GJF, Vol. 6

I forgot to add an anecdote last week. This is from the same woman that rode the elephant:
When she was 11 years old (11!), her mom used to dress her up and put make-up on her (always red lipstick) and then drive to the club. The mom would go in and have a good time -- drink, dance, whatever -- and then come out to the car and wake up the sleeping 11-year old girl to drive her home. She made the 11-year old drive the mom home! Apparently, she thought that the red lipstick would make her look older, in case the police stopped her. I have a feeling this woman could write a book about her life! The funny thing is that when she tells these stories, they aren't sensational. They're just factual... this is what I did. This was my life.

Also, we had our landmark "baby mama" case today. And there were multiple baby mamas in it so I feel like that made up for the lack of baby mamas last week.

GJF, Vol. 5

Today's Theme:

Sometimes people do stupid shit.

GJF, Vol. 4

Well, one week down. Four to go. Some final observations before I sink into weekend mode (which in this case means work, cleaning, studying, work and hopefully a little sleep).

I've learned about things I never really wanted to learn about. Just a few weeks ago, I had a conversation with one of my friends about how I wouldn't even know where to buy illegal drugs if I wanted them. Now, I know way too many places to buy all sorts of substances. And, give me a few more days and I may even know what to call them without sounding like the naive girl I am.

I also had an interesting thought. All of our cases are US vs. John Doe. I think (though I'm not certain) that this is because we're in DC and we're not a state. I think that in a different place, the same case would be called The State of X vs. John Doe. I think... maybe. I also learned that in states, they can get other documents that stand in as grand jury indictments. I don't know exactly how that works, but I sense that there is some impact made from the fact that DC isn't a state. We'll see if I gain any further insight into that.

GJF, Vol.3

My knowledge is expanding:
Exhibit 1: gaitherizing - the official voting process with indictment in writing in front of the grand jury -- named after the case that made it necessary (I think)

Exhibit 2: assault can be defined as offensive touch.... interesting

Exhibit 3: I know have very clear understandings of prosecutor, defendent, misdemeanor, felony and sundry other legal words

Exhibit 4: Apparently no one but police officers can carry guns in the district? I'm still figuring this one out. I'm having constitutional un-clarity about this one.

Exhibit 5: Body parts and repetitive syllables and animal names are popular street names.

Exhibit 6: I HATE Rapid Indictment Processing (RIP). It's what they do to get an indictment on a pretty open and shut case. They go very fast and are, well, quite frankly, kind of boring (although alarmingly educational).

GJF, Vol. 2

Though I've only been showing up for jury duty for two days, I've already gained a great appreciation for my work environment. I've been in the arts community long enough that I forgot that other industries don't put nearly as much emphasis on aesthetic pleasure. This is the comparison to be made when arts professionals say they have a really great work environment. For jury duty, we report each day to a large building with security where we scan in and out of our appropriate areas. Once behind the locked door, it's a journey through a world of beige. Everywhere, beige... and not pretty, fresh beige (if there is such a thing), but a dingy, kind of beat-up world of beige. The facilities are pretty beat up and more than outdated. Chipped tables, broken witness box doors and holes in the partition under our desk/table. No decor anywhere. Not even any dc propaganda... nothing. So sad. I want to bring in a big plant or something just to make it feel a little more livable. Anyways, so things like that have reminded me of all the great things about my job:

• Although there are no windows, it's a pretty decent looking office. (And, now I realize how important it is to get it "fixed up" again... it's looking a little ragged.)
• I don't have to go to work until 10.
• I can eat, drink and go on break whenever I want to. No waiting for "permission" to step away.
  
• Very little beauracracy.
• I get to work on something that attempts to better people's lives in a creative way.
• I get to be creative and I have a lot of freedom to use that creativity to better the organization.
  
• I haven't been bored in 15 months.
• I don't have to go to work until 10. (Have I mentioned that?)
• I get 4 weeks off plus holidays (like today!!).
• The people I work with are all intelligent, decent, caring humans. That's nice, too.

One more: a woman on the jury was in the circus once. She rode on the neck of a lion and laid on the ground while bears walked over her (or was it lions... lions maybe). The funny thing is that she ended up doing it b/c she worked with this guy whose sister was recovering from a concussion due to a lion stepping on her head. The girl was going to lose her position in the circus unless she could find someone to take her place until she recovered. So, her brother brought the costume to work and paid my fellow juror $20 just to try on the sequined, glittery thing. It fit her like a glove and she flew from CA to Baltimore that weekend to, well, run away with the circus.

