"It is Precious to Me"

Am I on a sucker list or should I go out and buy a lottery ticket today?

I received another Grand Jury Summons late Friday afternoon. 

So, the first thing that raises my blood pressure is the timing of delivery. These sadistic bastards mail them so arrival to your hand is timed with the closing of their operation for 72 hours. 

Oh yes, I have a computer. I can go online and according to the letter, take approximately ten to fifteen minutes to fill out forms, but I want to yell at someone. I know it will not help the situation but it will make me feel better. 

There are many people in the world that can put these things out of their mind until such a time as they need to deal with them. But, I am not one of them. I'll stew and steam and get myself worked up the entire week end.

"Only by having responsible participants, such as you, in this process can we ensure that all persons are afforded their constitutional right to a fair jury pool from a cross section of the community. This court is grateful for your willingness to accept this responsibility. We wish to extend our appreciation for your service. We trust you will find this a rewarding experience."

I've recently noticed most everything with the exception of life insurance and medicine is geared toward the last two generations. 

They can get along without me in the courtroom.

I understand it is may be my civic duty but honestly, I can't travel the 41 miles to San Francisco on a BART train. I can't spend what will assuredly be 4 hours going to and from court. I can't spend ten days of my life on hold while I call in every evening to learn if I'm needed in the morning.

Unless I wear a diaper, a condom catheter or stop drinking coffee I can't stray 41 feet from a toilet. And I'm certainly not going to stop drinking coffee.

Over the years I've served as a juror in municipal, circuit court and this marks my third call to a U.S. District Court. The population of the six counties that serve this area of California is 4,246,921. 

This statistic is slightly over a year old. I'm sure people have died since then and those under age should be taken into account, but just what makes me so freaking lucky?

Exactly a year ago I received a Grand Jury Summons to report in Oakland. At least they are offering me a little diversity and moving me around.

Wanda and I decided to update the living room. Nothing big mind you, we removed the popcorn ceilings ten years ago. 

We want to replace the ceiling fan and need new seals in the picture window. We want new window treatments so we're thinking shutters and Steve the Cat wants a new bird watching spot. 

He wants a window seat. 

He said he may like a Curious Cat Window Perch like Sparky but does not want to be a "copy cat." (His words). We also want to relocate the television.

So first things first. 

I made an online appointment with Comcast/Xfinity to install a new cable line.

At this point in the story I want to jump ahead and explain my Comcast/Xfinity dilemma. 

I shudder to think of all the money I have contributed to its coffers but that company has always been named Comcast. Five years ago to sound more current and modern it rolled out the Xfinity brand. I don't know what to call it so I asked a rep named Karen who told me I could call it what ever I preferred. Although several other names came to mind I decided on Comcast/Xfinity.

Wanda is known to regularly rise at 4 am and do things like bake chocolate chip cookies. I too am an early raiser, but 6 or 6:30 is early enough for me. So you can imagine my surprise and delight when I was given a 7 a.m. appointment time.

I like getting my day started before my second cup of coffee.

Comcast/Xfinity subtly reminded me of my appointment commitment with an Email, a text and a telephone call.

At six in the morning, Wanda, who likes to clean the house before a worker arrives, was vacuuming the living room. At seven this place was sparkling. We had fresh coffee and cookies. Steve the Cat and Sparky were both watching for his arrival.

Comcast/Xfinity gave me a 30 minute window so I didn't start to get upset until 7:30. 

At 8:30 I was steamed.

Almost all of my adult life I've been a stickler for time and appointments. I understand there are reasons for tardiness but there shouldn't be excuses. I won't get into the ramifications of one person inconveniencing another as I'm sure you get the picture.

Time is important. 

Actually it's the most important and most precious thing we have. I hate it when others waste mine.

I have a computer and can go online and check my appointment but I want to yell at someone. I know it will not help the situation but it will make me feel better. So rather than use the chat app I called the appointment service center.

This is the information I got after ten minutes on hold.

"There was some sort of a problem in your area and all the 'tecks' are working on it. Someone will call you thirty minutes before they arrive."

"That's it? That's what you know?" 

"Your company set the appointment and I've already wasted an hour and I'm supposed to sit here and wait for a phone call?"

"Well, you can go out and we'll send you a text. Of course you need to be home for the service person when he arrives."

Once again I felt like I was between the proverbial rock and hard place. I didn't want to reschedule. Wanda had already gone shopping alone. The ball game didn't start until one. I wasn't doing anything anyway. Waiting was not a big deal.

So, why was I so aggravated?

I told myself all I needed to do was calm down and wait.

That lasted for ten minutes.

Now I need to call back and they will have a record of the last call and think I'm a total whack job.

But I did call Comcast/Xfinity and spoke to Karen who profusely apologized. She gave me a $20 credit for the inconvenience and assured me the technician would be, "Out within the hour and would call prior to his arrival." He was and he didn't. Karen told me the reason for the delay. She didn't know why the last phone rep didn't know it.

Brian eventually arrived around 10 am. He answered my questions, ate a few cookies and installed a new cable line in the living room.

Today I have to call the window company, check into my Grand Jury summons and watch Shameless, the new season started last night.

The sun is shining, I have a big day planned and my time is my own.

I'm not going to waste it.