I am really looking forward to this weekend. My cousin Brooke is getting married in Ohio. My mom and dad and a lot of the extended family will be there. I have always hated local weddings, most of your day (normally a Saturday) taken up by an event that is an "appearance" affair. Seems like you don't have enough time to do much in the morning, and then after the ceremony a long wait for photo's followed by a party where one should behave. By the time it's over, its too late to do anything else fun. Now this weekend's event is just the opposite of that. The wedding is at 5:30 in the evening (I like that) and it is out of town. (In Ohio). I will get there around three, leaving just enough time to dress up for the wedding. Then the event will take place, followed by time for me to see all of my favorite relatives. The event will be over early enough for me to spend a little quality time with my folks, before retiring for the evening. Sunday morning, enjoy a nice breakfast at my Uncle Bob's and Aunt Donna's house, then back on the road to home in the morning while traffic is still light. Should be a fun 16 hours in Ohio.
Well the last time we visited, I still had no good update on Rodz's attempt to immigrate to America. Well the worm has finally turned. Last Wednesday morning, I once again phoned the U.S. State Department to try and get an update on our missing case file. Well I was fortunate enough to speak to an articulate pleasant employee of the State Department. After reviewing my file, she was empathetic to the frustrations that I was sharing about the time the case was taking to move through the system, and the mystery of where the file had wandered off to. She was alarmed that the Abu Dhabi American Embassy had not responded to either email that the State Department had written asking for an update. She told me she would personally follow up and that if I hadn't heard from her within a couple of days to feel free to call back. Well she made me think that I finally was going to get some answers. In an amazing turn of events, the next day in Dubai, Rodz got a phone call from our Embassy scheduling her homeland security interview for Monday, June 30th at 8am. Rodz also got the official appointment letter via email. My new buddy from the State Department called and left me a message to congratulate us upon arriving at the last hurdle for Rodz's Immigration. So keep your fingers crossed that Rodz will be able to join me in July.
Let me apologize for the brevity of this update, I am fighting staying awake, and am not feeling clever or interesting. I am in the midst of making some serious career decisions that hopefully I can share with you in just a couple of short weeks. Thank goodness that we have emerged from such a harsh winter, I feel like things are starting to pop up like Roses....
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
No Worries - The US State Department is here to save the day,,,Sigh
I try my to come here twice a month to write something that may be funny and sometimes even insightful. I am opinionated (surprise) and a political creature, but I do realize that a lot of regular blog readers that check into see my drivel actually like to read my political rants. I also know that quite a few of you know me and just check-in to see how I am and read about my ongoing Rodz saga. Those friends would just as soon not hear my views on politics. Please try and understand that I try and make both of these groups smile (or cry) and entice you to return for another day. When I think about ending this blog, (I feel like it has become stale) I think that if and when Rodz does get here, there will be plenty of stories that make you smile, and a few that will moisten your eyes. So for now, we plod along.
Rodz calls the Abu Dhabi Embassy 2 or 3 times a month to see if she can schedule her final Immigration interview. She shares with me that they tell her to be patient and share with her that if she keeps calling she may end up at the back of the line. Well, Rodz Visa expired Feb. 28th (I have been assured that after her interview it will be extended for 60 days) and I have become irritated with the slow progress as we plod along (hard to believe I found two opportunities to use the word "plod" in this blog) in this process.
Well, as you may recall - I called the State Department in late February and found a helpful person that informed me that Rodz's case file left the Manila Embassy on Feb. 7th headed to Abu Dhabi by diplomatic pouch. I wrote an email about the case file to the Abu Dhabi Embassy on April 4th, I received a reply on April 7th that they didn't know where the file is. I called the State Department, they informed me that the file is MIA. I was promised that they would do a quick internal investigation and they would phone me by Monday, April 14th to update me. Well, the 14th has come and gone, and sadly, my government did not find an opportunity to contact me. The saga continues...
One of Rodz's favorite jokes with me is that she is "Mrs. Broke". I try and humor her by making fun of her extravagant lifestyle living in the poorest area of Dubai (Satwa) sharing a villa with 14 other Philippino's.
