Monday 29 August

Notice, everyone, how the title on the posts keep changing style. I guess I am trying to find the right one for me. Be patient, I will eventually get it right.

And so Monday is over. Yay! I had an appointment today. Jury duty. Yes, Brenda is a legal, voting American and will gladly do my civic duty with a minimal of grumbling.

Actually it was a nice relaxing day, except for the dress code. I was wearing pumps, tights, and a very nice brown wool skirt. Oh, sure, I was wearing a top, but it was so light that you could practically see my pretty bra through it. It was hot here today, too. I didn't dress for the weather.

My day went something like this:

I get up, mainline coffe, but only one cup. Shower, which I am sure the other million prospective jurors appreciated, and used deoderant, which I am sure they also appreciated. while brushing my hair, I downloaded the third Society story into my palm. It is only on chapter six, and it has been a while since I worked on it (March of 01), so figured I should reaquaint myself with it while I waited.

I hop into the van and drive to the county seat. I get there early, it is 7:40. Clomp, clomp, clomp. Boy, these shoes already hurt. Sure wish I had worn my tennies. Waited in a midsize line and got checked in. Found a fairly comfortable seat, opened my palm and got straight to work. About fourty minutes later I come out of my writing stupor and look at the line. It was out the door and around the corner. Glad I got there early. Went back to working on my story.

Eventually, a loud, booming voice comes from the heavens demanding my attention. I glance up, realizing we are about to start, and look around bleerily. Wow! where'd all these people come from? Oh, and look, we get to watch a video. Just like kindergarden. So we watch the, THIS IS A GREAT STATE, DO YOUR DUTY! video and then settle back in to wait for them to organize our names into groups and contemplate how tingly we felt at being chosen to keep our county safe from potential criminals. I tingled for about a minute, then went back to my book. Oh, poop. Lots of pov work going to have to be done.

Again, the booming voice jerked me out of the world I am creating. I huffed and looked around. The rats had jumped up and were clumped around a couple of bullitin boards. I waited till most of them had returned to their chairs and then wandered over there to see what was the big deal. OH HEY! Check it out! My own personal name right there in group B, and they even gave me my own personal number; 035. Woohoo!

Now that the all important check in has been completed we must now wait patiently for them to call our group. Luckily for me, I can go back to the Society. Others around me, who did not plan ahead for the boredom, talked amoungst themselves and read the 10 month old womens magazines in the rack. I think I saw one man checking out how to get and keep his boyfriend by sexual bribery. I thought about that for a moment, decided it would work for a while, then went back to the Society.

The next time the voice came, it was about 10:15. Interresting. The voice is saying that Groups A and B can please leave, but return by 1:15 pm. I gather my things and head for the van. I wondered where I could find more coffee. One cup isn't going to get me through the day. There is a mall nearby. I saw it as I got off the freeway, so headed back that way.

Gotta tell you. The mall sucked. No Starbucks, no Gloria Jean's, nothing. Oh, look, a Thai shop. I go in, stared at the board and tried to decipher it. I ended up with a frozen Thai Spiced Chai. I felt adventuresome. I have never had chai, and I still don't know what it is, but frozen and with whipped cream, it hit the spot. I sat on a bench in the middle of the mall, enjoying this new flavor and chilling out, when I noticed a grocery store across the street and my stomach growled. Cool. I hopped back into the van and shot across the street. I ended up with a sandwich, a cup of pineapple chunks, blueberry yougurt with Splenda, and a quart of lowfat milk. Love the stuff. I decided to drive back to the courthouse. It is 11:15.

I eat half the sandwich in the van. Decide it is too hot to eat, and shove everything else under the seat. I took a cross stitch project I have in the van (a hurry up and wait project that will only be removed from the van when it is completed), and returned to the jury room. Ahh, air conditioning. I worked on the cross stitch for about an hour, then went to the nearly empty cafeteria (which told me something, bought a bottled water and returned to my chair and worked on my cross stitch and alternated it with the story.

