Citizen Carlin

I am on jury duty this week.  As a firm believer in the civic duty to judge one's peers, whether in court, by fashion, parenting or otherwise, I did not try to postpone my service.  I did, however, cancel all of my and my children's appointments for this week after receiving my jury summons merely three weeks ago (in other words, short notice).  I figured the Court wouldn't care that I need to have a doctor examine a new bump or that the kids need their tutors and therapists.  This week my eldest and only licensed son is home and can do driving in a pinch.  And next week I am fully booked.

It's been awhile since I was last called to serve.  Probably about ten years.  Not coincidentally, it happens about the same time I renew my drivers license which expires every decade.  Last time was a breeze:  I reported to Larchmont Village Court in the middle of a park for one day and was dismissed nearly immediately.  They didn't need us, but we were still exempted from service for some period of time.  Ten years before that, I went to federal court in Manhattan, sat for days before I was voir dired for two year grand jury service.  I begged my way out of that; two years was unreasonable, untenable and a financial hardship to a practicing lawyer paid hourly.   My ultimate escape clause, to myself, was a promise to immediately get pregnant if required to serve.  I was not but did get pregnant shortly thereafter anyway.

Now, the process is different.  I sit here at home, typing and wondering whether and when I will actually need to report to the Court.  This is not a complaint, just a fact, and actually an improvement on my first experience.  Per the summons, I called in Friday evening to find out whether my number was up; that is, whether juror #A0242 was to report on Monday February 28.  The answer was no; only jurors through number 166, if memory serves, were called.  I am to phone back this evening to find out whether I must show tomorrow.

It sounds good so far, but I've already noted flaws in the system.  I live in a suburban community where people like me drive to their destinations.  The Commissioner of Jurors doesn't seem to care that I am as likely to take a bus (no subways here) to White Plains as pigs are to fly.   I must park at my own expense of 75 cents per hour and make sure to bring enough quarters, unless I am actually serving on a trial.

I wonder, how much is this civic duty going to cost me?  If I have to hire someone to drive my kids it's $20 a pop.  If I'm not home to prepare dinner, what's the incremental cost of bringing in, not that anyone at home would complain.  I'm curious.  I hope you are too . . . stay tuned.

Never Wake a Sleeping Baby

It's one of the first things new parents learn:  if the child is asleep, let him/her sleep.  But, does that still apply when the kid is college-age?

My eldest returned home for a break late last night.  Despite my best efforts, I fell asleep around midnight, probably 30 minutes before his arrival.  Now it's morning and I know he's here.  I see his dopp kit in the bathroom, coat and shoes in the hallway and a half-eaten sandwich in the refrigerator.

I am tempted to go into his room.  Just to watch him sleep.  To see how he looks.  And maybe, just maybe, to wake him to talk.  Merely opening his bedroom door, will likely rouse him.  I won't.  I know intuitively that he's exhausted from finishing papers and midterms.   He needs some rest.

I'm still his mother, though.  I'm still fighting that instinct to wake the sleeping baby.

The Bionic woMom

Go ahead, step on my back.  It won't break this mother's back.  I'm strong . . . of back and abs (not to be confused with backflab).

I was showing my much bigger 14 year-old athlete some strengthening moves (yes, add trainer and physical therapist to the long list of maternal duties . . . for another post).   I put him in a modified plank, on his elbows, for a 30-60 second hold.  Then I topped him with his 52 pound little brother.  He collapsed.  He said it wasn't fair.

I assumed the position and had the same little boy climb aboard.  And I held it.

Go Mom!!!  Even the teen was impressed.

My Eight-Year Old Just Asked for An Apple

Ipad.  He said everyone else in the family has an iphone (he doesn't have any phone) but he wants the big one.

According to him, it looks like fun.  I don't disagree, as I've written before (http://mauramusing.blogspot.com/2010/11/eden-like-temptation.html).

