when duty calls

after calling in weekly for jury duty. every friday evening. well i forgot this last week. and remembered after mother scolded me like i was fifteen again. as if i had forgot to type a book report. even using my middle name. i remembered to call on monday morning. when i woke up. debating if i could hit snooze again. which depends on hair style. and outfit. i also remembered i needed to send my rent check. to the favorite land lady. the judster.

so i called on monday morning. and there it was. a new message. i was told i needed to report tuesday morning. luckily not monday. i'd be screwed. (i later found out, that the lady in charge can tell if you havent called in. and is nice enough to call you if needed). i went to work. told them the news. and then received a notice that work takes out the money from your check that you receive for serving jury duty. i told hr that was rude.

tuesday morning. i grab a coffee on the way. i had to get up an hour early. i needed a jolt. made it to the jury room on time. watched the morning show for an hour. fifteen minutes of a welcome to jury duty video. getting me pumped to make it to the end. there were twenty of us. that would be narrowed down to fourteen that make it into the jury box. and eight would be selected to serve the case. i dont know if it was the challenge to 'win'. to make it through the selection process. not that it proved anything. but i was crossing my fingers to make it until the end. i was determined. and actually excited.

we go to the actual court room. my name is called up for the fourteen to the jury box. some people leave because they cant serve this week. replacements come. then questions start. others are telling stories. revealing things about themselves. that i think - makes them a prime target to be released. it was the final round of questions. this series of questions were not about the case. more personal questions to get to know the jurors. i was the last to speak. the first thing out of my mouth was that i lived in another state. not the one where i am registered to vote. the judge stopped me right there. and began asking more about my residency. he then called the counsel to his side. turned on white noise for our jury box. and made us all stand and turn around. i know i turned lobster red. i was nervous. what had i done! i was then called to the judge's box. they asked more questions. and i was released. i could not serve since i live in another state.

i was so close. i know i would have made it. and served as a great juror. but no. they told me to keep calling in until the end of the month. so there is still a chance.

i spent the rest of my morning. attempting to switch over all my personal identification and car tags to the new state. after a cluster fuck of a system. (pardon my french). going from one building to another. receiving list after list. and encountering a woman who could have joined the circus for her mustache. i am going to remain a nomad. and keep everything. just the way it is. because as i told the judge. it is just easier.