Now Norma Knits

Reorg, Part 2

In the home office reorganization, I've tried to upgrade a bit while also trying to be conservative in both money spent and impact to the environment in the form of things recycled, repurposed, reused if possible.

I retired the ancient (but still working well -- just too damn slow for me) Compaq tower computer. I donated it to ReSOURCE, along with some various and sundry other old electronics. I kept the non-interlaced monitor I had, bought a new keyboard and mouse, and repurposed the older 17-inch laptop, to turn it into the new "desktop" home computer.

The original plan was to place it under the monitor stand (which is also a new purchase), where it looked all clean and sleek and nifty and neat, but that didn't work because I have to lift the lid to turn it on. My new rule is to ALWAYS turn the computers off at night in order to save electricity, and so after only one night, I discovered that my original plan was not going to work. It's a big pain in the butt to pull it out from there and lift the lid to push the "on" button, because of the tugging of the cables and such. So it sits on the side.  

This laptop has had nine lives. It was my deposition laptop for a few years. Its motherboard died and was replaced (under warranty). In January 2007, when I first started doing CART at UVM, it was my CART laptop until the hard drive died. I had to buy a new, smaller laptop for CART, but I had the hard drive replaced on this one (under extended warranty) and used it at home. It has a really big screen and is great for watching movies, but it's kind of cumbersome to lug around for CART. Last year the extended warranties all ran out, and immediately (of course) the wireless internet card died. I opted not to get that replaced, and now just use it with the ethernet cable. I hope I have not done a stupid thing here by sending the old sturdy and reliable, albeit slow, Compaq tower away, and kept this one that has had such a checkered past, but it is definitely a big improvement in performance. It runs good old Windows XP Professional, and it isn't used all that much, so I hope it will serve a good purpose for a while.

In my remote CART work, I like to run two laptops simultaneously. There is a lot going on at one time, and my brain wants to go on overload if it's all going on on one computer. Having two laptops set up, doing discrete things, helps me to better compartmentalize. So I set up two:  One for receiving the remote audio and for chatting with my remote student and the A/V team there, as well as monitoring the live stream as seen exactly as my student sees it. The second laptop has my steno system running, and the linking software to send it to the streaming website that my student logs into and receives my CART transcript as it is being written.

See? I told you a lot was going on!

So once again, I have been maybe a bit too minimalist in my setup in the past. I made it through the spring semester, and part of the summer semester, with my two laptops sitting side by side, cables all ajumble, with my prep materials and the class calendar piled around me somewhere, just making the best of it and trying not to trip on anything when I stood up. I knew that I would like it better if one of the laptops was raised higher than the other. Again, it helps to prioritize events, helps me to feel mentally calm and organized.  

In the spring, I handed down my high-volume mega-printer to Abigail, who needed a better, faster, more reliable printer for law school. I (sing it with me) am no longer a courrrrrt reporrrrrterrrrrr, and so I can get by with the other cheap, low-volume, household type of multi-function scanner/fax/printer now. Getting rid of the printer on steroids freed up a lot of space on my work table.

Et voila!

I was able to accomplish this without spending any new money. That riser or stand, or whatever you want to call it, was a part of the other desk where the "home computer" resides (which is right next to me in my home office). The old tower computer used to sit on this thing, on the floor. I just put it on my desk/table for my second laptop, and there's room to organize other stuff such as the wireless router and the Netgear box I have for splitting the ethernet cable into four, and other stuff and nonsense like that. Awesomely better!

I got rid of some other superfluous things, such as my older iPod...

...that I never use since I replaced it with one of those wonderful little newer Nano ones, and my older digital camera. I sold them both at Gazelle. $24 for the camera and $31 for the iPod. Not a lot of money, but something for my troubles, and it gets it out of my space and gets to someone else who can use it while it still has some useful life left in it. I've still got unopened boxes of 3-inch diskettes and other old crap to get rid of, but I'm chipping away at things. 

