Federal Jury Duty

The summons declared I was on call for a week – July 2^nd through July 16^th. We were to call or check the website on July 1^st to get our reporting instructions.

On June 30^th, I received a call reminding me to check my reporting instructions the next day. The Feds don't play.

I checked for my reporting instructions on July 1^st. Not called; please check back after 5pm on July 2^nd.

I checked for my reporting instructions on July 2^nd. Not called; please check back after 5pm on July 5^th.

I checked for my reporting instructions on July 5^th. Not called; please check back after 5pm on July 9^th.

I checked for my reporting instructions on July 9^th. Not called; please check back after 5pm on July 11^th.

I checked for my reporting instructions on July 11^th. Surprise! Be at the courthouse at 8am on July 12^th!

Missed it by that much.

Challenge #1 – what to wear. San Francisco is approximately 20 degrees cooler than the Tri-Valley, where I live and work. And there would be air conditioning. What could wear so I wouldn't freeze in one place and melt in the other?

Ah, the beauty and bane of the Bay Area. Serious microclimates.

The nice thing about the West Dublin/Pleasanton BART station is that if you want to catch a 6:30am train, there's plenty of parking.

The bad thing is that the add fare/parking payment machine doesn’t take credit cards. I know. It's madness.

If you don't have cash for parking, you need to add a dollar to the ticket you buy. Then put the ticket in the parking payment machine. It'll take off the $1, and voila! You'll be squared away.

I did not realize the Asian Art museum was so close to the Civic Center Bart Station. Another field trip to plan…

Naturally, entering the federal court building is like going through security at the airport. Only you don't have to take off your shoes. And the people seem nicer.

WiFi in the courthouse. That's how you do it.

The jury administrator was fast talking, informative, and entertaining. Do you know why being summoned for federal court is better than being summoned for state court? Even if you're not picked, you still get paid for your trouble. Thank you, US Government.

There were something like 73 of us who made it into the courtroom. I could guess which jurors the attorneys would excuse. When the time came, it was like what we learned of game theory in business school – each side weighing the stated choice against the anticipated one.

I never made it to the jury box. I was a little disappointed – I've never been on a jury before – but also quite relieved. As the day wore on, it became clear how big a responsibility it is to be fair and impartial, and to listen only to the evidence presented. I could do it…but I'd worry about being imperfect.

Urban Exercise Number 42

For ladies and adventurous men

1.       Park on Beaver street in San Francisco, approximately halfway up the street

2.       Put on a pair of 4 ½ inch heels (you may want to go with wedges instead of stilettos)

3.       Walk up to Castro street, turn left

4.       Walk down to the Castro theater (yes, you must cross Market Street)

5.       Enjoy the ambiance of the theater or find someplace nummy to eat

6.       Walk back to your car (up Castro, down Beaver)

7.       Go home and go to bed

8.       Get up after a good night's sleep and feel the burn in your thighs

9.       Gingerly get out of bed and stretch your quads

10.   Continue stretching at intervals until the pain recedes or you can move without wincing

Green Lantern

That I was comfortable enough to leave for the restroom during an important piece of exposition tells you how riveting Green Lantern is.

My biggest problem was the music. When Hal Jordan is first trying to get the lantern to work, I want to giggle. I'm supposed to giggle. It's Ryan Reynolds doing what we love. But I can't because the music is off.

The scene is juxtaposing Dr. Hammond's autopsy (and infection) with Hal's attempt to power the ring. The music is great for the autopsy. I guess it works at the end of the scene, when Hal learns the oath and the lantern makes his eyes all funny. But by that point, I’m irked I didn’t get my giggle.

Was it really necessary to introduce us to Hal via a one-night stand? Would it have been that much less interesting if he was late for lateness' sake?

Blake Lively is stunning as a brunette.

Peter Sarsgaard can do no wrong. He owned that make-up, owned that role.

That close up on the face as Hal is getting his Green Lantern skin? That wasn't Ryan Reynolds. Or if it was, they did a REALLY good job of making him look like a completely different person, nose and all.

Tomar-Re does not look like a fish. He looks like a bird. Hello? He has a beak!

I enjoyed Kilowag the drill sergeant. He could care less that Hal is human.

Sinestro…his 'humans are weak and you don't deserve to be here' schtick was tiresome. You got a problem with the choice? Holler at the ring, not the recipient. Please.

