Adventures In Jury Duty

December 7, 2011 ~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

Preparing to leave: 0430 – 0545

I awoke with a huge pimple in the middle of my chin, a crack in my lower lip, and wilder than usual hair. My eyes were not cooperating with the Visine™ . I tried to cover up the zit and my horrible skin with some foundation, then had to accept the fact I must leave the house looking like a drug addict.

Journey to Courthouse: 0620 – 0650

Hubby dropped me at train station. I made him kiss me like it was a date or something. Figured out the ticketing and was up on the platform in plenty of time. When the doors swooshed open, I found a seat that didn’t look too gross and planted myself.

Inside Train

The conductor says “Daly City bound train” right before swooshing the doors shut. Yikes! I don’t want to go there. Before I could build up to panic mode, I saw the big route map posted by the doors and that my stop was on the way to Daly City. Whew! That adrenaline spike woke me up. I thought I was awake before. I was not.

Walking: 0650 – 0750

The walk over to the courthouse was cold, but not long. Now I could relax because I was there early. Then I found out the courthouse doors do not open until 0800. I pouted at the security guard, but he didn’t care. This is not happy news for the cold and tired bag lady who has to pee.

I walked around the nearby lake and surrounding neighborhood in search of a coffee. In spite of popular belief, there is not a Starbucks on every corner.

After walking for 30 minutes and already needing one of my packed snax, I decided to find a place out of the wind and sit down. No places like that. The courthouse had a nice outdoor “picnic” area with small round tables and attached seats. I sat there even though there was no shelter from the wind and the tables and seats were made out of cement. Brrrrr! I scribbled some notes in my notebook. I couldn’t crochet because my hands were too shaky under my knit gloves. So, I sat there feeling glad I never got a coffee because the need to pee is increasing.

At 0730 I began to have company. Other jurors, like me, who figured the courthouse opened before 0800 so you could be in the jury room at 0800 sharp (so says the summons). We decided to crowd around the entrance and put a little pressure on the security crew. By 0750 the security guard cracked, and let us inside.

Waiting: 0750 – 0945

I found a comfy seat and settled down to my crocheting. I knew the drill already. After orientation and a pep-talk video about being a juror it was 0945. We got a 30 minute break. I decided to call my co-worker and see what was happening in the office. I turned on my cell and it immediately chirped at me, flashed a “Battery Dead” text at me and shut itself off. The battery was full yesterday.

The snack bar (that’s what they were calling a tiny 7′ by 12′ aisle with a cash register at the end) had a line that was moving so slowly that break time was up before I even got into the aisle. Back to the Jury room I go.

By now all the tardy jurors had arrived and 250 of us were occupying every seat in the place. The seats were very close to each other and that disturbed me because at least half of the jurors were sneezing, coughing, and blowing.

We waited for word from the court needing a jury for another hour. When the word came, it was “the judge is sick – no jurors needed today”

Why couldn’t the judge call in sick before they post the juror’s notice the day before? Sheesh.

This Day In History

November 26, 2011 ~ JodiLea

November 26th, 2011 – NASA Launched the Mars Rover “Curiosity” into space.

Why is this important? Well, my job has been centered around preparing and rehearsing for this mission. This will most likely be the last launch I will have a small part in. It surprised me how emotional I felt after it was over. It could have been because I had to report to work at 3:00am

As exciting as it is to be involved with a launch, I’m grateful that Curiosity is on its 8-month journey to Mars. Now maybe my co-workers and I can get on with our lives. I’m really tired of Mars.

What happens in space, and when the rover lands on Mars is really awesome, so go to the NASA website and watch the “Mars Rover Trailer”

Your history lesson is over, so now I’m going to bed and catch up on my sleep.

TTFN 😉

Greyhound University

November 14, 2011November 12, 2011 ~ JodiLea

Greyhound Original post: 3/24/2011

Things I Learned on a Bus

I didn’t know it at the time, but I lived a sheltered life. Although we were not one of those perfect TV families, my parents held traditional roles and values. Dad left every morning for the office. He mowed the lawn and went golfing with his buddies on the weekend.