Well, I finally have found her weak spot. Rodz has a company van that picks her up every morning at 8 am, and takes her to work. That same van takes her home where she arrives 6 days a week at 10 pm. Incredibly long days. Well, I found out that so she can sleep an extra 45 minutes every day, by (when she has enough cash) taking a taxi to work. Now before that shocks you, one should realize that taxi's in Dubai are very affordable. Rodz says that a cab ride to her work cost her about 15 Dirhams (less than 4 dollars). I asked her how much she tipped the Pakistani cabbies and she said her fare is usually 14.5 to 14.75 Dirhams, but she lets the driver keep the change for a tip ...yes - that would be 8 cents. I think proper tipping will
be one of the first lessons that I will quickly have to share with Rodz when she arrives in America. Well this morning before I left for work, (Rodz and I were chatting on Skype) I told Rodz I was running late for work, and my taxi just arrived...Rodz wanted to know what happened to "our" car, and why am I taking a taxi. Well, Mrs. Broke took about 5 seconds before I got scolded for "teasing" her....(my new favorite hobby). We shared a chuckle, what a great way to start my day.
The first week in April, I made my annual pilgrimage to Atlanta for my fantasy baseball draft. I have been involved in this League for a quarter century. The guys that (12 of us) I compete with have become almost like family. Yes, a real family complete with dysfunctional uncle's...lol. I stayed with my college pal Danny and his lovely bride Laura. I had a first time in my life disaster just before I left their home to travel to St. Louis. I used the guest bathroom, and managed to clog the toilet. At the same embarrassing moment, the chain came undone inside the back of the toilet. Let me just say, a clogged toilet with the water running unchecked quickly turns into an embarrassing mess. Danny came and pretended he was a member of FEMA and helped stop the flood. The animals were approaching 2 by 2 as I fixed the tank. I hope that next time I visit, the wading pool is closed... I also crammed a Mexican dinner in with my friends Lee and Cheryl...hmmm, could that be related to my bathroom adventure at Danny's? Ok, enough of my embarrassing moment. It was really nice seeing all of them.
On my way home to Springfield, I stopped into St. Louis for the
St. Louis Cardinals home opener against my Cincinnati Reds. I went with an old friend of mine that I worked with at SYSCO St. Louis. Steve and I withstood a cold, raw, and wet day. The company of my friend made the day a huge success. April started off well...
On May 3rd my cousin Brooke is getting married in Ohio. I was really looking forward to bringing Rodz with me to meet the extended family, Sadly, it looks like I am going solo now. Keep your fingers crossed that Rodz gets to enjoy her birthday on June 10th here in America. It's late, I need to get some sleep, or I might get up late and have to take a taxi to work...lol, take care see you in a couple of weeks!
Rodz calls the Abu Dhabi Embassy 2 or 3 times a month to see if she can schedule her final Immigration interview. She shares with me that they tell her to be patient and share with her that if she keeps calling she may end up at the back of the line. Well, Rodz Visa expired Feb. 28th (I have been assured that after her interview it will be extended for 60 days) and I have become irritated with the slow progress as we plod along (hard to believe I found two opportunities to use the word "plod" in this blog) in this process.
Well, as you may recall - I called the State Department in late February and found a helpful person that informed me that Rodz's case file left the Manila Embassy on Feb. 7th headed to Abu Dhabi by diplomatic pouch. I wrote an email about the case file to the Abu Dhabi Embassy on April 4th, I received a reply on April 7th that they didn't know where the file is. I called the State Department, they informed me that the file is MIA. I was promised that they would do a quick internal investigation and they would phone me by Monday, April 14th to update me. Well, the 14th has come and gone, and sadly, my government did not find an opportunity to contact me. The saga continues...
One of Rodz's favorite jokes with me is that she is "Mrs. Broke". I try and humor her by making fun of her extravagant lifestyle living in the poorest area of Dubai (Satwa) sharing a villa with 14 other Philippino's.
Well, I finally have found her weak spot. Rodz has a company van that picks her up every morning at 8 am, and takes her to work. That same van takes her home where she arrives 6 days a week at 10 pm. Incredibly long days. Well, I found out that so she can sleep an extra 45 minutes every day, by (when she has enough cash) taking a taxi to work. Now before that shocks you, one should realize that taxi's in Dubai are very affordable. Rodz says that a cab ride to her work cost her about 15 Dirhams (less than 4 dollars). I asked her how much she tipped the Pakistani cabbies and she said her fare is usually 14.5 to 14.75 Dirhams, but she lets the driver keep the change for a tip ...yes - that would be 8 cents. I think proper tipping will
be one of the first lessons that I will quickly have to share with Rodz when she arrives in America. Well this morning before I left for work, (Rodz and I were chatting on Skype) I told Rodz I was running late for work, and my taxi just arrived...Rodz wanted to know what happened to "our" car, and why am I taking a taxi. Well, Mrs. Broke took about 5 seconds before I got scolded for "teasing" her....(my new favorite hobby). We shared a chuckle, what a great way to start my day.
