J is for JURY

Perhaps this will be a bit informative for those facing JURY duty. If not, then it's just a place holder for me to come back to next time I get that dreaded notice in the mail. A reminder of sorts. A sharing of experience. So here it goes. How I survived 8 extremely long days.

I didn't count the first day. The county doesn't count it either as I see by the check that I received last week that barely covered my fast food lunches. Maybe it would have only been half a day if I had breezed through the 19 pages of questions and been the first one out the door. Not me. I had to go through each and every one of them and try to figure out which response would be the one for a convenient early dismissal. Even though the judge insisted there were no correct responses and we would not be able to second guess their motivation behind these questions. I figured I'd get a phone call kindly asking me not to return. NOT.

A month later there are eighty of us gathered outside the courtroom. We glimpse over our newspapers, iPads and Kindles at the competition. I had everyone figured out by the time we filed into the room. I knew exactly which ones would be picked. NOT. So much for the face reading seminar I attended the weekend before. At first I was shocked that anyone else in the courtroom could have a better reason than I could to get out of it. Then reality sunk in. Everyone has a story. For the first day it was almost interesting enough to stay awake. My neighbor only had to jab me awake once. Apparently I wasn't alone. The bailiff muttered something about adding a squirt gun to his already loaded up toolbelt, indicating the vacant spot next to his tazer. Yikes, I thought, what if he grabs the wrong tool.

I'll skip the rest of the drama and go straight to the JURY duty survival tips:

• Always silence the cell phone. Don't even let it vibrate. The judge will hear it.
• Skip the zippered, metal button jacket or jeans and underwired bra to avoid the wand at the door.
• Arrive early before the parking lot fills up... I never managed to do this one but the long walk balances out fast food lunches.
• Bring more to read than the Kindle or iPad. Your batteries will die.
• Wear layers... not just because of hot flashes.
• Don't try to hide in the back row. There's lots more leg space and air in the front.
• Find a lunch bunch and add one more person each day to keep it interesting.
• Wear your walking shoes. Lunch is almost always 1 1/2 hours plus there are 20 minute breaks morning and afternoon. Take the stairs, not the elevator.
• Keep your sense of humor... even the judge cracks a joke once in a while, if you're lucky.
• Always come back... we heard the judge issue a $10,000 warrant for one who didn't return.

I is for INDEPENDENT

In hopes for success of one last ditch effort to appeal it's demolition, I encourange anyone interested in INDEPENDENT films to join the Facebook group Save Independent Film and the CinéArts Dome in Pleasant Hill . Certain officials argue that this is not an issue about INDEPENDENT films as they assure the public that there will be another venue available across the freeway. While that may be true, it's just not the same as seeing these films in the huge Dome arena. My kids grew up going to the Dome and I still visit the theatre regularly as I have for forty some years.

If you happen to be free Saturday come join the Save the Dome Rally. Here's the info from Facebook:
That's right! You read it right! We are going to have another rally this weekend at the Dome!

Come support this cause!

After the special visit from the "Alien" guy, we are encouraging everybody to come out in the best Hollywood character costume!

Food will be provided!

Make a "Save the Dome" t-shirt!

We want to fill the lot! Last weekend, news channels 2 and 5 came out! Channel 5 visited twice!!

The Dome is expected to be closed before the months end and destroyed not much longer after!

 ...

Look forward to seeing you there!

H is for HAPPY Birthday

Perhaps this is conceited or self indulgent but today happens to be my birthday so I'm giving myself a birthday present with this tiny A to Z post. All this so I can have a HAPPY Birthday.  See you tomorrow.

G is for GOOD GRIEF

GOOD GRIEF it's day six of jury duty. We had last week off for spring break which gave me an opportunity to catch up a some of my work. Not an easy task when you work two jobs. But this is meaningless drivel for anyone who stumbles in here and for that I apologize. I confess. It's been a long day and I'm only writing this to maintain my A to Z commitment.

So what prompted the use of the GOOD GRIEF expression? The judge uses it in those moments of befuddlement and you know how that kind of thing is hard to leave alone. I'm bad. Someone should excuse me. I'm befuddled.

And the F Word Is...

FENTON'S, of course. Didn't you pay attention yesterday?  So here it is in all it's ice creamy goodness. Well, actually this is the one I had a couple of years ago and it is slightly melted. Since I neglected to take a snapshot today, I dug this out from the archives. Still the same version of oooey gooey Vanilla Ice Cream with Caramel and Chocolate Sauce topped off with whipped cream, almonds and a cherry. Hungry yet?

