Real women don't hug trees....they hug cacti!

My cozy Christmas at home

                   My mom and I out on the patio for our morning coffee. 

                                            Me and James opening gifts.

Me and the pops. (see my shiny new measuring spoons...everyone needs a "pinch", "dash" or a "smidgen" of something....too cute!)
             NYC, Cincinnati, and Denver....or just me and the big bros.

There's no place like home for the holidays...

There really is no place like home and after a few minor glitches, including and icy rain storm, delays, and barely making flights, I have finally arrived to my home sweet home, ARIZONA!!!!! Oh how I have missed the desert, the cactus, all the old familiars of home, and of course my family. My flight landed just in time to make it to our family Christmas Eve gathering at my Grandma & Grandpa's house. It was so great to be in a house that was completely filled to the max with family and love! I know my trip will zoom by all too fast, but for the moment I am drowning myself in the love of family. 

Lesson of the day

                                     One hot cup of coffee
              Plus one shiny, semi-new macbook                    not currently being backed up

  

                                  Equals

 

                                                   

$1600 and one gigantic headache later, need I say more....

Gobble-Gobble!

 Anyone who knows me knows I'm not much of a chef. I'm the kind of girl (as my brothers like to remind me) who makes biscuits taste like dry pretzels. However, at certain times of the year domesticity seems to takes over and I convince myself, I too can be a regular Martha Stewart. Well, holidays seem to do that to me for some reason. Although, it has already come and gone, (I'm a little behind thanks to a not-so-small computer glitch, but that's an entirely different Thanksgiving Day post) my BFF, Tampatravelodge, and I spent a quiet Thanksgiving together this year. Although we talked about just dining out, our inner domestic divas decided we could make an easy dinner for two. It actually turned out to be quite nice, despite my usual tendencies to make good food taste bad. I even made homemade pumpkin pie, which for me, is quite a feat. Nobody left with food poisoning and it tasted pretty darn good. I'd say it was a successful dinner party with a friend for who I am truly thankful for. 

Test Pass!!!!!

Unless you are a court reporter or a court reporting student, you cannot fully appreciate all the blood, sweat and tears that goes into this program. So when you actually pass tests, it is most definitely a reason to celebrate. That being said, I heard back from my instructor that I passed both my 180 Jurys. Let me hear a big woo-hoo!!!!!!!!!!! That means I am now working on  exit level speeds for Literary and Jury. Can that really be?! I'm thrilled! Maybe I WILL actually make it through this program after all. Now, if I can just bump up that Q&A to 225. 

Veterans History Project

A while back I signed up for the Veterans History Project, a project that is dedicated to collecting and preserving the wartime stories of our veterans.  As part of the project, the Library of Congress collaborated with the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) and the National Court Reporters Foundation with the 1000 Voices Initiative, which with the help of court reporters and court reporting students helps to transcribe the veteran's interviews that have been submitted to the Library of Congress. In true Steno-Diva fashion, I took what should have been completed in 4 - 6 weeks and stretched it to a more comfortable 6 - 8 weeks. All the same, I finally completed my transcripts and couldn't be more thrilled that I am finished. I had originally volunteered for the project so that I could receive my 2009 NCRA subscription for free. Let's face it, I'm not making the big bucks yet, so of course, the word "free" was enticing. I didn't realize the amount of work it would require though. I can't say that I regret doing it though. Quite the opposite, actually. I learned a great deal about my writing, areas I can improve on, as well as numerous things regarding editing transcripts. So it was actually a very educational experience, not to mention the material was pretty interesting. Still, I am glad to have that off my plate. Shout-outs to my unofficial mentor!!!! Without your help I would most likely still be working on this project as we speak.

Fashion Faux Pas

No more commercials, no more debates, no more yards and street corners peppered with political signs. Alas, the election is finally over and we can move on...after all, Jack Bauer will be back to save the free world in a few weeks anyways. Although, I will be more than thrilled at Jack's return, I will most definitely NOT miss the chaos and craziness that comes with with campaigns and elections, but even more than that, I will NOT miss Michelle Obama's outrageous outfit choice for such an historic occasion. 

