna- 

00:06:41,362 --> 00:06:41,382 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:06:41,382 --> 00:06:46,142 [Big Steve]
... give you 6 months or 3 months or, or a year, um- ... just to make sure that you're- 

00:06:46,142 --> 00:06:46,332 [Ben Alverson]
That wouldn't work now 

00:06:46,332 --> 00:06:49,572 [Big Steve]
... you're transitioning right. Um, and I'd be happy as hell, I think- 

00:06:49,572 --> 00:06:49,712 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:06:49,712 --> 00:07:14,812 [Big Steve]
... if, uh, okay. Um, but, but if, if it's like the thing that bothered me with parole and kind of the, a lot of stuff you see in California is sort of this, uh, "Well, we'll, uh, we'll, we'll decide, you know. We're not sure when it's gonna be, but it'll be at some point. Just keep doing r- keep doing good." And then, then they keep kinda dangling the carrot. And so it's like, it's really nice to know, okay, it's gonna be 2 years or whatever the, the time is 'cause then- 

00:07:14,812 --> 00:07:14,842 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:07:14,842 --> 00:07:17,732 [Big Steve]
... you can actually plan- ... you can plan your life, you know- 

00:07:17,732 --> 00:07:17,952 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:07:17,952 --> 00:07:18,452 [Big Steve]
... for that. 

00:07:18,452 --> 00:07:48,332 [Ben Alverson]
And within that process, I mean, they do encourage people to be more independent, you know, move from getting a bus pass to actually owning your own car, move from, you know, the halfway house or the apartment building that they're part of paying for, um, to owning your own place. I mean, those things are fully encouraged. There's been guys who've gotten married while they've been still on supervision. So, I mean, it's not that the, the program doesn't want you to do these things. They do. They want you to do it as quickly as humanly possible, given the guidelines that you have to live with under, you know, already. 

00:07:48,332 --> 00:07:48,612 [Big Steve]
Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

00:07:48,612 --> 00:08:20,952 [Ben Alverson]
So yeah. It's, yeah. And the men- the mental attitude has really changed. Um, there's, uh, been a couple of guys who've [clears throat] decided to, um, cut their bracelet and take off. Well, they've not escaped. They're back and, you know, everything's been taken care of. But what comes out of that is not so much everybody else gets punished. It's that person has to deal with their thing, and the program deals with that individually, whereas everybody else, if you're doing fine, they don't work, look at you sideways as long as you don't give them a reason to. So there's that, too. Doesn't come down on everybody- 

00:08:20,952 --> 00:08:21,072 [Big Steve]
Yeah 

00:08:21,072 --> 00:08:23,032 [Ben Alverson]
... 'cause one person, you know, messed up. 

00:08:23,032 --> 00:08:24,592 [Big Steve]
Yeah. That's the worst, man. That's like- 

00:08:24,592 --> 00:08:24,741 [Ben Alverson]
Oh, yeah 

00:08:24,741 --> 00:08:30,132 [Big Steve]
... what they do to you in the Army or, you know, on, o- on a sports team or something. You have to run laps 'cause Ben- 

00:08:30,132 --> 00:08:30,142 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:08:30,142 --> 00:08:32,292 [Big Steve]
... screwed up, so now I gotta run laps- 

00:08:32,292 --> 00:08:32,632 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:08:32,632 --> 00:08:33,692 [Big Steve]
... which is, like, the worst. 

00:08:33,692 --> 00:08:33,932 [Ben Alverson]
Yep. 

00:08:33,932 --> 00:08:45,812 [Big Steve]
You go in there and let's say, okay, they say, "We're going to put you back into the community." And then from that day, what, what's the timeline? Is, is it like, "We're gonna put you back tomorrow"? Is it like in 6 months? Do they give you- 

00:08:45,812 --> 00:09:08,452 [Ben Alverson]
The official line is that they got 10 days in case, you know, anybody has any major issues with your, you know, you do something crazy and, you know, whacked out. But, um, it can be anytime after that 10 days. That can be a couple months, um, depending on if they have placement. It's really the biggest, is really the biggest issue right now. They have a number of places available, but not that many spots, a limited amount of spots available. 

00:09:08,452 --> 00:09:08,692 [Big Steve]
Mm-hmm. 

00:09:08,692 --> 00:09:27,252 [Ben Alverson]
So until someone moves out and on their own or gets violated, God forbid, you kinda wait until that spot opens up and you can, you know, move on. Now, that could be in the cities. That could be in Rochester. I know that, uh, some of the older cats, there's a spot in Duluth that they can go to, um, as well. So there's, you know, options. 

