Excuses

After much neglect, I will attempt to update my followers that by now are without a doubt dwindling by the wayside due to my lack of posts. Because I am both currently lacking creativity and (mostly) time, I will update by way of pictures. Besides, didn’t a wise person once say that a picture is worth a thousand words? In the spirit of that logic, I present you a few of my many excuses as to why I have been so glaringly absent from internet land.


Vacationing in MI with my bestie

Time with the fam on the lake

Chi-town

Graduating with some very cool court reporting peeps



NCRA convention in Chicago

List Making....a way to survive being TYPE A.

After a much need hiatus, I have found my way back to the land of work, school, and reality. You missed me, right?! My trip to Cincy was wonderful, and thankfully I have returned feeling quite rested and ready to get back in the groove of life.
I’m starting my semester off by getting organized, mentally refocusing, and willing myself to work hard and be productive. Because I’m totally Type A and the queen of list-making, I have constructed a list of things that stand in the way between me and graduation. These items MUST and WILL be completed this semester. Why, you ask? Well for one, I am a huge believer in setting goals. “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." (Fitzhugh Dodson) Obviously, my ultimate goal is graduation. It never was my dream to be a lifer when it comes to balancing work and school.
However, there is a much less glamorous reason as well for writing this list. Brace yourselves, now. Perhaps you, too, did not know this little insight I’m about to reveal. Believe it or not, apparently money does NOT grow on trees. Who knew?! Personally, I think it would be a lovely sight to see a gloriously handsome oak tree blossoming nothing but dollar bills in the spring. I am in the desert though, so perhaps a cactus would be nice…with some Andrew Jackson’s poking from its slender prickly spines. Sadly, my imagination is not reality, and I will not be plucking cash from a living plant anytime soon. The hard cold fact is, I’m tapped out. My financial aid has run out and I’m running on empty when it comes to my good ole’ stock pile of cash. So you see, do or die, this is my semester. I got nothing else, so it just has to be. So I will pen my list and work hard to cross each item off as I complete them, one step at a time.

Clearly, you probably could care less about what my actual list entails, but since I’m very visual, I just need to see it on paper (or a computer screen for that fact) so I know what I have to do. Plus, my neurotic, crazy self secretly enjoys crossing things off a list once they are done. So without further ado, I hereby declare to the world my laundry list of must-do’s this semester:

Pass two 225 QA speed tests.
Pass my 3 exit level mentor tests.
Complete 30 more hours of internship.
Finish editing my 50 page transcript. (I’m nearly finished with this anyway)
Complete my internship book and submit.

Wait..is that it? I’m surprised with how actually simple this list looks. I don’t think I have forgotten anything. Perhaps the only thing that has truly been stopping me from completing school has just been myself. Ay, there's the rub.

Save The Date

Yep, that's right folks, it's official. Come hell or high water, I'm graduating on August 4, 2010. Actually, I am hoping to be done well before then, but CCR's graduation ceremony is to be held in Chicago on the eve of the National Court Reporter's Association yearly convention, also being held in Chicago the same weekend. Since my school is based about an hour outside of the windy city, they are planning the festivities to coincide with the yearly convention. What a treat! Exact details are still forthcoming, but I'm ecstatic, to say the least. Can't wait to be finished with this 'never-ending student' thing, and even more super excited that I'll also be able to attend the NCRA convention after. I think 2010 is most definitely off to a good start.

Movin' on up

I find myself machine shopping these days. It is actually kind of exciting to think that I'm at the point where I will be moving on up to a "grown up" machine. For the past three years (yes, hard to believe it has been that long) I have been working on my little SRT200, a student version that has seen a little wear and tear as of late. Although she's been good to me, it is by no means a match for a professional machine. Since most of the reporters and instructors that I have talked to all highly recommend upgrading my machine before graduating, I have begun the process of trying to to do just that. The top three options at this point are the following:

 

Stentura Fusion

$4,795.00

The traditional machine with the standard paper tray, although it has a setting for a paperless option.

elan Mira

$4,795.00

Completely paperless, but with an amazing lightweight touch to the keys. Has all the bells and whistles and highly recommended by those who use it.

elan Cybra

$1,935.00

The most affordable option, but geared more towards captioning and CART reporters. It still can be used by any reporter, however there is no screen on the machine. It is completely paperless.

I am hoping that in the next few months, I will have this taken care of and I'll be on my way with a shiny new writer.  But in the meantime, hmmm...which to choose?! 

361 Days and counting

I have never been one for New Year's resolutions. I've always found the idea somewhat silly. Rarely are any of these resolutions actually kept, yet year after year people solemnly promise to change their lives for the better. They promise to do things like join a gym, eat healthier, decrease debt or do away with bad habits. Perhaps they stick to it for a month or so, but then let's face it, eventually we fall back into the same-o, same-o of life, and somehow forget how important we thought our resolution was to begin with. Although in the past I have looked at the idea of resolutions a bit cynically, last year was the first year I decided that I too would participate in the age-old tradition of declaring a New Year's resolution. 

Of course it took a great deal of thought do determine what my "life-changing" resolution would be. After all, the failure rate, although not quite as high as the 95% failure rate for court reporting school, is still quite significant. It seems only about 12 percent of people who make some sort of resolution actually keep it. I decided since the odds were not in my favor, I should attempt something very attainable. 

2008 Resolution: Learn to make a stir fry!

Sounds simple, right! Well, it was. Simple enough that I was actually able to remember what my resolution was (which is half the battle in my book) and simple enough that I felt I could actually do it. Congrats to me!!!! I can now feed myself one square meal. So now that I am a regular domestic diva in the kitchen, I also now have a big head about my ability to keep a New Year's resolution. As a result, this year I'm going big! 

2009 Resolution: GRADUATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right. I'm documenting my promise to myself. Mark my words, I WILL finish school in 2009. You have my permission to personally kick me in the pants if I don't. 

361 days and counting... I guess I should go practice.

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.