So now I'm all ready for my fancy new chair and Happy Place Headphones to arrive, and then, BRING ON THE WORK!

In the process of all this, I stumbled upon something that made me a little bit weepy with nostalgia:

Reorg, Part 1

It's been quite the couple of weeks of upgrading, cleaning up, and pitching out. The credit card bills are going to be bulging next month.

The process of acceptance that I am no longer a court reporter, but am exclusively a CART provider and captioner, has been rather slow, but I'm finally just about fully there. I have my awesome business cards made (Thanks, Adam!), my excellent website made (Thanks, Kathie!), and my wonderful brochures made (Thanks, Kathie again!). I have a pretty good client base built up, and some exciting things have been happening.

Just before going to New York last week to take a skills test, my Mira steno machine went into the crapper. It was making so many mistakes that I knew it would be impossible for me to pass that test. I was also worried about another important job I had lined up in the meantime. There was no time to get it repaired before the test, and so I found myself in the situation that has been pretty much a hallmark of the profession of court reporting throughout my entire career -- a desperate need to buy something expensive with no warning. I ordered a new steno machine and had it rushed to me in two days. 

This new machine may be the best $2,400 (gulp, yes) that I ever spent. 

I had no real time to test it out before using it, but it was pretty fabulous right out of the box. And the fact that I am no longer a court reporter, but am exclusively a CART provider and captioner, actually saved me quite a bit of money. I was able to buy the "student" version of Stenograph's fancy Diamante machine -- the Wave -- because I don't need any of the bells and whistles that a court reporter needs, such as three forms of internal backup, and something called "Audiosync," a kind of audio recording that can run alongside the steno software and allow the reporter to check her accuracy later, if need be. 

It was hard for me to believe the Wave would be a great machine. I have had a few bad experiences with steno machines in the not-too-distant past, and the Mira, which was so expensive and made by the same people, has been a disappointment for a number of reasons, as well. I've thrown good money after bad, and all the while longed for that wonderful old workhorse, the Smartwriter that I used for so many years, but which is unfortunately now obsolete. (And yet, I would definitely not want to lug that heavy sucker around a college campus or all the other various places I have to go.) 

And under the rubric of "They Don't Make Things The Way They Used To," I was sure that the Wave was going to be a disappointment.

But I am here to tell you, the Wave is a great machine. Two days after receiving it, I hauled it to New York City and took an exam on it. It took no time to adjust to it, and it performed like a champ. Whether I performed like a champ on the other end of the steno keyboard, well, we'll have to wait for the test results before we make any rash judgments there. (But I think I did fine.)

Sorry for all this Greek gobbledegook for the non-steno folks. 

But anyway, since I'm no longer a court reporter, I no longer have any need for these:

and so last night I listed them on eBay. Send your court reporter friends over to buy them, will ya please?

In the meantime, I've got more remote work lined up, and so I've ordered myself a custom-built ergonomic chair for my home office. This is a huge splurge, as is the Bose headset I ordered. Big shifts in the paradigm, big shifts in how I view my work and how I honor my body and myself in doing the work. I've always been quite a cheapskate when it comes to stuff I need for my office environment, but after putting in those two tough, long weeks at the big assignment I had a few weeks ago, where they provided me a really great chair, I realized what a difference it made in the quality of my life and the ability to last longer at doing the steno. At the end of an eight-hour work day, I actually had the energy to go running or do yoga, and not simply collapse into a schmoo of goo on the floor, murmuring, "Don't talk to me," to everyone and no one in particular. 

And then, a second of my clients provided me with a Bose headset the first time I went to work for them. The second time I arrived, one of the guys jokingly asked, "Do you want the 'Norma Happy Place' headset again?" and proceeded to tell me that during that last assignment, when all hell broke loose in the studio, they tried to tell me I could quit writing. They said my name, they YELLED my name, and I obliviously just kept on writing. It turned out that because I had kept on writing, I sort of saved the situation, because though the website had gone down, they were able to upload my text later and people were able to read what had happened. They'd been talking about it ever since, and thus why I now have another very happy client.

