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Thursday, 21 October 2010 03:02 pm
(no subject)
I knew today would be unusual. Not only was it the date of my summons, but my folks are out of town -- in the Czech Republic, of all places -- and need me to cat-sit until late Monday. A friend of the family did me the favor of delivering much of what I'll need from my house to theirs last night.
And how was my time at the courthouse? Well, I shouldn't have worried so about being late, because it took 30 minutes just to get thru front-door security. After that, I alternately worked on newspaper puzzles, watched news and a juror info video, and listened to the announcements. My number wasn't called, so after about an hour in the room, I was dismissed.
I considered going straight to the office after that, but since I wasn't expected there, I probably didn't have any pressing work waiting. Besides, it wasn't every day that I went out to the area of Judiciary Square. I wanted to look around.
On a whim, I paid $5 to enter a museum I'd never heard of: the Marian Koshland Science Museum. It's only 6 years old and pretty small, but I learned a few things, natch. The first room includes a few brainy games; I didn't spend long on them as my ticket was good for one hour. Some videos talked about leukocytes, shifting population centers, and dark matter and energy. The two main exhibits were about global warming and disease control. My family might take more interest than I did.
I was going to skip the National Building Museum -- until I saw signs for the LEGO Architecture exhibit. The structures are more impressive in person than in photos, plus you can look closely enough to see what pieces were used. The largest was the Burj Khalifa, appropriately based on the world's tallest building; the model stands 17 1/2 feet tall, uses more than 450,000 blocks, and took 280 hours to design and another 340 to build. And yes, there's a little education to be had in the posted facts about the actual buildings. I did not buy any kits, nor did I play in the adjoining area where several little kids were (the blocks were mostly boring rectangular prisms anyway), but I felt satisfied to have spent another $5.
I'm typing from my home now, where I had to stop for a few things I neglected before. This is the last time for a while that I'll be able to do several things I do in most weeks. But I won't keep Cocoa and Sheena waiting long.
And how was my time at the courthouse? Well, I shouldn't have worried so about being late, because it took 30 minutes just to get thru front-door security. After that, I alternately worked on newspaper puzzles, watched news and a juror info video, and listened to the announcements. My number wasn't called, so after about an hour in the room, I was dismissed.
I considered going straight to the office after that, but since I wasn't expected there, I probably didn't have any pressing work waiting. Besides, it wasn't every day that I went out to the area of Judiciary Square. I wanted to look around.
On a whim, I paid $5 to enter a museum I'd never heard of: the Marian Koshland Science Museum. It's only 6 years old and pretty small, but I learned a few things, natch. The first room includes a few brainy games; I didn't spend long on them as my ticket was good for one hour. Some videos talked about leukocytes, shifting population centers, and dark matter and energy. The two main exhibits were about global warming and disease control. My family might take more interest than I did.
I was going to skip the National Building Museum -- until I saw signs for the LEGO Architecture exhibit. The structures are more impressive in person than in photos, plus you can look closely enough to see what pieces were used. The largest was the Burj Khalifa, appropriately based on the world's tallest building; the model stands 17 1/2 feet tall, uses more than 450,000 blocks, and took 280 hours to design and another 340 to build. And yes, there's a little education to be had in the posted facts about the actual buildings. I did not buy any kits, nor did I play in the adjoining area where several little kids were (the blocks were mostly boring rectangular prisms anyway), but I felt satisfied to have spent another $5.
I'm typing from my home now, where I had to stop for a few things I neglected before. This is the last time for a while that I'll be able to do several things I do in most weeks. But I won't keep Cocoa and Sheena waiting long.