brooklyn

You are currently browsing articles tagged brooklyn.

Operation Get Out of Brooklyn

August 3, 2011 by Mayde | Leave a comment

Operation Get Out of Brooklyn: Complete

Operation Move Into New House: Well… we’re working on it.

Unlike most young couples who move into a new, empty house after their first year of marriage, we’re moving into a home already occupied by two other people. This requires us to be flexible, and to fit ourselves in among all of the pre-existing stuff. In order to make room for our stuff, we have to move things out before we can move things in. This means that, after a full week in our new home, most of our stuff is still sitting in boxes in whatever space we can find around the house.

We have made some progress, though. We cleared out the master bedroom, moved our bed in, hung up our clothes, set up my home office, gave the master bathroom a good cleaning, and washed about 40 loads of laundry. (You have no idea how nice it is to have our own washer and dryer again, after using public laundromats for 6 years!)

Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Our to-do list for the house is five pages long and I have a mental list going that’s probably even longer. But unfortunately, a lot of our DIY projects will have to wait at least a few more weeks. We’re still in the process of buying the house, Dan’s still figuring out his job situation, we only have two cars between three people, and most of our limited funds are tied up in escrow. Until we close, there’s not much we can do, but in a way, that’s a good thing.

It gives us time to kick back and relax, and hopefully enjoy this upcoming weekend.

Moving On

June 23, 2011 by Mayde | Leave a comment

It’s official. Dan and I are leaving the city at the end of July.

After more than 6 years here, we finally feel like it’s time to move on. To be honest, we’ve felt this way since before our wedding, but up until now, the timing just wasn’t right. So, we’ve been patiently waiting and saving our money and plotting our eventual escape from this town, and in the last few weeks, it seems like everything has finally fallen into place.

We’re ready to move back to where we belong. We’re ready for a change of pace, for fresh air, and for the chance to really make the life we want for ourselves in the place we most want to be.

When it comes down to it, Dan and I are just simple country folk, and this city life, while fun, has really worn us down. We’re tired, and in desperate need of a more relaxing environment. Thankfully, that’s exactly where we’re headed.

More details to come soon, but in the meantime, wish us luck!

Jury Duty (Part 2)

June 9, 2011 by Mayde | Leave a comment

This post is a continuation of a previous post: Jury Duty (Part 1). If you haven’t read the first part, I suggest you do so now. Otherwise, the rest of the story may not make much sense.

As soon as I arrived at the courthouse on the first day of the trial, my attitude about having to serve on jury duty began to change. I was no longer dreading the situation; instead, I was starting to look forward to it. Just the simple acts of walking into the courthouse, going through security, being let into the juror’s lounge through a private entrance, and being prepped for the trial by the court officer gave me an entirely new perspective on the judicial system and the way the courts work.

It was at this point that I fully understood just how important the jury was. My decision would significantly affect someone’s life.

When you’re put in this position, you can’t help but take everything very seriously. When the judge says not to have any preconceived notions, you don’t. When you’re told not to jump to any conclusions before hearing all of the testimony and seeing all of the evidence, you don’t. And when you’re told not to discuss the case with the other jurors before deliberation officially begins, you don’t. The idea of breaking any of these rules suddenly seems like a life or death situation. You do not want to piss off the judge.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jury Duty (Part 1)

June 2, 2011 by Mayde | Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, I received the most dreaded of all letters in the mail:

All of the horror stories I’ve ever heard about jury duty came to mind, and I immediately tried to come up with a reason why I couldn’t serve. Unfortunately, I don’t have a child, I’m not a teacher, and my job actually pays me for the days I’m assigned to jury duty. I didn’t have a single excuse.

The night before I was supposed to appear at the courthouse, I called the number listed on the juror summons, praying that I wouldn’t be asked to come in. No such luck. On the other end of the line, a recording politely informed me that: “All jurors are asked to report.”

So be it. I arrived at the courthouse bright and early on my first day of jury duty, and sat alongside the other 200 summoned Brooklyn residents to watch the informational orientation video. Let me tell you: If you’ve never been a juror in Brooklyn, you’re missing out. The video was an in-depth look at various judicial systems throughout history, and made it quite clear just how lucky we are to live in America in the twenty-first century. They showed people being drowned, burned at the stake, and forced to submerge body parts in boiling water. The New York State court system wants you to be thankful for the chance to serve on a jury!

Read the rest of this entry »

« Older entries