So bring on the Bose Norma Happy Place Headset, please. Now when I'm in, say, a gym or a chapel, and people are there with their screaming babies or the police officer walks up to me while I'm writing to ask me a question, I'll be in My Happy Place, thank you.

All these years I've been penny wise and pound foolish, and so you could say the plastic has had a good workout recently. 

And people wonder why CART is expensive.

 

 

Therrier Thursday -- The "I'm Holding Up" Edition

Hello, Dear Readers, It's Mr. Jefferies here.

I'm late blogging this week -- I KNOW! -- but Alpha has been at it again. And by "it" I mean going off to work someplace far away and leaving me to fend for myself. I mean, David is pretty good to me. He tries, and he is a member of my pack, but geez. He's not Alpha, not by a long shot. 

While she was gone, a lot of stuff has happened! 

The roof got put on the porch.

The new door and windows were put in.

"The garden went to HELL." SHE said that, not me.

Some of the tomatoes ripened.

Right now, as I'm typing this, she is off stuffing her face with toasted tomato sandwiches and making rather obscene noises.

Alpha came home today with a peace offering -- a replacement for my flying pig toy, which was my favorite, and that long ago bit the dust.

I've forgiven her already.

***

H-O-W-E-V-E-R-R-R-R-R,

she got this thing in a box from the FedEx guy today:

 

(Please pretend that photo is not upside down, because I don't know WHAT to do to make it turn right-side up, and I've just about HAD it with the computer today. I've got a new pig to play with -- GIVE ME A BREAK!)

What was I saying?

Oh, yes. She got that thing, and she's been doing a lot of stuff on it, and she says she loves it already. It's called a Stenograph Wave. 

I have a bad feeling about this.

I think it means she is going to turn right around and leave me again. Maybe even tomorrow or something. 

Flying pig my ass, Alpha.

Love,

 

Mr. Jefferies.

 

I Just Called To Say I Love You

Hi To My Loyal Readers,

I am popping in here after all this radio silence to let you know I'm still here, but just fully FULLY occupied. I've got a nice big CART gig that I'm still in the midst of, and it's left me either without internet access (except with the Android, which is really just close enough to a computer to be an annoyance), or if I do have internet (in my hotel room), I'm just too doggone tired to open the lid and turn it on. Mr. Jefferies has been at the sitter's for much of the time, so we both apologize, but Terrier Tuesday will be on vacation this week. 

My gig features a diverse group of Americans from all parts of the country, some of whom have been heard to grumble that "There's nothing to do here," or "We're city people; we don't like all this wilderness," or "The Mexican food here sucks," or whatever. So I have somewhat taken it upon myself to become The Ultimate Full-Service CART Provider/Tour Guide/Vermont Ambassador, and have made a mental note that the next time I go to, say, Texas, I will be sure not to mention that I don't like their French food or their lack of maple trees. Or what have you. 

This afternoon/evening featured a ride to the Ben & Jerry's factory; to the village of Stowe (including to a yarn and quilting shop because my riders happen to be interested in both things); a ride up the Mountain Road; a stop to walk around, collect stones and take pictures on the tippy-top of Smuggler's Notch; to eat in Waterbury; and the pièce de résistance -- a stop and tour of the Williston rest stop. I can't wait for my companions to give a little piece of Vermont rock to each one of the participants tomorrow (which is the plan we've hatched, to have one at each of their table places in the a.m.), and to regale them with stories of me taking them on a tour of A.REST.STOP, Vermont-style. (The one with tractor picnic tables and water conservation exhibits that I reviewed here.)

hahahahahaahahahahahhaahahaa

Having a great time. Wish you were here. No, seriously. 

 

 

Terrier Tuesday -- ADA 21st Anniversary Edition

Dear Readers,

My Alpha would like me to tell you that today is the 21st anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The ADA was signed into law in 1990 by (bet you wouldn't have guessed this) President George H.W. Bush. 