The first week in April, I made my annual pilgrimage to Atlanta for my fantasy baseball draft. I have been involved in this League for a quarter century. The guys that (12 of us) I compete with have become almost like family. Yes, a real family complete with dysfunctional uncle's...lol. I stayed with my college pal Danny and his lovely bride Laura. I had a first time in my life disaster just before I left their home to travel to St. Louis. I used the guest bathroom, and managed to clog the toilet. At the same embarrassing moment, the chain came undone inside the back of the toilet. Let me just say, a clogged toilet with the water running unchecked quickly turns into an embarrassing mess. Danny came and pretended he was a member of FEMA and helped stop the flood. The animals were approaching 2 by 2 as I fixed the tank. I hope that next time I visit, the wading pool is closed... I also crammed a Mexican dinner in with my friends Lee and Cheryl...hmmm, could that be related to my bathroom adventure at Danny's? Ok, enough of my embarrassing moment. It was really nice seeing all of them.
On my way home to Springfield, I stopped into St. Louis for the
St. Louis Cardinals home opener against my Cincinnati Reds. I went with an old friend of mine that I worked with at SYSCO St. Louis. Steve and I withstood a cold, raw, and wet day. The company of my friend made the day a huge success. April started off well...
On May 3rd my cousin Brooke is getting married in Ohio. I was really looking forward to bringing Rodz with me to meet the extended family, Sadly, it looks like I am going solo now. Keep your fingers crossed that Rodz gets to enjoy her birthday on June 10th here in America. It's late, I need to get some sleep, or I might get up late and have to take a taxi to work...lol, take care see you in a couple of weeks!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
One Quick Year
It was just one year ago last week that I ended my 3 year journey to Dubai and returned to the USA. I can honestly say not a day goes by that I don't converse with someone from the UAE or fondly tell stories to my friends and colleagues here about the time I spent on the other side of the world. It is funny how we tend to remember the good times more than we remember the struggles.
Later this week, I am traveling to Atlanta for my fantasy baseball league draft. Here I am, a 51 year old, and my avocation is fantasy baseball. I have been a part of this same league for 25 years. I am far from the oldest, as several of the guys are my senior. I had planned on flying Rodz into Atlanta the day after my draft...sadly, well you know. I actually received an update from the Abu Dhabi Embassy yesterday. As you may recall, the State Department informed me in late February that Rodz's case file was sent by "diplomatic Pouch" from the Philippines to Abu Dhabi on February 7th. Rodz is still waiting for the Embassy to call and schedule her Homeland Security interview, which thankfully is the last step to immigrating to America. Well, I thought I would send an official inquiry to see what the holdup was at the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Sadly, I got a reply yesterday. They have not received the case file in Abu Dhabi. I called the State Department, they said to be patient. Patience is a virtue that I am running dreadfully short of.
My new account in Kansas City is up and running. I am really excited about the opportunity that lies ahead. They are planning on opening a new location every other month.
Later this week, I am traveling to Atlanta for my fantasy baseball league draft. Here I am, a 51 year old, and my avocation is fantasy baseball. I have been a part of this same league for 25 years. I am far from the oldest, as several of the guys are my senior. I had planned on flying Rodz into Atlanta the day after my draft...sadly, well you know. I actually received an update from the Abu Dhabi Embassy yesterday. As you may recall, the State Department informed me in late February that Rodz's case file was sent by "diplomatic Pouch" from the Philippines to Abu Dhabi on February 7th. Rodz is still waiting for the Embassy to call and schedule her Homeland Security interview, which thankfully is the last step to immigrating to America. Well, I thought I would send an official inquiry to see what the holdup was at the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Sadly, I got a reply yesterday. They have not received the case file in Abu Dhabi. I called the State Department, they said to be patient. Patience is a virtue that I am running dreadfully short of.
My new account in Kansas City is up and running. I am really excited about the opportunity that lies ahead. They are planning on opening a new location every other month.
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| Fenway Steakburger March 2014 |
Let's keep our fingers crossed that I can keep them happy and loyal as they grow.
My real exciting adventure for April is not my traveling to Atlanta. I have tickets to opening day in St. Louis next Monday, to watch my Cincinnati Reds hopefully beat my second favorite team the St. Louis Cardinals. I am going with one of my best friends from my SYSCO St. Louis days, Steve Reznikov. Steve loves the Cardinals and we should share a lot of good natured bantering. He is one of my favorite people, and has a great sense of humor. He also shares my loathing of post game traffic, so it will be interesting how late we stay. I also have to drive the over 3 hours home to Springfield after the game, since I have to work on Tuesday.
I sadly have not much else to share today. I hope that you are enjoying opening week of baseball like I am. Maybe, just maybe our government will find Rodz's file, then I can hopefully give you a better update on tax day. Take care and God Bless!
