Running Around...

Last night I had Chinese with the Chins! It has been so long since I had what I consider to be "good" Chinese food. There are okay Chinese restaurants in the UK, but none that are worth writing home about! The China Jade restaurant here in Denver, however, is really excellent. It was good to see my friends (my voluntary extended family) again. We had a lovely meal and good conversation until it was time for me to get home and get some rest, I have lots to do that I knew I had to have completed by this evening.

So, this morning I was out the door early because I had to be at the courthouse by eight. I have been summonsed for Jury Duty. You can tell that the same people who designed the military had a hand in designing the legal system. It was a morning of frustration and waste!

I arrived at the courthouse, as directed, at 08:00 and, sipping my second cup of coffee as I went, walked over to the information desk to ask where I was to report. "We're not quite ready for you yet." The officer behind the bullet proof glass informed me. "Take a seat over there and when we are ready, we'll have you go outside and enter through the metal detector." As he spoke, he indicated a small waiting area with a number of people aimlessly milling about in it (over his left shoulder) and also the metal detector that I had just passed through to get into the courthouse.

Fifteen minutes later, they had us all go outside into the snow and queue-up and wait. By 08:30 I was back in the building and had been pointed toward the courtroom I was to wait in. Once there, I was presented with a small notebook with Jury instructions.

The rest of the morning was pretty boring. I sat there for about ninety minutes while waiting for the judge to start things up; waiting as the clerk of the court called off juror numbers (breathing a sigh of relief each time the juror number didn’t match my own) and listening to the lame excuses others used to get out of sitting on the jury.

To add to the frustration, the defendant in the case was a Korean lady who, apparently, spoke little-or-no English Every time the judge said anything, the translator leaned over and spoke for three-to-five minutes (presumably explain what was going on) bringing the proceedings to a crashing halt.

Luckily, I didn’t get seated and was able to get out of the courthouse around noon. I've spent the rest of the afternoon trying to finish all the stuff I need to do to bring Saga with me to the UK. It has been a highly frustrating day, trying to get info I need and to get it off in time to be with Saga when they need it there.

It's now just after five and I have time to breathe. I have done all I can today and all I can do is not think about it until there is something (anything) more I can do about it. I tell you, I am really going try and relax tonight. I think I'll pop a movie into the player, make myself a hot toddy and snuggle in the covers in front of the television for a few hours.

I hope wherever you are, the day has gone smoothly.

Don Bergquist - 01 December 2006 - Lakewood, Colorado