00:09:27,252 --> 00:09:29,062 [Big Steve]
And these are basically, are these like- 

00:09:29,062 --> 00:09:29,062 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:09:29,062 --> 00:09:33,592 [Big Steve]
... kinda halfway houses where a bunch of guys live type of thing, or are these more- 

00:09:33,592 --> 00:09:56,732 [Ben Alverson]
Well, so, so there's a, there's a couple... There's one program called, uh, Damascus Way. It's a faith-based program. They have one in Gold Valley, and they have a house Gold Valley, and then they have one in Rochester. Um, the one in Rochester is actually rented, um, from the county. It used to be the old juvenile center. Um, [laughs] but they also have some apartment complexes in the cities as well. And one thing I do wanna touch on, though, from a personal standpoint, beyond the systemic stuff- 

00:09:56,732 --> 00:09:57,492 [Big Steve]
Mm-hmm 

00:09:57,492 --> 00:10:00,311 [Ben Alverson]
... um, was also kinda the art thing as well- 

00:10:00,312 --> 00:10:00,322 [Big Steve]
Yeah 

00:10:00,322 --> 00:10:18,002 [Ben Alverson]
... um, and kinda where, you know, my process is with that. Um, I'll be, um, opening up by the, hopefully by the time this cast is cast, [laughs] um, that the, uh, our website at the, uh, Shopify, it'll be, um, AandRarts.com, and the and is an ampersand. 

00:10:18,002 --> 00:10:18,092 [Big Steve]
Okay. 

00:10:18,092 --> 00:10:20,542 [Ben Alverson]
Um, I have, myself, I've got about, 

00:10:21,612 --> 00:11:02,252 [Ben Alverson]
um, maybe 50 or so canvases. Some are stretched, some are canvas panels of various sizes. Um, but also, uh, there's a buddy of mine, a tattoo artist down in Texas who's been, like, my best buddy for the last 20 some odd years. We actually met here in the program. He didn't get committed. He was able to move on with his life beyond this. Um, but we've still been in touch and all that kinda stuff. And so we'll have about 100 pieces, um, that'll be available for, you know, sale, um, just to look at, you know, whatever. Uh, we're trying to work out a place where we can get, uh, some sort of print-on-demand service where if you don't want to buy the entire, you know, painting or can't afford it or whatever, hey, 20 bucks for a print, you know, that kind of a thing. 

00:11:02,252 --> 00:11:02,572 [Big Steve]
Right. 

00:11:02,572 --> 00:11:22,991 [Ben Alverson]
So, um, yeah. Trying to get my side hustle on, trying to stay na- uh, stay active, motivated, creative, and things of that nature. I'm still in touch with my friend, uh, Ginny at the gallery, uh, semva.com, in, uh, in Min- in Rochester. So just talked to her this morning. She'll be sending a whole bunch of my stuff that didn't sell at the gallery down to Texas, so that gets mailed. 

00:11:22,992 --> 00:11:23,262 [Big Steve]
Okay. Okay. 

00:11:23,262 --> 00:11:23,772 [Ben Alverson]
But, um, yeah. 

00:11:23,772 --> 00:11:25,172 [Big Steve]
So you had, uh, so A- 

00:11:25,172 --> 00:11:25,482 [Ben Alverson]
It's a lot of stuff 

00:11:25,482 --> 00:11:31,392 [Big Steve]
... it's, uh... Tell us the website again. It's A ampersand R Arts? Is that what it is? 

00:11:31,392 --> 00:11:34,832 [Ben Alverson]
Yep. AandRarts.com. 

00:11:34,832 --> 00:11:35,672 [Big Steve]
Arts.com. 

00:11:35,672 --> 00:11:35,682 [Ben Alverson]
There, yep. 

00:11:35,682 --> 00:11:37,252 [Big Steve]
And I'm guessing you're the A. 

00:11:37,252 --> 00:11:37,932 [Ben Alverson]
Yep. 

00:11:37,932 --> 00:11:39,412 [Big Steve]
Is your buddy down there the R? 

00:11:39,412 --> 00:11:40,582 [Ben Alverson]
Yes. Yes. 

00:11:40,582 --> 00:11:40,592 [Big Steve]
Okay. 

00:11:40,592 --> 00:11:44,322 [Ben Alverson]
His name is, uh, well, he goes by, uh, Ruby, Charlie Ruby Tattoos. 

00:11:44,322 --> 00:11:44,372 [Big Steve]
Okay. 

00:11:44,372 --> 00:11:46,772 [Ben Alverson]
So if anybody wants to Facebook him or whatever, there he is. 

00:11:46,772 --> 00:11:57,972 [Big Steve]
Let's just say hypothetically, I know it's... you know, you say it's not likely, but let's just say, "Ben, you're totally free. Get the hell outta here." And let's say you fly down to Texas and, and, uh, meet up with Charlie. Is he gonna, like, sleeve- 

00:11:57,972 --> 00:11:58,452 [Ben Alverson]
Oh, no. 

00:11:58,452 --> 00:12:02,152 [Big Steve]
Is he gonna sleeve you out? Are you getting, are you getting, like, full sleeves? 

00:12:02,152 --> 00:12:08,512 [Ben Alverson]
No. Well, [laughs] so no, not immediately. Um, I won't be going to Texas. He's actually moving back up here- 

00:12:08,512 --> 00:12:08,601 [Big Steve]
Oh, okay. Okay 

00:12:08,601 --> 00:12:12,432 [Ben Alverson]
... as a matter of fact, um, due to, yeah, due to registration issues and things of that nature. 

