I know many of us are now using social networks to keep connected with our family, friends, and colleagues. One of the things I've been learning about myself is that I LOVE to share. After cancer, you tend to really focus on the positives of life and try not to dwell on the negative. For me, I have enjoyed sharing my travels and my foodie adventures, quoting movies with friends and finding out who shares my quirky movie preferences, and even sharing some of my working life with friends and colleagues.
One of the OTHER things I've learned about myself is that I really believe in the old maxim about keeping your opinions about politics and religion private. It's not just that it really is a private thing, though I strongly believe this, it's also that if you are using social media, you never know how your friends will interpret your posts. Some people who may see your posts may have a differing opinion and may decide to take their work elsewhere, may end your friendly relationship. Is it worth it? I don't think so.
Then there's the third thing I've learned. I have an addictive personality. I love being on Facebook. I love seeing what my friends post and learning what's going on in their lives. Most of the time my Facebook page is open in the background and when I get to a break point in my work, I can escape and touch base with my friends.
After a day filled with political commentary that filled my wall, I decided to call a halt to my Facebook usage. I deactivated my account. I did it with little to no warning. It's been about 12 hours or so now, and I miss my friends. But I'm trying to think about the work that I need to get done, the things I can do AWAY from my computer (a bike ride? a deposition assignment? time out with my husband?) and I'm hoping that I can wean myself from my addiction. And get a lot more pages churned out.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
To the Students
I was at the convention in Philadelphia earlier this summer (August) and was interviewed by Marc SSteno Greenberg for his documentary called a Year in the Life (of a court reporter) - he's following Mark Kislingbury and other intrepid reporters who are on the quest to master 450 words per minute and firmly plant themselves in the Guiness Book of World Records.
Marc had me sit down and do the interview in his suite and asked me to tell about my special story - you have heard it before, about the NC Innocence Inquiry Commission - and then to give a message to students.
Here is the message:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/VMg64pzC_60
Marc had me sit down and do the interview in his suite and asked me to tell about my special story - you have heard it before, about the NC Innocence Inquiry Commission - and then to give a message to students.
Here is the message:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/VMg64pzC_60
Friday, September 21, 2012
Oops, I did it again
I got caught up in my life again. I was going to try and do better, and I let myself (and you?) down. I'm human. Fallible. Distractible. (able?) SQUIRREL!
It's been an even more interesting summer than spring, but in a better way. We've figured out most of my health issues and taken care of them surgically. Of course now I'm on the other side of the surgery dealing with hot flashes, poor sleep, and Vitamin D insufficiency. As Gilda Radner used to say (as Roseann Roseannadanna) "It's always somethin'."
My recovery period was a full eight weeks, which culminated in a trip to the NCRA annual convention in Philadelphia. Had a good time - only did the social events - shared a room with three friends, ate at GREAT restaurants, explored a little, and got my 'mojo' back with regard to volunteering.
Dove right back in with my big workload (my clients were glad I was back, I guess) and I started to prep for the voice realtime test. Apparently, however, my prep was insufficient, as I did NOT pass the exam. Not only did I not pass, I actually did WORSE than I had the last time (w/out practicing?! How does THAT happen?).
The next test is in October. I've gotten my Dragon 12 upgrade. I've set a RealtimeCoach practice schedule. And I've got some depositions in which I can start to really practice in 'real' mode. I want this. it can be done - this I know; three people have passed the realtime test this year. This is a good sign. I wanna be one of the next group to do so.
So I'm back in the saddle with not only this project, but others: working with the professor at Campbell Law School to have a 90-minute class with his 3L students on making a good record and working with court reporters; committee work for NCRA and NVRA; travel plans; and just all-round living and keeping up with my friends.
First things first, though; gotta get my Vitamin D today, so I'm going to sit on my deck and edit for a few hours. One of the great benefits of my particular job within the profession.
I'll be better. I will. See you soon.
It's been an even more interesting summer than spring, but in a better way. We've figured out most of my health issues and taken care of them surgically. Of course now I'm on the other side of the surgery dealing with hot flashes, poor sleep, and Vitamin D insufficiency. As Gilda Radner used to say (as Roseann Roseannadanna) "It's always somethin'."
My recovery period was a full eight weeks, which culminated in a trip to the NCRA annual convention in Philadelphia. Had a good time - only did the social events - shared a room with three friends, ate at GREAT restaurants, explored a little, and got my 'mojo' back with regard to volunteering.
