I'm in trouble now. That thunderstorm played dirty tricks on my laptop. The power outage we had yesterday has really messed things up and I'm getting really frustrated about how and if it can be fixed.
But I'm going to back up a bit here and maybe explain all this trouble and frustration.
Monday night we had a really bad thunderstorm that knocked the power out at home. I don't know the exact amount of time it was out but I do know that it was more than a few hours and when it was time for me to get up it still had not come back on. It was still pitch dark and I had no lights at all. I never found the flashlights I know we have. I didn't think we had any matches but a pack was found and I pulled two candlesticks off a shelf and took them into the bathroom so I could get ready. Don't for a minute think there is anything fun about dressing by candlelight - there isn't, but I did it and grabbed my laptop and headed for Starbucks to get some much needed coffee and to charge my cell phone before driving downtown to attend Jury Duty. I managed to find the building at the address they had given me, drove a bit further and pulled into a parking garage and took my ticket. The rain had abated in time for me to leave the car and walk the blocks to the courthouse. Except I walked up to a building that wasn't the right building. So I turned around, kept walking and kept checking addresses. How many justice centers could there be? But I finally found one that turned out to be the right one and got myself inside the central room. It was packed with people but I managed a chair after I was given a handout of instructions and a lapel button to wear stating I was a juror. Except I really wasn't - not at 8:00am that morning. I was just one of the crowd of people waiting because that is what most of us did. We waited until 8:15 for someone to come out and go over our handout and tell us they would start at 9:30. The first round of waiting is that you get there at 8:00 but they don't start doing anything until 9:30. So I waited and then decided after 20 minutes that I would use the restroom to get it out of the way. There was still a line at the ladies room. I would have thought they all would have been done by now but no and I mentioned my surprise to the lady that came up right behind me. She agreed about the line and somehow she found me again after I was finished and had washed my hands. She caught up to me and started talking and we walked back to the central jury room together and we found seats again and she told me about her daughter that is working in Singapore and how they were going to visit in 2 weeks. She kept it up for a while and took a jar of almonds out of her tote bag that looked like she had stuffed full of provisions for a week and offered some to me but I refused and hoped I would be able to open the book I wanted to read. Finally 9:30 came around and they called names of people that would be on panels of 24, 60 and 70. I wasn't one of them and neither was my new friend but she decided to read the Sunday paper she had brought, pulling it our of her tote as she told me she should read more books when she saw mine but never seemed to do it. I took it as my chance to distract myself with a few chapters and she went to her paper.
The morning was spent with a few more interruptions of lists of name calling and mine not being called (or my friends). The book I had was good (third installment of the Glen Cook series I am loving so far) but the chair was getting uncomfortable and it was getting on to 11:00. Another few names and then my name was called. A panel of 24 and would we please meet the bailiff at the back of the room. We gathered, were counted, and then led to the hallway right outside the court room we would be going into. Except that they decided they were going to break for lunch (at a little after 11:00)! and we were to meet back at this spot at 1:45. What a long lunch! More waiting even after the name calling?! I couldn't even take advantage of walking outdoors downtown since the rain was going at it again. I made my way to the cafeteria in the building and so had everyone else. I wasn't going to wait in the long lines so I picked up some yogurt and trail mix, paid and made myself as comfortable as I could in the central jury room again. I ate my yogurt and snacked on my trail mix as I continued to read. The clock finally managed to move around to almost 1:45 and I made my way back to the hallway outside the court room. I took my place at the benches with the other members of the panel and waited. Again. Some more. And it was 3:00 and we were still outside the courtroom waiting. It was finally about 3:30 when we were allowed to line up and enter the courtroom. The judge started to speak and went on to say how much we were appreciated. It was a criminal family violence case and it had been settled and we were free to go. Whew! I was relieved. Now trek back to the car. So I trekked outdoors and there were only a few sparse raindrops falling every so often. But I kept walking and realized I was all turned around. I couldn't remember this way from that and I passed that street before, I know I did, but is it this way? I pulled out my ticket and there was no address for the parking garage but I knew it was close, it had to be. I had been battling frustration all day and this wasn't helping so I called up my personal navigation system, Jay. He managed to talk me down and toward the garage where I was able to get into my car and head home. I don't know how he does it but it's not the first time and probably won't be the last.
Finally home, but then I realized I had no internet. I called the service and because of the power outage it had gone into default but they were able to get it up and running again. So I had wireless internet again. But then later I realized my laptop would only open a few (two) websites. It would just clock and not pull up any others. I cleared browsers and history thinking it would help but it didn't. I tried calling the service back but then my cell phone was dropping calls and I couldn't get through or I then I did connect and it would just get disconnected again. Not a good end to the day. Just a lot of frustration.
If you are not frustrated by just having to read all of this you are a better person than me. The worst part is my laptop is still not working and I'm beyond frustration.
