Here's my story

It's hard to see but the caption on this picture says: Good Luck. When you go into court you are putting yourself into the hands of 12 people that weren't smart enough to get out of Jury Duty.

Ok Ol' Dad, I'm getting on the blog. For some reason new posts aren't showing up on the blog list. It still says "We're Outta Here" as the most recent post on Boren Sisters. So I didn't know there was anything new. It's doing the same thing on Cook Blog, so I'm trying to figure it out.
Anyway, I have a not so exciting story. But it's a long one! I was summoned to Jury Duty on Monday. In the past I've been able to get excused by writing a letter or sending in the form and telling them I had small children. But this time I stuck the letter on the board and forgot to look at it again until it was too late.
 I had to appear. I made arrangements for Isabelle, because I had to leave at 6:45 am to drive down town and find the parking garage. It wasn't too difficult. I parked in the free parking garage for jurors and waited along the curb with everyone else for the ginormous bus to take us to the Superior Court. Then I waited in line again to get through security and go inside. Then I made my way down to the jurors holding area and filled out a form and sat down in the enormous wating room with the other hundreds of prospective jurors. I was early, they didn't get started until at least forty five minutes later. After giving us a schedule of court dates for the next three months of a specific trial, they began calling off names to see who could serve on this three month trial. Once they got enough names they stopped. My name wasn't called.
Then the baliffs started coming in and they began calling off names again. I made it through the first two rounds without being called, but then they got me on the third round. From that point on I was known as Juror #41. We followed the baliff up to the 8th floor and got into lines of ten. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally our court room was ready and we filed inside. The next hour or so was taken up by the very nice and funny Judge filling us in on the rules of the courtroom and the lawyers explaining the case to us. Then the Judge got to the part where he was going to ask if serving on this trial would be a hardship for anyone..... just what I'd been wating for. But it was time to break for lunch. Be back in an hour and a half. I went down to the food court and spent almost $10 on my lunch and I only get paid $12 for being there. Long lunch, back upstairs, more waiting, waiting, waiting. Finally inside and I get my chance to speak. I told the truth. I have a third grader that I need to be there to get her on the bus in the morning and be there when she gets home. I also drive a High School carpool in the mornings. No your Honor, I don't have any family that could help, my older kids aren't home then. Then all fifty of us took our turn telling our occupation and our spouses occupation and if married or not and our children's ages. Myself and another woman were the only stay at home Moms there. Hmmm. Then the lawyers asked certain people questions depending on their previous answers and time to break again. Filed back in again and the Judge began reading the #'s of jurors he was excusing because of hardships. C'mon #41. YES! #41 is excused!

For another eighteen months.

And then I'll do it all over again.