Nobody likes me... Everybody hates me... Guess I'll go eat worms..

Actually, I never even got out of the spectator seats in the courtroom. And I am bummed!

I finally got called again for jury duty. Years ago, when I was pregnant with Kjersten, I got called once. I was quite willing to go. I went. I sat. For two longs hours on a wooden pew. The case settled and we were dismissed.

This time, the logistics were more complicated. Four kids instead of one. Nursing that little one. Hubby busy with work. Jason said he could work from home and I didn't have to ask to be excused. I mean, what if my chance doesn't come again?

It doesn't cancel. I go. I take my newspaper and a bottle of water. If nothing else, I'm going to enjoy a little people watching and doing a crossword puzzle without littles.

Do you know, they call 42 (or there about) people for the prospective juror pool? Grrrrr... I immediately did the math and realized I had a slim chance at best. It was a DUI case that seemed to take issue with whether or not one should recognize that, if all the signs on the interstate are silver, perhaps YOU ARE DRIVING THE WRONG WAY!!!! The jury "voir dire" was interesting, although I didn't really get to participate. My instruction was to listen and answer the questions in my head. Should they eliminate all 12 in the jury box, the alternate 15 sitting in the front of the courtroom, and the 11 other spectators ahead of me... I might be called. No kidding. I was (through a random process, undoubtedly...) second from last of the 40 of us that showed.

Well, somehow there were enough seemingly fair and intelligent people ahead of me. They neither needed nor wanted my willing assistance. :::sniff sniff:::

Here's the thing. I have experience with drivers driving the wrong way on the interstate. More than once!

• 11 years or so ago, a woman drove the wrong way on the interstate from a neighboring town. She hit a truck head-on and the whole thing ignited. I remember sitting on the backed-upinterstate in the driving snow watching the helicopter. It was unable to fly back to the hospital due to weather. Quite a scene.
• 6 years ago, I was driving home around midnight. The man in front of me got on the interstate by turning onto the off-ramp. I, in utter disbelief, called 911 while getting on the freeway via the ON-RAMP. We drove side-by-side. He on his side of the freeway. Me on the other. Then he realized the error and swerved across the median and onto the right (my) side. The dispatcher asked me to follow him, which I did. He pulled over at a truck stop and got out. I was unable to ID him so the sherrif couldn't arrest him then. He did, however, wait for him to leave and the man was arrested later for DUI.
• A few months after that, Jason and I were coming off the interstate (via the off-ramp) and coming down the on-ramp was an old woman in a red BMW. I don't know how far she travelled the wrong way, but she didn't have the slightest idea that's what she'd done, or so the sherrif said.

See... I'd have been perfect.... Maybe next time... Instead I got to sit for three hours this time. I think I even get paid $15 for it. I'll take it.

I'm having a temper tantrum! Care to join me?

I am so annoyed. I am trying to purchase songs for download right now. No big deal. I do it all the time. I use my VISA debit card on walmart.com or iTunes. Very easy. Not tonite.

I organize the songs. Double check my cart. Hit download.

"Error: we do not accept international credit cards." Huh?

I can't verify my debit card info because I entered it when we got our new cards 3 weeks ago (a bank-wide fiasco in itself). Once the info is entered, you can only actually see the last 4 numbers. So, I try that card again. No go.

I try re-entering the card. That confuses poor walmart.com. Another "error". I try Jason's debit card. Same bank account- different debit card #. "Error: we do not accept international credit cards." Argh!

I am beginning to panic a bit. This music isn't for me. It's the "soundtrack" for my sister-in-law's wedding ceremony tomorrow. Really.

I try our money market account's debit card. That works. Whew! I figure Wal-mart's got a problem.

Next, I head over to Netflix to update our debit info there. Remember, I said that we got totally new cards a few weeks ago. We pay a few bills this way and those folks are not going to be happy when my debit card won't go thru... Well, that seems to work.

Feeling emboldened, I go to Alltel (cell phone) next. After arguing with the log-in screen for some time, I manage to convince it that I do, in fact, know my mother's maiden name. I update our info there and guess what I get? Bingo!

"Error: invalid credit card."

Fabulous. I call the 800# on the back of the card. The woman cannot find any record on either debit card. Never mind, I used mine at Target last night and Jason used his at Costco. Both transactions have already cleared my checking account. What gives?

And who is going to fix this for me BEFORE Monday?!?!

I swear this is the last issue I will have with this bank. Jason's had this account for 20 years. A year or so ago, they switched names (still a local credit union). Since then, we've had issue after issue. Some annoying. Some a giant pain in the butt. So have my in-laws. Think we'll be bank shopping soon. (Yes, I realize they have precious little control over the debit card thing... but it's the last straw.)

Well, I just burned the CD. All is well in the world tonite. The bank? I'll deal with them on Monday.