jury duty, steinbeck, art

1. fulfilling a lifelong dream, i finally got chosen to be on a jury. to keep up appearances, i put on a blank face when we were being sworn in so as to look too cool for it all, but inside i was kind of excited. this morning we heard opening statements and one witness was questioned. after the morning recess the judge informed us that the matter had been "resolved" and we as jurors had completed our service. the fourteen of us (12 jurors, 2 alternates) ambled over to the elevators to leave the building, all a little stunned that it was over. it's funny because during voir dire a lot of very personal facts were elicited from each potential juror, so in a way we all "knew" one another already, though in reality we were perfect strangers. so in that sense, it was a little sad parting because i genuinely wanted a chance to chat with everyone, they seemed like very nice people with interesting backgrounds.

2. my co-worker's favorite book is "east of eden," a book that i started about five years ago and never finished. i borrowed a copy from the library and brought it with me to jury duty to read during the breaks. beautiful book. i thought i might be impatient with it because it's been awhile since i've read a "classic," but there's a lot of high drama in there. the whole narrative also seems tinged with a little bit of creepiness/uneasiness, so that also keeps the book flowing and a page turner. i read "grapes of wrath" in high school but never really appreciated it. i'm thinking of returning to it once i'm done with this one.

3. our apartment, though cozy and lovely, is bare on the walls. i'll post the finished project soon. please contain your excitement till then, ha!