Dove right back in with my big workload (my clients were glad I was back, I guess) and I started to prep for the voice realtime test. Apparently, however, my prep was insufficient, as I did NOT pass the exam. Not only did I not pass, I actually did WORSE than I had the last time (w/out practicing?! How does THAT happen?).
The next test is in October. I've gotten my Dragon 12 upgrade. I've set a RealtimeCoach practice schedule. And I've got some depositions in which I can start to really practice in 'real' mode. I want this. it can be done - this I know; three people have passed the realtime test this year. This is a good sign. I wanna be one of the next group to do so.
So I'm back in the saddle with not only this project, but others: working with the professor at Campbell Law School to have a 90-minute class with his 3L students on making a good record and working with court reporters; committee work for NCRA and NVRA; travel plans; and just all-round living and keeping up with my friends.
First things first, though; gotta get my Vitamin D today, so I'm going to sit on my deck and edit for a few hours. One of the great benefits of my particular job within the profession.
I'll be better. I will. See you soon.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Exercise and the hidden Gotcha!
One of the other things that has been in the forefront of my mind has been the need to be more active. With that in mind (in January) I decided that I needed a little more accountability in my fitness regimen, so I decided to join the local gym/wellness center.
I've always been pretty healthy (except for that cancer thing a dozen years back) and don't go to the doctor very often. Sadly, because I DID have that cancer thing, the facility wouldn't accept me until I got a doctor's release. (Sometimes being honest can be a pain in the patootie) Off I went to my GP's office. There they said, "You haven't been here in three years; in order for him to release you, we'll have to do a full physical." I decided to try elsewhere. Called the oncologist. Their office said, "He released you to your GP four years ago; we can't do this for you." I knew I couldn't go to my GYN because, well, I'd been MIA from there for about 15 months. But I did make an appointment.
Ended up going to the GP and getting a physical. Wherein he said, "You could lose a little weight." Um, Yeah, dude, that's why I'm trying to get you to release me. *headdesk* "Oh," he said, "have your GYN do a urinalysis." Okay. Went to the girl doc and she says, "Yep, you do have blood in urine. And you'll need to get an ultrasound done because, hey, by the way, you have fibroids."
HOLD THE PHONE! This bloaty feeling isn't from JUST sitting at my desk, not exercising, and enjoying my food?! Nice.
I get a referral to a urologist (still had pesky blood). Turns out THAT is okay, just my "normal" - and whoever said I was, anyway? - but that the CT showed the measurements. And so did the ultrasound. Let's just say if someone is missing a football, I know where it is.
Needless to say, medical stuff doesn't just go like clockwork and all the above 'work' that I did ended up taking about three months. Blogging DEFINITELY wasn't on the top of my to-do list. Heck, I was all freaked out there for a little while because I didn't want that cancer thing to come back, you know? And with all the urology stuff, well, that bothered me.
The good news is that I'm going to have surgery on June 25 to rectify the situation. Of course, I'll be down for a couple of weeks and on some very interesting pain meds (probably no blogging then, either), but I'll have to deal with it. Wait... the Tour de France starts on June 30. Yeah, I'll be fine.
But the REALLY good news is, after I get all this done, I can actually GO TO THE GYM!
I've always been pretty healthy (except for that cancer thing a dozen years back) and don't go to the doctor very often. Sadly, because I DID have that cancer thing, the facility wouldn't accept me until I got a doctor's release. (Sometimes being honest can be a pain in the patootie) Off I went to my GP's office. There they said, "You haven't been here in three years; in order for him to release you, we'll have to do a full physical." I decided to try elsewhere. Called the oncologist. Their office said, "He released you to your GP four years ago; we can't do this for you." I knew I couldn't go to my GYN because, well, I'd been MIA from there for about 15 months. But I did make an appointment.
Ended up going to the GP and getting a physical. Wherein he said, "You could lose a little weight." Um, Yeah, dude, that's why I'm trying to get you to release me. *headdesk* "Oh," he said, "have your GYN do a urinalysis." Okay. Went to the girl doc and she says, "Yep, you do have blood in urine. And you'll need to get an ultrasound done because, hey, by the way, you have fibroids."
HOLD THE PHONE! This bloaty feeling isn't from JUST sitting at my desk, not exercising, and enjoying my food?! Nice.
I get a referral to a urologist (still had pesky blood). Turns out THAT is okay, just my "normal" - and whoever said I was, anyway? - but that the CT showed the measurements. And so did the ultrasound. Let's just say if someone is missing a football, I know where it is.
