Was It Anxiety or a Premonition?

Yes, as you may have guessed, I was called for jury duty this afternoon at the 12:15 pm call in. Not only was I called in, but I have already been selected for a case. Of course, I can't and won't talk about the case, but let's have a discussion about the physical things around me today.

As soon as I called in and heard my group number to be the first on listed, I hung up and immediately packed up and headed downtown. I got there in plenty of time, which is not normal for me, if you know me! I got there so early that after checking in, I got myself a cup of coffee and started to look around me. It was then that I realized that I was in a government offices building and that I might be able to get my driver's license renewed (it was due at the end of the month). After obtaining directions to proceed to the giant blue S (what does that stand for? Service Center? I don't know, it wasn't obvious to me!) to do DMV types of things. I waited in line for about 5 minutes to have a form and a computer generated number (C277) handed to me. This number then flashed above one of the counter areas in the next isle. Okay, so I hurried over there with my form and had to fill it out while the young clerk waited for me. He was actually a hoot and made a couple of funny, cynical remarks. Of course, I can't remember any of them, so that isn't too funny to you!! As soon as I finished the paperwork and handed him my check, he said, "OK, I'll meet you at desk 15". Ahhhh...the picture taking area. He had to do two takes of my picture (the joy of glasses) and after the second one, he asked me if I liked the picture. There was NO way that I could even see the picture. The two photos that he took of me had practically blinded by the gigantic flash on the machine. I said, "All I see is two giant white blobs - I trust you." And that was that!!

I then returned down, down, down to The Jury Assembly Room. This room is a lovely, circa 1970s room in the bowels of the government center. The interesting thing about this room is that every now and then the entire room and all of its contents shake and rumble. I thought that we were having a mini-earthquake with the first rumble. No, it wasn't an earthquake - it is simply the fact that the Jury Assembly Room sits directly beneath 6th street. LOVELY. So every time a big truck or a bus passes overhead, everything shakes. At one point, I was getting concerned about motion sickness after what must have been three buses passed overhead. Would you consider that poor planning, designing, or engineering???

Okay, enough about my experience so far. I will have to leave some more to share tomorrow.

Tomorrow, you will learn about my little, oddly placed seat that was assigned to me!