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Hurry Up and Wait...
Is it just me, or is the world a mess - at least from an American perspective. We have civil war in Syria and Iraq. Egypt is quickly becoming a non-ally. Iran is progressing along on their path to developing nuclear weapons. North Korea is flexing their muscle, threatening to destabilize the world. Russia has annexed part of the Ukraine and is poised to grab more Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile our allies are not as supportive as they used to be...the UAE and Saudi Arabia are unhappy with how the US has handled themselves in both Syria and with Iran. Other allies like Great Britain, have suddenly found their own voice and are not as supportive of American Leadership as they have been in the past 50 years. Five years ago Americans were promised by our President that he would usher in a new era of respect from the worlds leaders. So after touring the world, apologizing for our past transactions, we now are less respected and viewed as feckless and a paper tiger on the World Stage. I learned from many of my Arab friends, that their culture respects strength, not unilateral kindness. Hopefully, this down ward spiraling of American Leadership and relevance can be halted and reversed by our next President. Freedom and safety in the World is dependent upon a strong America...
Speaking of strong Americans, my confidence in our legal immigration is wavering. I wish I had a positive update in Rodz's attempt to legally immigrate to America. I have no update, except that my patience is shot... Hopefully, the long wait will be over soon. Rodz is much more patient than me, but sadly she is stuck in the cycle of a working Philippine lady in Dubai. She says, "work - home, home - work, it's all I have"... of course, it makes me feel helpless in my efforts to help her immigrate and fundamentally change her life. Please keep us in your prayers.
Speaking of prayers being answered, winter is winding down and my favorite sport of baseball is back. By the next blog in 2 weeks, the games will have begun. As you may recall, I am a huge Reds fan, and I am once again optimistic that my team will have a great year and win the World Series. I am traveling to Atlanta the first week of April to see my baseball buddies and participate in my fantasy baseball draft (as I have since 1989). Baseball has given me countless hours of entertainment over the years, and during my homesick times in the UAE, being able to watch games at 4:30 in the morning, helped to keep me sane.
Vinny and I spoke last week, he starts a new job in the UAE this Sunday. Kumail has also started a new job, it pleases me that my old friends are landing on their feet. Joseph is running his own company, and they are all doing great. I also chatted with Suresh this month, he still is working very hard for Barakat. I miss all of those guys (my Indian pals) -of course don't forget Muzzy. One of my new customers here in Missouri is an Indian Lady (from Mumbai) named Jay. I have to admit, that my understanding of her is probably much better from the experience I gained working with my Indian brethren in the UAE. We live in a small world.
I shamefully have to admit, that when I saw that this Malaysian Airliner went missing in the Bay of Bengal, that I suspect that it landed in Southern India in RK's hometown...lol. Of course, I am not serious, but I do find myself fascinated with the riddle of what happened to the plane.
Time to start my weekend, but I will check back next week, hopefully with progress on Rodz's attempt to join me here in America. Thank you for checking in, and I hope your March ends on a high note.
Speaking of strong Americans, my confidence in our legal immigration is wavering. I wish I had a positive update in Rodz's attempt to legally immigrate to America. I have no update, except that my patience is shot... Hopefully, the long wait will be over soon. Rodz is much more patient than me, but sadly she is stuck in the cycle of a working Philippine lady in Dubai. She says, "work - home, home - work, it's all I have"... of course, it makes me feel helpless in my efforts to help her immigrate and fundamentally change her life. Please keep us in your prayers.
Speaking of prayers being answered, winter is winding down and my favorite sport of baseball is back. By the next blog in 2 weeks, the games will have begun. As you may recall, I am a huge Reds fan, and I am once again optimistic that my team will have a great year and win the World Series. I am traveling to Atlanta the first week of April to see my baseball buddies and participate in my fantasy baseball draft (as I have since 1989). Baseball has given me countless hours of entertainment over the years, and during my homesick times in the UAE, being able to watch games at 4:30 in the morning, helped to keep me sane.
Vinny and I spoke last week, he starts a new job in the UAE this Sunday. Kumail has also started a new job, it pleases me that my old friends are landing on their feet. Joseph is running his own company, and they are all doing great. I also chatted with Suresh this month, he still is working very hard for Barakat. I miss all of those guys (my Indian pals) -of course don't forget Muzzy. One of my new customers here in Missouri is an Indian Lady (from Mumbai) named Jay. I have to admit, that my understanding of her is probably much better from the experience I gained working with my Indian brethren in the UAE. We live in a small world.
I shamefully have to admit, that when I saw that this Malaysian Airliner went missing in the Bay of Bengal, that I suspect that it landed in Southern India in RK's hometown...lol. Of course, I am not serious, but I do find myself fascinated with the riddle of what happened to the plane.