Sad that Dr. Hammond is so consumed he doesn't hear Hal trying to counteract his dad's poison.

Love that Carol quickly figures out it's Hal.

Why was it important for Dr. Hammond to hear what other people thought of him? It wasn't bad, it just didn't add up in the end. If he could hear people's thoughts, then why did he fall for the ring ruse?

Okay, I see that showing us how Dr. Hammond can read memories set an important precedence. But don't choose a memory that leaves me hanging. Poor Angela! But was her husband's death related to how she came to be a scientist? Enquiring minds want to know.

I've seen enough of the Green Lantern animated series to giggle when we hear Carol's call name is Sapphire. But not enough to fully understand the ramifications. As usual, I'm backlogged on my cartoons.

I like the way the Guardians are rendered in the cartoon. In the movie, their giant brains make them look scarier, not smarter. And how can anyone see them nodding? Their chairs are so tall.

I’m as self centered as the next person, but I did not enjoy the we are awesome only a human can stop this threat message of Hal Jordan fighting alone. Yes, Carol fired the missiles to get him going, but

Maybe in the sequel he'll get to fight alongside Kilowag and Tomar-Re.

(Let's call this The Avengers Effect, shall we?)

So Sinestro's so power hungry he puts on the yellow ring, does he? And I was just getting to like him.

Here's hoping Green Lantern 2 is superior to this.

Saturday

Another day in the life.

My 11:30 cancelled, so instead of searching for parking at Peet's, I was able to read both newspapers and watch all of Young Justice and half of Green Lantern.

Which made me slightly late to the memorial service.

Alex was ~2 ½ months my senior. We answered the call to discipleship* the same Sunday. When he, declaring his desire to follow Christ and be baptized, stood, it gave me the courage to respond to the stirrings in my heart. I followed.

Now he has preceded me in death. It's not simply the shock of him being my age; this is someone I knew. An acquaintance, but I knew his name. I'd experienced his smile.

Since I was running late, I drove wearing the 2 ½ inch cork wedges that complemented my sundress. It was a good thing I put driving shoes in the car for the trip home, because by that time, blisters had formed.

Beauty Battle Score: Cute Shoes 1, Edem 0.

A bowl of cereal, a glass of water, bandages, a change into skinny jeans, a change of purse – and off to San Francisco for the screening of the film I worked on, Tell.

There was no traffic. Six o'clock on a Saturday night, and there no traffic on the approach, the metering lights weren't on. . .it was nice. I freaked out a little.

The film screened at The Castro – a hip neighborhood devoid of parking.

I felt a muscle strain as I drove uphill (I drive a stick shift) and ouch, it felt tender when I finally parked the car. Still, I changed into my other cute shoes (4 ½ inch wedges) and walked to the theater.

Downhill, of course.

Beauty Battle Score: Cute Shoes 2, Edem 0.

It was incredible to see Tell. The opening sequence was amazing (a breathless 45? seconds that took a day to shoot). The entire film flowed so nicely. I do wish I could've gotten a better shirt for one of the characters (I worked on costume, among other things). Nonetheless, I'm proud to have been a part of it.

Better than the movie was seeing the cast and crew I worked with, and other members of the Scary Cow collective I knew. I miss them. I smile thinking about them.

The casting director for Tell made her own film. Molly demonstrated the oh my awesome salesmanship of a persistent little girl. I could not stop smiling while the story unfolded. It's a rated G movie you don't have to bring your kids to. Dear Hollywood, please make some films like this. Or are you so busy with tent poles I should ask Netflix & Yahoo instead? (This film would do very well internationally, I think.)

Business Affairs: Pete & Veronica was another film I enjoyed. Simple, sweet, romantic – right up my alley. And no kissing! It's not that I'm against kissing, but the thing deserves a light touch more often than not. More like Captain America and not like Thor (Zoom out! What you do you think this is, NBC coverage of an Olympic medal ceremony?) I'm like the boy in the theatre who said "Eww! They're Kissing!" when I saw Attack of the Clones.

A day of happy, a day of grief. My Saturday.

* It is the part of the service after the sermon, where the deacons come to the front with chairs and the preacher invites anyone who will to come 1) accept Christ, 2) become of candidate for baptism, 3) re-dedicate their life to Christ. (There might be more, but that's the three I remember).