Apartment with a bonus

I just watched the fireworks from my bedroom. Sweet. I guess there are a few things I'll miss about DC.

GJF, Vol. 1

Welcome to the first edition of the Grand Jury Files. For the next five weeks, expect to hear about lessons learned, observations made and my usual rant of the absurd as observed from this Grand Jury Member. Of course, the content of the grand juries themselves are secret so I won't be sharing any of that (get off my back, big brother), but this extrovert needs a release valve of sorts so I will write about a bit of my experience from the back row of the jury room (Thanks to Nathaniel for advising me to claim a spot there where the outlets live.) I didn't write yesterday b/c I ended up going to a play and got home very late and now I feel like I have a backlog of blogworthy stuff. I will try to save some for tomorrow (it's our day off), but excuse me if this is a bit lengthy.
Yesterday was an amazing day of people-watching. Grand jury is a very interesting thing in that it throws 23 people together in a room that would most likely never meet otherwise. Young, middle-aged, old, white, black, straight, gay, professional, blue-collar, DC natives and recent transplants. We are a motley crew of sorts. And, if that doesn't create enough to observe, we are all strangers adapting to this new situation in our own way. Some came in mouth-first, some haven't said a word in two days. Some cordially introduce themselves to those around them, treating it almost as an extended networking event. Some immediately draw themselves to others that look like them. One even decided that we should all introduce ourselves. (I'm kind of hoping that she doesn't decide we should do an icebreaker later. I'm also trying to prevent myself from being that person.) It was fascinating to watch the dynamics as we chose leaders, learned about the process and got settled in.
It is also an interesting angle from which to view my own persona. When we were selecting the four people that would have leadership roles on the jury, I had to practically sit on my hand to keep from volunteering. I hate not being active in any process, but I know that I need to be working every minute we're not hearing cases... or situations as our Sargaent of Arms so tenderly calls them. "Be sure to be back by 11:00. That's when we'll be hearing the next situation." I want to be friendly with my fellow jurors, but I will admit to being a bit stand-off-ish when the cute blonde with a sizable solitaire on her ring finger attempted to strike up a conversation with me about shopping. I like shopping. I do. I just don't find it necessary to buy clothing for jury duty. It's ok preppy, stylish girl... I promise to be nicer next time. Just give me a second chance.
Well, I think that's enough for volume one. More insights and lessons learned tomorrow.

PS

I just put up some new pics on flickr

What's happening to me?

Do you ever remember waking up as a twelve-year old and thinking, "What in the heck is happening to me? I'm changing in ways that I'm not entirely comfortable with." Ok, me neither... but those are the stories you always hear. Well, I feel like I'm having one of those experiences. After two years of living practically under the shadow of the Capitol and doing everything I can to remain as far away from it as possible, I find myself strangely interested in surprising topics. From the day I set foot in the District as a resident, I had a passion invoked in me for DC voting rights, but I haven't done much to become active on the issue. Sure, I read the occasional article-let in Express or educate a particularly talkative tourist on the metro, but that's about it. I have some confessions, though. I don't know what the technical definition of environmentalist is, but I think I might be one. I admit it. All those plastic bags from Safeway make my skin crawl and I feel guilty when I have to throw away a bottle. I pride myself in not having to own a car, emitting less carbon than the average American and not owning a lot of stuff. I even feel a moderate level of discontent with Corporate America. I'm not quite as anti-consumerist as the freegans, but it bothers me when I end up buying stuff I don't need.
I also feel strange pangs of what I would have to describe as, well, I think they must be opinions!! I've recently gained an interest in immigration. I try my best to avoid the constant stream of politically riddled "news" flowing through this city, but then I have moments that make me not recognize myself. On Friday, I found myself smuggling an article about immigration and English as official/common/national language onto the metro like it was porn I was trying to sneak by my mother. I scan the paper in the office before I leave to see if there's anything I want to read.... and not just in Arts/Style.
Oh-- Hyla--- dear apolitical Hyla... where are you? You're not turning to the dark side, are you? Can you be impassioned (or at least informed) on issues without being "political"? hmmm... I don't know.... Just call home every once in a while. I may miss you.

Up, down, splish and splash

This week has been a grand series of highs and lows. On Monday, I hated my job. On Tuesday, I really liked it. Today -- not so much again. It really comes down to how much troubleshooting and administrative work I have to do. I'm very good at generating plans, even strategies and pushing them forward. I just don't like troubleshooting problems. I think it comes from my uber-optimism. I want everything to be positive and troubleshooting is not my idea of positive.
On another note, I went back to the pool today for the first time in at least a month and it was delightful. Absolutely delightful. It wasn't crowded and the lanes were the long ways. yay! Back to healthy living for me!

large machinery

Holy freaking crap. This week is rolling over me like a bulldozer. Well, that would insinuate slowly and painfully. Maybe more like a jackhammer... quick, jabbing motions that you barely recover from before more attack you. Maybe.
Seriously, between work being nutso, planning this event, being an active participant in my small groups and my friends having birthdays, it's just about all I can handle. I should swim tomorrow... that would make me feel better, I think.

