The Day of Rest is anything but… Day Two At 5:55 a.m. my eyes opened to a view of coiled mattress springs. Then, remembering where I was, I grabbed a towel, garments, pants, shampoo and soap, and ran down the narrow hallway. The bathroom was deserted, a miracle well-deserved. I…

Dinner, orientation, and the end of Day One 5 p.m. Inside St. Frank’s, bright lights, warm air, and the rich aroma of dinner beckon, that meager lunch at the Church Office building a distant memory. Traveling along a short corridor, I see a large room to the right, where row…

Note-taking fatigue and juror contention Day 3 Wednesday, May 14 Back to court today. Sort of nice to go from work to jury duty, then back to work again. When I tire of one, I can go to the other. Get to the Room in plenty of time. Have to…

From the Mission Home south to Provo, as Day One continues 1 p.m. Back inside the Mission Home, I’m wondering what’s next on the schedule when someone hands me a two- by three-inch, salmon-colored card. Apparently, next on the schedule is leaving. I grab my stuff, head outside to the…

In which I embark on a two-year mission in Argentina Day One 10 a.m. I peer through the bug-splattered windshield at an entry door to the Salt Lake Mission Home. It’s now or never. If riding in a roommate’s car across eastern Oregon, southern Idaho and northern Utah hasn’t killed…

Desperation lands me in a tight spot — Spring 1984 Having quit delivering newspapers in my decrepit 1969 Ford Galaxie, I was desperate to find some sort of steady income—enough cash to avoid having to move in with relatives. Four months shy of my 30th birthday, the struggle to not feel like a total loser was becoming a…

Day 2 and The Company’s lame offer Day 2 Friday, May 9 Suffering in silence is not my strong suit. The Company’s jury duty policy continues to piss me off. And I have no reservations about sharing this anger with others. But am I taking it too far? The court…

What this advanced novice has learned During the process of reviewing bands and solo artists, I’ve learned a few things. The major discovery was that writing music reviews is hard. It’s not just a matter of saying a few things about why you like (or can’t stand) a band. And…

The trial begins Day 1 Thursday, May 8 I run the gauntlet through Security and ascend three flights of stairs. This will be the seventh jury I’ve sat on in twenty-eight years, thrown into a small group in an even smaller room with total strangers. Our life, for the next…