New bloggers, welcome!

Oh! Such an exciting day!

First, welcome to the readers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal -- I was delighted to see my sister quoted in the Online Guy's weekly column, and even more surprised to see my blog linked through Al's blog. Hey, y'all!!!! I hope you don't mind my back-country blogging too much; I know you are all accustomed to the bright lights and mind-altering attractions of Sin City. It's a little slower here, a little more dim, but very nice nonetheless, and you're all very welcome. I confess, Las Vegas holds one of my favorite people -- my sister Amy. She's my best friend, so if you meet her, be sure to tell her to move home, would you? I would appreciate it!

Furthermore, if you're currently in Las Vegas, you need to know that I am absolutely obsessed with Fat Burger milkshakes. Oh -- the best beverage on earth! Go have one for me, and then come back to my blog and tell me all about it. Pictures are welcome!!!! My last LV trip is in the January archives. I hope to be there again in February, when the Craft Hobbies of America professional organization will be holding its winter 2006 trade show there. If you happen to be attending, too, I'll be the chick with the press pass and the Fat Burger milkshake surgically attached to her hand!

Now, as for the rest of my Monday, I went to court this morning. Why? I can't tell you. The summons specifically said I can only tell judges, lawyers, and my employer that I was summoned for [blank blank]. I took an oath and promised not to smack anyone and to try to behave as if I were a responsible citizen who takes her civic duty seriously, and I intend to do just that..... At 9:00 Tuesday morning when I return for [blank].

Until then, I have every intention of laughing about the last time I was summoned for [blank blank], from which I was excused because my mother-in-law works for an insurance agent. One lawyer asked if anyone was related to anyone in the insurance industry, and I was the only person who raised her hand. The other lawyer asked if I got along with my mother-in-law, at which point I snorted audibly. Both lawyers kicked me out of the courtroom. That was five years ago.

I actually *do* get along with my mother-in-law. She's a very nice lady who raised a great guy to whom I've been married for more than 18 years. But we don't have a lot in common -- and the insurance industry as a whole is one of the points on which we disagree. I think the insurance industry is eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil. It's second only to advertising as eeeeeeeeeeeevil in my book.

So I hope tomorrow's courtroom experience will be more fruitful than the one I had five years ago. I'm eager to do my civic duty. I think it's the least I can do, considering how silly some juries can be and have been recently. I think it would be refreshing to have a chick like myself to represent the calm, rational, kind portion of our citizenry -- don't you?

And of course, I think it would be refreshing if courtrooms came furnished with Fat Burger milkshakes. That would be *supremely* cool.