Time to start my weekend, but I will check back next week, hopefully with progress on Rodz's attempt to join me here in America. Thank you for checking in, and I hope your March ends on a high note.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Tragic week in my nice City
Springfield, Missouri is the perfect sized city for me. The population is a little more than 150,000 people, and it has a good mixture of dining establishments. It is about a three hour drive up I-44 to St. Louis, and Kansas City is a tad bit closer to the Northwest. It is the perfect size city, with the big cities close enough to enjoy. Last week this city was shaken to its foundation. Hayley, a ten year old girl that lived within 10 minutes of my home was abducted in broad daylight. It was 4:45 in the afternoon, and there were witnesses. A man pulled up in a gold truck, asked her for directions, then grabbed her and pulled her into the pick up truck. One of the neighbors chased in his car, while the others called the police. They had the license plate, a description of the gold truck, and a detailed account of the man that grabbed the little child. The Amber alert went out, within two hours they had arrested the man finding 10 year old Hayley with a bullet in the back of her head, her life snuffed out by evil. It was a sobering evening, followed by a couple of weeks that a grieving community was left to try and make sense out of the tragic crime. It was a sobering week in small town America.
I wish I had better news to report on the Rodz front, but the good news is that there is an update. I talked to Sarah at the State Department on this past Wednesday. She informed me, that Rodz's immigration file was shipped in a "Diplomatic pouch" from the Philippine's to Abu Dhabi on February 7th. Well, then she informed me that the Diplomatic pouch would take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive. It looks like March will be another month of waiting. My good friend Vineet (you remember Vinny the Pooh) has agreed to drive Rodz to Abu Dhabi for her interview when it finally gets scheduled. I guess we are making progress, just feels painfully slow. Poor Rodz had to go to the Iranian hospital in Dubai where she was treated for a respitory infection.
She keeps plodding along, patience is a virtue that she seems to have much more of than me.
The big trade show happened last week in Dubai, and I heard from several of my old friends in the UAE. It was a year ago last week that I gave my 30 day notice, and began the process of coming home to America. I am so happy that the harsh winter is winding down, the return of spring training baseball games as a harbinger of what is to come.
I feel like I am in a rut with work, but I am very happy that another new chain came on board for me. Fenway Steakburger received their opening order last week, and I am very excited to have been a big part of the first one. Finally, the really depressing news. My BMI is 29. That may not sound like horrific news to you, but to qualify for the lowest rate of insurance I now have to attend four weeks of fat class. The next four Wednesdays I will be amongst the heavy weights at work, where they will try and convince me that Lucky Charms is not good for you. All I can say is....Sigh.
See you in two weeks, with a hopefully lighter blog.
I wish I had better news to report on the Rodz front, but the good news is that there is an update. I talked to Sarah at the State Department on this past Wednesday. She informed me, that Rodz's immigration file was shipped in a "Diplomatic pouch" from the Philippine's to Abu Dhabi on February 7th. Well, then she informed me that the Diplomatic pouch would take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive. It looks like March will be another month of waiting. My good friend Vineet (you remember Vinny the Pooh) has agreed to drive Rodz to Abu Dhabi for her interview when it finally gets scheduled. I guess we are making progress, just feels painfully slow. Poor Rodz had to go to the Iranian hospital in Dubai where she was treated for a respitory infection.
She keeps plodding along, patience is a virtue that she seems to have much more of than me.
The big trade show happened last week in Dubai, and I heard from several of my old friends in the UAE. It was a year ago last week that I gave my 30 day notice, and began the process of coming home to America. I am so happy that the harsh winter is winding down, the return of spring training baseball games as a harbinger of what is to come.
I feel like I am in a rut with work, but I am very happy that another new chain came on board for me. Fenway Steakburger received their opening order last week, and I am very excited to have been a big part of the first one. Finally, the really depressing news. My BMI is 29. That may not sound like horrific news to you, but to qualify for the lowest rate of insurance I now have to attend four weeks of fat class. The next four Wednesdays I will be amongst the heavy weights at work, where they will try and convince me that Lucky Charms is not good for you. All I can say is....Sigh.
See you in two weeks, with a hopefully lighter blog.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
You mean being Hung is a bad thing?
Since we last chatted, I had the privilege that few people in the world get to experience, I was the member of the Greene County Missouri Jury. I was juror number 4 in a class 1 felony Drug trafficking trial. One of my fellow jurors worked for a competitor and secretly snapped this picture of me and sent it to a work friend asking more about me...hmmm - don't know what information he was hoping to glean...