It is a law that has made positive differences for millions of disabled Americans. It still has a long, long way to go, and often those who are interpreting the law in the trenches, so to speak, choose to read things in the light most favorable to themselves, which might not be at all in the spirit in which this thing was intended. So in recognition of that fact, some amendments were written and passed into law in 2008 under the -- HOLD THE PHONE! -- the administration of that other Bush president. Will the surprises never stop coming on this?!

The amendments "emphasize that the definition of disability should be construed in favor of broad coverage of individuals to the maximum extent permitted by the terms of the ADA and generally shall not require extensive analysis." [source]

Back when the elder Bush signed the original, he said, "Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come tumbling down."

Why, then, two full decades after the law was passed, and a couple of years after the clarifying amendments were passed, Alpha wants to know, would a medical school have the choots-pah* to deny a deaf student CART? WHY?! she asks incredulously.

Anyway, perhaps my badger terrier sarcasm is slightly misplaced. This is a day to celebrate the Act -- which may have been the very last law in American history, ever, to have passed in an intelligent, bipartisan manner -- and not a day to get bogged down in all that politics stuff.

Was that still sarcasm? I dunno. I am only a terrier; what do I know about sarcasm? 

Well, as you know, my Alpha gets a bit of a bug up her nose about certain parts of the ADA that are ignored, flat-out violated, or honored only in the breach when it comes to the hard of hearing in particular, but we won't get into that today. Because this blog is all about me, after all, and we should talk about MY disabilities.

I am fortunate. I really don't have any serious disabilities, but I can sure relate!

Some people say that I am hard to understand. If I didn't have my Alpha to be my translator, maybe they could be right. To the untrained ear, a bark is a bark is a bark. Wimpy delivery guys can't seem to tell that I'm just asking them to play, and not warning them that I am going to bite. And a whine is a whine is a whine. If it weren't for the patient (right now Abigail is reading this and saying "Patient?! Who?!" HAHA!) and almost prescient way that Alpha listens to me, I might not be able to get everything I want. I'm very lucky that way.

I'm also very small. We talked about that size discrimination thing just the other day, didn't we?

If it weren't for the fact that she always helps me to get what I....WAIT.

I want THAT! SQUIRL!!

Alpha? Squirl, please.

Want. Want. Wantwantwantwantwant. Uhh, uhh, uh. Can't....reach....WANT.

Squirrel?

Want.

 

Uh, uhhh. *sniff* WANT.

Ehhh?

Mmmm. Wannnnnnnnt.

WHAT.THE.FUUUUHHHH? How did I get up here?

Owwwwww. Too hiiiiiiiiigh. And slipperyyyyyyyyy.

HALP?

Also, BARK BARK BARK BARKBARKBARKbarkbarkBARK! which translated in this instance means: If you are hard of hearing or late deafened, if you have tinnitus, or if you have any other disability that calls for a need for instant speech-to-text translation (ALSO KNOWN AS CAPTIONS or CART), make your voice heard! Ask for -- no, demand -- captions and CART. You are entitled to it, and you shouldn't take no for an answer. Stop letting those conference organizers and college disability benefits adminstrators play coy and like they don't know what it is  -- although some of them really DON'T -- in which case, EDUCATE THEM! And stop letting them hide behind dollar signs. Yes, it costs money, but so does every other accommodation, and there are creative ways to get it paid for. Alpha talked about one example here.

And shame on some of them for hiding their knowledge of its availability, and for not telling people that the service is available of their own volition -- or the very tippy-top of the worst violation of all -- for denying it when it's legitimately requested. Shame, shame, shame.

Highly skilled, well-trained people like Alpha are sitting around a lot of the time waiting for the phone to ring and their skills are being wasted, because not enough people ask for CART and captioning. They are ready, willing, and able to serve you.

Join the CCAC and get active. And ASK FOR CART so that you can take part in society and grow and learn and enjoy life! It's not outside your reach, like my little squirrel sometimes is. It's right there for the asking!

