Blogging Around

Be A Juror

I had the privilege to be on a jury in Broward County, Florida and it was one of the most exciting and fascinating experiences I've ever had. As an experience, I loved it. It was a serious criminal matter tragically affecting the lives of a dozen people. The details aren't important here. I was in court for eight days and the time flew by. It was exhausting but, at the same time, wonderfully satisfying.

Many people talk about dodging jury duty. Everyone had an angle for me to use to get out of it. My advice, don't avoid it. Definitely do it. When the judge asked if anyone wanted to be on the jury, I raised my hand. I volunteered. I can understand if you have travel problems, if you're worried how the time away from your job is going to affect your income, or if you have family responsibilities, but just to avoid it is dumb. Besides being your civic duty (someone has to do this so we can live in a secure society) it's totally real, not some TV courtroom with actors. The events are real. The emotion is real. The judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, defendant, witnesses, jurors, bailiffs, and all people in the courtroom are human beings participating in the wonder of our country's magnificent justice system. I am so impressed with the high quality of work that everyone did. Everyone was prepared...but the jury. I had no idea how intense an experience I was entering. It was great. There was a lot of joking throughout the whole trial. You have to have some relief because once the work starts, it's all business and everyone's intently focused on the evidence and the testimony, and even more important, did I trust the testimony. 

First of all, the beauty is in the equality that no one person is responsible for the outcome. The police see a possible crime and make an arrest. Then the prosecution has the burden of proof to prepare and present a case that proves the responsibility of the defendant. The defendant, presumed innocent, has a lawyer to defend against the charges. The jury then must decide, beyond a reasonable doubt, if the prosecution has proved its case. And the judge is the law and manages the courtroom accordingly. It's a wonder of justice where everyone must dig deep into the truth of their own thoughts to decide whether the case is proved or not and if the defendant will be released or lose his freedom and go to jail. There was joking in the court and in the jury room, but never at an inappropriate time. Everybody knew the stakes, and no one wanted to make a mistake. 

All of us on the jury accepted our job with the purposefulness, sincerity, and integrity it deserved. We spoke for the victim and we spoke for the law. We bonded and we came to a verdict. A letter carrier, a retired stockbroker, a working student, a CEO of a corporation, an office manager, a saleswoman, a tech geek, an office worker, a young man starting a business, a furniture factory supervisor, some others, and me. We were a great group. I love them all. We accepted the responsibility and did the work. We deliberated nine hours and came up with a verdict. We found the defendant guilty. Our job was done. 

I was so stressed out that I missed my exit on the way home. The next morning I almost got into an accident because I wasn't paying attention. I was a basket case for two days and it was another three days before all the emotion burned off. But it was great, and if you ever have an opportunity to participate as a player in the justice system, don't waste it. It'll be one of the most important things you ever do and give you stories for a lifetime.

I Hate x 2 The Gout

I hope you never have to endure an attack of the gout...because it hurts like hell. I just got over one. That's why I'm writing this now. This was a long one too, almost seven weeks. Basically gout is a form of arthritis caused by too much uric acid in the blood which comes out of the blood as crystals, then these crystals migrate to the body's joints and cause a lot of pain. The common gout condition I have happens in the area of my big toe on each foot, so it's painful to walk. So, also, the most interesting part of my day is in the morning when I have to put on my shoes. There's only one pair of tie shoes I can wear somewhat comfortably, but I dread those few seconds pushing my foot into the shoe. I actually take medication two hours before I put my shoes on just to handle it. 

I've had this condition for a while now, eight or nine years. This is my seventh or eighth attack. They usually last about four or five weeks. This last one takes the cake though at seven weeks. There are no magic bullets for the condition either. There are some different treatments with this or that side effect but basically you just take it. There's nothing to do that just makes it go away. Thank God, though, and many thanks to the person who invented the drug indomethacaine. It's a capsule and it REALLY works and makes the extremely distracting pain, at least, manageable. It's an anti-inflammatory and turns the sharp, acute, firey gout pain into a dull soreness I can handle.