Bizarre realization

I'm looking forward to going back to work tomorrow.
What?
Really?
Hmm.... I guess I don't hate my job. It is very challenging and I appreciate that.
Weird.

Sneak Attack

Yesterday, I went tubing with some friends on the Shenandoah. It seemed so lazy...just float down the river in a tube, chat it up with your friends and enjoy the scenery. Oh contraire! Today, I have a giant shiner-looking thing on my leg, and surprisingly sore stomach muscles.
Battered by the sneak attack of the Shenandoah.

Overheard on the metro

Teenaged tourist to older chaperone-type tourist: "Yeah, he got in big trouble for trying to pee over the stall into the urinal"
Other teenaged tourist: "Wow... I would be impressed if he could do it"

Gotta love summer in DC

Epiphany at the copier

So, today I was standing over the copier, just innocently waiting for something to finish, when I had an epiphany. Often, I have a resistant reaction when coworkers come to me with a large concept that needs to be rethought or restructured. For a long time, I couldn't figure out why this would be. It's not because I disagree that they need to be addressed. So, what could it be? Well, it hit me today in the midst of document duplication: I'm not qualified for my job. Ok, that sounds a little more dramatic than it needs to be, but in a way, that's the truth. I have a LOT of responsibility in my position and I've never been in a position to sit and learn and soak up exactly how it should be done. I like having a lot of responsibility and have handled it fairly well up to this point, I think, but the truth is that what I'm doing is more experimentation based on my own experience and limited research than anything else.
What does all of this mean? Well, it means that I want the job I just interviewed for more than previously. I really need to be in a place where I'm not the decision-maker on everything marketing (and box office and administrative) and where I can be in a team environment learning from other more experienced people. So, if you believe in prayer, please pray that I get called back for the second round. If you don't, then you should consider believing in prayer. But, in the meantime, cross your fingers for me.

Good news!!

Whoa! Really good news! It turns out the some hyla treefrogs live in DC! So, if you see a frog around here... you never know... it could be a hyla versicolor or hyla chrysoscelis. Or, a new one -- hyla cinerea. Hmmm.... I guess if I named a girl after me, the middle name cinerea would be out. Too bad... that was rising right up to the top, too.
Anyways, tip of the day: Be nice to frogs.

In disporportionate measure

I don't use this word very often because I like to stay away from "Christian-ese", but right now, it is the best word. I feel disporportionately blessed this week. I have done nothing to deserve any of the good-to-great things raining down around me lately. This weekend I met someone when I absolutely was not looking for anything of the sort. Yesterday, I was called for a job interview for something I applied for 6 weeks ago. In fact, I had just decided that I was really okay with putting my head down and working really hard for my organization for another year. I had decided to stop looking for a job for a while. On a lighter note, I went to a great baseball game in great seats and paid absolutely nothing! Which was awesome! Then, tonight, we started our small group for the summer semester and it went really well even though I wasn't nearly as prepared as I wanted to be. All of these blessings that are undeserved and in some cases, not sought after. It's a little crazy and I'm feeling both thankful and a bit confused.
Cool.

So logical...

It all sounds so very logical when he says it. Of course, that's what you do. I'm not used to dealing with boys that use actual common sense in relationships. This is all new.

Sometimes

Boys are neat

Displacement

One Thanksgiving, I found myself explaining to my young niece the scientific concept of displacement using a bowl of floating cranberries and candles as an example. If you take something out, the other things will do their best to fill that space. It can maintain the appearance of "fullness" for a long time even without replacing the removed items with anything new. This is happening in my life this week. I started a fasting challenge on Sunday where I remove something from my routine temporarily with the intention of making room for something else. I am fasting the use of swear words, which is more attitudinal than time-making, and also "extra" social things. I am usually very, very good at filling up every moment of my week with things. So, this week, I'm not adding anything in beyond my volunteer commitments and work so that I have time to prepare for the small group Gary and I are leading beginning next week. Well, so far, I've filled my time up with work (I stayed at the office until 9 tonight) and doing stuff at home. Displacement at its finest. Today is Day 4. Hopefully, I have a very different report by Day 7.