Needless to say, medical stuff doesn't just go like clockwork and all the above 'work' that I did ended up taking about three months. Blogging DEFINITELY wasn't on the top of my to-do list. Heck, I was all freaked out there for a little while because I didn't want that cancer thing to come back, you know? And with all the urology stuff, well, that bothered me.
The good news is that I'm going to have surgery on June 25 to rectify the situation. Of course, I'll be down for a couple of weeks and on some very interesting pain meds (probably no blogging then, either), but I'll have to deal with it. Wait... the Tour de France starts on June 30. Yeah, I'll be fine.
But the REALLY good news is, after I get all this done, I can actually GO TO THE GYM!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Connectivity and Hobbies
So I told you all that I'd try to get some posts together about what I've been up to these past four months. First off, the whole FUN stuff thing.
I've posted before about how working as a court reporter can be a very lonely thing; we're the only one of US in the room when we're working. We're alone when we edit our transcripts. When we are together, though, is convention and, increasingly, on the Internet. Facebook has been an incredible boon for the court reporters that I know. It's allowed us to keep in touch with reporters we usually only see once a year at convention. It's allowed us the ability to "meet" new reporter "friends" in Facebook groups (Court Reporters Vent Here, Encouraging Court Reporting Students, Punctuation for Court Reporters... the list is HUGE!) and develop THOSE new relationships.
I had a cyber meet-up with a reporter in California about two years ago. Not sure exactly how we ended up "friends" on FB, but we are. Then I started seeing her posts and she mine (I'm profligate in my posting... I just have WAY TOO MUCH FUN with my life, be it work, vacation, life stories, or just silly observations and have to share!). Turns out that her husband is a semi-pro cyclist. We were commenting a LOT on Tour de France happenings and cyclists. One thing led to another and she posted in the fall (or maybe early spring?) that the Tour of California was coming through her home town and if we wanted to see something up close, we should come visit her. Remember, we've NEVER MET IN PERSON. We accepted her invitation.
Who does that? Invites people they've never met into their home for four nights? Turns out the four of us were completely simpatico - they're foodies and like a nice wine, not to mention the bike thing. It was a GREAT four days that included a start at Crissy Field in San Francisco, a roadside view of a mountain stage in Danville (Mount Diablo), and a finish in Livermore. For my husband and me, it was a bucket-list experience. For them, I don't know, but...
Anyway. What I'm trying to say is that when you get out and MEET PEOPLE, whether in real life or online, you have a chance to find people who have similar interests and you can really expand your experiences. Don't let this "solitary" work type that we have make you a hermit. Get out and MEET your fellow reporters. Each of us has a passion or two (or more) outside of court reporting. Find those reporters who share your passions and develop an even stronger bond than the language of steno.
Don't be afraid to spread your wings on the Internet, be it in message boards, Facebook, or professional networking sites. You'll be amazed at the relationships that can develop.
I've posted before about how working as a court reporter can be a very lonely thing; we're the only one of US in the room when we're working. We're alone when we edit our transcripts. When we are together, though, is convention and, increasingly, on the Internet. Facebook has been an incredible boon for the court reporters that I know. It's allowed us to keep in touch with reporters we usually only see once a year at convention. It's allowed us the ability to "meet" new reporter "friends" in Facebook groups (Court Reporters Vent Here, Encouraging Court Reporting Students, Punctuation for Court Reporters... the list is HUGE!) and develop THOSE new relationships.
I had a cyber meet-up with a reporter in California about two years ago. Not sure exactly how we ended up "friends" on FB, but we are. Then I started seeing her posts and she mine (I'm profligate in my posting... I just have WAY TOO MUCH FUN with my life, be it work, vacation, life stories, or just silly observations and have to share!). Turns out that her husband is a semi-pro cyclist. We were commenting a LOT on Tour de France happenings and cyclists. One thing led to another and she posted in the fall (or maybe early spring?) that the Tour of California was coming through her home town and if we wanted to see something up close, we should come visit her. Remember, we've NEVER MET IN PERSON. We accepted her invitation.
Who does that? Invites people they've never met into their home for four nights? Turns out the four of us were completely simpatico - they're foodies and like a nice wine, not to mention the bike thing. It was a GREAT four days that included a start at Crissy Field in San Francisco, a roadside view of a mountain stage in Danville (Mount Diablo), and a finish in Livermore. For my husband and me, it was a bucket-list experience. For them, I don't know, but...
