Oh, that wasn't so very bad.

The meeting only lasted about an hour and forty minutes today, and it was mostly non-controversial stuff. Much less scribbling that way. However, I was feeling horrible--I didn't get into bed until midnight last night, and had to get up at 5:00 this morning, and one of the fistful of pills I take every day to stay alive made me a bit queasy. I had intended to stop and get some breakfast on the way in, but realized after placing my order at the drive-through that I had forgotten I had given Reba all my spare folding money last night when she had gone to the store. I didn't even have a single dollar. ::sigh:: I just drove on off and went on to where we have our meeting.

BUT, what to my wondering eyes should appear?! I walked into the conference room, and it had obviously been cleaned up and moved around for someone to have a Christmas party, and over underneath one of the tables was a big #10 galvanized tub full of beer. More important to me, however, was that it was ALSO full of GIGANTIC BOTTLES OF DIET COKE! Big ol' 40s--one full liter of rich, flavorful, caffeine and phenylalanine. Mmmm--chemicals! AND THEN, one of my coworkers brought in some junk to feed our committee members, and one of the items was GIGANTIC CHEESE STRAWS!

Man, I love cheese straws--if you've never had them, they are baked dough things with cheese and flavoring and flour and grease and salt, usually extruded out into disgusting looking curls or twirls or patties. These were bigger than anything I had ever seen before, so in order to allay my nausea, I sneaked over and got one, and promised myself after the meeting I would go get me a Coke.

Which is exactly what I did. The bit of food made me stomach settle down some, so I grabbed two more of the cheese straws and a jug of drink on the way out to the van. The Coke was sort of lukewarm, but I did not care in the least. Although those big bottles are a bit of a bear to handle.

ANYWAY, I need to REALLY get some work done today--I am going to be on hibernation all next week in anticipation of a visit from St. Nick, so I am going to be less able to play today and the rest of the week so I can get my notes typed up.

"Less able," but not completely locked up, mind you, so do check back in every once in a while.

Until the next update, you might want to take a gander at this news article: Ala. Judge Wears Ten Commandments on Robe

By BOB JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - A judge refused to delay a trial Tuesday when an attorney objected to his wearing a judicial robe with the Ten Commandments embroidered on the front in gold.

Circuit Judge Ashley McKathan showed up Monday at his Covington County courtroom in southern Alabama wearing the robe. Attorneys who try cases at the courthouse said they had not seen him wearing it before. The commandments were described as being big enough to read by anyone near the judge.

Attorney Riley Powell, defending a client charged with DUI, filed a motion objecting to the robe and asking that the case be continued. He said McKathan denied both motions.

"I feel this creates a distraction that affects my client," Powell said.

McKathan told The Associated Press that he believes the Ten Commandments represent the truth "and you can't divorce the law from the truth. ... The Ten Commandments can help a judge know the difference between right and wrong."

He said he doesn't believe the commandments on his robe would have an adverse effect on jurors.

"I had a choice of several sizes of letters. I purposely chose a size that would not be in anybody's face," he said.

The case raised comparisons to former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was removed from office in 2003 for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery.

Moore said Tuesday he supports McKathan's decision to wear the Ten Commandments robe.

"I applaud Judge McKathan. It is time for our judiciary to recognize the moral basis of our law," Moore said.

Powell said if he loses his case, he expects the judge's wearing of the Ten Commandments robe to be part of an appeal.

It being Christmastime and all, it sorta reminds me of something I remember a very wise man once saying about folks who like to engage in such displays.

Anyway, be back in a while with more stuff.
posted by Terry at 9:37:00 AM