OH MY WORD, WHAT WAS I THINKING!

You may remember that I recently received a jury summons. This isn't the best of times for me to be called away to serve on a jury. You know. What with Rob being a semi-invalid and all. (The man can't even dress himself yet.)

So you may also remember that I was ecstatic when I read the fine print on the summons and discovered that I could request a once-only-don't-even-think-about-trying-it-again exemption. I jumped on it. I emailed the jury commissioner and followed it up with a hand-written (signed in my own blood) plea for exemption.

I chose "medical" as my excuse and when it asked me when I'd be available again, before this year ends of course, I said, "Oh. I think maybe after August."

I understand that this is my civic duty. I do. But I swear, is there EVER a good time to do it?

So I got this really sweet email back, from her highness the jury commissioner herself, saying, "I completely understand. You're excused this time. Your next summons will be for June 18th. And of course, you DO understand that you're all out of excuses." Wonderful woman. Really.

So I'm sitting here, all wrapped up in Rob's sling situation, so to speak, thinking, whew! Whatever. June 18th is MONTHS from now and I'll deal with it then.

For heaven's sake, what was I thinking!! Mandy and Aaron's wedding is June 23rd!! Can we say two nights in a row of just flat out not sleeping because I so blew it and I'm doomed because I totally wasted my one and only ever exemption for something as insignificant as Rob being completely dependent on both of MY arms since he only has one right now?

May I just say, it was one of my blogging friends who called my attention to my total lack of calendar sense. The dates just never registered until she sent me a very, very cautious email telling me I might want to rethink things.

Truly, I felt like an idiot. Then I started having visions of some surrogate mother serving my daughter that special last-time-you're-ever-going-to-eat-while-you're-single breakfast in bed and helping her slip into her gorgeous wedding gown because her STUPID mother is serving on a jury.

The phone rang this afternoon, right in the middle of Cameron's nap, which irritated me so I answered it in my "snappy" voice. Hello! Errgghh.

Her highness the jury commissioner called me. At home. You know, on my own personal phone. I immediately got nervous because she is, after all, government, and authority and all. Then I found myself thinking, oh my goodness, it's HER! And she's calling ME! I felt very humble.

I felt even more humble when she said, "Hi Barb! (yes, she called me by my nickname - I'm Barbara Ann to all other high government officials). I think I may have goofed up on your availability dates. I think you said you'd be available after August and, silly me, I told you you'd be summoned for June 18th. Is that convenient for you? Because if it's not, well, I can certainly work around it."

I immediately started sobbing and told her, "Oh my word, I so blew it and I know I should be more than willing to serve my fellow man but IT'S MY DAUGHTER'S WEDDING and honestly, I need just one more exemption and I swear, I'll never ever ask for another one."

She's pretty cool, the Mesa County Jury Commissioner. She said, "Whatever, Barb. See you on September 23rd."

Bless you sweet lady. I love how my government works for me.