Last week, I got summoned for Jury Duty. I spend most of Monday – Friday in the car or in a school, but I got chosen for Jury Duty. There are a bajillion people who don’t have lives that are completely focused on their five children, but they chose me for Jury Duty. Because every lawyer wants a news junkie, hyper-tweeting blogger on their client’s jury, I have been chosen to sit in the hall, get interviewed and get turned down, all day, every day, for two weeks.

The instructions letter with my summons included an e-mail address to contact if I am not able to “fulfill my duties.” While sitting in the elementary school carpool line last week, I sent an e-mail asking if my date to serve could be rescheduled for summer break when I can get a babysitter and the children don’t require constant mom taxi service. I got no answer. Now, I have to make a choice.

One option is to bring all of the children to the courthouse early Friday morning so that they will neither be stranded at their different schools nor unwatched. I think this will displease the court officials.

Another option is to just pretend that I will be finished at the courthouse in time to be in the Kindergarten carpool line before 1 pm. That couldn’t possibly go wrong and I would certainly make the 3 pm bus stop pickup and the 3:30 pickup at the high school. If I’m not there on time, I’m sure the teachers will happily watch my children, fix them snacks, supervise their homework and make sure they get to after school practices and activities.

My third option is, umm, well . . . I don’t have another option. Either option is going to end poooorly.

Update: I found a real person to talk to and I am officially . . . excused from serving. That loud noise you just heard was my sigh of relief.