My fellow Americans, please allow me to explain jury duty to our International blog readers. I know it is a somewhat foreign concept as I still think Rodz thinks I did something wrong in my trying to explain to her about the trial at the courthouse. I can hardly wait to share the funnies that we can look forward to during Rodz's upcoming invasion of America. She is very happy that I am not in jail...lol!
In America, if we are charged with a crime, we have a right to have our guilt or innocence decided by our fellow community members. If you are a registered voter you can be randomly asked to serve on a jury. The attorneys and the judge ask questions of the potential jurors until they agree on 12 of them to hear the testimony of the trial. After hearing both sides, the jury meets behind closed doors to decide the guilt or innocence of the accused by unanimously agreeing. If the defendant (the accused) is found not guilty they are free to immediately leave as a free person, but if the jury convicts the defendant they are sentenced to serve the penalty prescribed for the crime.
In my trial, a truck driver from Southern California was caught driving his 18 wheeler (54 ft truck) with 1.4 million dollars worth of Marijuana (20 boxes - 500 lbs of Skunk 1 weed and 2 cleaned leaving only the oily buds -the potent stuff). The Police found it in the trailer hidden behind surplus janitorial supplies. The driver owned the truck, admitted he loaded the truck but he claimed he didn't know what was in the boxes. In testimony, it was determined he had owned the truck for 18 months when he was caught - starting a new career as an Interstate driver. He drove 7 round trips between two non existent companies. He even drove the truck "deadhead" (no cargo)across the country on a couple of the trips. His Bills of Lading were filled out, but no one signed for the goods. Even though they were COD orders he had no evidence that he was paid on these trips to New Jersey. The penalty for class 1 felony trafficking can be life in prison with no parole. Sounds like an easy case to adjudicate. Not so fast...
I had the honor (or burden) of being chosen to be the foreman of the jury. It became my responsibility to lead the deliberations and maintain order in the jury room. We discussed the facts for about an hour and then took a vote - it was 6 guilty, 5 not guilty and one undecided. We went through the facts and after another 4 hours we voted again and it was 10 guilty and 2 not guilty. The sides were pretty entrenched. We asked to see some of the evidence and spent quite a bit of time trying to persuade the 2 jurors (they also tried to persuade the 10 of us that the accused was not guilty). One of the 2 refusing to convict was a lady in her 40's that was married to a truck driver. She kept saying things like "what if it was my husband being accused" and extolling the virtues of good honest truck drivers. It was hard to reason with her. The other was the youngest of our jury, he was in his 20's and made it clear he didn't want to talk about the facts, he was not going to convict the driver of marijuana trafficking possibly sending him to prison for the rest of his life. I didn't share it with my fellow jurors, but I did think about the 2 men that were arrested in Abu Dhabi for selling 20 grams of marijuana and sentenced to death.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/9357655/British-man-facing-death-penalty-in-Abu-Dhabi.html
It is an interesting world. The judge sent us home at 10 pm and we had to be back at it shortly after 8 am the next morning. Nobody had changed their mind, and eventually at 3 pm the judge called us in where we told him we were "deadlocked" and we became a "hung" jury. It wasn't very satisfying, and I felt a level of frustration that I was the foreman of a hung jury. We met afterwards with the judge and then with the attorney's where it became painfully obvious that he was guilty and it was so egregious that the prosecutors said they would definitely retry him. The judge had a hard time understanding the two holdouts sharing that the facts were obvious. What a tough week. I hope that justice eventually prevails...
Speaking of tough weeks, Rodz was feeling especially down this week. She wore an all black outfit to work on Valentines day and we chatted more than usual. She did talk to the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi last Monday, and they told her if she didn't hear from them in the next 10 days to call back. The only step she has left in our quest to have her immigrate to America is the Homeland Security clearance. I tease her about flying to Mexico and swimming across the border, but she says she is afraid to swim across the river...If it wasn't so frustrating it would be laughable. Hopefully I will have real news about her immigration when I update you on March 1st.
My new account in Kansas City is finally getting their opening order on Monday. It will be great to bring a new chain on board. The last tidbit of information is regarding my parents. On Valentines Day they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. When I called her she shared that she had been married more than half of her life..lol...I'd say. I asked her what the traditional 60th anniversary gift is (diamonds) she said she didn't know, so I informed her it was denture cream...we shared a nice chuckle. I know she is a faithful reader of this blog...So one last time, Happy Anniversary!
Sorry that I was a day late on this blog, I will strive to be on time in a couple of weeks from now. Have a great rest of February!
