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Jury Duty Surprises.

I should have known better. Last year, after decades of jury duty during which I never got out of the paging areas, I packed up a tote full of fun things to do for the day and within a half hour was sent to a courtroom where I sat through three days of interviews before being excused.

Sure that this couldn't happen two years in a row, yesterday I again packed up a tote full of fun things to do for the day of jury duty. And was again on my way to a courtroom right after the morning break.

And now find myself on the county's criminal grand jury.

Duty every Monday and Friday morning from 9-5. Starting tomorrow, which is Thursday. And any other day the DA's office decides they need us.

Of all years. Not only the most difficult group of students I've ever had in the year after I was SUPPOSED to have retired. Not only the first year back in the president's saddle for the teacher's union in the year of massive budget cuts and lay-offs. Not only a year as a beginning teacher support provider for a beginning teacher who can't (won't) get his act together.

Now I have to layer on completely re-structuring all my lessons so that the kids are doing things with a sub that I don't have to be there for. No prep two days a week, which means spending my weekends processing paperwork.

And - worst of all - this goes until JULY 31. I will have to cancel my June escape to Utah.

I'm practically catatonic with shock.

I don't even want to think what might be coming next. Probably a tornado in Southern California. An earthquake would be too predictable.