I came to understand I had gout after my first two attacks. Stupidly, I thought I had sprained a muscle in my big toe and hobbled around for over a month taking motrin and cursing my condition. But the third attack was so excruciatingly painful that I finally went to a doctor who told me I had gout and prescribed the indomethacaine that made my life endurable. This last attack was beaut though. I usually get a sensation in my toe a couple of days before the full attack so I know it's coming. But this one started in my left foot, then after five weeks it went away and I had a second attack in my right foot. The attacks are over now but both my feet are still a little sore. It does get better every day though. Usually the attacks end when I wake up in the morning and the pain is gone. So every morning I wake up with the hope that the pain is gone, the swelling is down, and the redness has left so I can see my feet their normal pink color.

I take a ton of vitamins and minerals that are supposed to lessen the uric acid in my blood, but I still was eating too much protein. Protein is my nemesis. It increases the uric acid in the blood, especially organ meats and shellfish. So for the first time in my life I became a vegetarian, not psycho about it, but I stopped eating all animal products. It's not bad and I think I'll continue eating like this. I've found a lot of great foods, especially greek which I now enjoy. A little cheese doesn't bother me, and I don't miss meat at all. Anyway, I apologize for venting so much but I'm so relieved this attack is over. And it makes an interesting blog too. 

It's Raining In Florida

It's Sunday afternoon. Everything I had on my list of things to do this weekend are now finished with this blog I'm writing. I really didn't know what to write about. As always, I wanted it to be interesting. I just couldn't come up with a good idea...and then it started raining. Rain during the week isn't extraordinary. You get through it the best you can. You complain about it. You commiserate with everyone about it. It's something fun to talk about when you're safely out of it. Rain on the weekend is usually a pain. Your plans for fishing and picnics depend on good weather cooperating, and in the summer in Florida, the one thing you can depend on is that it's probably going to rain in the afternoon.

Adventures in flooded roads and terrifying thunderstorms can be what the rain's about in South Florida. We live with Thunderbumpers and Palmetto Pounders when the rain comes down in solid sheets. It isn't about raindrops. And if you think you'll be able to make it from your parked car to the safety of your house or business, forget about it, 5 seconds in it and you're soaked. That's one of the great conflicts of living with the rain in South Florida. You can see the storms far away as you drive through clear weather. Then you drive through them or they continue on their windy ways and it's clear again. So if you're patient you wait it out. Usually it's over in 20 minutes or so, but sometimes you get impatient and you make a break for it. I guess for every time I ran for the car or jumped out of the car to quickly get inside and beat the rain, about half the time I've dried myself off as I watched the rain stop and the sun appear again. You just never know.  

It's not a joke though and you have to respect it. All the local parks have lighting detectors and as soon as they go off you have to take shelter if you value your life. It kills people from time to time down here. But today is just a steady rain, no lightning and no thunderstorms to shatter the soft cadence of a steady rain.

Also I don't have any plans to play outside today, so my apologies to anyone's whose plans are spoiled by the wet weather. And I don't live in an area that floods with a heavy rain, so I don't have to struggle to reach my car or wonder how deep that massive puddle is on the street to my house and if I'll be able to get through it without flooding my car. It's just a nice rain on a peaceful day, and it sounds pretty, comforting too.

Being inside and knowing that I don't have to go out, well, honestly, I enjoy a ferocious thunderstorm. I don't envy people who have to drive in it or someone whose roof finally gives weigh and they find themselves in the misery of living in an indoor rainstorm, but there's still something nervously peaceful about it. I like watching the heavy rain come gushing down my gutters and rushing out the downspout. It's a great a show as long as you're safe and comfortable inside. I don't like losing electricity and that happens sometimes. But when everything's perfect, and I have no reason to be outside, when the thunder and lighting has moved past, then I like the rain. Nature's beauty. Who doesn't love rainbows, or the majesty of seeing a double rainbow on your way home from a hard day at work? And how many times have you seen thick black billowy clouds open a hole and marvel at the gleaming rays of sunlight spreading out over the shallow sky. You always think of God, it's so beautiful. It can break up even your worst mood, it's just so stunning. 