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| Jury Duty Feb. 2014 |
In America, if we are charged with a crime, we have a right to have our guilt or innocence decided by our fellow community members. If you are a registered voter you can be randomly asked to serve on a jury. The attorneys and the judge ask questions of the potential jurors until they agree on 12 of them to hear the testimony of the trial. After hearing both sides, the jury meets behind closed doors to decide the guilt or innocence of the accused by unanimously agreeing. If the defendant (the accused) is found not guilty they are free to immediately leave as a free person, but if the jury convicts the defendant they are sentenced to serve the penalty prescribed for the crime.
In my trial, a truck driver from Southern California was caught driving his 18 wheeler (54 ft truck) with 1.4 million dollars worth of Marijuana (20 boxes - 500 lbs of Skunk 1 weed and 2 cleaned leaving only the oily buds -the potent stuff). The Police found it in the trailer hidden behind surplus janitorial supplies. The driver owned the truck, admitted he loaded the truck but he claimed he didn't know what was in the boxes. In testimony, it was determined he had owned the truck for 18 months when he was caught - starting a new career as an Interstate driver. He drove 7 round trips between two non existent companies. He even drove the truck "deadhead" (no cargo)across the country on a couple of the trips. His Bills of Lading were filled out, but no one signed for the goods. Even though they were COD orders he had no evidence that he was paid on these trips to New Jersey. The penalty for class 1 felony trafficking can be life in prison with no parole. Sounds like an easy case to adjudicate. Not so fast...
I had the honor (or burden) of being chosen to be the foreman of the jury. It became my responsibility to lead the deliberations and maintain order in the jury room. We discussed the facts for about an hour and then took a vote - it was 6 guilty, 5 not guilty and one undecided. We went through the facts and after another 4 hours we voted again and it was 10 guilty and 2 not guilty. The sides were pretty entrenched. We asked to see some of the evidence and spent quite a bit of time trying to persuade the 2 jurors (they also tried to persuade the 10 of us that the accused was not guilty). One of the 2 refusing to convict was a lady in her 40's that was married to a truck driver. She kept saying things like "what if it was my husband being accused" and extolling the virtues of good honest truck drivers. It was hard to reason with her. The other was the youngest of our jury, he was in his 20's and made it clear he didn't want to talk about the facts, he was not going to convict the driver of marijuana trafficking possibly sending him to prison for the rest of his life. I didn't share it with my fellow jurors, but I did think about the 2 men that were arrested in Abu Dhabi for selling 20 grams of marijuana and sentenced to death.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/9357655/British-man-facing-death-penalty-in-Abu-Dhabi.html
It is an interesting world. The judge sent us home at 10 pm and we had to be back at it shortly after 8 am the next morning. Nobody had changed their mind, and eventually at 3 pm the judge called us in where we told him we were "deadlocked" and we became a "hung" jury. It wasn't very satisfying, and I felt a level of frustration that I was the foreman of a hung jury. We met afterwards with the judge and then with the attorney's where it became painfully obvious that he was guilty and it was so egregious that the prosecutors said they would definitely retry him. The judge had a hard time understanding the two holdouts sharing that the facts were obvious. What a tough week. I hope that justice eventually prevails...
Speaking of tough weeks, Rodz was feeling especially down this week. She wore an all black outfit to work on Valentines day and we chatted more than usual. She did talk to the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi last Monday, and they told her if she didn't hear from them in the next 10 days to call back. The only step she has left in our quest to have her immigrate to America is the Homeland Security clearance. I tease her about flying to Mexico and swimming across the border, but she says she is afraid to swim across the river...If it wasn't so frustrating it would be laughable. Hopefully I will have real news about her immigration when I update you on March 1st.
My new account in Kansas City is finally getting their opening order on Monday. It will be great to bring a new chain on board. The last tidbit of information is regarding my parents. On Valentines Day they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. When I called her she shared that she had been married more than half of her life..lol...I'd say. I asked her what the traditional 60th anniversary gift is (diamonds) she said she didn't know, so I informed her it was denture cream...we shared a nice chuckle. I know she is a faithful reader of this blog...So one last time, Happy Anniversary!
Sorry that I was a day late on this blog, I will strive to be on time in a couple of weeks from now. Have a great rest of February!
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Our Friend - Bahama Bob!
This coming Monday, I am reporting to the Greene County Courthouse for Jury Duty. I served as a jury foreman about 20 years ago in Cobb County Georgia. The whole courtroom experience is as exciting as it is troubling. I remember being frustrated (it was a felony drug trial) that what I felt were obvious questions that should have been asked of the witnesses were never asked, and also feeling saddened for the defendant that we convicted as I watched his hapless Public Defender try and defend his client. I probably won't get picked, but I am hoping there will be a tale to tell.
