Diary of a Mad Juror Woman

I spent all of today surviving the jury selection for a two week trail. Here's the sporadic log I kept since I couldn't live blog--I know, so antiquated.

7:50am
Wandering around to find entrance to large gov't building that has diferent names of different "important" people I don't know on each side. How the hell do you find it?

7:58am
Courthouse bathroom has no vending machines for "feminine hygience products"--can I claim "lady trouble" to get out of this or does that go against my anti-sexism rules?

8:05am
Waited in line to fill out my phone #--some people only asked to put SS# on a diff't form--what's the deal? Which form decides what? Gas chamber versus work crew?

8:18am
Room beginning to fill up--sitting in uncomfortable chair and doing Harry Potter exhiit research since I haven't had time in weeks and well, I'm not doing much else here. Some people have computers, some have Soduku... CNN is on telly. I have to report there are no pineapples... seriously, that's the ONLY joke people have when I mention I have Jury Duty--even the boy! Either jury duty is way less important a storytelling device or there's seriously nothing better on anymore than that damn show... maybe it's just cause I hate those episodes with Berger... whatever.

8:20am
Everyone looks so bored and we have until 4:30pm. Hmmm, CNN says a plane missed the runway in Heathrow, that rents are down in DC (yay!) and that Obama and Hillary are bickering... surprise.

8:22am
Someone sneezed.

8:40am
Have text conversation with Sara about how ATL is so silly about snow.

8:46am
Sanjay Gupta mentiones Medline Plus--there was once I had no idea what that was. Sigh.

8:54am
CNN just called boy who attacked buglar w/ bat as "smart" and praised him for taking matters into his own hand--fucktard could have gotten shot--jesus, always praising that singular American individualism, no matter how dumb, especially with boys. Ick.

9:00am
My knees already hurt and as these entries show, I'm bored.

9:05am
Something's happening, finally! Ooo, orientation, with a random video, "Called to Serve". This thing is for all US courts, so no specific informatino and it's totally trying to convince us this is worth it, blah blah blah, went to bathroom, blah blah blah...

9:30ish am
Had to turn off cell phone so no clock... called for Jury selection. Sitting. Sitting. Sitting. Answering lots of questions and getting requistite, American duty speech, which I totally agree with, though two weeks is a long time... Answer yes on some question. Oh and a bit miffed about the "solemnly swear under God" crap but decide not worth complaining...

10:45am
Released from above...call and complaing to boy and mom. Worried about one of my answers, because I really don't want to talk about how I have "medical or psychological condition"...

11:30am
Scarfed down sandwhich and fretted some more...

12:00-12:15pm
Sit. Then dismissed again...

12:30-1:30pm
Sit. Read. Peed. Sit.

1:30pm
Go back to courtroom. Sit some more.

1:35pm
SERIOUSLY, dismissed AGAIN!!!

1:35-2:30pm
Stayed in courtroom, sat, read, napped, had weird dreams... fretted.

2:30-3:45pm
Sat in back jury room, waiting to go before judge and court for jury interview...

Some lady had number called and was so moronic and didn't know what her number was...

3:45pm-3:55pm
Ooop, my turn. Sat on stand, so weird. Did fine 'till asked about my medical condition. I felt totally lame saying it would affect me, having OCD. I fixate and can't concentration. And sure, I'm functioning, but I've never had someone's fate in my hands. I feel responsible for other people when their fate isn't in my hands... I feel like a coward... like I should be stronger and try and do it, but I don't know how my anxiety or my obessing will affect me. I cried a little--you know, Hillary style, though I meant it. Well, that is, I know I meant it, not sure if she did...only she knows that.

Seriously, the fretting I'm doing is totally indicitive of how I'd be, but it still makes me feel lame. I've never used my OCD as an excuse for trying or not trying or doing or not doing something... but I just don't know what would happen and I don't want to burdern the justice system with something that is so unpredictable... sigh...

4:00pm
Walk in gross winter sludge... no civic duty for me.