Well, for now the rain is slowing down, and so am I. The weekend's over and the final chorus of raindrops is drifting away. I'm grateful for this brief interlude, this gift of nature. Rain, water falling from the sky, is a pretty cool miracle.

Contemplating Charlie Chan

I entered my first Ebay auction a couple of weeks ago. I lost. I gave in. It was me and one other person but the price got higher than I was willing to pay. So what's this all about? Charlie Chan, that's what! I've being drifting more and more into the the 1930's. I've been reading about Walter Winchell, Jack Dempsey, and Will Rogers. I've been buying Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers movies, Marx Brother movies, Mr. Moto movies, and now I can't get it out of my head, Charlie Chan. I can't even find those old movies at the library. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you've got something wonderful to look forward to. Number one son and all those great philosophical sayings from the great Honolulu chief of detectives, Charlie Chan. I even once owned a book, "The Sayings of Charlie Chan." That's how much I love him. Here's the only saying I remember. "It takes a lot of rain to drown a duck." Exqusite and true. 

Anyway, the bidding was tight. We both knew what we were after, a set of 13 Charlie Chan movies including a tasty treat, a dvd of W.C. Fields movies. Wow! The pricing started at $10.00 and went up to $30.00 as time got tight. Four others dropped out of the early bidding and at $30.00 I pulled out too. I love Charlie Chan but I wanted to steal it. This is Ebay after all. Why does this matter? Well if you go to some of your local big box book sellers, new packages of  Charlie Chan movies sell in sets of 4 or 5 movies for $50-$60 PER SET. That's a lot of won ton.

So I gave in but I didn't give up. I kept searching Ebay and Bango! I hit the jackpot. I found 42 Charlie Chan movies, the "Platinum Set", for $59.95 including shipping. I haven't ordered it yet. They seem to have a lot of them. It's got to include the Warner Oland movies and the Sidney Toler ones, plus other actors I'm sure. And Keye Luke. I can't wait to hear Keye Luke saying, "Hiya Pops." again. Nobody screwed things up more than Charlie's number one son, Keye Luke.

These movies are from the 1930's and 1940's. I was a kid when I watched them on TV. Fabulous mysteries and best of all, the fabulous Charlie Chan, wise, intelligent, and tough with steel nerves in a crisis. It's a grim sight facing down Charlie Chan holding a revolver in his hand. Inscrutable and steady. That's Charlie Chan. A fair family man ready to take on the toughest crooks. Sometimes I forget how old I'm getting and all the water that's run under this bridge. Charle Chan is fading UNLESS!!!...unless you heed the call to FIND CHARLIE CHAN!  Jump the next time you have a chance to see a Charlie Chan movie. And you'll see. You'll love him too. Charlie...I love ya.

I Touched the Face of Sadness

Right now our American economy is really bad. The world economy is terrible. They're both probably far worse and far more dangerous to our general welfare than most people realize. Or they were in the not too distant immediate past. But people pulled together as they only do in the most dreadful circumstances, held up against this terrible situation, and are now pushing back with all our physical, emotional, and political might. There is no question that we will beat off this horror, survive to mend our economic wounds, and proceed to advance again as we human beings always do. That's part of what it means to be a human being, growth at all times and in every situation. But the fact that the human race will continue in all its glory doesn't mean there won't be casualties. There are many people who are paying for this economic crisis in real, physical, life-altering ways. The money we all need to survive in our 21st century economic system hasn't been able to reach them, but life's demands still manage to reach us all every day.

While many people are struggling with furloughs, layoffs, frozen business budgets, shattered 401Ks, high insurance costs, and people everywhere looking to save a buck whenever they can, as am I, the life-crushing crises I read about in the newspapers every day finally met me face to face last week.