The horrendous Narciso Rodriquez frock Michelle Obama chose to wear on election night lacked the usual polish and class of an outfit you usually find in an outfit worn by a first lady. The black cardi was simply confusing, not to mention it completely ruined the proportions of the dress. My eyes kept being drawn to the criss cross black satin trim across the waist and down the sides. I found it somewhat distracting. For such a momentous occasion, I found the choice quite surprising and somewhat uninspiring. She has quite often made some interesting and fashionable choices in the past, but this was a total let down, and dare I say, a fashion faux pas. Although I give her points for going with something outside the typical Oscar de la Renta box, I think the ball of red and black is a total miss. 

Election Day

Our duty to vote

To exercise our freedom

Our day to speak up.

What should I do?

So I have been feeling somewhat dull and boring lately. My days have been pretty predictable with working all day long and pursuing my never-ending battle with court reporting at night (yes, 12 credits on top of full time work will do that to you). Anyways, this lackluster feeling about my life was quickly reaffirmed when I stumbled across photos my brothers recently sent to me of their latest adventures. Boy, now I'm feeling even more dull. So what should I do about it? I need an adventure, something exciting to spice things up. Granted, I'm not in Colorado surrounded by amazing peaks to climb, and my tree climbing skills are still in the beginners stage, so I doubt I will be scaling up a tree solo anytime soon.  Still, there must be something in the Midwest that provides some excitement and adventure to be had. If there is, I definitely need to find it. 

Fall Weddings

Mark & Kenrda's wedding 10-11-08

Kevin & Emily's Wedding 10-18-08

A Lazy Sunday

I am officially on vaca from school and couldn't be more thrilled. Typically my Sundays are quite busy as I usually am trying to catch up on the week's school work that is due by midnight each Sunday (yes, that's right, I tend to procrastinate. Hard to believe, I know). It is actually quite tragic, since there is nothing better than enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon, especially before the start of a new week. So, since I'm finally on break and I have no assignments due and nothing hanging over my head to get done, the first thing on my vaca "to-do" list was enjoy a lazy Sunday for a change.  I've already enjoyed a tasty Sunday morning breakfast and a long walk, and now I'm tucked in with movies, break n' bakes, and my favorite companion, Mr. D. What could be better? Well.......let me tell ya. The only thing better is adding mind-numbing, meaningless Internet activity to the list. In my current state of vegetation, I came across a website that shows what your yearbook photo would like across the decades. Thanks to all this exciting free time, I've discovered that I would have looked pretty amazing in the 60' and 70's. How funny are these? You should try.

www.yearbookyourself.com

Fashion and Politics

I admit it. I am an avoider. For the most part, I avoid politics at all cost. Yes, I do have my own opinions, but I prefer to keep them to myself. For me, I think it is because when it comes to politics, the "crazy" in us all just seems to come out. Don't get me wrong. I am all for passion and enthusiasm about our country and it's direction, but I just hate all the drama that comes with differing opinions. Of course, it always seems intensified when it is an election year. So, while I will refrain from the usual debates regarding presidential candidates and their proposed policies or never-ending promises, I will however discuss an equally important issue....yes, that's right. FASHION! 

Now, I am a firm believer that the eye candy on a man's right arm is just as equally important as the man himself. The age-old adage is true, "Behind every great man is a great woman", and when it comes to the First Lady, it definitely doesn't hurt if she can dress as fashionably as politics allow. I personally would prefer not to have a haggard looking First Lady representing American women everywhere. 

So, judge for yourself. Do we have any potential fashionistas vying for First Lady? 

U.F.O.

