Chinatown Miami

Today we went to Chinatown Miami, in Miami Shores. It was a small street festival organized to publicize a new play at the Miami Shores Children's theater. The old movie theater where Dot and I saw every disney movie known to man. We explained to T that we used to go there b/c there were rarely childrens movies on TV, and there were no DVDs. She just looked puzzled. T refused to pose with any of the chinese dragons that we passed. Instead, she would only deign to pose with Spongebob. Sigh. On an upnote, we ran into lots of friends and acquaintances. didn't know it at the time I was snapping the bounce house picture, but the other little asian girl in it we know from the FCC group we used to belong to. Boy, are the girls growing up! We also ran into Jackie and her son, the hula instructor from T's bday party. The whole thing culminated in a parade, with the girls scouts bringing up the rear. Rain rolled in so we rolled out. Fun times! We're now back home. T is off from school next week, so she and Dot are driving to Tampa to visit with Aunt Ceci and the kids. I will remain home on parent duty. Hope you all had a great weekend.

Egg-stravaganza 2011

I'm happy to report that the 2011 Egg-stravaganza was a raging success! 24 eggs were boiled up and decorated as much as Nertz's bicycle. We added a few new artistic mediums to our bag of tricks. Egg-toos (similar to tatoos but for eggs) worked well. We also got a stamping kit that worked with limited success. Only Jodie, the only egg decorator with any talent, had any success. The stamps were a flop in Taylor and my artistically inexperienced hands. We also got the roller set, similar to a tiny paint roller. T and I had better success with that device. I admit that I did more observing than decorating. Jodie and Taylor were doing a fine job. Dot did some grilling on the barbeque as we were distracted with our art. I posted this pic to show off my beautiful sod. Isn't it beautiful? I'm shocked that we have been able to keep it alive and thriving. Its coming along nicely. What a difference it makes in the look of one's property. Thinking your house looks a bit shoddy? Add some new sod for instant gratification. So ends our egg-stravaganza 2011. I see lots of egg salad in our future!

Girl Scout Service Project

Today was our big Daisy service project meeting. We were joined by a few older girls, and picked up refuse and trash from around the school. We also learned all about recycling and how to check a container for the secret recycling sign. Each and every minute piece of trash picked up, including a cigarette butt, was inspected for this secret sign. FYI, it sort of looks like a triangle figure. Go check your milk jug, and you'll see it. Anyway, each girl also planted a seed in a cup, and will be nursing it along. Its supposed to grow into a tree and I was assured that we couldn't kill it...despite the fact that the only things we can grow are succulents and weeds. We ended the night with a pizza party, at a Daisy house two doors away from the school. Now we're home chilling out. We shall be going to bed quite soon, so we can get up, go to target, and buy some egg dying supplies. Happy Weekend Everybody!

Recess until 5/2

Well, the docs at the hospital admitted the defendant "based upon her reported symptoms"...which of course included a claim of dizziness and a supposed fainting spell. Doc says that it never happened in front of him or the medical staff. All based upon her word. He wants to run tests (sucker). Hmmm, can anyone say LIAR??? Of course, everyone in the courtroom is suspicious, given that corrections has no record of any loss of consciousness. Plus, the defendant was acting fine...up to the point to going to the hospital. If a prisoner passes out, an incident report must be written. I'm going to spend the next few days hunting up all the documentation (or lack thereof) from all the different facilities, and report to the judge on Monday. Trial will continue on 5/2, when the jurors return to court. The lengthy reset date is due to their schedules and availability. The defendant will remain in jail with no bond. On the upside, I'm now freed up for the holidays, to enjoy them without stress. We shall be decorating eggs this weekend, and hunting them next. Also this sunday, there is a Chinatown street fair in Miami Shores on Sunday. Take one guess where we shall be in the afternoon? This friday evening, the girl scout daisies will be picking up trash from around the church/school, as a service project. We will then retire to one of the girls houses, for a pizza party. T is very excited. I was worried we would be unable to go, due being on verdict watch, but now we're free! Hope you all have a great weekend.