I have a postal mailbox with one of those popular mail shipping companies for about 4 years now. Everything's been working fine and whenever I go in I always meet the hardworking owners who greet me with a cheery smile. Well, last week one of the owners pulled me aside to tell me they were losing their lease. After 5 years of working 6 days a weeks often till 8 o'clock at night finishing off their paperwork they ran into a problem with their landlord. And even though they have a 5 year option and a large company behind them supporting their efforts in negotiations it looks like they have to move out. I don't know the details of their lease. Everything is usually spelled out pretty specifically in those agreements, and there are at least 3 empty stores in the strip mall, but it looks like their store is right next to a big supermarket which might want to enlarge. There might also be some tax benefit to the landlord in having a loss on their stores not being rented. Who knows? But if these hardworking small business people want to fight it out in court, they don't have the money. And they might lose. If these hardworking business people have to move, they don't have the money. A new store build-out would cost tens of thousands of dollars and very possibly mean a huge rent increase...even in these tough economic times. This all doesn't make sense to me. They were doing okay. Why make a problem for them. You'd think this could have been negotiated fairly for everyone concerned. But this small business had tried for 6 months without any luck and last Tuesday they closed their doors and moved out their furniture and equipment. Their dream of owning their own business was over.

They still had hope though. They still spoke about reopening their store in another complex. Honestly, I believe they will. Not without a struggle though. While I feel terrible seeing the pain they try to cover up in their faces, I actually feel good about their prospects. I think they have what it takes to be successful and I don't see them giving up. It's just another business problem, extremely severe but manageable due to the courage I know they have. I've thought about it from time to time this week and I always feel bad. They were great in moving me to another location, a minor inconvenience for me. The new place even has some advantages. But I can't get it out of my mind how the media stories we all fear is a reality in the worst way for them. If sincere, hard working people can suffer like this family is, it can happen to anyone. A few unexpected circumstances is all it takes to turn your world upside down. It's easy to write about. It must be a horror to live through. I wish them good luck in whatever they do.    

I hate to see empty stores. I hate to see a businessperson go out of business. I tried it once and it is an all encompassing endeavor. It takes a ton of desire, sacrifice, courage, money, intense planning, and enormous amounts of time. And it can be rewarding in a half dozen ways, but it's not easy. It takes a lot of work. It's all consuming, but success and the freedom and dignity it rewards the businessperson with are certainly worth it to many people. 

What times we live in. What bravery it requires. What cooperation it demands. What wonderful things we will achieve when we overcome this. Things weren't right in our economy. It was smoke and mirrors playing tricks on our reality. Now we can look at it honestly, preserve what's good, and fix what's wrong with it. So here we go again, turning a catastrophe into some glorious miracle. And if you don't believe me, wait and see and call me in a few years. This world has been through some awful calamities and it always rebuilds itself as a better incarnation of itself. We'll get through this and what we find on the other side will be better than what we had. It always is. So like the old saying goes, "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."

My NEW leather jacket

Well new to me anyway. I'm sure that it was new-new once for someone, and they must have loved it. Now it's mine and I love it. I wore it for the first time today and it felt just like a second skin. It was a bit of a stretch for me to wear it because there were a lot of people out in shorts and t-shirts today. But this is South Florida and it was just cool enough. Anyway, it's probably the last time I'll get to wear it this season. February is almost over and the spring is on the way so things are warming up. Thank you God for this opportunity because I really loved wearing my new leather jacket today. So let me tell you about it.

I first saw it at the American Thrift Shop in Hollywood. Even among all the other leather jackets it stood out. It was beautiful with a Brooks Brothers label in it. This is first class and my heart started racing. I looked it over quickly. It had a price tag of $50.00, still a little pricey for a thrift shop rat like me, but a half price sale was just three days away so I decided to chance it. I waited.