00:12:12,432 --> 00:12:12,562 [Big Steve]
Mm-hmm. 

00:12:12,562 --> 00:12:15,212 [Ben Alverson]
He doesn't have to do that when he comes up here. He's been off the registry for so long- 

00:12:15,212 --> 00:12:15,362 [Big Steve]
Mm-hmm 

00:12:15,362 --> 00:12:17,132 [Ben Alverson]
... and the laws are what they are. He doesn't have to worry about it. 

00:12:17,132 --> 00:12:18,272 [Big Steve]
I imagine Texas- 

00:12:18,272 --> 00:12:18,302 [Ben Alverson]
Um, but I will be here 

00:12:18,302 --> 00:12:19,652 [Big Steve]
... Texas, uh, Texas- 

00:12:19,652 --> 00:12:19,662 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:12:19,662 --> 00:12:22,352 [Big Steve]
... doesn't, uh- But probably not big fans- 

00:12:22,352 --> 00:12:22,592 [Ben Alverson]
They like it better 

00:12:22,592 --> 00:12:24,192 [Big Steve]
... of, of people on the registry, huh? 

00:12:24,192 --> 00:12:34,372 [Ben Alverson]
Just recently, where he's at in the, in the Fort Worth area, they expanded the 1000 living foot radius to 2000 feet. He's getting fed up with it. He needs to get out of there. He's moving back, so. [laughs] 

00:12:34,372 --> 00:12:42,292 [Big Steve]
Right. So you move, you move within like 1500 feet of a school or something, and then they kick you out 'cause they say now the, the rule has changed, basically. 

00:12:42,292 --> 00:12:42,852 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. 

00:12:42,852 --> 00:12:47,532 [Big Steve]
I ate some avocado toast. I actually brought my toaster to work 'cause I never use it at home. And- 

00:12:47,532 --> 00:12:47,632 [Ben Alverson]
Mm-hmm 

00:12:47,632 --> 00:12:53,561 [Big Steve]
... and as I was eating it, I was thinking, I've never really talked to Ben about the food at St. Peter, and I, I just wondered- 

00:12:53,561 --> 00:12:53,561 [Ben Alverson]
Oh 

00:12:53,561 --> 00:12:57,012 [Big Steve]
... like, what's your favorite thing there? What, what, what's the good food that you eat there? 

00:12:57,012 --> 00:13:02,302 [Ben Alverson]
Oh, well, [sighs] breakfast for dinner is always good. Um, [laughs] 

00:13:03,752 --> 00:13:11,232 [Ben Alverson]
um, you know, a lot of scrambled eggs and, you know, a little cinnamon toast, uh, little rolls and some turkey sausage. I guess, you know, it is what it is. 

00:13:11,232 --> 00:13:11,262 [Big Steve]
Yeah. 

00:13:11,262 --> 00:13:12,352 [Ben Alverson]
Uh, institutional. It's- 

00:13:12,352 --> 00:13:12,652 [Big Steve]
Uh-huh 

00:13:12,652 --> 00:13:13,992 [Ben Alverson]
... you know, serves a purpose. 

00:13:13,992 --> 00:13:15,182 [Big Steve]
Yeah. Uh, what about- 

00:13:15,182 --> 00:13:15,402 [Ben Alverson]
But, uh- 

00:13:15,402 --> 00:13:22,082 [Big Steve]
... do they let you, like, buy? Can... You know, like, in, in the prisons you have the commissary and all that. Can you buy your own stuff as well? 

00:13:22,082 --> 00:13:40,112 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. We do have a, a commissary/canteen process here where I think it's actually a contract out of Wisconsin, I believe. But you can get your basic, you know, hygiene and your, uh, you know, preserved foods like, uh, you know, anything you can buy in Walking Horse, um, uh, you can get pretty much through our canteen. 

00:13:40,112 --> 00:13:40,551 [Big Steve]
Okay. 

00:13:40,552 --> 00:13:57,842 [Ben Alverson]
Um, once a month we can actually order from Walking Horse up to 140, I think it is, or something, some dollars like that. Um, but that includes, you know, hygiene and foodstuffs and, you know, all kinds of things. Now, I make ice cream from time to time. It's an expensive process, but it's worth it. You know, buy some, uh, some powdered, uh, Dream Whip, Cool Whip type stuff- 

00:13:57,842 --> 00:13:57,842 [Big Steve]
[laughs] 

00:13:57,842 --> 00:14:14,012 [Ben Alverson]
... and then, um, some condensed milk, and that's pretty much your main ingredients. Anything from there, you just go ahead and add a little bit of water to, you know, sort of crystallize when you freeze it. But you can add your chocolate, you can add chocolate chips, you can add, you know- 

00:14:14,012 --> 00:14:14,022 [Big Steve]
Mm-hmm 

00:14:14,022 --> 00:14:18,182 [Ben Alverson]
... um, you know, fruit if you want to, um, cinnamon, coffee- 

