Jury Duty

Despite the fact that I'm hardly a qualified candidate to pass judgement on someone else's interpretation of "right and wrong" (considering my own difficulty on the subject during so much of my life) the US government requested that I serve on some unsuspecting person's jury..... I showed up and began the long wait. There were three trials that day and eventually someone thought to send for the prospective jurors... the first group went.... the second group went and then there was us. The outcasts. Finally we were told that upon hearing that I would possibly be listening to their case, the person freaked out and settled on a plea bargain. The judge had released us. On my way back to the car via the TRAX train, I called my little pal at work and asked if I was needed. She urgently requested that I not go in... my absence had given her a much needed break from receptionist work and she was happily fulfilling someone else's job who was, in turn, fulfilling mine. I readily agreed and began my day off officially. After some mundane housework and getting dinner put together in the crock pot, the doggies and I set out for some much needed exercise. We walked on the Jordan River Parkway to the Taylorsville Dog Park. Peanut anxiously awaited the cermonial taking out of the tennis ball, and eagerly bounced along after it each time I hurled it into the frigid wintry air. She lost it a couple of times and I had to bound (not quite so eargerly) in and fetch it for her. Nanuk will not ever leave my side, so the only exercise he got was following me around looking for the damn ball.

I had to take off running and quickly turn around to snap this shot because Nanuk wouldn't move from my side far enough to even take a picture of him.

Then I forced Eric to go shoe shopping with me at DSW, which he hates above all other things. My shoe collection and obsession is a constant dagger in his side. But I had coupons!!!! And I NEEDED brown boots!!!! He dutifully indulged me. Afterward we picked up the kids and spent another terrific night with them. Tommy regaled us with an amazing monster truck show wherein he raced all of his hundreds of thousands of monster trucks... but he tired of it before we found out who the all time fastest monster truck was. I'm taking a wild guess and going with one of his Gravediggers as he has several of them. Syrena was in a pre-teen fit most of the night. My dad claims the pre-teen years are worse than the actual teen years and I'm just praying that he's right on this particular nugget of parent wisdom. She may not make it much longer without a pair of 29 year old hands wrapping tightly around her tiny and vulnerable throat.... She's the epitome of the "emotional roller coaster" though. One second I am picturing the look in her eyes as I gleefully educate her on the proper way to treat your elders as taught in the early 1900s, the next second she's my perfect little princess again - full of love, humor and goodwill towards man kind. I would at least take goodwill towards her brother. That is the source of most of the angst; it would really be nice if she had some more friends around where were live she could go play with because I know little brother gets on her nerves and certainly vice-versa, but she can't seem to leave him alone. I know she purposely sets him off just for shits and giggles. Fortunately, Ben and I have decided to split them up for some of the upcoming Christmas vacation and I think that will help. Also, my sister Jackie is returning from Texas for that same vacation and I know Syrena will be in good spirits for that. Here's hoping...