Personal

Sunday night marked the first night that I entered anything resembling a night club in at six months and the first time I entered a night club without a purpose directly related to work.

A force pulling me away from the front door,
propelling me back out.
Bouncers scanning ID's which I didn't want to give.
The dark emptiness filled with
familiar faces that I didn't know.
Free drink tokens that I always
give to other people before leaving.
The isolation I feel
even though I'm talking to somebody.

Q4 2005 I received a court summons to appear for jury selection. I didn't have a legitimate excuse not to attend and I felt a sense of duty to appear and participate in the jury selection process. On the other hand, a month later, my father received a similar summons. His response? Book a flight to visit his ailing mother in southeast Asia and forward the itinerary to Jury Management. I guess that's kind of legitimate . . . but whatever. Jury selection took place today. The early procedure goes something like this:

1. Names get drawn "randomly" from voter lists, phone directories and problem citizen lists (they probably found me here because I'm always at the courthouse for some reason)
   • Basic elegibility: 18+, resident of Alberta, never been convicted of crime for which potential penalty is jail time of one year or more.
2. Return a form . . . either with excuses or with your occupation and language profeciencies
3. Appear on the designated day at the courthouse. In Edmonton, I believe that jury selection always happens in courtroom 317 in the Provincial Law Courts building, #1, Sir Winston Churchill Square
4. Watch a corny video

Then it gets a bit more interesting.

http://myweb.dal.ca/mc782849/ohhalifax.jpg

Michelle just sent an e-mail with some photos accompanied by captions. She's studying architecture at Dalhousie University. She transferred there with about a year left on her visual communications design and industrial design degrees at the University of Alberta. I'll post a photo of her once I'm at the studio . . . this little note is temporary. Hahah . . . I think I see my old camera bag and possibly my old camera (Contax 139Q w/ Carl Zeiss 50/1.4 AE T*) on the table in the first photo. People from your VCD class say hi. We miss you. Sort of. I'm sure she e-mailed you already but Olya said thanks for your left over stationary.