MY FIRST COURT OBSERVATION HOURS

On Wednesday, August 4, I completed four hours of court observation at the Santa Ana courthouse. As a school requirement, I need to complete 10 hours of shadowing work before reaching the 180 wpm speed (I need one more test to get to that speed; I'm currently at 160 wpm). I was lucky enough to be able to shadow or sit-in with the lovely Ms. Kathy who works in the family law division (divorce court) at the Santa Ana courthouse. Now, I live in Los Angeles, yet I chose to ask Kathy if I could shadow her in Santa Ana (it's about an hour drive one way without traffic) because Kathy seemed so nice, welcoming, and knowledgeable throughout the forums at CSRnation.com. Thankfully, she said YES! She even gave me awesome steno briefs before our court date! Here are some excellent ones she shared with me:

• I don't know ... KWR O PB
• I don't remember ... KWR O R
• I don't recall ... KWR O RL

So here's how my day went: I left Los Angeles at 11:00 a.m. to give me plenty of time to get to Santa Ana by 1:30 p.m. without getting lost and/or with sufficient time to deal with any traffic delays. Guess what? I got lost anyway! Of course, I did! I always seem to when it's important! :P Thankfully, I called my boyfriend who navigated me and stayed on the phone with me till I reached my destination, and thankfully with several minutes to spare. (I really need to buy a GPS system when I can afford one! It's a MUST for me!) I was really nervous and intimated about everything! This was my very first time in a courthouse doing shadow work, and I did not know what to expect. I think if my school allowed observation hours of freelance reporters at depositions, I would be more than OK since I work at a Workers' Compensation law office; we see depositions (and therefore court reporters!) all the time! No biggie! But now I was in the "big leagues" with JUDGES and BAILIFFS and DISTRICT ATTORNEYS... oh my! To be honest, I was very scared! The anticipation of anything "new" and "important" always gets to me! I become a bumbling idiot! :P I fumbled along with my new luggage carrier where I store my steno machine, laptop, cables, books, and some school supplies. The darn thing kept falling every time I would set it down. It would just tip over! :P I think I overstocked for sure; the thing was so heavy! I was embarrassed that I had to pick it up every time it fell, which was quite often! :P All my anxiety diminished, thankfully, when I saw Kathy's smiling face! Ahh! :) Kathy is super nice, smiling all the time, knows what she's doing, and challenges you to always be "on top of it." She helped me set up and encouraged me to do realtime even though I hadn't done so in months (I thought something was wrong with my realtime connection, so just stopped in school. However, I always read my notes manually and transcribed them, which helped me in tests). For the afternoon session, Kathy reported (and I practiced!) two cases. They involved a gypsy court, child custody battles, a restraining order, and backlogged child support payments. It was very hard to hear the nastiness of the parties suing each other. I ached for the children caught in the crossfires of their parents' battles. It was super hard to watch one father choke up with tears on the witness stand when he talked about his four-year-old son, the love of his life. I personally thought that it wasn't fair that the judge ruled too much in favor of the son's mother when it was clear (to me at least) that the dad was more attached to the boy since he was a stay-at-home dad and the primary caretaker of the boy for several months. That's just my opinion anyway. But I know that we as court reporters can't have opinions on the cases we hear and should not get attached to the parties involved. We're just to be the flies on the wall taking the testimony down, period. I know this will be difficult to do, but I guess I should start training myself now. Kathy told me that the testimony just has to come in one ear and out the other. We can't retain anything, or else who would be able to function after hearing story after story that demands justice? How would judge's or cops or coroners be able to sleep, right? Same with the court reporting profession, I believe. Gotta just zone out and write, write, write without getting emotionally involved. Gotta be automatic! Like a machine! (Do you agree?) I know this post is getting pretty long already (Sorry! I like to write!), so here are the highlights in bullet form of my sit-in time with Kathy:

• I was able to go "behind the scenes" and peek at the judge's chambers. That was pretty cool!
• I was able to sit inside Kathy's very cute and functional court reporting office. Can't wait to get one myself one day!
• I loved how Kathy shot her hands in the air and said out loud, "One at a time, please," when the attorney and witness were talking over each other! Yeah, she controlled that courtroom! She rocked! ;)
• I loved how Kathy glared at the attorney for continuing to speak way too fast and over the witness on the stand. The attorney even said, "Sorry." Hahaha!
• I was happily surprised to know that everyone who spoke in that courtroom didn't speak too, too fast. I was able to get most of it down! That totally boosted my confidence! I KNOW I CAN GET OUT OF SCHOOL SOMETIME NEXT YEAR!!! I'm almost there... :D
• I was really shocked that one party (the ex-wife/mother) was TEXTING ON HER CELL PHONE WHILE HER CASE WAS BEING TRIED! Right in front of the judge, too! WHO DOES THAT??? So inappropriate! :P
• I loved the ease and rapport Kathy had with the fellow members of her courtroom -- from the judge, the clerk, assistant clerk, and bailiff. They all seemed to genuinely enjoy working in each other's company. Definitely looking forward to that! :)
• It was more than nice to have the assistant clerk of the courtroom be very welcoming to me and ask "So how's it going?" since she knew full well that I'm a court reporting student.

The four hours of observation were an awesome new learning experience! I'm looking forward to the other two times I get to sit in with official court reporters in Murietta and Monterey Park later this month. Thank you, Kathy, for taking me under your wing and showing me the ropes! I really appreciate it! :)

REAL MOTIVATION COMES FROM WITHIN

REAL MOTIVATION COMES FROM WITHIN

Chapter 11 of Life's Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter By: Hal Urban

No matter who you are or what your age may be, if you want to achieve permanent, sustaining success, the motivation that will drive you toward that goal must come from within. - Paul J. Meyer

THE THREE KEYS TO MOTIVATING YOURSELF

Think for a moment about an important goal you have -- something you're certain you want to achieve in life. Now check your motivation by answering these three questions: - Do you have enough desire to attain it? - Do you have a real belief that you can accomplish it? - Do you have a clear mental picture of yourself achieving it? If your answer to all three is a confident YES, then you're ready. Because these are they keys to being self-motivated.

1. DESIRE

Motivation starts with a sense of desire...

When you want something, you become motivated to get it. - Denis Waitley

Desire is the seed from which all achievement grows. More than any other characteristic, it determines whether we're going to be mediocre or successful in life. Desire, not ability, separates average people from those who excel. It's that something extra which makes it possible for ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. I love the old phrase "burning desire" because it's so descriptive. People who have it are almost impossible to stop. The stronger the flame burns, the greater the determination, and the more likely the success. An important aspect of desire is commitment -- a promise that we make to no one but ourselves. This is what keeps us going when things are the toughest. Instead of giving up in the face of adversity or defeat, we bounce back. Famous psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers thinks commitment is the pivotal quality of success. She says, "Total commitment is the common denominator among successful men and women. Its importance cannot be overestimated." This kind of desire has a way of strengthening us. It helps us make sacrifices when they're needed, and it helps us dig down for extra effort in seeing our goals through to completion.

2. BELIEF

Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself. - Robert Collier

The only limitations we have are the ones put on us, first by others and then by ourselves. They exist because we believe them, and they won't disappear until we exchange them for a new set of beliefs. In the introduction of this book, I wrote that most people don't know how good they are and how much they can accomplish with their lives. We need to realize that we're more capable than we give ourselves credit for. We have inner resources we've never used. But remember, that's good news. The first step to tapping into all that potential is to increase our belief in ourselves at least enough to try, even to risk failure. Eventually, this effort pays off. It leads to small achievements and builds self-confidence. This, in turn, brings more success. As habits of constructive thinking take over, a new cycle is set in motion. We believe in ourselves, and we start looking for reasons why we can. Good things happen because when we believe, we make them happen.

3. MENTAL PICTURE

You must first clearly see a thing in your mind before you can do it. - Alex Morrison

Dr. Charles Garfield, a psychologist at the University of California, has specialized for years in studying the habits of high achievers in science, business, industry, and athletics. He wrote about many of them in his book "Peak Performers." He says there's something all of them do: they "...report a highly developed ability to imprint images of successful actions in the mind. They practice, mentally, specific skills and behaviors leading to those outcomes and achievements which they ultimately attain." Garfield also reports on something which they believe: "All maintain that the potential for major increases in achievement and self-development exists in everyone; and that the starting point is an internal decision to excel."

If you have a burning desire, a solid belief, and a clear picture, you have all the motivation you'll ever need.