Still no testimony...

we all arrived in court this morning, to be informed by corrections that the defendant is refusing to change clothes or come to court. Now she's claiming medical reasons: high blood pressure and diabetes. Def refused the offer of food. She was taken off to be examined by the in-house jail docs, and we all re-convene tomorrow morning, to attempt to proceed. ...and the saga continues...

And so it begins again...

Well, today I picked a jury again, and did opening statements again. Testimony should start tomorrow (Tuesday) again, barring any more courtroom theatrics. Since it didn't work, the defendant stopped trying to appear crazy. She apologized to everyone in the courtroom for her inappropriate behavior on Friday, except to me, of course. There were no apologies to me. That's OK. I didn't expect and, nor would I have believed it. I suspect her failure to apologize to me is the first honest thing she's done in a long time. We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Do Over!

Well, we picked our jury, they were sworn on the case, and the next morning...Tuesday...def starts pretending that she was incompetant. We all knew she wasn't, but because the last evals were almost 2 years ago now, everything stopped so that 3 psychiatrists could evaluate her. As suspected, they all came back on Friday stating that she was malingering...or pretending to be crazy. Unfortunately, a few of the jurors were unavailable next week, so the defense asked for a mistrial, and we are starting over again on Monday. Do over! The last few days were filled with lots of nonsensical courtroom drama. I really should write a book someday. The defense lost their minds when I requested she be tossed in jail pending expedited psych evals, she cursed me and said that everyone I loved would die...according to her dead ancestors and santaria gods. She was contemptuous to the judge, and Marie and I had to run around the courthouse looking for clothes to fit her (size 26), since she was wearing god-awful bright orange prison garb...which is prejudicial for the jury to see. There were none. When corrections hunted some up, she refused to wear "someone else's clothes". In the end, the defense luckily put an end to the farce and asked for a mistrial. The State could not, as double jeopardy had attached. We start over on monday, picking a brand new jury. I went out today and bought a few new trial blouses for under my suits. We also did some roller skating. t is getting better and better. As for the curse, all I can say is that I've got some pretty tough customers lurking way back on the family tree... on both sides. A bunch of IRA militants on one side and good ole' southern boys from the USA on the other. Add in some unknown Chinese warriors and all I can say is my ancestors can take her ancestors any day. Bring it on! meanwhile, blogger is suddenly ignoring my spacing and paragraphs, and moshing it all together as one. Trying to figure that one out. I've just tried to fix it for the 2nd time. Let's see if it worked....

The Saga continues

...I have yet to put on my first witness, as the defendant is pulling stunts again. We reconvene on Friday. Who knows what the future holds.

Its a Miracle

After over 6 long, long, LONG years, I was finally able to pick a jury and complete opening statements, in my oldest case. I never thought I'd see the day. During the course of this case, my trial partner gave birth, I flew to china and back to adopt my kid, I threw my back out 3 times, did a swan dive from a judge's bench and broke my foot, my kid went through every single class at the daycare from the infant room to 4 yr old, and almost completed kindergarten, my mom fell and broke her hip and degenerated into hospice, my did went a bit nuts. Our lives have changed immeasurably over the course of this one little case. Hard to believe. Postings may be sparse this week, as I'm a tad busy. In other news, the painter finally completed the job. My driveway is a god-awful raspberry/red color. I didn't have the heart to argue about it. Spent all day today arguing in trial. Dot and I will find a different color, and get some exercise some weekend, repainting it. Luckily, the driveway is easy to paint. Other than that, its all fab.

The Last of the Pics

 

Ok, here’s the last of the bday photos, and finally some of T and the cake…at least one wherein one can see her face.  Love it!

Lastly, here’s some pinata shots.   The thing never broke, just came off the hanger and fell.  I told the kids to go ahead and attack.  Boy, I didn’t have to say that twice.  All the kids did swan dives onto the thing, and it was history.