TT
But I'm going to back up a bit here and maybe explain all this trouble and frustration.
Monday night we had a really bad thunderstorm that knocked the power out at home. I don't know the exact amount of time it was out but I do know that it was more than a few hours and when it was time for me to get up it still had not come back on. It was still pitch dark and I had no lights at all. I never found the flashlights I know we have. I didn't think we had any matches but a pack was found and I pulled two candlesticks off a shelf and took them into the bathroom so I could get ready. Don't for a minute think there is anything fun about dressing by candlelight - there isn't, but I did it and grabbed my laptop and headed for Starbucks to get some much needed coffee and to charge my cell phone before driving downtown to attend Jury Duty. I managed to find the building at the address they had given me, drove a bit further and pulled into a parking garage and took my ticket. The rain had abated in time for me to leave the car and walk the blocks to the courthouse. Except I walked up to a building that wasn't the right building. So I turned around, kept walking and kept checking addresses. How many justice centers could there be? But I finally found one that turned out to be the right one and got myself inside the central room. It was packed with people but I managed a chair after I was given a handout of instructions and a lapel button to wear stating I was a juror. Except I really wasn't - not at 8:00am that morning. I was just one of the crowd of people waiting because that is what most of us did. We waited until 8:15 for someone to come out and go over our handout and tell us they would start at 9:30. The first round of waiting is that you get there at 8:00 but they don't start doing anything until 9:30. So I waited and then decided after 20 minutes that I would use the restroom to get it out of the way. There was still a line at the ladies room. I would have thought they all would have been done by now but no and I mentioned my surprise to the lady that came up right behind me. She agreed about the line and somehow she found me again after I was finished and had washed my hands. She caught up to me and started talking and we walked back to the central jury room together and we found seats again and she told me about her daughter that is working in Singapore and how they were going to visit in 2 weeks. She kept it up for a while and took a jar of almonds out of her tote bag that looked like she had stuffed full of provisions for a week and offered some to me but I refused and hoped I would be able to open the book I wanted to read. Finally 9:30 came around and they called names of people that would be on panels of 24, 60 and 70. I wasn't one of them and neither was my new friend but she decided to read the Sunday paper she had brought, pulling it our of her tote as she told me she should read more books when she saw mine but never seemed to do it. I took it as my chance to distract myself with a few chapters and she went to her paper.
The morning was spent with a few more interruptions of lists of name calling and mine not being called (or my friends). The book I had was good (third installment of the Glen Cook series I am loving so far) but the chair was getting uncomfortable and it was getting on to 11:00. Another few names and then my name was called. A panel of 24 and would we please meet the bailiff at the back of the room. We gathered, were counted, and then led to the hallway right outside the court room we would be going into. Except that they decided they were going to break for lunch (at a little after 11:00)! and we were to meet back at this spot at 1:45. What a long lunch! More waiting even after the name calling?! I couldn't even take advantage of walking outdoors downtown since the rain was going at it again. I made my way to the cafeteria in the building and so had everyone else. I wasn't going to wait in the long lines so I picked up some yogurt and trail mix, paid and made myself as comfortable as I could in the central jury room again. I ate my yogurt and snacked on my trail mix as I continued to read. The clock finally managed to move around to almost 1:45 and I made my way back to the hallway outside the court room. I took my place at the benches with the other members of the panel and waited. Again. Some more. And it was 3:00 and we were still outside the courtroom waiting. It was finally about 3:30 when we were allowed to line up and enter the courtroom. The judge started to speak and went on to say how much we were appreciated. It was a criminal family violence case and it had been settled and we were free to go. Whew! I was relieved. Now trek back to the car. So I trekked outdoors and there were only a few sparse raindrops falling every so often. But I kept walking and realized I was all turned around. I couldn't remember this way from that and I passed that street before, I know I did, but is it this way? I pulled out my ticket and there was no address for the parking garage but I knew it was close, it had to be. I had been battling frustration all day and this wasn't helping so I called up my personal navigation system, Jay. He managed to talk me down and toward the garage where I was able to get into my car and head home. I don't know how he does it but it's not the first time and probably won't be the last.
Finally home, but then I realized I had no internet. I called the service and because of the power outage it had gone into default but they were able to get it up and running again. So I had wireless internet again. But then later I realized my laptop would only open a few (two) websites. It would just clock and not pull up any others. I cleared browsers and history thinking it would help but it didn't. I tried calling the service back but then my cell phone was dropping calls and I couldn't get through or I then I did connect and it would just get disconnected again. Not a good end to the day. Just a lot of frustration.
If you are not frustrated by just having to read all of this you are a better person than me. The worst part is my laptop is still not working and I'm beyond frustration.
TT
2 comments:
Better go for a run....
Boy, oh boy, Anonymous...you are SO right!
TT
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