And to think I indulged in this vegetarian sandwich first:

Green Grocer

A unique combination of Swiss and pepper jack

cheeses, onions, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, avocado

and sprouts. Served chilled on whole grain bread with

a dill pickle. Not grilled.
I'm bad... tipping the scales a bit too far to the right.

Got to check out the other F word, FITBIT. The "One" monitors every step leaving no room for argument, only an opportunity to explore some lifestyle changes.

E is for Exhausted Energy

EXHAUSTED: exactly how I feel after a week trying to catch up from jury duty. Didn't help to work 2 1/2 hours overtime today. Oh well, overtime can be a good thing when the check finally comes through.

ENERGY: that's what I'm expecting tomorrow. I'm actually taking the day off to do nothing but go with the whims... after I do the laundry, clean the kitchen and bathrooms, vacuum the house, go grocery shopping, buzz Little J's hair and anything else that lurks between my computer and the back door. Treat on the agenda already scheduled.. Fenton's Creamery  I'll take a black and tan please. Make that a regular size.

THE BLACK & TAN

Fentons Favorite! Toasted Almond and creamy

Vanilla ice cream layered with our handmade

Caramel and Chocolate Fudge, topped with toasted

almonds, whipped cream and cherry.

Make it a Junior...9.25

D is for DELETE

The word is DELETE. As in DELETE anonymous comments. I have no choice but to to do since it seems there are anonymous spammers out there as well as those who leave comments with links to products and things that are beyond the PG rating of this blog. At least I think this blog is rated PG. 

Anyway, I have changed my settings and will now only take comments from those who are registered users. I'm sorry if anyone clicked on one of those anonymous links that were left in my comments and hope I have cleared them out. I'm even sorrier that this makes it more difficult for other A to Z participants to leave a word or two behind. It's just another example of the way the world is these days.

C is for CONFLICT and...

I don't know what other word to use except CONFLICT. It's the best word to describe the most frustrating day I have had a work in a long time. Actually it's been a couple of frustrating days but today tops it. I'm not going to mention the software involved. I'm not going to mention the source of the problem except that it was an outside payroll service from somewhere in the middle of the country. As much as I'd love to expose the names, it's probably not in the best interest until the problems are resolved. But if  things continue to go unresolved, I'll find it hard not to speak up.

Meanwhile work piles up and jury duty looms on Monday. I'm torn all directions and wondering if this means the word of the day should have been CANCEL my A to Z commitment. Just give me this last day of whining to think about what comes next.

Hey, at least I didn't write about my CATS.

B is for BOOM

Since I have no theme for the A to Z Challenge (and in fact no theme for Witt Bits either), I'll just keep plugging along with whatever word pops up during the day. Today's word happens to be BOOM only because I wanted to find the theme before noon and spotted this on the way to work.

A couple of days ago while waiting outside the courtroom for jury duty (yes you will probably see a lot of remarks made in here about that since the judge insists we will all be sitting in her courtroom until the end of the month while she picks over us one by one) I happened to notice one of the other captives was reading our local newspaper. "They should never let that BOOM rest over the main street at night you know," he began while pointing out a front page article. He went on to tell me how he works in big construction, as in hospitals and such, and they don't even need BOOMS like that.  And, they would never leave them parked at night hanging over a busy thoroughfare. He told me he intended to go to the city planning meeting that evening and let the officials know. Why would we need one here in a city with ordinances that no building can be over three stories high? Anyway, the next evening I noticed the BOOM was resting over the apartments behind it rather than the street. I'm so relieved to know now that if I were to drive down that main street after work hours, I would now be safe from... what? I'm still not sure. But just in case, I'm not visiting anyone who lives in that apartment complex. And, much to Little J's frustration, we won't be visiting Micky D's across the street either while the BOOM is swinging.

APRIL Showers & Fools

APRIL SHOWERS arrived well before the strike of midnight. Not just showers, but a torrent of disturbance for most of the night. In my sleepless daze, I thought I saw specks of sunshine on my way to work this morning. I may have been dreaming.

But this is not only about the stuff that falls from the sky. This is about the old cliche, "when it rains it pours." I shouldn't have whined yesterday about all those obligations that might prevent me from completing this A to Z Challenge. I should have kept my mouth shut. Turns out there was still the slightest little bit of space left on my plate. One midmorning phone call demanded my appearance at an unexpected mandatory three hour meeting now squeezed in between work and jury duty.Well aware that today is APRIL FOOLS day, I waited for the punch line. No such luck.

And so...I am not an APRIL FOOL. Unless you count the fake spider that just five minutes ago appeared on my shoulder when I was about to click on Publish. At least I hope it was fake.