the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Well, almost. You know the days.......let's see.

Since the fires here in Southern CA, the school's have been closed. They were also closed today. That meant that Foster's before and after-school pgm. was closed today, BUT, another pgm. at a nearby school was open and taking kids from all the other schools that had closed programs. So, we decided that since I'm still on jury duty and Laura needed to go to work, we'd enroll him for the day at the nearby day program. Well, Foster was onboard with the change in his schedule until we (meaning ME) got there. As I was signing him in he was getting more and more hysterical. He didn't want to stay, he didn't know anybody he said (not true), he didn't like it, why couldn't he come with me, he didn't want to stay, etc. I helped him hang-up his backpack, all the while he was saying he didn't want to stay - note, this is his M.O., he gets really upset with big changes like this and I guess when you're six, this is a big change.

So, as I'm peeling him off me as I try to leave (already running a bit late to drive downtown to park for jury duty) he grabs onto the back of my shirt and wouldn't you know it? He rips the bottom of it - about 6 inches or so. Damn. I'm not a happy camper. I calmly tell him to "have a good day and I'll see you later" and I left. I get to my car and try to decide if I have enough time to go home to change before court. I decided I couldn't go the whole day with a torn shirt so I drive home and change.

Get on the freeway, eat my bagel and cream cheese (pay attention, this is an important point). Get to my usual parking lot only to be greeted by a big blue sign politely informing me that the lot is full. Double Damn. There is no parking here for jurors, you either take public transportation or pay $10/day (or more) to park. Many people take the trolley or bus but I don't. I roll down my window and ask the lot attendant if it's "really, really full or just 'maybe' possibly full". I need a damn spot. He lets me in "at my own risk". I realize that the two HUGE Carnival Cruise ships sitting at the docks are the main reason the lot is full. All those lucky people are relaxing on the ships (having already been parked and loaded onto the ship) and now I have to find a spot among their parked cars. Eventually I do find a spot but not without a million scenes running thru my brain (namely a bench warrant for my arrest since I didn't make jury duty).

Then - were you paying attention? I go to take my backpack out of the passenger side door only to find the straps are covered with cream cheese. So, then I have to dig around to find a baby wipe and proceed to clean those. Quickly, because I don't have much time.

Walking to the courthouse, I thought that yeah, my day isn't turning out so great - better watch where I cross the street, wouldn't want to get hit by the trolley - 'cause ya know, that would REALLY ruin my day.

Get to the courthouse entrance and stand in line to go thru the metal detectors. I put my backpack up on the conveyor belt only for the Sheriff demand I put it back thru again. She asks me "do I have a pocket knife in there"? Ummmm - no I don't lady. She puts it back thru again. They open it, search it and sure enough, in a little tiny pouch I threw in at the last moment (had some Tums in there) there WAS a pocket knife. Okay, running late now. I decided to just give them the knife but miraculously it was "okay for me to bring in since it was so small". Ahhhh. Good thing to know that mad jurors runing late are allowed to bring pocket knives in, but of course, only if they are really, really tiny.

Get up to the fourth floor with a few moments to spare.

We started deliberations today to my surprise. But in a room that at noon was freezing. Now, anyone that knows me, knows that if I'm actually uncomfortably cold, it's really cold in there. I'm wearing short-sleeves - the "new" shirt I put on when I returned home this morning after dropping Foster off.

We break for lunch so I decide to go to Horton Plaza which is a mall about 4 blocks away to buy a jacket or sweater. So I run there and buy a jacket. Scarf down some lunch I picked up at the Starbucks and run back up to the deliberation room. Yeah, guess what I found out? They upped the heat, it's hot in there. Good thing I didn't rip off the price tags! I will return it tomorrow (one good thing - I bought myself a nice watch while I was at Macy*s - gotta feed my watch addiction you know).

We ended at 4:00. I picked up Foster from the day program, only to find out he had a great day afterall and calmed down within 5 minutes of me leaving this morning. Okay - well, at least that's good.

Then of course, the usual dinner chaos which I won't get into now but trust me, same old, same old.

Things were going a bit better - Laura was getting ready to go return my video to the store at 9:00 pm that was due today, only to find out that yeah, it WAS due... at NOON (I highly dislike Blockbuster).

I'd call for a do-over for today, but frankly, I don't want to.

It can only get better from here, right??