00:14:18,182 --> 00:14:18,182 [Big Steve]
Mm-hmm 

00:14:18,182 --> 00:14:22,112 [Ben Alverson]
... you know, whatever, whatever suits your fancy. Just, you know, and then freeze it, and you got ice cream. [laughs] 

00:14:22,112 --> 00:14:29,342 [Big Steve]
You're speaking, uh, you're speaking my language here, Ben. I-- Man, that's like my one weakness in life is ice cream. And, uh- 

00:14:29,342 --> 00:14:29,342 [Ben Alverson]
[laughs] 

00:14:29,342 --> 00:14:37,212 [Big Steve]
... I, I'm, I'm trying to do this diet now, which sucks, but I used to... I mean, I'd get that whole, you know, half gallon or whatever it is now and eat the whole damn thing- 

00:14:37,212 --> 00:14:37,452 [Ben Alverson]
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm 

00:14:37,452 --> 00:14:47,782 [Big Steve]
... on the sofa. And, you know, sometimes I'd, I'd get like 99% of the half gallon, there'd be one bite left and I'd think, "Oh, I better be healthy and I'll put that away for tomorrow." [laughs] 

00:14:47,782 --> 00:14:47,952 [Ben Alverson]
[laughs] 

00:14:47,952 --> 00:14:58,392 [Big Steve]
It's like one spoon. Um, but so can you actually use a freezer? 'Cause we used to try to make ice cream, but we'd have to have, like, gallons of salt to make the stuff freeze 'cause we had no freezer. 

00:14:58,392 --> 00:15:08,412 [Ben Alverson]
That's really good if you wanna go ahead and, you know, freeze a soda pop in your sink type of thing. But we don't have wet cells down here where I'm at, so, uh, you know, we do have a refrigerator and a freezer. You know, how many refrigerator and freezer? 

00:15:08,412 --> 00:15:09,132 [Big Steve]
Oh, nice. That's good. 

00:15:09,132 --> 00:15:24,672 [Ben Alverson]
There's 2 of them on the unit, so we kinda share that. So, like, when we, uh, when we do gardening in the summer and, you know, pull everything out in the fall, you know, we'll chop up our onions or tomatoes or whatever and go ahead, peppers, and go ahead and throw them in the freezer in a, in a Ziploc bag, and then we'll use them throughout. So yeah, throw them in your chilis or your soups or your whatever. 

00:15:24,672 --> 00:15:24,812 [Big Steve]
Oh, that sounds- 

00:15:24,812 --> 00:15:25,412 [Ben Alverson]
Works out well. 

00:15:25,412 --> 00:15:38,212 [Big Steve]
That sounds so good. We'd get in trouble because w- we'd, uh, basically steal a bunch of salt from the chow hall, and then the guys would, like, reuse the salt, right? So it would get really wet. It would turn into salt water when it would freeze. 

00:15:38,212 --> 00:15:38,222 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. 

00:15:38,222 --> 00:15:45,732 [Big Steve]
And then they would microwave the salt water, and this would take, like, hours and it would destroy the microwave, right? So they'd get their salt back- 

00:15:45,732 --> 00:15:45,742 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:15:45,742 --> 00:15:53,632 [Big Steve]
... but then nobody else could make their ramens anymore, so they'd always get, "You can't microwave salt." And, and, uh, yeah. So it's... A freezer would have been amazing. 

00:15:53,632 --> 00:15:54,052 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. 

00:15:54,052 --> 00:15:55,692 [Big Steve]
Um, what's your favorite flavor? 

00:15:55,692 --> 00:15:56,022 [Ben Alverson]
Right, right. Well, I- 

00:15:56,022 --> 00:15:58,652 [Big Steve]
Like, what, what's your, what's your ice cream flavor of choice? 

00:15:58,652 --> 00:16:01,892 [Ben Alverson]
Well, I tell you what. I am a big fan of cinnamon in general. 

00:16:01,892 --> 00:16:01,952 [Big Steve]
Okay. 

00:16:01,952 --> 00:16:13,492 [Ben Alverson]
So anything that I can put cinnamon in with either, you know, caramel or coffee or chocolate or, you know, just those warm flavors, those warm, comforting flavors. I really like those. Yeah. 

00:16:13,492 --> 00:16:13,622 [Big Steve]
That's amazing. 

00:16:13,622 --> 00:16:17,992 [Ben Alverson]
A little nutmeg maybe. I mean, we can't get nutmeg, but, you know, we can get gin- we can get ginger. 

00:16:17,992 --> 00:16:18,132 [Big Steve]
Yeah. 

00:16:18,132 --> 00:16:18,772 [Ben Alverson]
That works. 

00:16:18,772 --> 00:16:18,852 [Big Steve]
Yeah. 

00:16:18,852 --> 00:16:19,322 [Ben Alverson]
Um, you know- 

00:16:19,322 --> 00:16:20,481 [Big Steve]
I'm trying to think of, uh- 

00:16:20,481 --> 00:16:21,512 [Ben Alverson]
... just a dash of that goes a long way. [laughs] 

00:16:21,512 --> 00:16:28,052 [Big Steve]
... trying to think of how we could name it so it fits in. Like, call it like St. Paul Cinnamon or something so it's sort of, um, you know, the sound. 

