Monday, June 30, 2008

My mind is Green?



Your Mind is Green



Of all the mind types, yours has the most balance.

You are able to see all sides to most problems and are a good problem solver.

You need time to work out your thoughts, but you don't get stuck in bad thinking patterns.

You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about the future, philosophy, and relationships (both personal and intellectual).

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Godspeed, Dear Robin. May You Rest in Peace

It is amazing to me how much you can grow to respect someone you've never met.

In 2006, when Maxie was diagnosed with feline diabetes, I found a website aptly named Feline Diabetes, and through it the FDMB (Feline Diabetes Message Board). Through that board, I have learned about caring for my diabetic cat. I have also made several dear friends with whom I have laughed with, celebrated victories with, and cried with.

One of the wonderful people I had the honor to "meet" through FDMB was Robin. I think it was about the time I came to the board that she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, so she wasn't around much, but her posts and wisdom were often quoted, so I got to be a recipient of her knowledge that way.

Today I read the words I didn't want to read. Robin has lost her fight with cancer. She beat the breast cancer and how we celebrated. But a second primary tumor attacked her brain. She fought, you can't imagine how hard she fought, to beat this one back. Her survival time was double the predictions, but she lost her battle Friday night.

Her eulogy thread described her as:
An accountant and computer programmer by profession, Robin joined the feline diabetes community in 1998 when her beloved Tigger (GA) was diagnosed. Her contributions to the group as a whole have been numerous and important. Above all, she embodied the scientific spirit, always demanding an evidence based and logical approach to treating our cats. New research was discovered in her searches and forwarded to us. Old and rare cases were stored in her memory and brought forth when someone needed information. Her voice comes through strong and clear in many of the important FDMB documents. Although her no-nonsense style of writing was sometimes underappreciated, her information was solid gold - as was the indomitable heart behind it.

Rest In Peace, Robin. You will be missed.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Thursday 13 #5

Okay. Here is the long awaited 13 things I like about me Thursday 13. Challenge is still out there for everyone... I challenge each of you to come up with 13 things you like about yourself. It isn't as easy as it sounds, but it's great therapy!


Thirteen Things I like about ME!!

(in no particular order...)

1. I am a natural redhead.

2. I am an animal lover

3. I am fair

4. I am determined

5. I am independent

6. I am a Christian

7. I am a loyal friend

8. I have a good photographic eye

9. I love useless trivia

10. I am interested in things that happen in politics and I vote because I think it is important

11. I am smart

12. I am honest

13. I cry easily


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Monday, June 23, 2008

Back to the Same Old Grind

Vacation is over. Back to work. It's Monday. Yuck.

No exciting hail storms or any tornadoes on the drive home like last time I came home from Amarillo. The most exciting part of the driving actually came on Saturday night. I hit a coyote and tore up my front bumper. To tell the truth, I felt really bad for the coyote and was upset about killing a living creature until I saw the damage to the front of my car. Stupid coyote.

I'm going to go to the body shop today and a second one on Wednesday (have appointments for the estimates) to see how much damage was done. Then I'll call the insurance company to find out how much my deductible is and then I'll decide what to do about it. Probably nothing until Moma & Daddy get home from the UK. I did run it through a car wash when I filled up this morning to get the fur and remaining blood off. It creeped me out to see it.

It was a relatively uneventful yet educational vacation excluding the coyote. I found out so much about the actual JOB of court reporting and I also found out how much tort reform has hurt the field of court reporting. There are still jobs available and it is still a great career, but not as lucrative as it was say, 15 years ago. It was kind of scary while at the reporting firm in Amarillo because several jobs cancelled and it was a slow week for them. That and with the contract position not coming about, I was a little scared about finding a job when I get finished with school.

I may not get to move to Amarillo immediately, but Boss Reporter told me about a firm in Lubbock that had an opening, so I called them this morning. They had just bought another firm and are looking for at least one full-time reporter and a couple of part-timers. They took my name and phone number and told me to definitely keep in contact. He said that the firm is busy all the time and their reporters are super-busy. So, yay!! It's funny that their full-time scopist is a CRID student also. She's in her 180s.

I've got a million and three things to do at work today and don't feel like doing any of them. I really want to just go and practice on my machine to get my speed up. I really think that my internship, even though not 'official' per the school, has lit a fire under my hiney. It proved to me that I do want to be a reporter. I can do it. I am going to be good at it. I'm excited about it.

On a lighter note, I had fun visiting with all of the grandparents and A & D and the kiddos. Uncle J, as always, was a gracious host and let the kitties and me crash at his house. I got to paint small toenails (and am assured by many friends I've told about it that painting Little B's toenails green won't warp him irreparably). Miss A's toenails now are pink with a purple flower on the big toe.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Thursday 13 #4

I know I'm supposed to do my 13 things I like about me, but I promise I will do them next week. This gives everyone (except Mom, who has already done hers) an extra week.


