What can I say? I'm not sure it's me or the machine anymore. I always thought it was my 8000LX, but now maybe it's me. I don't have a new machine yet, no, hopefully soon, but I had a doozy yesterday I wanted to share.

Q. Do you have a TKHAOEUFP application? TKHAOEUFP = copy of that

Yikes! Triple stacking now. Like a triple cheeseburger, but less fun.

I love the attorneys' sayings down here in the South. The other day, we had this exchange (names have been changed) and I thought it was so cute. The (male) witness didn't even blink an eye when the (female) questioning attorney said it to him, either. In another state, I'm not sure it would fly:


Q. I appreciate the clarification, Mr. Jones.
A. You bet.
Q. I don't need the sass. How about that?
A. I'm just making sure we're clear.

Cute, right?

This is an urgent matter requiring your attention. Read http://motiontorescind.wordpress.com/ Print the petition listed there, have it signed and send it in, details on the site.



Dear Reporters:



In November of 2008, the NCRA Board of Directors voted to explore/develop a plan for the testing and certification of non-steno methods. These methods include electronic recording/digital audio recording and voicewriting.



As members of NCRA, we believe it is in… Continue

For the past two weeks. I think it's terminal. I'm giving myself two days to live. Luckily it happens to be Friday so that means I have the weekend. Almost every single job I have taken, the witnesses have not shown up. The two that went, the attorney ordered a rough draft, took it, then said they thought it was a courtesy copy and won't pay for it. The other that went, they ordered rush one-day delivery in the morning, canceled it in the afternoon after I had been feverishly working like a… Continue

Hi from Hurricane Ike country. I am still out of work and out of power, but thankfully the temperatures have been very comfortable since Monday so we can sleep at night. One of my problems is no internet access or computer access (as well as no fresh meats, perishables, ice) but we've been dealing with it, very fortunate our home was spared. I have been looking for electric access to charge phones or get to my email and saw this Best Buy was open on I-10 and Blalock. They have a nice long table… Continue

Sorry, I'm going to have to rant about my pet peeve. If you are part of a reporting TEAM working a multi-day job, why do other members of the TEAM not communicate with the next person coming on, at least a note about what attorney is present or maybe a topic area? Let alone a few spellings? I have encountered this too many times to count and it aggravates me no end. When I start off a multi-day job, I leave a seating chart, appearances, spellings and instruction from attorneys about how they… Continue

The past month has been a nightmare of 4:55 pm cancellations for the next day, after I've already turned down six jobs, and then I end up with no job at all when it seems like everyone in town is taking a deposition. What is the deal? I know there are a lot of factors to cancellations, but I am beginning to think it's a trend due to the commitment-phobic state everyone is in nowadays. "Well, if I wake up in the morning and just don't feel like it, I won't go!" or maybe it really is some of the… Continue

The people here are so great. Yesterday, in a four block walk to my car, three people told me they, a, liked my outfit; b, wanted to help with my equipment; c, just a comment on the weather. That is amazing in a huge city. You get in an elevator, someone usually makes a funny remark or says good morning. In the grocery store, you get in conversations. In fact, almost every line you have to stand in, including DMV, you can get into a pleasant conversation with someone. Very friendly, warm and… Continue

It seems like yesterday a client told me I looked like a big blueberry in my blue maternity dress at a hearing. Or that I packed my little ice pack and pump to pump at lunch. Or the happy little people jumping on me and hugging me at the door when I arrived home. Or the stressful mornings when I had crying babies to drop off at daycare (ripped my heart out daily; dad always got pickup, the happy time). Working on a rush, the baby gate across my office door with babies yearning to get at mommy,… Continue

That's all they want to watch and it seems to be on TV all the time. It's the boys who watch it, of course. I guess it's better than Bam and Jackass, for sure. But jeez, it gets boring. I even went out and bought some crab legs one day, I had seen so many of them on the TV.



We just got cable TV for the first time about six months ago and I became a total CSI nut and cold cases and stuff. They had nagged me for at least seven years to get cable, but the digital TV deal coming up next… Continue

Horrible experience. I went on a job and took my spare machine, SmartWriter. Well, it wouldn't turn on. At all. I called the local machine repair guy, he advised me to throw some C batts in there. With 15 minutes before start time, I ran to my car, paid $3 to get out of the garage and zoom to a local store to pay $14 for C batteries. Ran back. put them in the machine. Still dead. Turned on the manual switch and prepared to pound out a depo the old fashioned way, no computer, no disk, no… Continue