00:16:28,052 --> 00:16:28,432 [Ben Alverson]
[laughs] 

00:16:28,432 --> 00:16:29,642 [Big Steve]
Um, I don't know how we'd do that. We'll, we'll- 

00:16:29,642 --> 00:16:30,552 [Ben Alverson]
Or St. Peter Cinnamon. Yeah. [laughs] 

00:16:30,552 --> 00:16:39,252 [Big Steve]
St. Peter, St. Peter Cinnamon. Yeah, that's even better. Um, and I was thinking like, uh, like, uh, Minneapolis Mudslide. I'm just thinking of Minnesota. 

00:16:39,252 --> 00:16:39,792 [Ben Alverson]
Sure. Yeah. 

00:16:39,792 --> 00:16:49,091 [Big Steve]
I know, like, 2 cities in Minnesota, so those are the 2. Anrarts.com, I wanted to get back to that 'cause... So you've got a profile on penpals.buzz, and we just made it a little better- 

00:16:49,092 --> 00:16:49,232 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:16:49,232 --> 00:16:54,072 [Big Steve]
... where people can see a lot of your artwork without having to scroll for 15 minutes. 

00:16:54,072 --> 00:16:54,091 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. 

00:16:54,092 --> 00:16:55,471 [Big Steve]
And now you can kinda just, like- 

00:16:55,472 --> 00:16:55,662 [Ben Alverson]
Mm-hmm 

00:16:55,662 --> 00:17:15,052 [Big Steve]
... move your finger left and swipe back and forth almost like you're on Tinder, and you can swipe right or left and you can see different artwork of Ben Alverson. And I know you only have a small percentage of your total art that's up on our site, but people can get a good idea of the type of stuff you do. And then now- 

00:17:15,052 --> 00:17:15,062 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:17:15,062 --> 00:17:20,412 [Big Steve]
... you're gonna have this anrarts.com, which is, I'm, I'm guessing gonna have pretty much everything, right? 

00:17:20,412 --> 00:17:21,802 [Ben Alverson]
It'll have what's available. 

00:17:21,802 --> 00:17:21,892 [Big Steve]
Okay. 

00:17:21,892 --> 00:17:32,392 [Ben Alverson]
Um, I'm not gonna put anything up there that's not unless I have something that, you know, might have been sold, and we'll go ahead and put a little banner on there that says sold so people can kinda see that, "Oh, oh, he did that, and that kinda took off." Like, okay, that's cool. 

00:17:32,392 --> 00:17:32,632 [Big Steve]
Okay. 

00:17:32,632 --> 00:17:57,752 [Ben Alverson]
But art is so subjective too. You know, I'm not expecting every Tom, Dick and Harry, Sue, Melly, you know, Mary Jo to go ahead and be like, "Oh, I love everything." No, no, no. If it strikes you, it strikes an emotional chord, great. That's awesome. And it doesn't have to be everything on there. If it's, you know, a color that strikes you, it's a pattern, it's a shape, it's just a theme, that's what I'm shooting for. You know, something that just resonates with somebody that says, "Hey, you know what? I can relate to that," or, "That, you know, is attractive to me." So- 

00:17:57,752 --> 00:18:10,612 [Big Steve]
I'm thinking, uh, I might wanna put... Now that we've talked about ice cream and I'm thinking, like, an ice cream painting, um, would be amazing. Like, I can put in... Maybe I'll do a special order for, like, a rocky road container, right? I can... I have to- 

00:18:10,612 --> 00:18:10,892 [Ben Alverson]
Okay, okay 

00:18:10,892 --> 00:18:14,382 [Big Steve]
... I'll have to pay you extra 'cause I know that's hard. I know that's probably really hard. 

00:18:14,382 --> 00:18:16,642 [Ben Alverson]
Mm-hmm. Well, you... I, I can work on commission. 

00:18:16,642 --> 00:18:16,652 [Big Steve]
Right. 

00:18:16,652 --> 00:18:18,192 [Ben Alverson]
That's actually kinda... You know, that's- 

00:18:18,192 --> 00:18:18,402 [Big Steve]
[laughs] 

00:18:18,402 --> 00:18:32,916 [Ben Alverson]
... where, where the good stuff is at. There is one that I did. It's, uh, it... I think it's actually on, on the Buzz site. It's, um, it's a, uh, a coffee cup. Um, and I actually did integrate, um, actual coffee into the brown paint that, where the coffee is layered on the, in the cup where it's- 

00:18:32,916 --> 00:18:33,246 [Big Steve]
Oh, no way 

00:18:33,246 --> 00:18:36,396 [Ben Alverson]
... kind of tilted. You can see where the coffee's at. It came out real nice. [laughs] 

00:18:36,396 --> 00:18:37,926 [Big Steve]
That's so cool. You do, like, a little- 

00:18:37,926 --> 00:18:38,166 [Ben Alverson]
That's so [laughs]- 

00:18:38,166 --> 00:18:41,396 [Big Steve]
... little scratch and sniff on there and like, "Oh my God, this is real coffee." 

