Failure will never overtake me...

if my determination to succeed is strong enough.
Og Mandino

I have finally crawled out of the deep dark hole of self-pity that I have been wallowing in for the past week, and I am finally ready to announce (ever so sadly, I might add) that there was no good news regarding my latest attempt at the RPR. I’ve wallowed, made my emotional “shoe” purchase to combat my depression, and now I’m ready to pick myself up off the floor and move forward…again! I must admit, this was the first time I actually felt plagued with a bit of self-doubt. Enough so, that for the first time I seriously started to question whether or not I could actually do this. Thankfully, a divine intervention of sorts arrived at this precise moment. When I forgot to send my usual Friday morning email to my favorite CR firm about my weekly intern hours, they contacted me to schedule a depo. Although that is a little unusual, I was secretly relieved. Interning is great for a motivation boost. With elements ranging from strippers to hit and runs, this week's deposition certainly did not disappoint. It felt a bit more like an episode from a bad soap than a depo. As entertaining as it was, it was also a great reminder of why I really love and want to do this. The same day I also received a call, out of the blue, from a CR friend who gave me a healthy dose of encouragement and mini-pep talk. I definitely needed it. So, I am now ready to turn the page, move forward, and pick myself up off the floor for the 18,746th time and will try, try again.

Celebrate

June, the most celebrated month of the year (arguably, of course) has finally arrived. Let the celebrating commence! You may not know it, but only the best have been born in this fine month (enter me). Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but in all seriousness, for some reason, my calendar is always really full during this month. More birthdays, weddings, and other celebratory events seem to crop up this time of year. I'm pretty sure Hallmark doesn't mind though as it has forced me to become a frequent customer.
Well, it is during this fine month that I will mark the end of my 30th year. It certainly zoomed by. I had such grandiose ideas for all the exciting things I planned to do. Some I did, others I just simply never got around to. Either way, I’m still celebrating because I've had a pretty good year. It definitely involved a LOT of change, but all in all, I think my 30s are definitely off to a great start. More importantly, I’ve learned the importance of celebrating and appreciating those in my life that I love. People are always going to be more important than things, jobs, schedules...It doesn’t matter how busy you get, at the end of the day, it is your relationships that matter most, and sometimes you need to make sure they know how much you appreciate them. This past year has certainly been a monumental transition year for me, but these are a few of the favorites in my life that have made it super great. So this post is for my peeps. Today, I celebrate you (or at least a few of you specifically, but ALL of you in spirit).

My hero, Kiki - "This is E at the front desk..." Man, I miss doing that! :) I celebrate you for daring to make a change (and also for being the willing sucker who would pick me up and drive me to work in nasty snow storms even though I have mad-crazy passenger tendencies which are only amplified in bad weather). You totally rock! You have that special gift of lighting up a room when you walk in the door. I miss the easy way you can bring a quick smile to my face and the many laughs we've shared. You were and are so good for my soul. Know that it takes guts to pack up, walk the other direction, and embrace change. You are a stronger than you know and I'm certain the best is yet to come.

M - My unlikely friend. I remember thinking when we first met that we had absolutely nothing in common. We probably still don’t, but as opposite as we are, you became a forever friend. You have been everything from my shopping buddy, fellow pool bum, and road-tripping sister, to my courtroom support system and my family when there was none nearby. We've helped move each other more times than I care to recall, we've taken vacations and spent holidays together, and some of life's most private and poignant moments have been shared between you and I (and often a small table at Palamino's). We have quite literally walked with each other to hell and back, and I celebrate a bond with you that is unbreakable.

My dear, sweet grumpa – I celebrate your long life and the big, beautiful family you have left behind. I am blessed to have had such a great grandpa in my life for 30 years and you are sorely missed. You will remain forever in my heart (and forever the “king” of the to-do list).

To my other two musketeers here in AZ ...I celebrate the rekindling of old friendships. My transition back to the desert was made a million times easier with your friendships. You've helped to reestablish my faith in God and in his perfect timing. It doesn't hurt, either, that my two beautiful fashionistas keep me looking good, my head screwed on straight, and my my body happy with a little regular yoga-friend time.