Anyway. What I'm trying to say is that when you get out and MEET PEOPLE, whether in real life or online, you have a chance to find people who have similar interests and you can really expand your experiences. Don't let this "solitary" work type that we have make you a hermit. Get out and MEET your fellow reporters. Each of us has a passion or two (or more) outside of court reporting. Find those reporters who share your passions and develop an even stronger bond than the language of steno.
Don't be afraid to spread your wings on the Internet, be it in message boards, Facebook, or professional networking sites. You'll be amazed at the relationships that can develop.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Time flies when you're...
So the saying goes that "time files when you're having fun." It's true, it certainly does. It also flies when you have a lot on your plate and very little time to sit back and relax (believe me, I wanted to!).
That said, I'm back. I've had interesting work and health issues going on for the past few months and I think we're about back on an even keel. I hope.
In a nutshell, here's what I've been up to:
No wonder I've not been around! Wow!
And on my plate now:
But I promise that I'll get back here more often.
And I'll also delve into each of the items above individually. It's definitely been a "life lesson" on several of them!
Until then... Happy Memorial Day and, if you're military or military family, THANK YOU.
That said, I'm back. I've had interesting work and health issues going on for the past few months and I think we're about back on an even keel. I hope.
In a nutshell, here's what I've been up to:
- Tried to join a health club, needed doctor's permission, which led to all kinds of doctor appointments and a surgery to come the end of June. But I did get the gym membership
- Got assigned a new "baby" reporter to mentor and got to meet her in Vegas for a training course and then see her again in her home state (California)
- Picked up another NC Innocence Inquiry Commission hearing to report/transcribe
- Scoped in daily copy several big cases
- Trained a friend on how to do what I do; trained a reporter on how to use the voice technology
- Supported a friend on a life-changing venture
- Did a training session for myself (in my favorite venue, Vegas)
- Had an actual vacation with my husband in San Francisco
No wonder I've not been around! Wow!
And on my plate now:
- Research into the Associate of Spanish Language program at Wake Tech
- Practicing for the realtime tests for voice and steno
- Continue to mentor the new reporter AND new scopist
- Have surgery and heal up well
- Plan for the next trips, wherever they may be
- Work on a sales pitch for a travel program (this is cool)
- Work with a deck builder on designing a lovely space for our backyard
But I promise that I'll get back here more often.
And I'll also delve into each of the items above individually. It's definitely been a "life lesson" on several of them!
Until then... Happy Memorial Day and, if you're military or military family, THANK YOU.
Monday, January 30, 2012
The Court Reporting Family
This is an AWESOME profession. Granted, it's a "niche" and "specialized" skill, and we court reporters are generally solitary in our workspaces, but when we need to, we come together just like a family.
This past weekend, one of our family lost her husband. She is currently in leadership ascendance and will become President of NCRA at the next annual meeting. Her husband was a fixture at all of our meetings, a true GOOD MAN and one with a smile and hug for all. He never met a stranger. During the two weeks leading up to his departure from this plane, we got daily updates, sent prayers, and generally sat vigil with her from our faraway desks. This week, many of our family will be with her as she farewells him at his memorial service. The love that has been evident is astounding. And humbling.
So even though we may be a little dysfunctional at times (what family isn't?), we seem to know how to pull together when one of our own needs our support and love. I don't know a lot about other professions, but I'm damned proud to be a part of this one.
Godspeed, Richard "Bear" Smith. Rest assured that your beloved "Cubbie" is being watched over by her family.
Say "I love you" to those you love every day. No matter what.
This past weekend, one of our family lost her husband. She is currently in leadership ascendance and will become President of NCRA at the next annual meeting. Her husband was a fixture at all of our meetings, a true GOOD MAN and one with a smile and hug for all. He never met a stranger. During the two weeks leading up to his departure from this plane, we got daily updates, sent prayers, and generally sat vigil with her from our faraway desks. This week, many of our family will be with her as she farewells him at his memorial service. The love that has been evident is astounding. And humbling.
So even though we may be a little dysfunctional at times (what family isn't?), we seem to know how to pull together when one of our own needs our support and love. I don't know a lot about other professions, but I'm damned proud to be a part of this one.
Godspeed, Richard "Bear" Smith. Rest assured that your beloved "Cubbie" is being watched over by her family.
Say "I love you" to those you love every day. No matter what.
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