Week of 9 February 2009

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Photograph of Barbara Fritchman Thompson

Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary

Week of 9 February 2009

Latest Update: Sunday, 15 February 2009 3:00 p.m.

Monday, 9 February 2009

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Give me a choice between a root canal and jury duty. I will take a root canal any day of the week. Yes, I know, I work for a law firm. But I have no desire to be involved in the court system of so called justice. Today was the fourth time I've been called since 1983. Each time previous I made it to the jury box but was thankfully dismissed for various reasons. Today makes number four. The case was a drunk driving fatality. I am not sure what got me dismissed but the questions centered around my job with the law firm.

Going in the Hall of Justice is very much like flying. They practically strip search you before you can enter the building. Then we are sequestered in the dreary small room in rows of chairs. I would guess there were around 70 of us in there this morning. Last night I finished the book mobile mystery. I wanted to take something with me today that was light not only in weight but more cozy than police procedural. I picked up the second book in the Laura Childs Tea Shop Mysteries from my TBR shelf, Gunpowder Green. Theodosia Browning runs a tea shop in historic Charleston. She lives over the shop with her dog Earl Grey.

Back to jury duty. Around 11 they called the first 30 to go up for a trial. Both trials today were in criminal court. The next thirty which included me were called up about 11:45. I was in the first group of twelve to go to the jury box for interviews. We had enough time to introduce ourselves before it was time for our 12:30 lunch break to be back at 2:00. I was dismissed by the DA after the first round of questions. When dismissed you still have to go back down to the jury room. Around 2:30 anyone who was dismissed from the first group was allowed to go home once they sat that jury. It was 3:30 when they the rest of us go. There were about 15 or so people in the room who never went up at all.

It was too late to go to work so I ran a couple of errands before heading home.

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Tuesday, 10 February 2009

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It was good to get back to work today. I finished up the tea shop mystery today at lunch. I tried to stay awake last night to finish since I only lacked about 30 pages but I couldn't make it. I guess my long day of jury duty wore me out.

We are still in the middle of very springlike weather. It is more like March than February with warm temperatures and lots of wind. Tonight was gym night. I need to pick out another book from my library reserve stack.

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Wednesday, 11 February 2009

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No update.

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Thursday, 12 February 2009

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I had dinner out last night with Frances and Marcy at the Mexican restaurant near our house. We had a good time talking and catching up on news. Tonight was gym night.

I picked up another Stephen Booth from my library book stash, Blind to the Bones. Booth likes to have two separate plots going that toward the middle of the book start to meet up and become one murder investigation.

It seems like it should be Friday already which means it has been a long week. Colder weather is supposed to start making its way back into our area of the state starting tonight.

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Friday 13 February 2009

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No update

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Saturday, 14 February 2009

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Happy Valentines Day. I spent the morning doing the usual weekly house cleaning chores. Bob decided to do some of the laundry. We met my folks, Frances, and Al for lunch at Zoe's to celebrate the day. They took off from their to the Fresh Market. Bob and I made a stop a smaller used bookstore just opened up near our house. She is just now getting her inventory built up.

I dropped Bob off at home then took off to run a quick errand. That's pretty much if for the day. The promised rain never got here. Yesterday Scott's put down fertilizer and weed prevention. The next supposed weather is a possibility of rain/snow showers tomorrow night or early Monday morning.

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Sunday, 15 February 2009

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It has been somewhat of a relaxing day. I did get my ironing caught up this morning and worked on the dining room. Bob pulled out all his forensic book shooting set ups from both the kitchen and dinning room tables earlier in the week. We also still had tools and stuff in there to finish up a few things with the kitchen. While working on the dining room I branched off on a few other projects as I ran across them.

The temperatures have just now made it up to the 50 degree mark. Not really all that cold today but with the winds it just feels chilly out. Perhaps that rain/snow will come in tonight as promised.

I had the dogs out several times including a playtime in the backyard while I picked up sticks. I have a few other projects to tackle but I doubt I will get up enough enthusiasm to get into those this afternoon.

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