I am in the loving arms of state bureaucracy this morning. My very first jury duty. At municipal court, so I am looking forward to a rousing case of DUI or perhaps unpaid parking tickets. But the city of Seattle has actually done a pretty good job here (except for one individual who embodies the worst of the stereotype of the civil servant who hates the job so much there is no choice but to be rude and condescending and withholding with the civilians). There’s interesting art, free wifi, a terrace, and a fabulous view of the Puget Sound from the 12th floor windows.
There’s a bookshelf for those who came unprepared. Puzzles and board games. Free (decent!) coffee. And even cable tv. One person is watching the television. The rest of the crowd is heads-down quiet. Some magazines and newspapers, a handful of laptops, but mostly books. No, really: books!
I’m doing email until I get called for a trial, the virtuality of summer session making it easy to appear although I am in my office. Today I am a little less Luddite.