00:18:41,396 --> 00:18:58,056 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, it'll, it'll age out after a while. It has to be, like I say, it has to be refreshed. But I have no problem maintaining that kind of stuff if it does. It was just an experiment to see if it worked. Of course, it worked, and then people are like, "Oh, well, you should do, like, you know, uh, peppermint, or you should do, like, hot cocoa." Or I'm like, "Well, I, we could do that." [laughs] I could do that. [laughs] 

00:18:58,056 --> 00:18:59,106 [Big Steve]
Yeah. It's like a- 

00:18:59,106 --> 00:18:59,106 [Ben Alverson]
So, yeah, I think - 

00:18:59,106 --> 00:19:03,846 [Big Steve]
... it's like an interactive, an interactive experience with food and, and art. 

00:19:03,846 --> 00:19:17,656 [Ben Alverson]
My original title for, you know, a business, if I wanted to get to it is, years ago, was called Interactive Arts, and it would just encompass me everything. Um, and when I was doing, you know, greeting cards or whatever, it was, uh, the small imprint, it was called Feta Fantasies. So [laughs]- 

00:19:17,656 --> 00:19:18,496 [Big Steve]
Wow. That sounds- 

00:19:18,496 --> 00:19:20,946 [Ben Alverson]
... everything revolves around food, right? [laughs] 

00:19:20,946 --> 00:19:25,075 [Big Steve]
Yeah. That sounds kinda dirty, though. Fe- feta, feta fantasy. That sounds like, uh- 

00:19:25,076 --> 00:19:25,866 [Ben Alverson]
Feta, feta fantasy. Yes, yeah. I know 

00:19:25,866 --> 00:19:27,316 [Big Steve]
... I'm afraid to walk down that alley. 

00:19:27,316 --> 00:19:28,036 [Ben Alverson]
It's a little weird. 

00:19:28,036 --> 00:19:29,656 [Big Steve]
Um, the, uh... [laughs] 

00:19:29,656 --> 00:19:30,996 [Ben Alverson]
[laughs] 

00:19:30,996 --> 00:19:40,776 [Big Steve]
Man, so Ben, uh, Ben Alverson, give, give out your address again. I know, uh, I still want people to write you. I know you've had, uh, at least a couple people reach out to you from our site, but we're trying to get more. 

00:19:40,776 --> 00:19:41,296 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. 

00:19:41,296 --> 00:19:42,776 [Big Steve]
More than a couple. 

00:19:42,776 --> 00:19:49,846 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah, yeah. Um, 100 Freeman Drive, St. Peter, Minnesota, 56082. 

00:19:50,936 --> 00:19:51,346 [Big Steve]
And you just- 

00:19:51,346 --> 00:20:04,756 [Ben Alverson]
And, you know, my phone number is, uh... Yeah, there's the other thing, too, is, uh, call me. 507-484-9930, extension 53824. I got a couple of calls from people, um, 

00:20:05,976 --> 00:20:15,836 [Ben Alverson]
and that's fine. [laughs] You know, I'll call them right back. But I'll still, I still get their e- you know, addresses and, you know, mail you. I'd love... You know, anybody who writes me, I'll send a personalized card. I've done that just to kinda, you know- 

00:20:15,836 --> 00:20:16,296 [Big Steve]
You've sent- 

00:20:16,296 --> 00:20:16,846 [Ben Alverson]
... send a little - 

00:20:16,846 --> 00:20:25,256 [Big Steve]
... you sent us, uh, you, you sent us a few cards, and we still have them in the, in the office in the entryway. And we have your, your, uh, painting that you sent. 

00:20:25,256 --> 00:20:25,286 [Ben Alverson]
The big one, the painting. 

00:20:25,286 --> 00:20:26,746 [Big Steve]
This was, like, years ago. Yeah. 

00:20:26,746 --> 00:20:26,756 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. 

00:20:26,756 --> 00:20:28,196 [Big Steve]
And it was all framed and everything. 

00:20:28,196 --> 00:20:28,206 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. 

00:20:28,206 --> 00:20:38,366 [Big Steve]
And we were like, "Oh my God." I was actually... I, I probably talked about this before, but I was nervous opening it 'cause you had it wrapped so exquisitely. And, uh, there was, like- 

00:20:38,366 --> 00:20:38,366 [Ben Alverson]
[laughs] 

00:20:38,366 --> 00:20:45,256 [Big Steve]
... the little sticky paint. I was like, "Oh my God. Am I gonna, like, rip the paint off when I'm peeling this?" And it ca- finally, it came out, but I was nervous, man. 

00:20:45,256 --> 00:20:49,806 [Ben Alverson]
The medium was a little, was a little, uh... It took a little longer to dry than I really want- was expecting. 

00:20:49,806 --> 00:20:49,816 [Big Steve]
Yeah. 

00:20:49,816 --> 00:20:51,516 [Ben Alverson]
But it, it worked out well, so yeah. 

