Short version: Released early!

We didn't have to get in until 10 a.m. this morning, whereupon, after roll call, I promptly signed out for a 20-minute break to get an iced coffee. Came back, read some of the other articles in this issue of Smaller Respectable Journal, found inspiration in one of them for an important transitional paragraph in my revised Ch. 1--and at 12.15 they announced that they had too many jurors and not enough cases, so those of us who were on our second day were freed.

So I went out and wandered up through Chinatown and bought myself a pair of shoes--the beaded Indian-style ones that I believe are called khussa slippers. I've been wanting a pair ever since seeing them in L.A.'s Chinatown last October when I was out there for DeeDee's wedding (I did buy a fancier pair of beaded mules, but just couldn't justify spending money on TWO pairs of shoes). Then they hit the streets of Major Eastern City this spring, and now they're a little too ubiquitous for my taste--but for $14, what the hell. I'm like a bird: I'm drawn to everything shiny.

In sum, then, jury duty wasn't half-bad. I should note here for those of you sharing jury duty stories that this is, in fact, the THIRD time I've been called for JD in seven years. First MEC summoned me right after I'd moved to Grad School City, so I couldn't serve, and then two and a half years ago Grad School City summoned me, and I did serve--got put in a courtroom where they were selecting alternates for a re-opened, 20-year-old murder trial. But they were projecting a trial of at least 3-4 weeks and were being really nice about letting people go who had other commitments, as I did--so, no murder trial for LL.

And finally, in financial news: financial services claims that the money is actually still in my account, so I can request the complete amount. And Schmancy's Rare Books director emailed me to let me know that my cheque finally came in--so, hooray! I'm not going to Debtors Prison!

Or at least not until September.