Mom took care of the house and did the usual stuff mom’s do in between hollering at her kids. She made casseroles and roasts. She baked. She sewed like a professional and created dresses using Simplicity patterns and imagination. What I wouldn’t give for some of her haute couture now!

Pardon me for veering off subject…

My best friend & cousin, Margaret Sue, also was living in a similar state of shelteredness*. This could have been because our dad’s were raised by the same parents, or because the suburbs in the 50’s & 60’s promoted this. Regardless – we were as naive and clueless as 9-year old girls could be. Unfortunately, we were 14.

Maggie and I begged her mom to let us take a trip to Oklahoma to visit Maggie’s sister (my cousin) Kathleen. She was married and living close to the military base where her husband was stationed. A road trip would be so cool! We could buy tickets with our babysitting money and hang out with adults who were not our parents.

After swearing and promising to all that is Holy, listening to many words of wisdom and caution, we were allowed to buy tickets. Yippee!! Altus Oklahoma, here we come. In addition to our own suitcases, we stuffed a small travel case with SweetTart’s, Smartee’s, M & M’s, licorice, PayDay’s, candy corn, Pixie Stix, and a box of Little Debbie’s. For emergencies.

The trip from St. Louis to Tulsa is estimated to take 11 hours. Our bus departed the depot at 11:00 PM. 15-minutes down the road we were pummeled by a thunderstorm. I sat in the first row behind the driver, so I could watch the storm from the large front windshield. I could not see the road 5 feet in front of the bus. I did notice the speedometer needle pointing to 80 mph. Things learned on a bus #1: Bus drivers must have radar or excellent night vision.

Rolla, MO. We stopped long enough to pick up a new passenger. This woman was all dressed up and wearing enough make-up for 5 women. She was possibly the skinniest person we had ever seen. Mag and I suspected she got a bit tipsy at whatever party she came from. Or maybe she wobbled because her shoes had the highest spiked heels we’d ever seen. Things got interesting 20 minutes later when Miss Party, who did not have a ticket or the money to buy one, tried to negotiate (loudly) with the bus driver. The driver, after informing her that he did not allow junkie whores on his bus, left her at the side of the road. Things learned on a bus #2: Do not attempt to hitchhike on a bus.

When things quieted down, Mag and I decided to separate so we could stretch out across a row of seats and get some sleep. It was a good plan.

Fort Leonard Wood. MO. A new passenger boards. This time it’s a young guy in fatigues, straight from the Army’s Boot Camp. Mag and I gave each other a look that said “what a HUNK!” He had a bottle of something wrapped in a paper bag that he pulled from his duffel bag and drank from. He offered Mag and I some – we blushed and declined.

Just as I nodded off, something woke me. Soldier boy had moved over to my row of seats and sat next to me. I was flattered. And scared out of my mind. When his hand somehow made it over to my thigh, I lifted it and put it back in his lap, saying nothing. I tried to be lady-like about it, but I must have been too subtle. 3 minutes later my thigh once again had company. I excused myself and moved back to Maggie’s row. Obviously he failed to notice that I was jail-bait and as my Grandma put it, “a late bloomer”. Things Learned on a bus #3: Soldiers do not have night vision.

Springfield, MO. Breakfast stop. Mag and I stumbled off the bus like zombies, into what must have been a “greasy spoon”. There was a buffet set up for us Greyhound people who had to be back on the bus in 45 minutes. I think I took some of each item offered. My body cried out for sugarless nourishment. I also desperately needed coffee, but I did not drink it back then.

One of the buffet attendants was either a psychotic lecher, or just “not right”. As Mag and I went through the line he blatantly stared at us. Through his coke bottle bottom lenses, his eyes were grotesquely magnified, making his stare even more disturbing. We ate as fast as we could and were back on the bus with 25 minutes to spare. To this day I remember that guy and shudder. Things learned on a bus #4: Pack your own food and leave the bus as little as possible.

We arrived in Altus, OK without further incident late that afternoon. We were gritty with road dust and sleep deprived. And very happy to be there.

11 hours on a bus is more than enough. The strangest part about our return trip? I can’t remember a thing about it. Not one little thing.

Weird.

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* taken from The Words That Should Exist Dictionary