Jury Duty, Apartment Shopping, and Our Anniversary

Yesterday was a busy day. Which explains why I feel as if I've been run over by a truck today. My morning started off early with my first ever Jury Duty summons. I was embarrassed when I had to take off my belt in the metal detector, no one else seemed to be wearing belts. Then I reported to the room to wait. It was interesting to see what books everyone was reading, there was a girl reading Divergent and I just wanted to talk her ear off. I read the book I'd brought with me instead, and was a little miffed when the first two chapters were very, very, very, VERY similar to the premise of the novel I'm working on at the moment. I need to finish this story before someone else publishes it word for word! Ahh!

 We watched a very cheesy video on what it means to be a juror and then someone appeared with a list of names. I was the first name on the list and had to fill out a questionnaire. Then we were taken up to the courtroom where we waited outside for a good half an hour to be called in. We were instructed not to talk to anyone who walked by because that could ruin the case. People kept coming in and out of a courtroom next door and were talking very loud so it was hard not to listen in on their conversations. All the cases in that courtroom were immigration cases. I felt so sad as I watched two young parents being told their options, none of which included them staying with their daughter. After all my work with the Dream activists, it was really sad to watch the scenarios being described actually happening.

Finally we were called into the court room. I was the first to be put in the juror box. The questioning by the lawyers was pretty interesting. I had a hard time concentrating though because of the two lawyers. The DA was very nicely dressed and handsome, sorry I had to say it. Meanwhile the other lawyer was, very opposite. He had a balding head with a ponytail in the back. Gold rimmed glasses. Six of these rings on his fingers. Matching cuff links. And THREE pocket squares. Not one. Not two. Three. A gold one, a white one, and one the color of money. His client also had a large ring on his finger than looked like a dollar sign. I couldn't help but wonder if they shared jewelry.

So, I couldn't help but take the DA more seriously than the other lawyer. I was only asked one question and listened as everyone else was questioned. The woman next to me had experience with the type of case, and they asked her over and over if she could be impartial. The first time she said yes, then she said she might not be able to, then she said maybe, then she said yes, and finally they just let her go. IT was funny to watch the lawyers get people to give a definitive yes or no answer. I was the last juror to be let go out of the six, and Mr. Money was the one to dismiss me. I was very glad because I was starting to question my objectivity. If I couldn't even be objective with the lawyers, how was I supposed to do so with the evidence? It was an interesting experience. 

I was glad I was let go early though because that meant Sammy and I could go apartment shopping! We saw three places. The first one we could definitely afford, and had awesome utilities policies (I thought. This is my first time after all.) It felt awesome to see that we could afford our own space and it wasn't a complete dump. The other two places we couldn't afford and charged a TON more application fees. We did get to take a ride on a golf cart though! I had to ride backwards and afterward I told him that's the closest I'm ever getting to a roller coaster. We almost looked at a fourth place, but as we pulled in we saw a memorial for someone who had died on the fence and windows askew all over the place. We decided not to look there. We still have a lot more places to go look and I'm getting so excited. Our first place. My first closet! Haha.

After apartment shopping, it was celebration time! Sammy and I have been together three years now! I thought I wrote a blogpost somewhere about how he finaaalllyyy asked me out, but I can't find it at the moment. I shall tell that story another day. But, it was after we saw the movie Tron together. I still have the movie ticket.

Best date ever:) Three years ago my best friend asked me to be his lady and they've been the most interesting, fun, hard, rewarding three years ever. I had the courage to do things I never would have done before and had my best friend cheering me on the whole way. It hasn't always been easy, in fact most the time it feels like the world is fighting against us, but here we are three years later. I'm so thankful for my best friend Sammy and all the love he's given me, the example of the kind of person I hope to be one day, and the future we have together. Happy three year anniversary best friend! Many many more to come!

To celebrate we went to a British pub. And grill. Sammy was adamant to add on the grill to the end so people didn't think we were going out to get drunk. The food was fantastic. I had to take the mandatory food shot.

I've developed an obsession with baked potato soup lately. This wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was pretty. The dessert though. . . . 

Mmmm. Cobbler. It was so pretty that even Sammy had some, even though there was ice cream all over it! It was such a fun date to just talk and talk and play footsie. We were so stuffed afterwards though that we went to the bookstore to just walk around and hopefully make the puking feeling go away. Mine didn't go away till two this morning but that's alright. Both of us got a book, Sammy got Al Gore's newish book and I got one on writing your first novel. I always feel a lot better when I read books like that, like I can do this. I know I can but it's nice to have more reinforcement. 

It was such a wonderful day and I'm so glad I got to spend it with my best friend. It was a no pressure day and that's what made it the best. I can't wait for the rest of our anniversaries, especially wedding anniversaries ;) 

Muah!