I came back that Thursday after work looking for my half-off sale. This time I really looked the jacket over. Leather as smooth as silk, Brooks Brothers label, lightweight, a rich dark brown worn just right, back looked clean, right sleeve looked clean, left sleeve looked clean, then AAAAARRGGH!, a massive tear on the left side pocket, through the seam and three inches into the leather with the inside fabric lining pushing out. What a shame. New this must have been a $400-$500 jacket. No wonder it was still there. I didn't care. This jacket could be saved. IT MUST BE SAVED! And I had a way. I had Alterations by Anna, my expert tailor employing four talented ladies and...specializing in leather repairs. I checked it out with her. She said she could fix it, no problem, so I pulled it off the rack and went to the cashier.  

And what did they tell me? Sure, Thursday is half off...but only from 9:00 am till noon. My heart sank. I had missed the sale by 6 hours. There was no negotiating. If I wanted half off I would have to wait a whole week. But would my beautiful jacket still be there in a week? I took a deep breath and left the store, without the jacket. But I couldn't get it out of my mind. I decided that I'd have that jacket even if I had to pay another $25.00. It was still well worth it. I decided to go back the following morning and buy it at full thrift store price.  I was satisfied that I made the right decision.

I went back the next day full of that thrift shop thrill of finding something special. I got there a few minutes before the store opened. I walked right over to the jacket, my heart sank a minute because it took me a few seconds to find it, but there it was. I took the hanger in my hand and started out BUT I also walked by the shoe section and found a beautiful pair of Bally loafers for $14.00, excellent shape, fit me perfect, a real thrift shop double-play. I took it all to the counter to check out. The cashier said $20.00 please. I questioned her, "Are you sure that's the right price?" She insisted, "Yes." So I said, "Okay.", paid her, and walked out with my $6.00 leather jacket. I headed straight for Anna's. Anna said, $10.00, come back in a week. She did a wonderful job with it, just a little pucker by the seam and a beautiful stitched repair where it tore the leather. All you can see is a thin line, barely noticeable. Anna does beautiful work. 

It's sitting in my closet right now. It had a full day out and it's resting now. With a little luck a cold front will come through one more time this year and I'll give it another ride. I had a good time wearing it today.

So, what's the moral. A story like this has to have a moral. It's that beautiful things can be saved and should be saved, like people. It takes some will. It takes some patience. It takes some skilled people. But, most of all, it takes the vision that it can be done. That was my small contribution to this story. And for my trouble, I got a beautiful jacket, my ugly duckling. It just takes the thought that things can be whole and perfect and beautiful again. And a few scars here and there really don't matter at all.

Bring Back the Holidays

Well the holiday season is over and I'm ready to have it start all over again. I had a great time. I just get so much done with all that free time and everyone else too busy shopping and partying to do any work. Little by little masses of undone tasks that have lingered all year get done.

I took on the physical jobs first, the lawn cutting, the raking, the mindless work where your satisfaction lasts just long enough for the next leaf to fall but you trust the process and know that, at least, you made a temporary dent in the endless flow of nature's attempt to reclaim suburbia.

Now I'm feeling my oats and I go after the hang-this-up-throw-that-away-phase, and I start to get excited that my list, the list that I thought only added work, is starting to show cross-outs and check marks everywhere I look.

Now's the time to get ahead on my social responsibilities; dinners with friends, walks with my wife. Things are looking better and better. And I'm feeling better too. More relaxed and everyone seems to be doing the same thing I'm doing. I love this time of year!

Alright, I'm starting to get down to the bottom of the pile to the "Oh, it'd be nice if I do it stuff but it's not really necessary right now" things, those old notes that never get read.

So fun time has to be just around the corner at this point, to read a book, watch some old Marx Brothers movies, and eat some great food. Cheerios will come again later when the routines return. 

Okay. I'm ready now. Ready for the dreaded taxes. Now, there's nothing else hanging over me to stop me, to distract me. I can open those manila folders one by one and add up all those numbers, write down my totals, and move on to the next one, easily, comfortably. The house is taken care of. My wife and family are taken care of. Even I'm taken care of. So I can get it all done now, no pressure, no stress, at least, until next year when I beg for relief and God hears me and sends me "the holidays."

P.S. I do my best to let the holiday season hangover linger as long as I can because it just feels so good.