Thirteen Things I've learned about Court Reporting from my Internship


1. Court Reporting is hard work

2. Court Reporters (at least the ones I've met) are a lot of fun

3. I'm really, really excited that this is what I've chosen to do with my life

4. Contrary to what anyone says, you can come home again (at least you can after 15 years away)

5. Looks cannot indeed kill, although if they could an ADA would have killed a police officer on Wednesday

6. All of those jury charges in school sound just exactly like what happened in court!

7. Briefs are good (the court reporting kind, I have to reserve judgment on the boxer/brief debate)

8. I really need a new steno machine

9. I don't need a new computer, though

10. I really would like to have a court and be an official reporter as opposed to a freelance writer

11. Tort reform has changed the court reporting industry considerably

12. Writing on your machine for 6 hours straight will make you very tired

13. When the lawyers take a break, take that opportunity to go potty because you might not get the chance again!



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Amarillo by Morning

I didn't come up from San Antonio, but the cats and I made it to Amarillo without a hitch. It was an easy drive on Saturday. I even made it in time for dinner with the grandparents.

Sunday, I spent in Sunray with the other grandparents. It was great.

My internship started on Monday. I am just going to say it now... I love what I'm doing. I have had so much fun the past three days working at the Court Reporting firm. I've done depositions for an assault case. I've done depositions from a car accident. I've done a failure to pay depo. Finally, today I got to go to court and sit in on a drug case. I'm doing everything the official reporter for each of those jobs is doing, but it "doesn't count" for anything. It is a total blast getting to see that I really can do it. I can actually write and it hasn't all been for naught. I am getting probably 90% of what is being said and I'm getting most of the parentheticals like marking exhibits, lawyers speaking in colloquey, etc. I really love it. I get to be in everyone's business and (eventually) get paid for it.

I did get some rather upsetting news today, though. The firm owner who was going to hire me in January to do either proofreading/scoping or as a reporter won't be able to hire me. The contract she thought she had fell through. The judge decided that he wasn't going to contract the job afterall. It's a bummer. Especially since, if the Boss decides to close the office I'm currently working in and I'm not done with school in September, I'm totally up a creek without any paddle! But (positive self-talk alert) since I am going to qualify and I am going to pass the test in September, I shouldn't be unemployed for long. I hope.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Thursday Thirteen #3

Before you read this week's Thirteen, I want to issue a challenge to anyone who reads this... next week's Thirteen topic here will be 13 Things I like about Me. (No, the challenge isn't for you to come up with reasons why you like me.)

I challenge each of you to come up with your own 13 list next week of the 13 things you like about YOU! Post them on your own blog or post them in the responses here. Come on, give it a try. It's not the easiest thing in the world to do, but you'll be amazed how you'll feel aftewards.






Thirteen Things I really need to do before Saturday morning when I leave for Amarillo.



1. Clean my kitchen

2. Complete this week's school assignments

3. Find out how to count my internship hours for school

4. Laundry.

5. Figure out what clothes I'm taking

6. Pack

7. Check the oil in my car (that one's for you, Daddy.)

8. Fill up with gas :::::shudder:::::

9. Get cat litter, etc. for the cats for the week.

10. Pack the cats' stuff (I swear, it's like traveling with small children!)

11. Go get more makeup.

12. Clean out the fridge.

13. Don't forget the steno machine!!




Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Internship, here I come!

In a little less than a week now, I'll be on "vacation" doing my internship. I will shadow a working reporter doing everything she does in an "unofficial" capacity. Yeah, nervous doesn't even begin to describe it. Scared shitless comes close....

I know I can do it. I don't doubt my abilities. Well, except when it comes to testing, but that is a whole other ball of string that I don't care to unravel tonight.

This internship marks the near completion of my school requirements. I still have to qualify for the state exam, but that is coming along, too. It's all so real. It's all so exciting. It's all so.... what's the word I'm looking for? Terrifying!! That's it. A million and one "what ifs" come to mind. I try really hard to not listen to them. I know it's just that little devil that sits on my shoulder whispering self-doubt to me. She's wrong most of the time. I know she is. So why does she sound so believable so much of the time? Why is it only in the nighttime hours that she seems to make the most sense?

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Thursday Thirteen #2


Since last week's #9 caused such a controversy, I was inspired to create a list of places outside theUS that I really want to visit. (In no particular order...)
13 Places I've Never Been but Really Want to See



1. Scotland

2. Ireland

3. England

4. Thailand

5. Canada

6. Costa Rica

7. Egypt

8. French Countryside

9. Italy

10. New Zealand

12 Australia

13. Spain




Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!