Post-Jury!

Learned a couple things today on my first ever appearance.

We were done in just under an hour - about 50 people filing into a double wide 'portable' building (a trailer). It was hot inside - and got much warmer with 50+ bodies in there. After about 15 minutes, the clerk let us know the judge was meeting with lawyers in the building next store and we could go outside for a bit. My friend and I (and another employee from our district who I had never met before - very nice) chatted and enjoyed the sunshine. We filed back in. The clerk then asked who needed an 'excuse'. That's all she said 'who needs an excuse'. One guy said 'you mean an excuse to get out of jury duty?'....no, the note for work. So she handed them out. We were starting to feel pretty hopeful that we were close to done. The judge came in and sure enough - four cases on the docket today (it's our little city court). Two made plea bargains and two were continued. So we were done! Yeah!

And here's what I learned: it was really great that I postponed from November into February - because since I actually served (physically had to appear), I am not eligible again any time in this calendar year (2011) or in 2012! SCORE! Had I gone in November, I would have been 'excused' for the remainder of 2010 (one month) and 2011. So I got an extra year of 'not eligible for service' by postponing! So it wasn't such a bad idea after all....

And the other thing I learned is: don't dread jury duty. It might be really fast. I was sort of disappointed I didn't get any reading time - it was over too quickly.

Made it back to my office in time to surprise my boss and keep the meeting we'd been trying to schedule - we were on our 4th try and still couldn't find a time the three of us who wanted to meet were available at the same time - so we got that meeting done. Home just after 5. Got dinner cooking.

I have a 5:45 breakfast meeting - more social than work though I'm sure work will enter into it. A good excuse to eat a good breakfast and steel myself for a long, long day. I am out of the office at an all day meeting on Friday - so it's only tomorrow to finish all my board prep - and there's a lot of stuff to present this month.

The only thing I know about this weekend is that it will involve two things: sleep and cupcakes. We are having a Cupcake War competition at work next Friday and I'm making some 'test' cupcakes to decide what recipe to make for the 'war'. Should be fun! And filling! Glad I have two teen boys 'cuz they will eat whatever I make - no questions asked. And H. is going to dinner with a friend and his family for the friend's 18th birthday - so maybe he can take some with him!