However, besides my unequivocal unwillingness to buy a $700 toy for a little kid,  I just can't deal with acquiring any more technical "things" that require maintenance.  I am the family tech support, albeit without training or inclination.   I spent two-plus hours today convincing the PC to allow my son to play Lego Universe.  Apparently, my permission was not enough.  The firewall (also installed and updated by me) needed a formal say-so . . . and renewal of the anti-virus protection.  I also cleared out the cookies, cleaned up the disk and checked out the internet connection.  Making it more difficult is that fact that the rest of the house has gone Mac.  I no longer think like a PC and I don't do Windows.

Bottom line:  kid would be better off asking for a real apple - peeled, cored and cut.  Anything else would be the pits.  All puns intended.

She Does Yoga and Pilates . . .

With all due respect to Madonna and her "hotties"(in case you've forgotten the American Life rap song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIxk2Oz2TbI) . . .  I too have become high maintenance, against my will. I've always been pretty low key about the "girl stuff".  Although I do both yoga and pilates along with other exercise, there's a long list of the things I don't do regularly:  manicures, facials, waxing, massage, laser, rejuvenation, and so on.  

But somehow I've been tripped up . . . by my hair.  Three hours, yes three, every five weeks or so.  The dates are scheduled months in advance and practically written in stone.  Two color processes, cut and blow-dry later, I look natural.  With the color I was meant to have, or did have when I was younger and still went in the sun. 

It's not about the gray, either.  Well, maybe a little.  But the coloring started long before I had any silvery strands.  According to my hair "consultant," I still don't have much, maybe 10%;  it just happens to be where I can see it.  Without a magnifying glass.

Apparently I'm not alone.  When faced with newly scheduled meetings that conflict with my appointments, women always understand.  And quickly find another date that doesn't interfere  with anyone's hair.

Someone Should Get the Booby Prize for this . . .

It's wrong on so many levels, but it did make me laugh:

Yes, a Barbie Foosball Table . . . it's only $25,000.  Check it out herehttp://www.fao.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10868853

Drug Deal

Doctors complain about patient non-compliance, especially the failure to take prescribed medications.  It's even grounds for a doctor to "fire" a patient, according to the American Medical Association's Code of Ethics.  http://patients.about.com/od/doctorsandproviders/f/Can-My-Doctor-Dismiss-Me-As-A-Patient.htm   I recently read about a program to incentivize (hate that "word," if it's a word at all) patients to take medication by paying them cash.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/health/14meds.html?ref=todayspaper

I have a much simpler solution, particularly as it relates to women:  Make drugs so that the number one possible side effect (and, better yet, if it's a promise) is weight loss.  One reason I'm often reluctant to take new medications is that weight gain is always a possible side effect.  Reverse that, and I won't fight it as hard.  It might even lessen some of the medical conditions related to being overweight.  Problem solved.

sTraining

MetroNorth ought to be ashamed of its New Haven line.  For the past several weeks, the railway has been plagued by cancellations, delays and overcrowding.    http://www.mta.info/news/stories/?story=186  http://www.lohud.com/article/2010102020331   Yesterday, during a morning rush-hour commute, fifteen minutes late and shoehorned into a car (lucky to make it in at all), I stood the entire way, squished against seated and standing passengers.  Others seemed to take it in stride; discomfort has become standard operating procedure this winter.

But that's the issue:  it's not just this winter and it's disingenuous for MetroNorth to consider this in isolation.  Some of us have memories . . . of the winter of 1995-96.  Trains were cancelled, delayed, crowded and overall unreliable.  I was very pregnant, ill and relegated to standing in order to work through my "partial bed rest" sentence.  No one cared.  No one offered me a seat, and I kept a card with my emergency info in my pocket, just in case I passed out.

I digress   . . . the point is, nothing has changed in 15 years.  There's been no improvement in the east of Hudson rail cars or rails, while the Hudson and Harlem lines are comparative luxury (I've taken trains to Dobbs Ferry and been amazed by the comfort and views).  The only difference perhaps is that passengers are resigned to this.  I wonder why.