Jury Duty and Produce.

 

 I am back!! Jury Duty was on my list of things to do for July. I got off so now I am free the rest of the summer. I know it is a Civic duty and a privilege. I might not feel so jaded if I felt that as jurors we had more rights than the prisoners. I did learn something new though, we have so many courtrooms now. My goodness! I went to a place I have never gone before and it had three floors of nothing but courtrooms. I guess you could say that crime is now big business. I have a story. I should leave the house more often.

Garden growing like crazy!

 To say that I have spent more time worrying than just about anything this last month since I got my last summons would be an understatement. I have worked myself silly, because you know, what if I didn't come back and someone saw my junk drawer and it wasn't cleaned. You know weird stuff like that. I worked all day on Monday making spaghetti sauce. Which is about 8 hours not to mention the regular stuff. Like cleaning and laundry. Just so I wouldn't think.

Lovely Tomatoes!

I had to report to Jury Services and I went out to get in my car and my battery was dead as a door-nail! I was so shocked, scared and befuddled. I just couldn't believe it, not in all of my born days. I ran back in the house and ran up the stairs and poor Elliot was just out of the shower with his hair standing on end,  when I yelled, " Hey do you have to go to work today? He patiently replied, " No, Mom, Why?" I said " My battery is dead in my car and I have to go to Jury Duty, can I borrow yours? He said, " Oh of course, and calmly walked back in his room to get his car keys. He has a new car that I have never drove before. Elliot is always calm, cool and collected. He never gets ruffled by anything. So opposite from me. I was in full blown panic!!

 

I listened while I am transferring my stuff from my car to his car, all the while praying I will remember everything thing he is telling me.  I got in his fun car and took off. His car is new and my car is getting up in years, so it was a blast to drive. I made it safely to juror parking, which is miles away from juror services. Its on the other side of train tracks. I parked and realized there was a train. I should have moved the car to another parking lot further away but I didn't. I walked to the other parking lot. I had almost 10,000 steps by the time I went home last night.

In 100 degree heat. Downtown. In the summer!! Since there was a train. I had to climb three flights of stairs to a crossing over the train. Then walk just as fast as I could to juror service to get checked in. It was packed with people. In fact, I don't know when I have ever been there and it was so packed. I checked in and walked around until I found a seat.

 

I carry a knife in my purse. I always have. I had taken the knife out of my purse before I left home. I made sure I didn't have anything on the list that you can't take with you when you go through the metal detector. I was looking for my glasses, when I noticed Elliot's car keys in my purse. On his key chain he had, pepper spray, You really can't have that at court. He also had a little knife, and fingernail file and a beer opener and cork screw. Really??? I went to the lockers that they have there, but they were kind of sketchy. So I decided I needed to go back to the car and put all of that in the car. In 100 degree heat! Miles away.

 

The check in guy said I had about 15 minutes. So I took off again. Yes, there was a train. So it meant
walking all the way back and going up the other side of that three story crossing over the train. Back three parking lots to Elliot's car. I took the key off the key chain and began my walk back, in 100 degree heat.

By the time I got back to jury services I was a sweating mess. Then of course, I had to sit by this guy who talked and talked. When they finally called my name for a court room I was happy. I saw pictures of his kids, and grand kids and his Harley. I heard about why he had to go to jail. He told me about his crazy wives. He is on number three by the way. I just shook my head at appropriate times. Heck, he even showed me his tattoo.  He was in the 101st Airborne in Desert Storm.
 Ron said jokingly when I told him, " Maybe he was like Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park ,  " He is always on the lookout for a future ex-Mrs. Malcolm." Only his case, wife number 4. Gross!!

 

I am home now, and my schedule is my own. Which is nice. I think being on jury duty gives me perspective. How cushy my life is and how wonderful I have it. Even getting up at 4:30 isn't bad. Its nice to get up and have my day started. So its a good thing all in all.

If you are still reading along, thank you. I know this is very wordy. I do love summer. In spite of the heat.

Have a lovely day,
~Kim~

“Come with me,' Mom says.
To the library.
Books and summertime
go together.”Lisa Schroeder---