Going thru the big "D" and I don't mean Dallas!!

I spent the day at the King County Courthouse with my Daughter. She was there to observe a criminal trial, required for credit in Government class, I was there to atone for missing a status meeting with the court I didn't know I had. (Who knew there was a calendar at the back of the package they gave me on the day the paperwork was filed in August last year.- Oh, Wait! - I did, when I read it, but I forgot... oops!)

I needed to be in court at 9:30a, and not knowing where the heck I was headed, we decided to arrive early, pulling into the parking building at about 9:10a. The three story cement structure was very dark on the ground floor level, which we found very odd. There was no parking available on the street, so I drove on up to the second floor, found a spot, and spend a few minutes making sure the truck was positioned evenly between the lines.

The second floor of the garage has a sky bridge to the courthouse, and there were a large number of folks standing along the rail, smoking or talking on cellular phones. We entered the courthouse to find even more people lining the hall, sitting ~ standing ~ milling about, and still more folks filled the lobby.

Seems the power was out in the courthouse and the guards were not allowing anyone but court/state employees through the non-working metal detectors. I don't understand why... really. Pfht.

An announcement was made, and power was promised at 10:00a. We went back to the vehicle to wait out the electric in comfort, with tunes. At 9:55a we made our way back over the sky bridge to find the power had not been restored. We mingled with the masses, in the grey light of a rainy Northwest day, waiting. Then.. at 10 o'clock on the dot, the low hum of building systems powering up could be heard as lights began to flicker. The crowd cheered, and like livestock, people began to move into line to pass thru the metal detectors for their day in court.

We found what we thought was the correct room for my day in court after talking with the court clerk. As we waited outside there was a flurry of activity in the background to prepare and print calendars as the morning processes were stepped up to double time. Court clerks and advocates rush around in a flurry to post information and unlock doors.

We sat thru three different protection order hearings, and then the judge said they would recess until 1:30p. WHAT? I talked to the court clerk after the judge had returned to chambers and she told me we were in the wrong room. She told us the room she thought we should be in, so off we went to the other room. A case was being reviewed as we arrived so we slipped into the available seating until the next case was called, them I checked in with the clerk, but was again told I was in the wrong room. *sigh*

Third times the charm? Off we went, down the hall the last room on the right. I check in with the clerk, signed in, talked to the lawyer guy about what I still needed to do and what the judge wanted to know. We sat and waited while the judge handled three other cases and then I was up, last in line. *Yeah!*

I had some documents that still needed to be filed for the parenting plan, and a parenting class that the court required we take before the final decree could be filed. I'm not sure why a parenting class was required, my Daughter was 17 when the paperwork was filed last August, and would be the first one to tell them that she 'no longer needed parenting.' So I talked with the judge, set at date for the final decree after my Daughter's 18th birthday so the parenting plan and class would no longer be necessary. I filed the official paperwork to set June 12th as the day for the final decree and then it will be all over, and the new beginning can.. well, begin.

I think I'll check in with the clerks office in a couple weeks to make sure all the necessary documents are filed, so there is not more waiting.