Tell them My Alpha said so. RrrrUFF! 

Love,

 

Mr. Jefferies

----

*choots-pah

 

A Guest Blog (Reprint): "Why Captioning and CART Universally?" With of Course a Few Thoughts of My Own

Preface: Almost every time I go out on a job, I am told that people do not know the service (CART or realtime captioning) exists. I just came back from a highly rewarding and successful assignment where the same thing happened. "I had no idea this was out there." "This could be so useful! Rather than someone just choosing not to attend a conference because they figured they couldn't hear most of it, if they knew this was available, maybe more people would come."  

Etcetera and so forth. Over and over again. People can and should be able to see the value in it, but still there are large hurdles to jump and impediments to overcome:

I run into the argument about budgets not being able to support it. Well, pishposh. I provided CART recently at an ADA conference at which this very question was put to one of the presenters who represented the New England ADA Center. Her answer was along these lines: The ADA was passed 20 years ago. This is 2011. Everyone has had 20 years to get with the program. There should be a budget in place by now. There is no excuse for not "getting" that fact by now.

It really IS about time.

The event I just provided CART for is a great example of how it can work. This was a very low budget event. My deaf CART consumer learned about my business somehow. He was sent the link to my website, I think. He was savvy enough to ask for CART to be provided at this conference he needed to attend, and he printed out a page of my website to submit to the event planners with a request, basically, "I want this."

The meeting planner had never heard of CART service before, and yet she called me. We talked about it. We discussed my fees and my estimate for her event. I gave her my price quote, which took into account the fact that I realized their event had a very small budget. And while she acknowledged that they had no budget for it, she immediately thought outside the box. She said, "We have no budget for it, but he is entitled to it. We'll figure out a way to get it done. Maybe we can find a sponsor."  

I did not hear anything more from her about the budget specifically, but she contacted me within a couple of days to book me to provide CART for the conference. When I arrived on site this week, there was a listing of sponsors for various parts of the event on the program guide: "Coffee Break Sponsor, Lunch Sponsor, Sponsor of Keynote Presenter, Sponsor of Conference Brochure, Sponsor of Interpreter Services." Boom. Done and done. 

The sponsor of my services was acknowledged on the pamphlet, and given thanks verbally by the association during the opening session. During a coffee break, I made a point of visiting that company's representatives in their booth at the conference to say thank you, and I will send them a formal letter of thanks, as well. They provided a great service, and I think they already knew that -- but it never hurts to say thanks a few extra times. I know that the two gentlemen I visited were pleased that I had done so, and I know that a couple of the organizers of this event were pleased that I had made that gesture. They said so. 

As an aside, please take a moment to go and "Like" the New England ADA Center on Facebook. I'll wait. They only have 64 "likes" at the time I am writing this. It'll be like my little 20th anniversary present to them.

Anyway.... one of the biggest challenges in my business, and one that I have now decided to take up head-on, is to educate the public that not only does CART exist, but that at the very least*, people with hearing loss are entitled to the accommodation, and they should start asking for it. People need to stop thinking they can "get along without it," and stop thinking that they just won't go to events because they can't hear things. And people need to find their voice and get accustomed to asking for it. 

Perhaps we should pen a new rallying cry:

WE'RE HERE.

WE CAN'T HEAR.

GET USED TO IT!

(Should we dress up in pink bikinis and have parades and stuff? Nah, I guess that's already been done.) 

So...........

I'm reprinting here the blog post of Lauren, who volunteers hours and hours of her time and energy to run CCAC -- The Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning, giving her thoughts about:

Why Captioning & CART Universally? Option for Deaf, Vital for Deafened & People with Hearing Loss

Posted on June 21, 2011 by ls

CCAC values collaboration in good ways that “build bridges” among all individuals and groups who need communication access. Our sole focus is advocacy for captioning inclusion universally. There are several other groups to educate and advocate for sign language and for other resources. CCAC uses the word “collaborative” in it’s name – an invitation to all with overlapping interests to join us.