To my boys (my bud in Pell City (Exit 2) and the bearded one in the Big Apple) You guys are pretty much awesome! Hands down the best listeners! Mostly because you let me ramble endlessly and it doesn't seem to bother you. I'm so lucky that you are both only a short text or phone call away. You always seem to know just what to say (or more importantly NOT say) when I start rambling on like a blubbering fool. How you both are still single, I honestly do not know. And to the bearded one...anyone who willingly uses their vacation time to help pack me up and move cross country is either A) crazy or B) crazy. Thanks a million! Love you guys!

To the couple who kindly pays the rent…yes, you know who you are. I celebrate the fact that we have not yet killed one another, a true feat indeed. Words are not able to express the amount of accolades you deserve for putting up with my monstrously crazy self. You probably deserve your own holiday, but we wouldn’t want to get carried away…

To my fellow CR’s – I celebrate you for all the times you have painfully pushed me, commiserated with me, talked with me, and most importantly dreamed with me. There is no other group of people filled with more grit and determination than you. So I celebrate the dreamer that resides in you all.

Mark Twain once said, “Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great. So today I celebrate these, and all the other really great people I’m blessed to have in my life. Cheers to you!

RPR Limbo

Fair warning to all my blog-following, internet-land junkies: I am still currently in RPR limbo as I anxiously await my test results. Because I am a firm believer in “having a plan”, here is mine as I may suddenly "disappear" and you will no doubt wonder where I went. Since my current outlook, in regards to my RPR results, is doom and gloom, I am of course, leaning my plan in the negative direction. (I know! I know! This goes against EVERY last shred of positive thinking we were ever taught to practice, but it is what it is.)
Assuming my results are less than desirable, please note I will likely be found crying in the corner of a nearby Nordstrom’s shoe department. I'm sure to be near a pair of those delicious stilettos I’ve been eyeing but will be unable to purchase thanks to my ill-timed, self-imposed 30-day shopping detox. If you by chance see me here, it is best to abandon any hopes of a shopping intervention, and instead join me in my moping. (Please note: You will not be allowed to speak any words of encouragement as I will promptly kick you out of my pity party. Actually, I might just kick you out if you speak any words at all. Clearly, the only solution here is to just go ahead and purchase that pair of killer shoes for me.)
Now that we have that all squared away, I better get back to my super busy schedule of waiting...and waiting...and waiting some more for that little envelope to arrive in the mail.
As you can see patience is one of my most glamorous virtues.

The Art of Avoiding Carpal Tunnel

Spending eight hours a day sitting at a desk with your eyes glued to a computer screen and your fingers hovering over a keyboard can, without a doubt, put definitive strain on your eyes, back, shoulders, hands and wrists. Because of this, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is an obvious occupational hazard that has found itself right at home in corporate America. Now, if you are a court reporting student like me, you are lucky enough to follow these eight hours of strain and discomfort with an evening full of practice, hovering over yet another set of keys. Yes, it is no surprise that court reporters are just as susceptible to CTS as the next office professional. Fortunately for me, I get a double dose of risk thanks to my full time work coupled with my full time school schedule. It should come as no surprise that avoiding this pesky little problem is and should be a priority. So what to do about it?

For starters, take care of your body, especially if you hope to have any kind of longevity in the court reporting profession. It is best to wise up quickly and start practicing good habits now that can help to ward off this nasty little pest. I, myself, have finally starting heeding the wisdom of other court reporters and practice regular exercise, massages, and finger stretches and exercises. Given that court reporting is actually quite physical, you won't regret it. I happen to be a devoted fan of walking and yoga. Both are obviously great for the body, but also the mind. (FYI: Relaxing and clearing the mind is by no means overrated. We don’t want to be a bunch of crazies now, do we?!) There are also some fantastic yoga poses that can really help specifically in the area of CTS. I recommend using the power of Google if you are not familiar with them. I have also FINALLY started to do regular massages focusing primarily on my arms, hands, neck and shoulders. I must admit, it’s rather nice being able to condone this as a “professional necessity”. I back this up with the story of an ex-court reporter I met a couple of years back who is actually no longer able to work as a CR due to this very problem. Ironically, his wife is also a CR and she has been working as one for the past 30 years. Then again, he reminded me that she has also been getting monthly massages for the past 30 years. (Just saying!)

