Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Jury Duty, and other things...
I am sick. It's so yucky being sick in the summer. It's one thing to be sick in the winter, and you're hot and can sit by some fan to cool you off. But in the summer? It's not fun cuz the AC is already on yet I'm still hot. I can't handle it. It sucks.
I knew I was sick when I woke up Friday. Friday started my week of taking care of someone's 2 Jack Russells. She was the IA in the 4/5 class this past year at school. She is in Thailand. And I get to walk her dogs 4-5 times per day (depending on the people who are sleeping with the dogs--she has people spend the night with them). And to have to be sick and walk dogs in the HEAT that is August in Maryland is not fun. I was going to stay over at her house for an hour or so right now when I finished walking them but I was so worn out that I just had to come home. I was sweating and felt dizzy and thought I might pass out. Yet, I drove home. Smart, right?
We went to see tennis Thursday and Saturday. In all the matches we watched, the person we were rooting for won. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see Ginepri play this year and he lost. BUt the final was what we wanted--Andy vs. James. And Andy prevailed. I kinda wanted James to win, since he has only ever won one tourney (which happened to be this one in 2002) and he's had such a rough year (shingles, broken vertebrae and his dad died). But he made the final so hopefully we'll be seeing much more of him.
Yesterday was my jury duty day. When I walk the dogs, I have to walk them at 7:30 so I am up about 7. Well, for jury duty, I was up at 6:30, so I wasn't too happy. Got in the "jury lounge" around 5 of 8 and was among the first 30 or so there. (The night before you have to call and see if you come in and the recording said numbers 1-260 had to report. I was 174.) Got a comfy seat by the wall (I'm sick and I want to be away from people--and I want it quiet so I can read). At 8:25, 2 ladies came in and said they would start checking people in. That meant everybody rush to get in line to just stand in line until you finally manuever your way to the front to get checked in. Meaning, I lost my seat. I was at the back of the line (really, what's the point in rushing to get in line?) but I ended up getting a seat by the wall. The seats were like old movie theater seats, attached with arm rests (you know, nowadays movie theaters have the high backs so whatever). We started watching a movie a little before 9. Of course, people keep showing up until probably 9:15 or so, despite having to be there BY 8:30. Some lady came in in the middle of the movie and took the seat next to me. We were told there were 5 trials on the docket that day and none would be more than 2-3 days. At about 10, they called the first group of 40 some people. My row of seats was 3 people and the lady on the aisle left then. So I was left with the lady next to me. The row in front of me was clear as was the row behind me, off and on. But the lady stayed next to me. And she proceeded to remove her shoes. Now, we all know my aversion to feet. She put her feet up on the armrest between the chair in front of me and the one in front of her. I was so grossed out, I started texting Cari (we had texted a few times already). WHILE TEXTING CARI ABOUT THIS WOMAN'S FEET, SHE KICKED ME WITH A FOOT (while adjusting her position or something). AND SHE DIDN'T APOLOGIZE. So I immediately tacked onto Cari's text "Shit, she just kicked me". I told Cari I might move and after they called another 40 or so people, and she kicked me AGAIN, I did move. I moved to a seat by air, which was cold, but better than being by naked feet. They called a group of 30 or so people (up to #110) about this time (11:15). At a little before noon, the lady came out and said the other 2 trials decided not to go with a jury so she was sending a bunch of us home and those who had to stay (in case trials at other city courts decided to change to jury trials ) would get a 2 hour lunch. I was like "I better not have to be back here in 2 hours or I will be pissed." Cuz I would've wanted to drive away and may not find a parking spot again. She started calling numbers of those to leave, in what seemed to be the order we checked in in, cuz it was random, and when she said "174" I lept (on the inside--my pants were kinda big and trying to fall down). SO I was outta there about noon. And that was my first experience with jury duty.
One final thing, since this is so long already. My neighbors are crazy, and I don't mean Jamie and her mom. The others. First of all, they still have their Xmas star and lights in the pine tree out front. And the kicker? The lady was on a ladder working on that tree weeks ago, yet while she was up there, she didn't decide to take down the lights? And, they have 2 dogwood or cherry blossom trees in their yard, like most of us on the block. Instead of hiring someone to trim the trees to make them look nice, the lady busts out the old fashioned saw herself and cuts off huge branches. One of the trees now has just 2 big branches (with littler ones growing out of them, of course) and at least 4 "stumps" coming out from the trunk of where she cut branches. The poor tree. It's looks UGLY.
