7 Quick Takes Friday {Take 11}

-1- Ok, so remember how I was talking about how I thought that I would escape unscathed from my week of being on jury duty summons? How my number was decently high for a 4 day week (#406) and how each day they were only calling a small number of jurors (75 on the first day, just under 50 on the next) and so I probably wouldn't have to report?

Yes. Dear reader, one would think that I would have learned this life lesson long before now:

COCKY ASSUMPTIONS WHEN CALLING IN ABOUT JURY DUTY GOETH BEFORE A FALL.

*beep!* "Thank you for calling the Commissioner of Jurors office! If you are calling to see whether your juror id number is needed to report tomorrow, please press 1."

*Tiffany presses 1*

"Please listen to the entire recording. (*gentle snort*) For jurors with the term date beginning September 3rd, the following juror id numbers need to report tomorrow morning at 9am: #122..."

*Tiffany clears her throat confidently*

"...through and including #406."

*Tiffany drops the phone in shock and anger*

"Wait, WHAT?! They're suddenly calling almost *300* people tomorrow?! CAN THEY DO THAT?!"

Of course they can. I was just lashing out unreasonably. And my number being the literal last number called in for Thursday? That was just salt in the wound.

So, yesterday I reported to jury duty for the first time. For the sake of this being a "quick take" and this story being not so quick, I won't go into a lot of detail. But I went, we filled out a bunch of forms and had to watch an orientation video that made me think that Marvin Candle from the Dharma Initiative was going to appear onscreen at any moment. Then I waited and waited, and knit and knit. A fellow juror leaned over to tell me that I shouldn't have been allowed to bring in my knitting needles because "they could be dangerous weapons" to which I replied by giving her the stink eye. Clearly she has never picked up a knitting needle a day in her life.

Eventually they started calling back groups of people to question and I never got called. Around lunchtime they told the remaining people, including me, that they didn't need anybody else today and that we were excused. We're out of the system for 7 years now.

*angelic beam*

I don't want anybody to think I'm a bad citizen, I'm just SUCH a creature of habit. I long for my routine and being off of it is very disconcerting to me. I think in the future I would enjoy being on a jury. This being the beginning of the semester, with me having classes scheduled that no one can cover for me, just wasn't the best time.

-2- Also yesterday, the following exchange made my week:

*Mike and Tiffany approach cashier with Anne in tow along with house liquor update*

"Are both of you over 30?"

*Tiffany pounces on her with glee*

"Did you just ask if we were over 30?! Oh thank you, thank you!!"

"Um, I asked if you both *had id*."

"Oh, that's actually even better, THANK YOU AGAIN, I just wish I wasn't old enough to be clearly losing my hearing."

:-\

-3- After the liquor store, we took the kids to the adjacent gourmet store, which is one of their favorite places on the planet. We window shop the expensive appliances and imported tea while Henry scales the entire place looking for free samples, and he always succeeds. Yesterday, he scored some sort of fancy Cheetoh-looking crunchy stick, and some squares of Asiago cheese. He shared one with Anne, who loved it so much that she refused to eat it and harbored it in her hand for so long that upon our arrival home the entire car smelled like feet. Just a typical evening in the life of your Catholic Librarian.

-4- In other news, I've been working on a dance solo for our little student only hafla tomorrow evening. We're supposed to perform something that is challenging for us since it's not a public audience, so that we can work on it, and I chose a veil since that is my toughest prop. Or would that be a cane? Do read that link if you want to be amused by a woman 8 months pregnant belly dancing with a cane. But anyway, I digress.

I have come to love improvising when I solo, but I found that improvising with a prop that you're not totally comfortable with is not so easy. So I came up with a very loose choreography and that's working well. Being versed in improvisation is nice in that if I forget my choreography (and the chances of that are fairly good, see quick take #2 above on other age-related deficiencies) I can just improvise something for that section without fretting about it and putting on The Panic Face. I'm not *relying upon* my choreography to the expense of forgetting how to dance if I forget my choreography (which is what I used to do when I was new to soloing) but it's providing me with the structure I need to showcase the veil well. We'll see how this goes. The piece is good, it is. Just over 3 minutes long, it's very cute, lots of veil swirlys with some nice dancing. I just hope I don't slip on the veil, because that *has* happened.

*shudders*

I'll update you on Monday.

-5- Henry started third grade yesterday, and it seemed to go well. I mean, it's hard to tell when the answer to every question you ask him is: "it was fine," but my significant Mommy Body Language Powers of Analysis tell me that he was comfortable and happy. He came home with the cutest Catholic child's day planner that they gave all the kids with the Mass responses printed in it as well as major prayers and the rosary. LOVE.

-6- Bath & Body Works and Yankee Candle have their fall fragrances out, which I wait for all year. I also see that B&BW now has a better sale going on than when I placed my order for fall soaps and fragrance plugins less than 24 hours ago. *glares*

So go and buy your stuff now. YOU'RE WELCOME.

-7- Don't forget to send me your prayer requests! I love having specific people and things to pray for. Just leave me a comment, and away I go. :)

All right, have a great weekend everybody! And head over to Conversion Diary for more 7 Quick Takes!