Week 11, Day 2 Outfit: Lounging Around, nothing of interest
Week 11, Day 3 Outfit: BR baby blue rousched cardigan, BR baby blue tank, BR grey pin-stripped trousers, Lovely People black patent leather peep-toed wedges
Week 11, Day 4 Outfit (court day!): Navy Blue Ann Taylor loft dress with striped ribbon belt, same shoes as Day 3 (I'm resourceful!)
Week 11, Day 5 Outfit: back at home, so, lounging around
Week 11, Day 6 Outfit: BR dark khaki v-neck "slinky" shirt, Express Jeans, Joan and David patent leather heels
Whew, what a week (as is evident for my slacking on the daily blog). Monday was pretty uneventful, a much basked in day of working from home and decompressing from the back to back activity that was the previous 3 weeks of this month...where in the world did March and April go?
Tuesday, I headed north to Detroit for an overnight stay with Mike and Lyn, and managed to beg Mike into taking me into court the next morning...just in case the judge asked how I managed to get to court with a suspended driver's license (more on that story later). I ended Tuesday with Happy Hour and getting really "happy" with a few shared bottles of white wine with some co-workers. Needless to say, we were all very "happy" by the end of the night, which left me in a bit of a daze the next day (Great way to make an appearance before a judge!).
Okay, the story that we've all be waiting for...COURT DAY! So, Mike and I make it to the court house just a little past 8:30 (my scheduled hearing time) and after passing through the metal detectors, step into what I can best describe as the most demographically mixed room of people I have ever seen. You have people of every race, age, socioeconomic status, and demeanor all sitting in the waiting area to make their case before the prosecutor, and then before the judge. Imagine me wearing my trench coat, heels, and navy blue dress, and sitting next to a 19 year old kid with watery red eyes, holes in the knees of his jeans, and half asleep as he waits to hear his name called. After about 15 minutes of waiting, I hear someone yell "Lin, Fun" and think, hmmm, what are the odds that there's another person with the last name of Lin? So I head into the prosecutor's chambers and ask "did you mean Lilly Lin?" This old curmudgeon of a man replies with "close enough. Sit down." So I sit and he barrages me with all kind of accusations..."it appears here that you failed to change your address in 2006 after being pulled over for going 78 in a 55 zone." I reply with "yes, sir, but in my defense, I was never given any instructions as to how to change my address with the court." His reply: "well, that's not my problem is it? You also have a suspended license that you will need to clear with the Secretary of State." My reply "okay, how am I to go about doing that?" His reply: "that's not my problem either...you'll need to find the nearest office to you and settle the matters there. We're done here, you need to testify before the judge now." Blank stare from me followed with "okay, and where do I do that?" He impatiently barks back "out the door to your left." Then he calls the next name. I NEVER! What a freakin' prick. Do note that until I had shared this story with others, I had no idea who this guy was...now that I know he's the prosecutor, I guess I understand why he was such an a**hole!
So, I head into the court room with Mike in tow, and we sit down at the bench closest to the judge's stand waiting for my name to be called. 20 minutes of sheer entertainment then transpires. We hear people getting convicted of being caught with pot (which ended up being the 19 yr. old that I was sitting next to in the waiting area), a woman who obstructed traffic but couldn't speak a word of english and needed to have her translator sworn in to communicate to the judge that she doesn't have the cash to pay her fine (as she is unemployed), a teenager (dressed in Catholic school uniform) and her mother who go before the judge because she failed to stop at a stop sign...who's mother then asks the judge if in lieu of paying the fine, he can sentence her daughter to community service so she (instead of her mom) is punished. The judge comes back with "I appreciate your point, but unfortunately, I cannot substitute community service for a fine without scheduling another hearing with you" to which the mother quickly replies "we'll pay the fine." The judge then chuckles and says "perhaps you can have her so some community service around your house to make up for it." Mike and I both agreed that we could easily get hours of entertainment from just witnessing some of these hearings. I can just see it now, Mike sitting in the back of the courtroom with a box of popcorn, munching loudly, and being called out by the judge "sir in the back of the room, can you keep your smacking down, I am trying to hear the defendant."
Okay, so my turn...by witnessing other hearings, I was able to determine that I had the fortune of being assigned to a nice judge...but regardless, when he called my name, I am all nerves and can barely squeak a word out. I state my name, then respond to his statements "it appears here that you failed to change your address and therefore received a fine. Wow (sarcastically), that's a really serious offense (smirk)." I giggle and say "yes, your honor." He then states "okay, I'm going to reduce this fine back to the original amount and waive the late fees which brought your fine up to, wow, $302...so I'll re-instate the original fine. It also appears that we need to clear your license suspension which involves a $45 fee that will go to the secretary of state." Eat that you mean ole' prosecutor! I happily nod my head and say "thank you, your honor." He ends with "case dismissed." So, I now have one traffic violation cleared...now for the other speeding ticket and the driving with a suspended license charge...more on that to come in the next few weeks! At least I am back to being an upstanding citizen!
Days 5 -6: Yesterday was another work from home day (ahhhh...) and today is generally light. I have an eye appointment which will hopefully end with me be given the go ahead to wear contacts again. I don't know how people can wear glasses all the time...they are so annoying! Although, my boss did comment on how she liked my nerdy librarian look...hmmm, if they do anything to make me look more professional and older, then that's good to know! Tonight we'll be dining at my grad school advisor's house - which is a real treat because he lives in my dream home and his wife rules at entertaining...oh, if I could only one day be Lee Hakel!
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