Kyung's Blog (158)

Why I hate it when my people ask me did I work today?

Of course, I worked today. I work every friggin' single day. Just bec. I happen to be home in my bunny rabbit slippers does not mean I am not working like a dog. I am scoping, proofing, shredding old notes, following up on bills, archiving old transcripts, calling around for my next job, calling the agency for more information on the job I'm working on, and a bajillion other things.



Of course, what they mean is did you leave the house today? Did you go on a deposition outside of your… Continue

Added by Kyung on March 10, 2008 at 15:41 — 8 Comments

The taxman cometh - sitting here waiting for the tax person

Well, the tax gal is running a little behind schedule so we're waiting. And I thought I'd share more things I wish I knew my first year out.



TAXES - Here in California you are an independant contractor, a freelancer, not an employee. The term "staff reporter" means nothing in terms of your taxes. If you work for an agency, then you are going to get a 1099. Not a W-2. The only way you will ever be an employee as a reporter is if you're working for the Superior Court, Federal Court, or… Continue

Added by Kyung on March 9, 2008 at 11:58 — No Comments

What I wish I knew my first year out as a court reporter.

I know a lot of court reporting students are out there who go to school and can't wait to start reporting in the "real world." And you guys have lots of questions about what it's like reporting out there. You wonder about is there going to be work for me? Am I going to make enough money to pay off my debts and live the "glamorous" lifestyle?



Well, this is a great place to ask those questions. And if you have any particular topic that you want discussed, bring it up. But I thought I'd… Continue

Added by Kyung on March 8, 2008 at 12:00 — 14 Comments

Basics that I would like from an agency

These are the basics that I would love from an agency



Pay me on time

Pay me correctly - if you say this is the page rate, please pay me the page rate discussed plus any and all additional items discussed.

If there is an error in billing on your part - when I bring it to your attention, please correct it as soon as possible.



Note - I do not care about the type of work or the amount of pages - these are things that are beyond the agency's control.



In… Continue

Added by Kyung on March 6, 2008 at 6:27 — 5 Comments

Why, Monti, why?

I assume Monti added the game tab.

I will never complete another transcript.

Oh, well, I was working too much anyway.

Thanks, Monti.

Added by Kyung on February 28, 2008 at 20:48 — 10 Comments

I N S O M N I A

I cannot sleep. It's so annoying.



I'm pretty sure it's stress.



What to do? What to do? I suppose I could be productive and work on transcripts. Sounds like a good idea. I could be nonproductive and surf the web or write long, blathering blog posts.



I think I'll go work on transcripts. If that doesn't put me to sleep, nothing will.



Feel free to comment if you too are up late at night.



I absolutely love looking to the right and realize that… Continue

Added by Kyung on February 27, 2008 at 0:53 — 1 Comment

Why, oh why?

Why, oh why, must you interrupt the attorney when he is doing the admonishments and reaches the point where he says please do not interrupt me?



I find that in 99.9 percent of the depositions that I take, when the attorney is going over the admonitions at the beginning, the deponent will quietly sit through all of the admonitions. But the minute the attorney says the magic words:



The court reporter cannot take down two people at once or he says please wait for me to… Continue

Added by Kyung on February 23, 2008 at 16:44 — 1 Comment

Meeting in the Halls aka Strangers in the Night

When you all go out to the job, do you ever meet other court reporters? I know I do. I see another person w/a Stenograph bag just like mine. I know they're a reporter. I always try to strike up a conversation.



I usually ask them what law firm they're going to if we meet in the elevator. If it turns out we're on the same case, it's usually a chance to commiserate about being sent to the same depo or try to figure out who's going to go home.



If it turns out there are… Continue

Added by Kyung on February 23, 2008 at 6:56 — 4 Comments

Deposition Nightsmares (the kind you have when you're asleep not the other kind)

I had a nightmare last night.



I dreamt that I was setting up for a deposition. It was a round table. But for some reason I couldn't get the electrical plug to stay put in the back of my Stentura. I kept plugging it in upside down, rightside up, it wouldn't stay. It was like it had two ends that plugged into the electrical outlet and no end to plug into the machine.



Then I was trying to get people's name. When I would write on the card, my pen would stop working. I kept… Continue

Added by Kyung on February 20, 2008 at 11:16 — 7 Comments

Too many pages/not enough pages/too many pages/not enough pages

The title is basically a very short summation of a court reporters life, at least in the freelance word. I think I first started off this site saying how I was going through a dry spell. Well, the drought is ended and I now have too many pages.



