Going to Court for Jury Duty

Today is Day 2 of my week of jury duty, and today I'm actually in court! Yesterday I was on standby, checking a web page twice a day to see if I needed to appear. At 5pm I got the signal to be present today.

At the moment it's not quite yet 8:30am but already here are 5 Things about this day:

• My day started getting up before my 6am alarm. I scheduled a 6:30am business call this morning to discuss critical information with colleagues who may have to do a presentation for me on Thursday morning. Like I quipped yesterday, just because I'm excused from work (with pay) for jury service doesn't mean work stops while I'm out.


• Driving to the court house in downtown San Jose reminded me of commuting. My company's office is/was in downtown San Jose, so this morning's drive was similar to my last commute. Except I haven't commuted in 4 years. Doing the drive this morning reminded me of how much commuting between home and office a) creates a clear division between "at work" and "not at work", and b) is a complete fucking waste of productivity.


• The county government complex is actually a mile north of the downtown core. It's in a drab area where there's pretty much nothing else... including food choices. Lunch might be a matter of deciding whether stuff in the vending machine looks more appetizing than the protein bar I tucked in my bag.


• The county government complex provides one example after another of "Great idea, poor execution". From the parking garage there's a pedestrian bridge across the street... but it doesn't connect to the buildings. Along the 3rd floor bridge are kiosks for paying for parking... except they're all broken and covered with signs to go down to the 1st floor and pay the attendant. At the juror check-in area there are 3 kiosks for self check-in... and they, too, are all broken. There's just one staffer checking people in manually like it's still the 20th century. At 8:05 when I arrived (service starts at 8:30) there's already a long line. I wonder how bad it will be at 8:29.


• If today is anything like my last jury service 10 years ago— and all the inoperative digital systems suggest little has changed in at least that long— I'll spend most of the day sitting and waiting, then go home having done nothing. Yay, civic duty!

Update: What came next

Jury Duty: Half Day Today, More Later

When I was summoned to the court today for jury duty, things unfolded a bit differently than last time. Today we did not have voir dire but instead received a briefing about a trial, were asked to complete a written questionnaire, and were sent home for the day. We prospective jurors are due back in court in a few weeks for voir dire to determine who's impaneled on the jury.

Per the judge's instructions I will not discuss details of this case until my involvement in it is over. That includes the names of the defendants and the charges being tried. Please don't ask.

Maibock Showdown: Estrella Reserva 1906 vs. Abita Mardi Gras

Finally I got around to a beer showdown I've been waiting to make happen for a few months. It's a showdown of two beers in the Maibock category, also known as helles bock. BTW both terms are German and not terribly useful in literal translation: May (style) dark and light dark. Or more literally May (style) goat and light goat. Anyway, the two beers here are Estrella Reserva 1906 and Abita Mardi Gras.



Both of these beers have fared well in past taste tests. Both are delicious and are already on my short list. Moreover both have beaten all comers so far. But now it's like the finals: two undefeated competitors enter, only one leaves undefeated. Ding, ding!

First I appreciated the look of the beers. Both have great amber hues that are indistinguishable. 1906 has a lighter head. Mardi Gras looks foamier in the glass but that's partly because it's actually a larger pour of beer. The 1906, being produced in Spain, is the Euro standard 330 mL (11.2 oz) versus the Mardi Gras' US standard 12 oz. (355 mL).

Next I sipped the beers without food. 1906 was first and, wow, it reminded me, "This is what a good beer tastes like!" It's rich and malty and neither overly sweet nor tart. It's no wonder 1906 has defeated every comer so far. I'd have made it my house beer already except supply is spotty here in California and the price is bit elevated.

Mardi Gras comes from Abita brewery in Louisiana. My experience with their beers actually goes back 25+ years, though I only saw their Maibock variety a few months ago. That said, it came out swinging, hard, when I first tried it. In this comparison it brought the fight. It is very close to 1906, the difference between the two coming down to minor dimensions of taste. The 1906 has a more tart, malty flavor; while the Mardi Gras Bock is sweeter. I could go either way on which I prefer overall.

Next I tried the beers with food. I tried them both with a snack of lightly salted cashews and a meal of grilled steak. Here I thought the 1906's maltier flavor would excel, but to the contrary the Mardi Gras Bock pulled ahead. The 1906's flavor remained what it was opposite the food. It tasted like 1906 every sip. The Mardi Gras, by contrast, remained rich and enjoyable but melded better with the flavors of the food. It's like a talented pianist who accompanies a violin player beautifully in a duet versus one who tries to show them up. Again, though, this is a fine distinction. Both are great piani— I mean, Maibocks.

Bottom line, Mardi Gras Bock wins by a nose.