Day 950: Working Girl
Nov. 23rd, 2010 09:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nagi_schwarzI sort of feel like one of the blue collar masses. Only I'm not, you know, getting paid. Monday morning was spent running errands. I got a shiny box of DVDs in the mail from Mum, which absolutely made my day, because I love watching Summer Glau running around being a super-girl. I also learned that there's going to be horrid weather on the day I fly out to see Cody (tomorrow!) as well as some sort of airport security boycott, so he'll likely be delayed driving and I'll likely be delayed flying.
Awesome.
Not really.
I went into the office and Maureen trained me in how to make calls to victims, and then as a special treat we got to go down to the courthouse and watch a sentencing hearing. Two men were found guilty of murder in the first (they were co-defendants) and we were there to support the victim's family. One of the murderers came in smirking. He wasn't smirking when the judge handed down the sentence (life for the murder one, plus 96-150 years for four additional assaults with deadly weapons, i.e. shootings). The victim's father spoke, and he said something profound, about how his family wasn't the only one that lost a son-father-brother, that the families of the defendants were going to lose people as well, but something had to be done. The judge gave an emotional speech about how intact families are the core of society and a good education and a good home will go a long way in getting society out of this downward spiral. The girls at the office found the speech trite, and I immediately thought of psychopathic serial killers who are often well-educated and very intelligent, but I appreciated the judge's sentiments. When he passed sentence, some female from the defendants' side burst out sobbing and then vomited all over the courtroom floor. The deputies being the prats they were insisted we stay confined in the smelly courtroom till the convicts had been escorted out. Awesome.
Back at the office I continued to learn how to do calls, and then the others surprised Maureen with a birthday cake, so we had cake and talked, and then I made some calls of my own before going home. We had fun at FHE swing dancing. I danced with a fresh RM named Garrett who seemed, oddly enough, more terrified of me in a skirt than of me in, say, my uniform for the dojo. We gamed, which ran long, and was full of weirdness, but fun all the same, and then I came home and talked to Cody.
Today was a faint repeat of yesterday - I ran errands in the morning, went to the office in the afternoon. I spent pretty much the entire afternoon making calls, most of which involved leaving messages, a few abrupt, impatient conversations, some pleasant and sympathetic chats with elderly people, and poor, indignant woman who didn't even know she'd been burglarized. Afterward I came home and ate and crocheted and watched more awesome Summer Glau (I can't stand Riley, but you can't really ship John/Cameron, can you? Maybe John/Alison) and then went to training. Haven't been in a while, and once again I was the only girl. Mr. Smith, an errant black belt, showed up, so I was with the yellow belts instead of Larry. We worked on line drills, combat techniques, ground fighting, and some rank requirements. I had a bizarre conversation with Jacob about learning foreign languages, Shinto, and Japanese literature (Mr. Smith actually joined in, which was bizarre, because he never talks to me, but hey, now at least he makes eye contact with me). I had a conversation with Sensei Raymond about Bruce Lee's one-inch punch, Ninja Assassin, and how he had to have his dog of twelve years put down yesterday (sad - I remember when Stubbs was put down, so I think I was genuinely empathetic for once in my life).
Tonight - I'm going to watch things, and then crochet, and then hopefully talk to Cody and sleep.
And then tomorrow...tomorrow, I finally get to see Cody. It's been six weeks.
Awesome.
Not really.
I went into the office and Maureen trained me in how to make calls to victims, and then as a special treat we got to go down to the courthouse and watch a sentencing hearing. Two men were found guilty of murder in the first (they were co-defendants) and we were there to support the victim's family. One of the murderers came in smirking. He wasn't smirking when the judge handed down the sentence (life for the murder one, plus 96-150 years for four additional assaults with deadly weapons, i.e. shootings). The victim's father spoke, and he said something profound, about how his family wasn't the only one that lost a son-father-brother, that the families of the defendants were going to lose people as well, but something had to be done. The judge gave an emotional speech about how intact families are the core of society and a good education and a good home will go a long way in getting society out of this downward spiral. The girls at the office found the speech trite, and I immediately thought of psychopathic serial killers who are often well-educated and very intelligent, but I appreciated the judge's sentiments. When he passed sentence, some female from the defendants' side burst out sobbing and then vomited all over the courtroom floor. The deputies being the prats they were insisted we stay confined in the smelly courtroom till the convicts had been escorted out. Awesome.
Back at the office I continued to learn how to do calls, and then the others surprised Maureen with a birthday cake, so we had cake and talked, and then I made some calls of my own before going home. We had fun at FHE swing dancing. I danced with a fresh RM named Garrett who seemed, oddly enough, more terrified of me in a skirt than of me in, say, my uniform for the dojo. We gamed, which ran long, and was full of weirdness, but fun all the same, and then I came home and talked to Cody.
Today was a faint repeat of yesterday - I ran errands in the morning, went to the office in the afternoon. I spent pretty much the entire afternoon making calls, most of which involved leaving messages, a few abrupt, impatient conversations, some pleasant and sympathetic chats with elderly people, and poor, indignant woman who didn't even know she'd been burglarized. Afterward I came home and ate and crocheted and watched more awesome Summer Glau (I can't stand Riley, but you can't really ship John/Cameron, can you? Maybe John/Alison) and then went to training. Haven't been in a while, and once again I was the only girl. Mr. Smith, an errant black belt, showed up, so I was with the yellow belts instead of Larry. We worked on line drills, combat techniques, ground fighting, and some rank requirements. I had a bizarre conversation with Jacob about learning foreign languages, Shinto, and Japanese literature (Mr. Smith actually joined in, which was bizarre, because he never talks to me, but hey, now at least he makes eye contact with me). I had a conversation with Sensei Raymond about Bruce Lee's one-inch punch, Ninja Assassin, and how he had to have his dog of twelve years put down yesterday (sad - I remember when Stubbs was put down, so I think I was genuinely empathetic for once in my life).
Tonight - I'm going to watch things, and then crochet, and then hopefully talk to Cody and sleep.
And then tomorrow...tomorrow, I finally get to see Cody. It's been six weeks.
