So its time to file a Report on my Jury Duty experiences yesterday:

For those of you who have Had jury duty, you know what the score is on the first day you show up. If you haven?t, too bad, because it isn?t nearly interesting enough to warrant much mentioning. You show up, sit in a room, wait for your name to be called? maybe fill out some questionnaires (if you?re so lucky? its important to have a lot of reading material, maybe even your laptop if you?ve got it.

I Was lucky enough to have my name called? pretty early on. I filled out a simple one-page form, sat around for a bit, then had ?lunch break.? After lunch break, it was relatively soon before I got to fill out Another, much longer, much more detailed Questionnaire, related to the same case as the first one. I am now in the ?pool? for that case, #9 of 52 people, and am to report back next Monday, the 10th, at 9:30 am.

That encompassed most of the day. I got to go to ?lunch? a little early, which made the ?break? two full hours, 11:30-1:30, and I got to go home a bit early, I was outta there by 2:45, after finishing up the second, lengthy questionnaire, instead of the scheduled 4:00 ?end of day.?

So now time for ?random thoughts.?

The bus ride was pretty slick. The ol? 26 route, the ?E. Green Lake through Wallingford over the Fremont bridge to Dexter to 2nd Ave through Downtown then back up 4th then back? route has ?Express Services? ? like most downtown-headed bus routes ? during morning and afternoon rush hours. I caught the 7:26 Express from in front of the 7-11 on Stone and 40th, and was at my Downtown stop at 2nd and Yesler? a block from the courthouse ? in 15 minutes. Coming back, I was too early for any of the express routes, and I had to get off at Wallingford and 4oth? a whole 5-block walk?lousy mooching war widows?

Knowing I would need only about 20-25 minutes to actually eat ?lunch,? and only having $4, which I quickly realized reduced me to half a sub, or McDonald?s, I wandered around completely aimlessly for some time during my two-hour ?lunch break.? I eventually ended up that at the Elliot Bay Book Co., the Model for All Bookstores, then over to Metzger?s Maps, which for ?map dorks? like myself is a kick-ass place. (hmmm, maps?.) Anyway, will wandering around through the lower regions of the Bank of America bldg. (formerly know as the Columbia Tower) and the Key Center (also know as ?that penis-looking one?) and those immediate surroundings, I was struck by my odd disconnect with the ?real world.? There were all kinds of professional-looking people scurrying about, with this over-arching sense of Purpose about them. With the realization that the majority of these people aren?t significantly older than I am, I began to realize what a reckless slacker Ne?er-do-well I am. I haven?t the foggiest idea what any of these people Do, but gosh, it sure Seems important. I started to wonder how many of them hate their jobs, and/or themselves, and would just as soon jump out one of those high-rise windows than go back to work after lunch? but that?s just my twisted take on things.

?one final note? remember, kids, Jury Duty is Your Civic Responsibility?