Civic Duty Trumps Hobnobbing With Royalty

Mardi Gras in Washington -- or “Washington Mardi Gras” -- is always held near the end of January. The "Krewe of Louisianians" is Captained by Senator Mary Landrieu, and the other Congressional Members are Lieutenants, etc.

This year the big events are on Friday night the 30th and Saturday night the 31st. Just simple little black tie affairs at the Washington Hilton Tower with 1000+ of your best friends from around the state, political bigwigs, serious military brass, and captains of industry. Nothing out of the ordinary.

We've never been invited to go even though our good friend, Tom, has been a member of the Krewe for several years. Tickets are usually difficult to obtain, but this year, because his daughter Veronica (yeah -- isn't that a hoot? How many Veronicas do you know?) was chosen to be a Princess, he was able to obtain more than his normal seniority allocation and invited us!

But do we get to go?

No.

I barely managed to get out of jury duty in December so we could do all that whirlwind fun stuff in Arkansas. We had even agreed to go to D.C., but then I wasn't as successful in getting out of jury duty this and next week. Heck, I can't even schedule a hair appointment due to the uncertainty as to when I have to report -- I have to call in every night after 5:30 to find out whether Jury Pool Group #4 will be required to show up the next day at freakin' 8:30 in the morning!

So, while Tom and his lovely family are celebrating Veronica's ascent to royalty amid the D.C. elite, I will be miserable, cooling my heels in the "jury lounge" (think "holding cell chic") in our dilapidated Orleans Parish civil courts building, knowing that no lawyer in his right mind would EVER seat a cranky, fifty-something, white lady-lawyer on his jury, but having to stay until that certitude is made known to all possible judges. Daily.

So, I asked Tom and Debbie to do a curtsy to HRH Veronica for me, and to take lots of pictures. Isn't civic duty just the best?!