I wanted to let everyone know I'm still alive. I've been lost in thought for about a month now. I'm really tired of talking about it, so I will spare you the gruesome details.

I did sign up for my first craft swap. This swap involves the IKEA Malma mirror. I am to decorate in any way I want (paint, decoupage, fabric, metal work). I am very nervous. My partner lives in the UK and is also a first time swapper. She has given me her likes and dislikes. Unfortunately, her style is nothing like my style. I'm mostly worried that she will hate my finished product and be turned off of swaps forever. I realize that is the worst possible scenario, but that's where my brain jumps to. I live in my own little negative world, but it's okay, they hate me there.

I'm sorry I haven't written anything recently. This past month was very stressful. It ended on a particularly frustrated note, jury duty. I wasn't really too bummed when I found out I was called for jury duty this summer. I was actually a little excited to go, but as many of you know I experienced a personal tragedy and had to postpone my civil service. Six months later my time has come. Luckily, my county offers a call in service for potential jurors.

Monday, I was safe. Tuesday morning, I was still warm and comfy in my bed. Tuesday afternoon, my number came up. I hurriedly got my business (read: fancy adult) clothes on and rushed downtown. I checked into the assembly room and settled down for an afternoon of my civic duty. I sat down in the pool for about three hours. I did get to finish my first crochet project, a mesh market bag. At about 4 o'clock I got pulled for a case. We get up to the courtroom at about 4:20 and the judge promises he will have us out by 4:30. He basically gave us a rundown of procedures and told us to return at ten the next morning. Wednesday morning, I got to the government center at about 9:30. I go through security and up to the courtroom. I am called to one of the seats in the jury box. We are asked a list of questions. I am the first juror excused. I am then sent back down to the pool. Yay! More crocheting fun! I spend another good three hours crocheting and rocking out on my iPod. At 3:00 I am pulled for another jury. We all file upstairs, answer a bunch of questions, and wait for our fate. I am deemed acceptable! Woo! Hoo! It's now about 4:30 and the judge excuses us for the afternoon and asks us to return at nine, Thursday morning. Thursday morning comes, I pass through security and make my way up to the courtroom. We are all present and accounted for by 8:55. At about 9:05 the clerk comes out and explains that they still have some pre-trial business to attend to and asks us to wait in a jury room. Hey, I don't care it gave me a chance to run and get some much needed coffee. The clerk returns to the jury room at 10 to ask us to follow her to the courtroom. On our way to the courtroom, we pass by the defendant waiting for an elevator. We all knew what that meant. He SETTLED. Back down to the pool for us. By now most of us are going a little stir crazy. I invented a new game for myself, crocheting to the beat. It's pretty self-explanatory. Now it's noon, lunchtime! The jury lady (sorry, I don't know her actual title) comes out and explains there is still one trial pending that may need jurors. So after lunch (1:30) she will pull the final jury for the week and those not chosen will be free until Monday. I run and grab some lunch and wait around for the final roll call. At 1:30 JL comes out and tells us there are no more cases this week and we will need to call the information line at 12:15 Monday afternoon to hear if our jury group is called down.

I think more people would, maybe, enjoy jury duty if we actually got to do something. It's just a game of hurry up and wait. I hope I'm not called down anymore, but if I am I will obediently go and spend my time in the pool. Maybe, I can finish all my Christmas presents for 2009.