I also try not to neglect my hand and finger stretches. My latest and greatest new favorite finger exercise actually comes by way of my masseuse:

Simply place a rubber band around the tips of your fingers and then open and close your fingers.
This super easy exercise helps to stretch out the backside of your hand. With any kind of typing or writing you are really only working the muscles on the inside of the hand. So it makes good sense to work out and stretch out the backside occasionally.






While the verdict is out on whether or not all these habits will ultimately help one avoid Carpal Tunnel or not, they certainly can't hurt. My own conclusion, however, is that the real art comes in being proactive about taking care of yourself and developing good habits now.

“First we make our habits, then our habits make us.”
Charles C. Noble

Ten Random Things I’ve Learned During Court Reporting School:

1. The admissions department flat out lies when it comes to telling students how long it will take to get through school.

2. They strategically overlook the 95% failure rate too. (But in their defense, I probably would have never enrolled had I known that little tidbit of info.)

3. I will never again have long nails.

4. A caffeine addiction is essential to a healthy work – school balance. It is widely rumored that Starbucks is now listed as my emergency contact at work.

5. Taking care of my body with regular massages and exercise is time and money well spent. Never underestimate the value of good hand and finger exercises either.

6. Never head to a depo without an extension cord, cough drops, energy bar, and some extra cash (for that rare occasion when a law firm doesn’t validate). You never know when you might need one of these valuable items. Trust me…mooching money off a court reporter you are interning with so you can get out of the parking garage is the last thing you want to have to do (hypothetically speaking, of course).

7. You can meet a fellow court reporter or student and be instant friends in 2.5 seconds flat.

8. Anytime someone finds out you’re a court reporter the response will ALWAYS be the same…”Oh, so you are the person that types on that funny little machine.” This is usually followed up with “so you must type really fast.” If only I had a dollar for every time I heard that.

9. Two things: You can’t trust spell check! Attitude is everything!

10. Court reporting school is probably the single most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life, but it is also the one thing that has shown me just how strong, disciplined, determined, and successful I can really be.

Rest in Peace

Missing someone gets easier every day because even though it's one day further from the last time you saw each other, it's one day closer to the next time you will.
-- Author Unknown

R.I.P. Grandpa
xoxo

Ciao, baby

Thanks to my new pals at JM Steno, I sold my old Stentura 200SRT student writer yesterday. I decided there was no point in keeping it around to merely collect dust, and the idea of making some cold, hard cash wasn’t totally unappealing either. Since I recently upgraded to my very first professional writer, the super smooth Diamante, I decided it was time to purge. Of course, I must admit that although my sassy little student writer had definitely seen better days, I still had a fond attachment to her and was slightly sad to see her go. After all, I have worked that little puppy to death these last couple of years, and I feel a little bad leaving her behind just as I’m on the verge of ending my journey through school, the same journey that we embarked upon together. Plus, she was my first “extra-limb.” You only have one first, you know.
I often joke, you see, that my machine is my “extra limb” because I sometimes feel that wherever I go, my machine is sure to follow. That little writer has simultaneously become my best friend, yet my worst enemy. It is my ticket to a future, yet it is that total pain in my butt that always gets in the way of a really carefree social life and it torments me daily when it comes to my battle to beat 225. Then, of course, there is the classic student – guilt complex. If I’m not using my machine, I am most certainly feeling guilty about not doing so. It consumes a huge part of my life. It is waiting for me when I come home from work. It is with me when I watch TV. I swear I even catch it glaring at me as I drift off to sleep all the while saying, “PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!” Yep, it is still there when I wake up. It is nearby when I sip my morning cup of Joe. Heck, that little thing has even accrued frequent flyer miles as it has travelled with me to places like California, Arizona, and Michigan. It’s as if it is ALWAYS present, quietly reciting the mantra, “PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!” Hence, the feeling that she is indeed an extra limb, and another crucial part to my existence.
Sadly, though, she has run her course. I bid ado to my little ol’ trusty student writer and say a fond farewell. Please know it’s not you, it’s me.


R.I.P. my little sassy stentura