In the morning, I get up and do a rundown of all the tripts I'm currently working on. Which one is due when. Which one's do I still have to work on. Will it be busy next week and I'll be out on all-day depos everyday or will I have spend at… Continue

Added by Kyung on February 16, 2008 at 7:35 — 2 Comments

Aoem & giving yourself some props.

God love me, but I discovered the wonders of aoem today. That would be e-mail.



When you've got those depos when they're introducing every e-mail in the world the deponent has ever written as an exhibit, I guarantee you this will save you a thousand strokes.



Loved it. Thank you, Jeanese. Great brief, easy to remember. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you. You are my valentine.



Also, do you ever have those great days and they just pop out w/this random word and… Continue

Added by Kyung on February 14, 2008 at 21:00 — No Comments

You've got mail!!

I, like most people, hate getting spam. It drives me crazy!! However, recently I've noticed that when I go into my inbox, I have lots of little messages from CSRNation. So-and-so has responded to your discusion.



I admit it. I get a little twinge of excitement. And I immediately go click the link to see who has responded, what their response is. Even if there is a chain of responses and I end up reading the responses in backwards order, I can't help clicking on that link. On the most… Continue

Added by Kyung on February 14, 2008 at 6:20 — 3 Comments

Sleeeppppyyyy

I am going to keel over right on top of my laptop.



I am working on a videotaped depo, and I'm so sleepy I keep nodding off. It's bad when you're so sleepy bec. your finger could slip and all of a sudden you've deleted a whole Q and A.



What am I going to do? Taking a break every five minutes will ensure that I do not get this thing done in a timely manner. Watching old Jem cartoons on youtube. Yeah. That's productive.



Anyway, just taking a break from "working" to check… Continue

Added by Kyung on February 7, 2008 at 16:46 — 2 Comments

Common Sense

Did you ever sit in these depos and think, "Where the hell did the common sense on these people go?"

I mean like the man who watches porno at work and then wonders why he is getting fired.
Like the woman who says my boss told me to forge the signature.

I feel that sometimes some of these things can be avoided by using your brain.

It drives me absolutely crazy. Maybe it's me.

Added by Kyung on January 29, 2008 at 8:18 — 2 Comments

Day Four - and there is a clearing in the sky

Well, I am currently scheduled for a 9:30 am video & realtime job on Monday. I'm pretty confident that I will make some money on this one even if it cancels at the last minute. The agency doesn't open until 8 a.m. So I doubt they can call me at this point and tell me it's canceled and not have to pay a cancellation fee. whoo-hoo.



On to another topic. Realtime. I often find that attorneys order a realtime reporter and then don't use my services. I'm not complaining, but I think it's… Continue

Added by Kyung on January 26, 2008 at 13:42 — No Comments

Day Three - When will the drought end.

Well, this is my third day in a row of cancellations. I'm all caught up with transcripts until I get stuff back from my scopist. What am I going to do with myself? I went out to lunch and got my haircut yesterday.



Should I work on my realtime? That would be productive. Nope!!



I could spend hours on the Internet stalking my friends on CSRnation. That idea has some merit. Nah. I don't want to scare my friends away.



Take a long hot bath and enjoy the slow time. Now,… Continue

Added by Kyung on January 25, 2008 at 8:35 — 1 Comment

January 24, 2008

Gotta love those last-minute cancellations. But at least I'm getting paid a cancellation fee.



Does it seem like more attorneys are canceling than before? Someone should keep track of something like that. Of course, if you're keeping track of something like that, that means you're not working enough and you need to get out there and call some agencies or attorneys.



Still rainy. It's always better to have cancellations on rainy days. When you're looking out your window and… Continue

Added by Kyung on January 24, 2008 at 10:00 — No Comments

It's raining.

It's raining, it's pouring. The old man is snoring.

I love rain!!! I love it especially when I don't have to drive to downtown LA in the rain and I'm not stuck in traffic.

I love it when I'm at home sitting in my house in my comfy clothes, all caught up w/my transcripts.


Added by Kyung on January 23, 2008 at 16:32 — 1 Comment

© 2024   Created by Kelli Combs (admin).   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service