I turned up for jury duty yesterday after my online request to be excused was denied … less than 20 minutes later I was back on the street, making my way to the office.
I was initially called up for a four-month trial, which was never going to fly when I had to, well, fly, three times during the period.
I asked to be excused and the Sheriff’s Office sent replied that I needed to go to the Downing Centre and volunteer for a shorter trial.
Frantic training sessions were held with my corporate communications team members in case they needed to take over from me.
We’ve just switched to a new e-newsletter platform called Braze, which gets a bad review from me. Among its failings is not having an auto save, so you have to obsessively press a “done” button, followed by a “save draft” button over and over.
I still have no idea what function the “done” button performs. When you press it a save-like wheel appears and spins on screen, but that’s just for show.
I learnt this the hard way after having to start from scratch to build the same newsletter five times the previous week.
I also wondered what to put as my out of office message … since I had no idea how long – if at all – I would be missing.
Then I turned up at 8.45am armed with a strong flat white and evidence of flights that were booked long before I was called up and made my way through the heavy security.
The jury processing room was filled with people in black hoodies and trakkie daks. I chose to be a ray of sunshine in an orange skirt, green singlet and orange and yellow floral shirt, matched with silver shoes ..
Within minutes I was talking to an officer and waved my travel evidence at her. She excused me from the four-month trial and asked if I’d be happy to take part in a two-week trial.
I don’t think “happy” is the right way to frame it. Perhaps they should stick with a straight “can you do a two-week trial?”
I hesitated to answer her because I’m a really bad liar and I was not happy to take part in a two-week trial. I’m right in the middle of working on the annual report at work and I have three media releases on the go. The timing was not good. Not to mention how traumatised the dogs would be if I didn’t work from home for weeks.
I grudgingly said I’d be fine with a two-week trial, but asked if she was sure it would be over before a medical procedure I have booked in mid-October … and that’s when I was placed in the too-hard basket and sent on my way, with a warning that I could be called up again in late November or maybe February.
Can’t wait.
I was at my desk before 10am, tapping away on my media releases and approving annual report layouts.
Business as usual. Move along, nothing to see here.
Oh, other than introducing myself to a co-worker in the lobby on my way in … and her replying that she thought I’d be younger. She actually said that. I’m sure it was somehow a compliment, she babbled something about me seeming so eager beaver in emails. Hmmmm …
Meanwhile, DD spent yesterday doing a 10-hour lay-over in Tokyo, touring temples and running the gauntlet of packed commuter trains. Then he commenced his 13-hour flight to Mexico, where he did some mile-high blogging en route.
Stand by for his guest post tomorrow …
Song of the day: Bon Jovi “It’s my life”
housegoeshome 
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