The Jury is in Session

Believe it or not, Parker was summoned for Jury Duty.  He received the notification in late November or early December.  We completed the paper work, including the reason why he shouldn't have to serve....HE IS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT!!!!!

So a week or so ago, he received his YELLOW TICKET in the mail with the instructions to call after 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 16th to see if he had to report.  He called, listened to the message, and he listened again and he listened again.  His number was selected and he was to report to the court house on Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m.  He was immediately stressed out!

All weekend he was a total worry wart...he was going to miss the first day of the new semester...what was he going to wear...how long would he be there...and on and on.  The night before he sent out help in twitter form - What should he wear?  One of his friends told him "Whenever Tina Fey on 30 Rock was summoned she would dress as Princess Leia, take a stack of 1970's playgirl magazines and tell everyone she could read minds".  That made us laugh all night and the fun began with scenarios of how he could act, what he could wear, etc.

At 10:30 a.m. I hadn't heard from him.  Finally at around 11:00 a.m. I texted him.  He hadn't been chosen, but he had to wait until the jury was selected.  It wasn't until about 3:00 p.m. that he was let out of jail.  No lunch (they brought in snacks) and no available bathroom (unless you wanted to go ask the baliff).  Lunch and bathroom....a big deal for Parker!

I couldn't wait to hear about the events of the day...here are a few:

***There were about 60+ people in the jury pool - which was apparently quite a few - because it was a big case - scheduled to last two weeks.

***There were all ages of people - he was the youngest.

***The questionnaire he completed asked questions like - What are your hobbies?  Are you marred? Do you have children?  What is your job?  What is your source of news?  What kind of magazines do you read? 
                  His source of news "Twitter/Instagram/Facebook"
                  His Hobbies - playing tennis and going to school
                  His Job - "I'm a high school student"
                  Is he marred/does he have children - NO.
                  Does he read magazines - "Sometimes the New Era"

***After completing the questionnaire they were called in to be interviewed. They had to introduce themselves and the Judge asked questions.  I guess Parker got a few chuckles with his answers and the judge told him that they were quite interested in him as a juror...but that they didn't think it would be good for him to miss two weeks of school.

We had a good laugh.  It was a good experience for him.  As he was leaving they asked if he needed an excuse for work/school which he proudly took with him this morning!

January 20th

Today is my Birthday.  I know - it's weird to post about myself.  But this isn't really about me.  It's about good parents, a good husband and awesome children and now a beautiful grandson.

In case you didn't know, January 20th is also the day of every presidential inaguration.  I remember sitting in school watching as a new President took oath and usually wearing a new outfit that my Mom gave me. 

My Mom always gave great presents.  I remember the year I got a white cardigan and a red pleated skirt.  One year I came home and found an organ in the living room.  January birthdays are kind of a let down after Christmas.  When I got older, Mom would take me shopping to look for a present - hard to do when the stores basically had whatever was left over from Christmas - but it was always a good time. 

Whenever my family asks me what I want for Christmas or my Birthday - I give the standard answer "A Happy Family".  That is the honest truth.  I want a happy, healthy family.  I want them to know that I love them and want them to be the best they can be.  They bless me every day of my life!  Maybe it takes birthdays - or other special days - to help me stop and reflect on that.