How many days have I been here?

I think it's day three.

I'm on the second meeting o the day, with one more to go before I meet a friend for dinner.

It's 'like' a vacation, but not as I'm not doing anything but having meetings...

Weird.

Finally...he updates...

It's been a while I know. No excuses....welll good ones anyway.

I've been writing. I am now a Dramatists Guild Fellow, which means I get to develop a work with some fantastic playwrights.

And right now I'm in LA. I'm here to meet people (old friends, new friends, new contacts) and get my toe into the door.

At the airport the car rental place gave me a Mustang convertible...which is cool, and a GPS which is necessary. And it was hot...that doesn't seem right to me, not in november.

But I do have to say this, waking up to sunshine and perfect weather is awesome.

Off to breakfast, more later.

It's been awhile...

...and it might be an even longer while before I put up a substantial post.

I've been working on a few things lately and they've consumed my time, even making me wake up early!

Warner Brothers has a TV Writers Workshop that I'm applying for. I'm very excited by it. It's nuts and bolts, it's in LA, and...yep...I want to move into TV.

Jury Duty....#4

Below is the document that proves that I helped deliever Justice...well...at least that's what they said I did...




...now, when I read the last sentence...I felt a little guilty about getting out of the trial.

*sigh*

Jury Duty #3

Caught and released! Right after lunch...they dismissed me! I guess it pays to be thoughtful and and judgmental in your answers during jury selection.

I'm back in the pool.

We'll see what happens next.

It's funny one of the things I'm most worried about: my writing schedule. I'm doing a show that is going to go up shortly and so soon things were supposed to return to normal, work during the day and write in the morning and evening. But it's a pattern I'm used to.

Having to sit all day in a jury box would be a brand knew boredom. The lack of activity would drive me batty.

If I'm not working my survival job, I would rather be writing. If I have to sit and listen, I would keep thinking: this is time that I could be working.

Sure: it's my civic duty...but, as an artist, isn't it my duty to create work?

(Ok, that last sentence, that's just to make me feel better. I don't know if it's a greater duty than jury duty, or if it's even a duty to create art...that's a subject for a different blog.)

Jury Duty #2

Shit.

I might be on a case. ARGH.

It's a case against the city, some guy who worked for the city tripped over something, or...whatever...who knows yet...and now he's suing. Suing for, probably, a life time of money.

We got called up from a central room to a smaller room and they drew names. And then they started eliminating people. "Have you ever worked for the city?" A few raise their hands. Dismissed. "Anyone been involved in a case like this or maybe know someone that has?" Dismissed.

One woman said that she's unemployed and through a long trial she would only be thinking about not having a job. Dismissed.

Sonofabitch.

Why didn't I think of a great excuse?

I'm giving truthful answers...which maybe the problem...but I'm also being grumpy--again, truthful--and I'm sorta staring down the Attorney representing the plaintiff. I'm hoping he thinks, "This guy doesn't like me..." Which is rapidly becoming the truth. He's droning on and on.

We haven't even gotten questioned by the City's Attorney...we're on a lunch break now.

I have got to figure out a way to make him think I dislike him too...

Then, I bet I'll be off the case.

Jury Duty...part 1

**the below, and following posts, were written in real time--the court house blocked access to the blog site...jerks***

The civic duty of everyone...I suppose. But, now that I'm sitting here, having to get up early, trudge to a not particularly pretty part of Queens, after listening to a court officer at the end of his rope, and a Judge, who recounted his resume from 1948 on, who talked about each court in Queens, and the movies that are based on real court cases from Queens--riveting--and now we get to watch Mrs. Doubtfire as we await our name being called...I really question whether or not civilization is worth it.

I'm here from 9 to 5...no matter what, and I may have to come back on Monday.

And the best thing: it's civil court...so, it's going to be about dogs biting neighbors and car crashes.

This is karmic payback for my love of the People's Court.

More as it comes in...