Eventually, 1:30 rolled around and a short, armed man came to the front of the room and hollered for the B group. I stood, listened to his directions, decided I had already forgotten them, and followed a teachers pet. Up the elevator, past lots of people wearing comfortable clothing -- shorts and flip flops -- and down a long dark hallway. A very long hallway. How long is this hallway anyway?

Wood panneling and a back wall. Oh, this must be it. There is a door to the left, a door to the right, and a blank wall in front of us. We wait for the short, armed gentleman to catch up. Apparenly, only one elevator is operational, so we must wait for the stragglers to catch up. (Jeopardy theme song*trademarked*) I lean on the 90 year old panneling and watch the armed man put his hand on his weapon, patiently waiting. Hm, maybe I should stand out of the firing zone. I slide down till I am standing parallell with him. Ok, out of view. Eventually, he gets bored immagining the long hallway as a firing range, and decides we have waited long enough. He gives us some instructions and we file into the room. Oh boy, a real courtroom.

Four rows of wooden, squeeky chairs, like old, old theater chairs are in two columns. Facing them is a tall female, armed. I go sit parallel to her. Ok, out of range. Good plan. Also, a woman I would have liked to loan my brush, and a couple of suited men and a younger man who never moved. We won't discuss him.

So, we find out we aren't there for an actual, normal type trial. We are battling for the 14 posistions (12 jurors-2 alternates), for a mental competancy case. I think, "Cool. This might actually be interresting." The Judge is a nice looking older guy, with bad jokes that I thought were hillarious. (Have I mentioned that my kids think I am easily amused?) He gives us some instructions, like when we get to the hot seats, read the card. Ok, I can do that.

Eighteen people are called. I am not one of them. Sigh. Ok, I can work with this. I will take notes on the questions so I can answer them correctly, and not sound stupid.A lawyer stands and tells some lame jokes that I even had trouble with. But that's ok, I will probably eventually repeat them. All 18 people are questioned by the judge and the lawyers.

Then the ax fell on several people. They went home.

I though, "OK, so there are free seats now, I'm ready." They did not call Brenda.

Sigh.

So, I take more notes on questions they ask and wait. Two more get the ax and two more are called. Brenda is sitting in the same chair two hours later and the hard wood chair is really uncomfortable. My butt is sound asleep and has been for an hour and a half. I am scared to move because adjustments cause the chairs to squeek like the hinges on a one hundred year old cemetary.

Then the unimaginable happens. I had the best answers in the place ready to go. I had the most interresting truths ever heard. AND WHAT HAPPENS???? The jury is full and the rest of us are dismissed. I was shocked. Dismayed. Heartbroken.

I grumbled and the lady sitting beside me laughed and said, "You really wanted to do this, didn't you? I saw your notes." I grumbled some more and left the room. My day is done. Almost 8 hours at the courthouse and all I have to show for it is a pink dissmissal paper. Stamped with todays date. Blagh.

So, I drive home. Sad and forlorn. I tried cheering myself up by yelling at the bad drivers, but it didn't seem to be working. I found my way home, and went straight to the bedroom. Peeling off sweat-ladened clothing, I put on my Tshirt and shorts and climbed in bed with the laptop to check my email. This is the ending to my great court adventure. Kind of disappointing, actually. It would have been much better for research if I had been called on. Oh well, I guess I can't have everything.

Lots of messages, but none from the bookmark winners. I have emailed the groups to ask for delivery verification.

On the craft front, I mentioned that I worked on a cross stitch project. I is a 5x7 mermaid that is about half done. And this evening I am working on the tote. Might have to add rows to it, because I think it will be a bit short otherwise. The great thing about crafting, is remodifying patterns to suit onesself.

Hopefully, everyone has survived Katrina, are safe and their property is intact.

I think that is quite enough for this evening. Tomorrow, I have plans to proof a couple of books and work on book three some more. Gonna have rewrites on this one already.

Night all. :)

Brenda