A day to remember with my dad

Today is a day I’ll remember forever. Today is the first time in 15 months that I saw my dad in person.

For the last month, all I’ve been looking forward to is getting a visit from him and when he finally walked into the visitation room today, I was filled with so much excitement.

One thing that really hurt me though – I noticed that since the last time I saw my dad, he looked like he got older and it really made me realize how much I’m really missing while I’m here in prison. Other than that though, I had a great visit.

For some reason, I’m always really quiet around him, but I hope he knows that I was really happy to see him. He always has the corniest jokes that I can’t help but laugh at. Even when he’s not telling jokes, he has this funny mannerism about him.

I really love spending time with him. I just wish I knew how to tell him. Even though I can’t express my feelings like I want to, I still had a great time today. We played cards, ate food and talked about the old times when I was younger.

I just can’t wait until the next time he comes to see me. Better yet, I can’t wait ‘til I get out so I can spend time with him without looking at razor wire fences and correctional officers watching us at all times.

Ted’s dad, Bill Braden, visited him occasionally in the county jail from October 31, 2008 until September 8, 2009, but the visitations were over a video monitor telephone. Inmates at the jail were in a separate building from visitors. It makes all the difference in the world to kiss and hug your child for the first time in over a year. See a video of Teddy with his daddy in 1992 here.

Photo: Ted Braden and Bill Braden on January 3, 2009 in the visitation room at Lancaster work camp. Click photo to enlarge.

Ted Braden on America's Funniest Home Videos

Now appearing by popular demand (since it was mentioned in a tb-two newspaper article): Baby Teddy appears on the very first episode ever of the popular TV show America's Funniest Home Videos.

Ted Braden (aka Teen in Jail) appeared on the very first episode ever of America's Funniest Home Videos - hosted by Bob Saget - in November 1989 when he was six months old. His father was changing his diaper and Baby Teddy peed in his father's face.

The winning video clip of that particular episode appears first - of a lady stuck inside a dishwasher. The winning video was recorded in 1986 (per the date stamp on bottom).

TV Guide advertised a contest for the very first episode of the show and received 700 entries. After the show aired, they received more than 7,000 videos a week.

Ted’s dad (Bill Braden) videotaped practically every moment of Ted's life (up until 1997 when his parents divorced) since the show aired - hoping to get another tape on the show, but unfortunately never did. (Ted's mom says it was because she was the one running the video camera on that video!)

Ted did give permission in a phone call from jail for this video to be posted.

Stay tuned for more extremely funny videos (and there are plenty!) of Teddy growing up.

If you're unable to view this video, you will need to download Adobe Flash Player at http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/.

My biggest regret

As all of you can imagine, I have more regrets than I can count.

There isn't a day where I think about something I've done and thought that it was stupid of me to do what I did.

One of my biggest regrets is joining a gang.

It hurts me to admit this because I have never told any of my family about this. They are finding out about this when my blog gets posted.

I can't exactly remember when I joined, but I do know I was too young.

Of course there is never a good age to join a gang.

A lot of my decisions I made just to prove myself to my set. Also I grew up hating other gangs for no reason other than the colors they wore or the gang signs they threw up.

I know that if I wasn't in a gang, I would've gotten in a lot less trouble.

When I am released, I am going to have nothing to do with the people from my past life. A lot of them will probably have problems with me 'cause I have no loyalty toward them no more, but one day I'm going to have to face that - and when that time comes, I'm not really sure what I will do.

All I really can do is face it like a man.

(Photo taken from my MySpace page.)

My first arrest

My first criminal charge ever was a burglary when I was 13 years old.

One night when I was at home, a couple of friends came over and asked if I wanted to go chill with them. I said ok and we left my house.

We started walking and at first I didn't know where we were going.

Soon my homeboys told me that there was this kid that was moving and that he and his parents weren't home. So when we got to his house, I wasn't sure what I should do. Well anyway, I decided to go in the house just to look around.

When we went in, I couldn't believe how much stuff they left behind. I started looking through stuff and I realized that there was a lot of stuff that I wanted - and because no one was there to stop me - I took what I wanted.

I couldn't believe all the cool stuff I was getting. It actually felt fun at the time. I liked the rush so much, I went back to the house three nights in a row.

I never thought back then that I would be caught, but a couple days later when I saw the kid (who's house I went in) pull up at my house with his parents, I knew I was caught.

I wasn't arrested right away. A couple of months later, the Clearwater police came into my math class [at school] and read me my rights and handcuffed me right there in class. It was the worst feeling I ever had.

A lead pipe to the face

A few months before I came to the jail, my friends and I were hanging out at 2 a.m. We had been drinking and taking drugs. A pick-up drove by and two guys shouted out the window at us. I immediately got up and started yelling back.

The guys stopped the pick-up truck in the middle of the road and got out. One hit me across the face with a lead pipe. I fell down, but got right back up. Another hit me in the head with a beer bottle. By this time, I was swinging back and bloodied the face of one of the guys.

My friends were trying to hold me back, but on drugs, you feel like you can do anything.

Eventually, the guys drove off.

I didn't feel anything and it wasn't until the next morning that I woke up and felt incredible pain. My front tooth was broken. The nerves in my other front tooth ended up dying and turned dark. I also had a deep cut above my eyebrow. I didn't have a job or insurance and couldn't get my teeth fixed, and to this day I have the broken tooth and scar.

I barely remember the fight and other people had to tell me what had happened. Drugs, unfortunately, have this effect and most of the times I've been arrested or injured, I had been taking drugs.