Accurate and timely (“real time”) speech-to-text translation is a powerful and effective way to communicate for millions of people. Captioning is an option for some, and a necessity for millions of others. Perhaps “captioning” has not been a powerful word, until now!

CCAC does not say that captioning is the only communication choice, nor that it replaces anyone’s other languages. We welcome all who support the CCAC mission which is to advocate for more inclusion of captioning universally, and to have it always an option for those who do require it for inclusion, participation, and giving back to society too.

In brief, inclusion of captioning universally, serves millions who are deaf, deafened, and have a hearing loss, as well as benefiting millions of others who are learning to read (for literacy), need translations from other languages, or have important different learning or business needs. Captioning inclusion is not only the goal for entertainments (movies, theaters, television, Internet broadcasting, and sports arenas), it is the goal for all public events and much more.

CCAC recognizes and validates the need for sign language also, and applauds (and learns from) advocacy efforts by other groups. CCAC was created because so many deaf, deafened, and people with hearing loss do not even know they can request captioning and have that right under law where needed for effective communication. CCAC was created because captioning is still lacking in so many places of everyday life, and CCAC argues that it is past time for more understanding and support of captioning, a language (or translation) that is vital for many.
For the above reasons, it’s time to outline why captioning and CART are beneficial for so many, and share the following thoughts from sign language users, and also from Deaf members of the CCAC.

From CCAC members’ themselves (paraphrased and anonymous quotes):
Person 1: “For years I used sign language interpreters, and they are still my backup when all else fails. But I didn’t always get interpreters that provided the full flavor or details of what was said, particularly when I was with another deaf individual who used ASL….it was often challenging and mentally taxing…I began to realize that I craved access to the full conversation, word for word.With CART, I was also able to express my own points of view for others, in a language all could understand, especially important for complex policies and important agency work that needed to move forward.”

Person 2: :”In school, when there is any detailed intellectual or mathematical discussions or teaching, I must have CART – to follow, to ask questions, and to have the transcript as a needed resource.”
Person 3: “For important meetings, especially with lots of numbers, finances, and the like, I need CART, no question about it.”
Person 4: “Without CART, I am wiped out trying to pay full attention, even with an ASL interpreter. It’s not a healthy situation for me.”
Person 5: “Captionfish is a service that is loved by my Deaf friends. To know where and when we can go out, and enjoy a movie with friends, like others, is fantastic.”

CCAC says: Whether our first language is English or ASL (or your language in other countries, or sign language in other countries), we want to advocate together for more inclusion of quality captioning.

CART is real time full verbatim speech-to-text translation, called by various names – real time captioning is a good shorthand. Traditionally, it stands for Communication Access Real time Translation, and also Computer Assisted Real time Transcription. In some countries, it’s called interpretating as well.

In sum, for many, captioning is actually a primary (receptive) language – another required format for one’s first language. It’s required for communication, bringing us back to life, reducing strain and exhaustion. For others, it’s another language that benefits them in some situations, not all, since using sign language is preferred for many good reasons in some other situations (e.g. video relay call with a friend). For Deaf friends, inclusion of captioning and being able to use CART is valuable also, as described above, even though sign language is primary.
May good collaborations continue! We have a lot to share and to learn from each other.

Source:  http://ccacblog.wordpress.com
www.ccacaptioning.org

-----------

*I assert that also people with other auditory processing limits, and attention deficits, as well as people who are learning the English language, are entitled to CART as well. The ADA is about civil rights and equal access for all. The amendments to the ADA passed into law in 2008, which make equal access even more clearly and emphatically defined, will go into effect in 2012. 

Oops

Yesterday's CART blooper, worth the price of admission: "I have a severe allergic reaction to cock..."  (the next stroke was "lat.")  

It was meant, of course, to be "chocolate."

That little H that I missed.. ooooooops. The worst (or best?) part is, I didn't even notice it. The job seemed so easy. I was floating along with nary a care, with, I thought, 100% (or 99.9999%) accuracy. 

