court's out

After a day and a half of sitting around the county courthouse, I am glad to be back in my studio. Jury duty's over for another 3 years, when they are bound to call me again. Does my husband ever get called? Of course not. But me, like clockwork. Yesterday, armed with my knitting (bamboo needles) a book, an apple, some nuts, and some paperwork, I got through security and knitted my little heart out all morning. Came back from lunch and they wouldn't let me through: 'no needles of any kind in the courthouse.' Cheesh --- change of shift. "Don't you know that somebody was brutally murdered in this courthouse a few years ago?" No, I don't. And I strongly doubt that they were brutally murdered with bamboo knitting needles. The alleged perp in yesterday's case (for which, fortunately, they filled the jury before they got to me) had been indicted on a few minor offenses: attempted robbery, robbery, theft, endangering the welfare of a minor, attempted assault, assault, carjacking, carrying an illegal weapon, using a weapon for illegal purposes, and a few other things I can't remember. Cut to this morning, when we had to be back at 9:15 "just in case." We sat around in the hall for 2-1/2 hours while the defendant and his attorney went for coffee. After they returned from coffee break we were told "everything is taken care of, you can go home." It was 11:00 this morning. No doubt a plea bargain. The witnesses left and the defendant was no doubt out on the street this afternoon back to being an upstanding citizen. BUT I DIGRESS. Tonight, I did some batik. I'm almost out of soda ash. These turned out rather well but they haven't been steamed/washed out yet. tomorrow.and this one, below, is the dropcloth. I ironed it and threw it in the machine to soak in cold water. To bed.