Motivation is an inner drive. - Denis Waitley

--- Can you tell that I love this book? I refer to it from time-to-time when I need a pick-me-up in getting my priorities straightened. I pasted a little excerpt from Chapter 12 -- "Goals Are Dreams With Deadlines" -- in this blog. To read that, click here.

COFFEE BEAN VS. STARBUCKS

I had a wonderful, productive, very full day yesterday. I spent the whole day with my boyfriend. Normally on Mondays and Wednesdays, I'm at school the whole day -- from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. But since it's our Summer Break, I'm still resolving to study as much as I can, so I don't lose my speed... and hopefully increase my speed actually! :) So to kill two birds with one stone -- studying plus together-time with my man -- I tagged along with my guy to work. He worked the full day while I studied about a block away at the local Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Now, I've always been a coffee person. I started drinking the delicious stuff regularly when I started my first job at 17 years old. I worked part-time as a data entry clerk. From 17 till now, I've mostly always preferred Starbucks over Coffee Bean... but not anymore! Studying all day at Coffee Bean yesterday made me realize how much better Coffee Bean is over Starbucks... in my humble opinion anyway! Here are my reasons:

COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF

1. Has free Wi-Fi... ALL DAY LONG! Can't beat that! 2. Their iced coffee is espresso over ice! It really wakes you up! The overall quality of the drinks at Coffee Bean is way, way superior over Starbucks. To me, Coffee Bean = QUALITY whereas Starbucks = QUANTITY. But that's just how I personally see it... and taste it! 3. There's less of a noisy crowd at the Coffee Bean stores. It doesn't feel like an after-school program with too many kids talking way too loud and hanging around all over the place. You can actually study peacefully at a Coffee Bean since they seem to draw more mature crowds. 4. They also make it easier for the studying patron by providing power strips! They have outlets on almost every wall, and they totally don't mind if you stay the whole day... like I did yesterday! :) *CON: Not too many around. Gotta drive a bit to get to my closest Coffee Bean.

STARBUCKS

1. Has free Wi-Fi... but it comes with so many conditions! You have to register a Starbucks card online, put money into that card, actually use that card to buy Starbucks products at least once a month, AND THEN you can get free Wi-Fi at a Starbucks store... but only for two hours MAXIMUM every day! Oh, and if you lapse with using your registered card one month, you can't access your allotted two hours of free Wi-Fi time. You must make sure you use that specific card once a month to get your limited two hours of "free" Wi-Fi. How controlling is that?! No thanks! 2. Their iced coffee is diluted with too much water. It's just drip coffee over ice... and sometimes it tastes like mud! :P I've had to return my iced coffee to Starbucks a few times because it really, really tasted bad, and I just could not bring myself to stomach it. But I've never had to return a drink to Coffee Bean... ever! 3. Starbucks is such a hub for all sorts of age ranges, but I think especially for the younger crowd, i.e. HIGH SCHOOL! They can get pretty loud and boisterous, which is not helpful when you're trying to get work done. 4. It's difficult to find a quiet spot to study. They have very limited outlets for your laptop and steno machine. Not good. :( *PRO: They're everywhere! Starbucks is literally on every major intersection!

Anyway, like I said, these are just my observations. Do you have a preference? Or am I just being too picky over beans! LOL! :P

HAPPY MONDAY!

Just wanted to say quickly... HAPPY MONDAY, EVERYONE!!! Let's make today count... even though it's, "Eww... Monday... back to the work week!" :D I suggest strong coffee! ;)

1,000 MOST FREQUENTLY USED WORDS

I found this PDF of the 1,000 Most Frequently Used Words. It's a great, useful, neatly compiled list of the words we use most often in the English language. I'm going to go through this PDF document before I begin my practice sessions to 1. make sure my hands know where to go when I hear/see these words. 2. make sure I have a ready brief for each and every one of these 1,000 words. After memorizing the brief forms of these 1,000 words, I want to learn the 1,000 most frequently used phrases. If anyone has that, would you please share? Thanks so much in advance! I hope everyone's summer is going well so far! I'm glad it's cooling a bit in my part of Los Angeles... but not nearly as much as I'd like. I like the sun, but not too, too much. Hehehe. BTW, I'm not sitting out with my first court reporter tomorrow. We bumped it up to Wednesday instead because of a calendar conflict. Instead I'm going to be studying the whole day tomorrow with my guy. He'll be at work, and I'll be studying away. YAY!