I got a surprise phone call last week from my old pal Muzzy. He was here touring IFG in Florida, then attending CAB school in bone chilling cold Cleveland, Ohio. Muzzy hates the cold, so I was amused by his chattering on about how he couldn't get warm. We spoke twice while he was here and I got lot of good updates on my friends in the UAE. I am a little homesick for my friends on the other side of the world - I wish I could talk with all of them...It is weird to have so many people that I grew so close to, and now realizing that I may not ever see any of them again...Let's hope that I do get to visit with them again...
Well my friend and former boss Bob Green just got a second opportunity of a lifetime. He has been hired to be the Vice President of the newly SYSCO acquired Bahaman OPCO. He begins his new opportunity in Mid February, and Sandy and him are obviously excited. I have spoken with him a few times (is the Bahamas in my career Future? - Rodz is hoping...lol) and I am really happy for him. The Greens now have a wonderful opportunity to set themselves up for a nice retirement. They are planning on selling their Atlanta home and move as a couple to the Bahamas. I am sure they will be happy living in the Caribbean paradise.
Speaking of Rodz, when I get to talk with some of you, the first thing that I am asked is "What's up with Rodz?" Well, it seems like nothing is moving as fast as I would like. She received an email on Monday from the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi, saying that they had requested her Immigration file from the American Embassy in Manila and they would contact her to set up her interview in Abu Dhabi once the file is received. I am hopeful that they will call her next week and hopefully set her interview up for Mid-February. If her Immigration to America is approved, she could literally be here within a week. Let's hope that we get good news for Valentines day.
My best friend Fred and his bride Debbie have got a contract to buy a home in Palm Beach, Florida. They are scheduled to close on their house in early March. It will be fun to fly to Florida and visit with them. Fred seems to revel in telling me how he is driving home from work with his AC on. He has a short memory on who has a bragging right on winter air conditioning use. This time last year I was living in Sandoval Gardens in Dubai, my air conditioning running almost 24/7.
Of course, winter is about to bite my butt here in Springfield with three new snow storms forecasted to hit here in the next 7 days....I wonder if anybody will be kind and shovel this old man's drive...lol. Stay dry wherever you are reading this blog from...Sorry that the blog this week is so brief with no pictures. Just think of the fun stories to come with Rodz forthcoming American experience, See you on Valentines day!
I got a surprise phone call last week from my old pal Muzzy. He was here touring IFG in Florida, then attending CAB school in bone chilling cold Cleveland, Ohio. Muzzy hates the cold, so I was amused by his chattering on about how he couldn't get warm. We spoke twice while he was here and I got lot of good updates on my friends in the UAE. I am a little homesick for my friends on the other side of the world - I wish I could talk with all of them...It is weird to have so many people that I grew so close to, and now realizing that I may not ever see any of them again...Let's hope that I do get to visit with them again...
Well my friend and former boss Bob Green just got a second opportunity of a lifetime. He has been hired to be the Vice President of the newly SYSCO acquired Bahaman OPCO. He begins his new opportunity in Mid February, and Sandy and him are obviously excited. I have spoken with him a few times (is the Bahamas in my career Future? - Rodz is hoping...lol) and I am really happy for him. The Greens now have a wonderful opportunity to set themselves up for a nice retirement. They are planning on selling their Atlanta home and move as a couple to the Bahamas. I am sure they will be happy living in the Caribbean paradise.
Speaking of Rodz, when I get to talk with some of you, the first thing that I am asked is "What's up with Rodz?" Well, it seems like nothing is moving as fast as I would like. She received an email on Monday from the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi, saying that they had requested her Immigration file from the American Embassy in Manila and they would contact her to set up her interview in Abu Dhabi once the file is received. I am hopeful that they will call her next week and hopefully set her interview up for Mid-February. If her Immigration to America is approved, she could literally be here within a week. Let's hope that we get good news for Valentines day.
My best friend Fred and his bride Debbie have got a contract to buy a home in Palm Beach, Florida. They are scheduled to close on their house in early March. It will be fun to fly to Florida and visit with them. Fred seems to revel in telling me how he is driving home from work with his AC on. He has a short memory on who has a bragging right on winter air conditioning use. This time last year I was living in Sandoval Gardens in Dubai, my air conditioning running almost 24/7.
Of course, winter is about to bite my butt here in Springfield with three new snow storms forecasted to hit here in the next 7 days....I wonder if anybody will be kind and shovel this old man's drive...lol. Stay dry wherever you are reading this blog from...Sorry that the blog this week is so brief with no pictures. Just think of the fun stories to come with Rodz forthcoming American experience, See you on Valentines day!
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