00:20:51,516 --> 00:20:54,416 [Big Steve]
So, uh, yeah. So the phone number, it's 507- 

00:20:54,416 --> 00:20:54,446 [Ben Alverson]
, yep 

00:20:54,446 --> 00:21:03,616 [Big Steve]
... 507-484-9930, and you enter extension 53824, and then you'll have- 

00:21:03,616 --> 00:21:04,076 [Ben Alverson]
Correct 

00:21:04,076 --> 00:21:09,016 [Big Steve]
... you'll have 15 seconds to leave a message for Ben Alverson. And I'll- 

00:21:09,016 --> 00:21:09,026 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:21:09,026 --> 00:21:21,356 [Big Steve]
... just to tell you how fast that is, I'm gonna give you a little example here. Hey, Ben. This is Steve. I was just calling to say hi. I hope you're doing well. Can you please give me a call back? Uh, the number is 888-273-6725. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you. 

00:21:21,356 --> 00:21:22,616 [Ben Alverson]
Boom. There you go. 

00:21:22,616 --> 00:21:23,416 [Big Steve]
So practice- 

00:21:23,416 --> 00:21:23,626 [Ben Alverson]
Yep. That's about it, too 

00:21:23,626 --> 00:21:31,095 [Big Steve]
... practice at home because, you know, the worst thing is when they say, "Uh, Ben, oh, can... call me back. My number is 888-27..." [mimics static] Click. 

00:21:31,096 --> 00:21:35,816 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. Yeah, the, the other part of it is, too, is that, uh, you know, we do have the, uh, caller ID thing. 

00:21:35,816 --> 00:21:35,886 [Big Steve]
Oh, okay. Oh, okay. 

00:21:35,886 --> 00:21:44,156 [Ben Alverson]
We can check, you know, where the call is coming from, and it has the ti- date and time and all that kind of stuff on there. So if it does happen to get cut short, I'll call back. But, uh, you know- 

00:21:44,156 --> 00:21:44,206 [Big Steve]
So- 

00:21:44,206 --> 00:21:47,816 [Ben Alverson]
... leaving a number and probably the best time to call would be the best way to do it. So, yeah. 

00:21:47,816 --> 00:22:12,476 [Big Steve]
Here- here's what I want. Here's what I want people to do if they're listening right now. So you don't even need, you don't even need to leave your number because Ben's gonna see your number. So anyone... The 1st person that hears this, I don't know, but somebody's gonna do this, Ben, I know, because we have, you know, so many listeners right now. Somebody, I want you to call Ben, and instead of actually leaving a message, I want you to sing your favorite Beach Boys song in 15 seconds. 

00:22:12,476 --> 00:22:14,416 [Ben Alverson]
Oh, boy. Oh, or, or Prince. 

00:22:14,416 --> 00:22:14,876 [Big Steve]
Or Prince. 

00:22:14,876 --> 00:22:15,816 [Ben Alverson]
So does a Prince thing. 

00:22:15,816 --> 00:22:15,986 [Big Steve]
Or Prince. 

00:22:15,986 --> 00:22:17,516 [Ben Alverson]
So, you know, like, do... Yeah, yeah. [laughs] 

00:22:17,516 --> 00:22:22,106 [Big Steve]
When Doves Cry. I want you to sing When Doves Cry to Ben Alverson in 15 seconds. 

00:22:22,106 --> 00:22:22,656 [Ben Alverson]
There you go. 

00:22:22,656 --> 00:22:30,636 [Big Steve]
Uh, again, 507-484-9930, and y- you hit extension 53824, and it's gonna say something about- 

00:22:30,636 --> 00:22:30,716 [Ben Alverson]
Yep 

00:22:30,716 --> 00:22:34,816 [Big Steve]
... there's a cl- you know, enter the client extension and, uh, and then, uh- 

00:22:34,816 --> 00:22:34,886 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah 

00:22:34,886 --> 00:22:35,436 [Big Steve]
... and then boom. 

00:22:35,436 --> 00:22:36,196 [Ben Alverson]
That's the one. 

00:22:36,196 --> 00:22:38,116 [Big Steve]
And then you'll... You do call back, too. 

00:22:38,116 --> 00:22:38,306 [Ben Alverson]
All of it. 

00:22:38,306 --> 00:22:41,635 [Big Steve]
I, I can vouch that you will. You'll call everybody back. 

00:22:41,635 --> 00:22:42,015 [Ben Alverson]
Oh, yeah. 

00:22:42,016 --> 00:22:42,075 [Big Steve]
Um- 

00:22:42,076 --> 00:22:56,666 [Ben Alverson]
I never, I n- never call collect. And I... We, we, we got our calls set up here to where they... both the, uh, both the prison and us, because we're on the same contract for whatever freaking reason, um, the senate has given us free phone calls for the last couple of years. So it's, uh... Don't worry about it. 

00:22:56,666 --> 00:22:56,676 [Big Steve]
That's good. 

00:22:56,676 --> 00:22:58,456 [Ben Alverson]
And that includes international, just so you know. 

