Daily post

 I didn't feel like writing much this evening. Earlier today, I was feeling a little tight about my court date. I say "a little tight" because of my past experiences dealing with law enforcement, or rather, them dealing with me, and the courts. My Uber driver picked me up and whisked me away to the county district court building in downtown Cedar Rapids. The court is set on a jut of land in the middle of the Cedar River connected by two bridge spans. The building is large and imposing, but also beautiful to look at. Ok, I'm not here as a tourist.

     I got there not knowing what to expect from the court because I'm not a lawyer, lol. Anyhow, after checking in with the sheriff deputies manning the entrance (they were very nice. I guess they're not all troglodytes. I made my way downstairs past a few people, applied for a public defender for the third time, and sat down to write out the application. Of course, I had to sit next to this guy that reeked of B.O. Just my luck. Mouth-breathing, I finished the application, and sat back down away from the smelly guy, and waited until the 10 am court session to start.

     I looked at my iPhone and it was 10 am—time to start. I expected an old, fat sheriff about to be put out to pasture to appear at the door entry announcing that court was in session. And nothing. Nada. I was like, "What's going on here?" So, I waited a few minutes longer, and still no old fat, armed sheriff appeared. So, at this point, I walked into the courtroom by myself. I was surprised to find it was a small room just a little bigger than my living room, with a few seats and no one sitting in them.

     Asking for help, a guy listened to me for a second, walks back over to the administrator, and the administrator behind the bench (no judge) motioned me over. We had a conversation of not more than two minutes. He leans over to his court clerk, tells her to type up some kind of paperwork thing, and I walked out of there with a continuance till February. It was a surprisingly laid-back experience.

     So, I catch another expensive Uber ride and come home. Now, what's the takeaway from this? I think it's simply that the worst possible things that could happen are really in my head and not reality. Things aren't so bad in early sobriety after all. The cravings after I walked out of that building came on strong—I don't know why, but I didn't stop by the liquor store for that first drink. I got home and spent the rest of my day applying for jobs, preparing for job interviews, playing with Fred and Ethel (my Chihuahuas), and doing a bunch of boring household stuff.

     Anyway, that's it for today, my fellow misfits, life does get better. Stay sober, stay clean, see you mañana.

Gabriel