I knew I was sick when I woke up Friday. Friday started my week of taking care of someone's 2 Jack Russells. She was the IA in the 4/5 class this past year at school. She is in Thailand. And I get to walk her dogs 4-5 times per day (depending on the people who are sleeping with the dogs--she has people spend the night with them). And to have to be sick and walk dogs in the HEAT that is August in Maryland is not fun. I was going to stay over at her house for an hour or so right now when I finished walking them but I was so worn out that I just had to come home. I was sweating and felt dizzy and thought I might pass out. Yet, I drove home. Smart, right?
We went to see tennis Thursday and Saturday. In all the matches we watched, the person we were rooting for won. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see Ginepri play this year and he lost. BUt the final was what we wanted--Andy vs. James. And Andy prevailed. I kinda wanted James to win, since he has only ever won one tourney (which happened to be this one in 2002) and he's had such a rough year (shingles, broken vertebrae and his dad died). But he made the final so hopefully we'll be seeing much more of him.
Yesterday was my jury duty day. When I walk the dogs, I have to walk them at 7:30 so I am up about 7. Well, for jury duty, I was up at 6:30, so I wasn't too happy. Got in the "jury lounge" around 5 of 8 and was among the first 30 or so there. (The night before you have to call and see if you come in and the recording said numbers 1-260 had to report. I was 174.) Got a comfy seat by the wall (I'm sick and I want to be away from people--and I want it quiet so I can read). At 8:25, 2 ladies came in and said they would start checking people in. That meant everybody rush to get in line to just stand in line until you finally manuever your way to the front to get checked in. Meaning, I lost my seat. I was at the back of the line (really, what's the point in rushing to get in line?) but I ended up getting a seat by the wall. The seats were like old movie theater seats, attached with arm rests (you know, nowadays movie theaters have the high backs so whatever). We started watching a movie a little before 9. Of course, people keep showing up until probably 9:15 or so, despite having to be there BY 8:30. Some lady came in in the middle of the movie and took the seat next to me. We were told there were 5 trials on the docket that day and none would be more than 2-3 days. At about 10, they called the first group of 40 some people. My row of seats was 3 people and the lady on the aisle left then. So I was left with the lady next to me. The row in front of me was clear as was the row behind me, off and on. But the lady stayed next to me. And she proceeded to remove her shoes. Now, we all know my aversion to feet. She put her feet up on the armrest between the chair in front of me and the one in front of her. I was so grossed out, I started texting Cari (we had texted a few times already). WHILE TEXTING CARI ABOUT THIS WOMAN'S FEET, SHE KICKED ME WITH A FOOT (while adjusting her position or something). AND SHE DIDN'T APOLOGIZE. So I immediately tacked onto Cari's text "Shit, she just kicked me". I told Cari I might move and after they called another 40 or so people, and she kicked me AGAIN, I did move. I moved to a seat by air, which was cold, but better than being by naked feet. They called a group of 30 or so people (up to #110) about this time (11:15). At a little before noon, the lady came out and said the other 2 trials decided not to go with a jury so she was sending a bunch of us home and those who had to stay (in case trials at other city courts decided to change to jury trials ) would get a 2 hour lunch. I was like "I better not have to be back here in 2 hours or I will be pissed." Cuz I would've wanted to drive away and may not find a parking spot again. She started calling numbers of those to leave, in what seemed to be the order we checked in in, cuz it was random, and when she said "174" I lept (on the inside--my pants were kinda big and trying to fall down). SO I was outta there about noon. And that was my first experience with jury duty.
One final thing, since this is so long already. My neighbors are crazy, and I don't mean Jamie and her mom. The others. First of all, they still have their Xmas star and lights in the pine tree out front. And the kicker? The lady was on a ladder working on that tree weeks ago, yet while she was up there, she didn't decide to take down the lights? And, they have 2 dogwood or cherry blossom trees in their yard, like most of us on the block. Instead of hiring someone to trim the trees to make them look nice, the lady busts out the old fashioned saw herself and cuts off huge branches. One of the trees now has just 2 big branches (with littler ones growing out of them, of course) and at least 4 "stumps" coming out from the trunk of where she cut branches. The poor tree. It's looks UGLY.
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