00:22:58,456 --> 00:22:58,696 [Big Steve]
Oh, no way. Wow. 

00:22:58,696 --> 00:23:00,596 [Ben Alverson]
I have reached out across overseas and- 

00:23:00,596 --> 00:23:01,026 [Big Steve]
Oh, man 

00:23:01,026 --> 00:23:02,716 [Ben Alverson]
... uh, yeah, that, that has been done. 

00:23:02,716 --> 00:23:03,316 [Big Steve]
Oh, man. 

00:23:03,316 --> 00:23:03,705 [Ben Alverson]
So there you go. 

00:23:03,705 --> 00:23:04,966 [Big Steve]
'Cause there's a lot of... We have a lot... 

00:23:04,966 --> 00:23:04,966 [Ben Alverson]
Yep. 

00:23:04,966 --> 00:23:14,876 [Big Steve]
We actually... We're, like, the number 11 podcast for entertainment for one week in New Zealand. I got this report. I was like, "We're, we're trending in New Zealand." So anyone, you know- 

00:23:14,876 --> 00:23:15,356 [Ben Alverson]
Wow 

00:23:15,356 --> 00:23:17,196 [Big Steve]
... out there in Auckland or whatever, you can- 

00:23:17,196 --> 00:23:28,436 [Ben Alverson]
I love, I love learning about world events and connecting with people overseas, especially with so much that's going on right now. I actually tried to reach out to, uh, uh, to Russia at one point in time 'cause we don't hear the other side of the story. 

00:23:28,436 --> 00:23:28,626 [Big Steve]
Right. 

00:23:28,626 --> 00:23:28,835 [Ben Alverson]
Right? 

00:23:28,836 --> 00:23:29,136 [Big Steve]
Yeah. 

00:23:29,136 --> 00:23:36,916 [Ben Alverson]
And, um, yeah, there was somebody who wrote me from over there. Um, I connected actually through a, believe it or not, a New Zealand, um- 

00:23:36,916 --> 00:23:39,676 [Speaker 0]
You have one minute remaining 

00:23:39,676 --> 00:23:43,056 [Ben Alverson]
... uh, New Zealand pen pal list and, uh, you know, reached out and then, you know- 

00:23:43,056 --> 00:23:43,766 [Big Steve]
Was that Bubbles? 

00:23:43,766 --> 00:23:44,256 [Ben Alverson]
... the person wrote me back and then- 

00:23:44,256 --> 00:23:46,116 [Big Steve]
I remember Bubbles. 

00:23:46,116 --> 00:23:48,395 [Ben Alverson]
It was. Yes. Yes, yes, it was. Yes, it was. 

00:23:48,396 --> 00:23:49,775 [Big Steve]
Robert something. That was a cool- 

00:23:49,776 --> 00:23:50,536 [Ben Alverson]
And I sent him a painting as well. 

00:23:50,536 --> 00:23:51,986 [Big Steve]
Oh, man. I remember that. 

00:23:51,986 --> 00:23:57,216 [Ben Alverson]
Yep. I sent... I also sent, I also sent him a painting, and I think it's a picture that you have on there. It's a top hat with a kiwi on the side. 

00:23:57,216 --> 00:23:58,976 [Big Steve]
Oh, yeah. That's a great one. 

00:23:58,976 --> 00:23:59,796 [Ben Alverson]
Um, it's on Paint Squeeze. Yeah. 

00:23:59,796 --> 00:24:00,446 [Big Steve]
Yeah. So Ben- 

00:24:00,446 --> 00:24:01,146 [Ben Alverson]
That's the one I sent to him. Anyway- 

00:24:01,146 --> 00:24:03,486 [Big Steve]
... we're run- we're out of time. I, I hear the one-minute thing. 

00:24:03,486 --> 00:24:03,496 [Ben Alverson]
Yeah. 

00:24:03,496 --> 00:24:21,076 [Big Steve]
Ben Alverson, go to penpals.buzz and, and search for Ben Alverson, or you can go to AandRarts.com. That's A, ampersand, R, arts.com, and check out your stuff that's for sale. And please get back to us and let us know, uh, if things go well on the 5th. We'll be rooting for you. 

00:24:21,076 --> 00:24:24,996 [Ben Alverson]
Oh, absolutely. Thank you, sir. [rock music] All right, listen up, everybody. 

00:24:24,996 --> 00:24:26,756 [Speaker 0]
It's lockdown time for Big Steve. 

00:24:26,756 --> 00:24:27,856 [Ben Alverson]
Let's go! 

00:24:27,856 --> 00:24:37,696 [Speaker 0]
But he'll be back soon on another episode of the Prison Pen Pal Podcast. Podcast. You wanna get in touch? Email the podcast at penpals.buzz. Buzz. 

00:24:37,696 --> 00:24:38,916 [Ben Alverson]
If you'd like to make a call- 

00:24:38,916 --> 00:24:52,576 [Speaker 0]
Call 888-273-6725 or write to PO Box 456 Anderson, California 96007. [rock music]