Haha.

It was brought to my attention during the break with lots of mirth by one of the deaf people in attendance. I went back and proofread. 

He was right. 

Busy, Busy, Buzz Buzz Buzz

1.  I missed another day in the blog yesterday. This will get to be a habit if I'm not careful. 

2.  Late webinar the night before, early med school yesterday, and lots of irons in the fire < ---- an idiom I had to explain to somebody yesterday.

3.  Spent the afternoon videoconferencing with my web designer, and we came up with this as a good solid start. More content and maybe just a bit of color and design tweaking to come in the next few weeks. But I'm very happy with the result and to have my website live so quickly and professionally, thanks to Kathie. 

4.  Did I ever show you my awesome new business cards? 

(See the cool steno keyboard at the bottom?)

This is, of course, the springboard for the design of the website.

5.  Didn't run yesterday, because I still had some soreness in my legs, groin, back, and feet. I wanted to be fully recovered before my next one, because it's a biggie, and the whole point of this program is not to get injured. I am just not going to go there. So my third run of Week 5 will be today.  

6.  The shoes that I really love have OF COURSE been discontinued. So I got another pair, the only ones I could find on sale:

They are kind of bright. 

I think I might become known as That Lady With Those Running Shoes.

7.  It has been SO FLIPPIN' FREEZING HERE! And the poor little seedlings are shivering. 

I'm pretty sure they will not have survived the night. It was predicted to get down into the teens Fahrenheit.

8.  I wish I could say that the ones in the coldframe look better, but I don't think they do.

9.  There has been a little bit of knitting. 

a) I made one little black felted bag with a flap that I did not like at all. I was considering cutting off the flap.  The lovely thing about felt is you can cut it. Years ago, I cut the ugly straps off that all-time favorite burnt orange bag that you can see in the photo, and had someone put a zipper in, and I put the vintage brooch on it. It's been the best bag ever! But then when I was setting up this photo shoot, I noticed this fuckin' AWESOME starfish (or whatever that is) pin that was lying around, and stuck it on that flap, and now I LOVE THIS BAG. I need a heavy-duty(ish) purse magnet to close the flap nicely, though. Anybody know where I can get one? I am trying to make as close to an exact copy of the orange bag as possible... sort of... and then I just made a flap. I think I wrote down somewhere what I did, but I cannot put my hands on it. I might have thrown it away because I did not like the way it turned out at first. Silly me. 

b) I'm working on an olive green one. For this one, I am following (for now) the Sophie Bag Pattern, available here.

But with all the other stuff that's going on in my life, including trying to get snapping turtles off my hand -- I mean Yorkiefishes off my line... or whatever you want to call it....

... the knitting has been going quite slowly. 

 

 

 

Occupational Hazard

Even to this day, some 30 years after I started in this profession, whenever I read something, or listen to something, or watch a movie, or even have a conversation with someone, it's all about words, words, words, and whether they might translate correctly were I to write them in steno. I always have a piece of paper and a pen or pencil nearby to jot down words to add to my steno dictionary, or to check to see if they are already in there.

This morning I had a little list of my recent jottings near the computer, and I decided to make a word cloud of them. This will give you a little glimpse into the scary recesses of my mind, whot?!

(The right side of the word cloud image is slightly cut off in my blog columns, I believe. If so, click on it to view the whole thing.)

An Article in UVM Today

(Me at UVM, with the tools of my trade)

Thank you Jeff Wakefield, for writing such a lovely article, and thank you Sally McCay, for using the wrinkle eraser, the gentle lens, and good lighting, and for shooting from above so my chins don't show taking such a nice photo. Not that I'm vain or anything. 

I am honored and flattered by this recognition. I feel so happy and fulfilled doing what I do. I'm thrilled that UVM gives me the opportunity to use my highly specialized skill to its best advantage, while allowing me to remain in my home state of Vermont. I just love being on that campus.