Dismissed? Get Pissed!

This morning, I caught the 7:44AM train to the City of White Plains, the Westchester county seat, and hoofed it to the county courthouse to report for jury duty. I arrived ten minutes before the 8:45 check in time. We prospects received an orientation from the Commissioner of Jurors which mainly concerned parking. We were given a ten minute break an hour later, mainly so those people who couldn't find long-term parking could top off their meters. It's times like these that I thank myself for not having a "suburban" perspective.

Those of us who did not ask to be dismissed due to language barriers or school or family obligations were ushered into an "empaneling" room where we waited approximately half an hour. A rather jovial judge then entered the room and informed us that the one civil case on the docket for the day had been settled that morning before going to trial. He told us that he needed to determine whether or not the next trial in the works could be moved up a day. About half an hour later, he returned to inform us that the attorneys hadn't lined up all of the doctors involved in the case so we were free to go as soon as a clerk could issue our certificates of completion. We are now off the hook for six years in county cases , four years in federal cases.

I finally wrapped up and decided to hit a pub for a couple of beers. Before heading over to the Brazen Fox, I stopped at a coffee joint for a cup of Java and a Cronut knockoff. Fortified, I headed over to the tavern district. A car with MA plates was getting ticketed in front of the bar- this is White Plains we 're talking about.

The bartender working the 'Fox was a guy I haven 't seen in years, the former owner of a long gone Cajun restaurant I'd occasionlly dine in. I had a couple of beers and a cider and shot the breeze with a friendly Czech fellow who was planning a cross-country road trip. I told him he HAD to check out Death Valley- it's like a moonscape.

Feeling passably well-oiled, I bid the folks adieu and had a nice prix-fixe lunch at Turkish Cuisine. The waitress on duty was one of the most attractive women I've ever seen, a short curvy Mediterranean girl. I can sling the Blarney with the best of them, but I'd have to resort to using my hands to describe her.

Well-oiled and well-fed, I took the train back to the City of Y______. I'm thinking of hitting the pub... The bartender at the 'Fox asked me how Jimmy at Rory's is doing.

Post composed on smartphone- I will have to add links later.