I love long weekends. They give me a little taste of what being on vacation is like. My weekend was a very nice and relaxing one. I got to celebrate the fourth with a few of my friends and family. We had a nice little barbeque and spent the day together just hanging out and joking around. We had such good laughs that I seriously think that my stomach muscles are a little sore from all of the laughter and giggling.

On Sunday I went out to lunch with a few friends to this Thai restaurant that they've been ranting and raving about for awhile and that I haven't had a chance to visit yet. Those of us who hadn't been there yet left the ordering to the ones who talk about it all the time. The food was delicious. No wonder they've been talking about this place so much. We also ordered a few plates of dessert that all six of us shared. When the check came out, we were all a little bowled over by the amount that was there. We checked the bill over several times and figured that there must have been a mistake. The bill ended up costing each of us more than a fancy dinner would have. And it was lunch! After that, the jokes started and we started joking around about taking the table cloths and flowers on the table to make up for the amount of money that we were paying. I was nearly on the ground when one of my friends started wrapping up the mushrooms that had dropped onto the table.

Today I wrapped up my long weekend by being a good American citizen and going to jury duty. I had postponed being a juror for the past four years because I was a student, but as soon as I graduated, they got me. Well...technically I didn't really have to 'go' anywhere. I called in yesterday to find out what courtroom I was supposed to show up in, and was told that no jurors were needed in the morning. Since the county that I am registered as a resident is different from where I am currently working and staying for the next couple of months, I had to stick around to call the courthouse throughout the day to see if I was needed. When I called in later this afternoon I was told that I wasn't needed and "Thank you for serving." Too bad. I actually was kind of looking forward to potentially making a jury. I'd prefer a short case, and I think that it would have been a good experience. It's kind of funny how I used to try so hard to get out of jury duty, and when I actually do get excused, I end up being a little dissapointed.