So, I received a slightly delayed birthday gift yesterday, and it was without a doubt one of my fav's. As many of you may know, my Japanese heritage was only recently discovered. Okay, okay. So my so-called Japanese heritage is actually quite debatable and most definitely unofficial, however all that aside, as a result of my brief time cohabiting with my favorite Amerasian family, I discovered I am a lover of all things Japanese. One of my most favorite discoveries (well, beside the CD of Okinawan music I still have yet to get a copy of) is U.F.O (pronounced Yoo-fo). Although it seems simple, just a ramen-like version of Japanese style noodles w/ sauce, it is to die for....literally! At a whopping 2130 mg, the sodium alone might kill me. But seriously, it's worth it. Sooooo goood!!!!! Of course, cooking is always a bit of guessing game as the directions are all in Japanese, but if you can make ramen, it really isn't that hard to figure out. I just kind of guess on the measurements. So, now that I have made myself good and hungry, I think I might just have to make a box of my oh-so-fav dish. Five stars and highly recommended!!!!! (uh, that is unless you are on a low-sodium diet :)

Lost & Found

My evening started out very much like any other

typical Thursday night...relatively dull. I came home from work, changed, and then checked my email before sitting  down at my machine for a bit of practice. After some excellent Jury practice, I opted for a break and took my pooch out for his evening walk. We were no more than a couple blocks into our walk when I found we had an extra companion. Much to my surprise, a large, black lab decided to join our journey and began to follow us on our walk. I was a little alarmed by the whole scenario. He had no collar, no tags and I had no clue who the owner was. I began asking people along the way and even knocked on a few doors to see if anyone could claim him, but I had no luck. So, when I arrived home, and I still had this extra sidekick, I decided to try and at least get him into my backyard so I could stop and think of what to do next.

 

After a quick regroup, I took a photo of him on my cell phone and started canvassing the neighborhood for the owner. I asked just about anyone and everyone, and at one point, I even thought I had found the owner. The individual walked all the way down to my house, just to discover, it wasn't his dog after all. My reaction was "Ugh....now what?!" I had a huge black lab in my backyard and nobody claiming him. I started to panic. I called the SPCA to get info but quickly decided that was not the way to go since they will put a dog down if not claimed or adopted within a certain amount of time. It was too late for a shelter as they were all closed for the night, so I decided I would try to keep him overnight and find a shelter in the morning.

 

In the meantime, I posted a lost and found add on Craigslist, as well as took photos of the dog and made a flyer. By this point, quite a bit of time had passed and it was getting late, but I went to Kinko's and had some flyers printed up and around 10 o'clock at night I started walking the neighborhood again, posting the flyers. There was still quite a bit of activity so I felt I would be safe enough. 

The shortened version, is along the way I passed a house with a group of people out front and it seemed they were just hangin' out. So, I decided to ask if they had by chance lost a dog....to my surprise, I FOUND THE OWNERS!!!!!!!! The entire group practically jumped out of their seats. I guess they had been out looking and somehow our paths never crossed. Saying they were quite relieved would be an understatement. It seemed they must have been sitting there quite dejected after a search for their lost dog turned up nothing. They couldn't have been more happy. I was quite relieved myself. As a dog owner myself, I can only imagine how devastated I would be if I lost my pooch. So after several hours of stress, it all worked out. We all walked back to my place to get their dog. The dad even told me, he was so grateful as this pooch was like his first grandchild. Even the dog was excited....so excited that he jumped my fence and ran to greet them. It was a classic Kleenex moment for sure. It felt pretty darn good to know that I had helped a family and their four-legged friend reunite.

So, yes, I am exhausted and basically didn't do anything else, but mentally and emotionally I am relieved, happy and content. The lost dog is now home safe and sound with his family, where he belongs.

Lesson of the day: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep a collar and tags on your furry friend!

So close, yet so far away

In class this evening we reviewed all the requirements for graduation. It was exciting to think that I have actually made it to the point where it almost feels like the end is in sight. Just discussing completion requirements made me feel like I was on the verge of being dangerously close yet, somehow it still seems so far away. Just because we are discussing exit level speed tests and internships doesn't mean I am at the finish line. I still have a daunting 9 tests standing between me and 225. Nonetheless, it was still strangely inspiring and motivating, which is something I most definitely need at this very moment. 

I am encouraged by the words of Harriet Beacher Stowe.

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you,

till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer

never give up then,

for that is just the time and place that the tide will turn.