The RPR (a rant)

RPR stands for Registered Professional Reporter.  The test = 225 words per minute Q&A, 200 wpm Jury Charge, 180 wpm Literary. Passing it gives you a $1500 a year raise. Not a lot, but also not a pay cut I'm willing to take right now.

First, a happy memory:  I passed my RPR test FOURTEEN YEARS AGO in November 2004.  I remember being so excited the day I found out! I went into our computer room at 9121 while we were baking a chocolate cake for a Christmas party we were having... and I checked the list and was so surprised to see my name there! Then I came and told Mom and she was super excited for me, too! The chocolate cake dough just made the moment that much sweeter. ;-)

.....Fast forward several years to 2013, when I had decided that court reporting wasn't for me and I was going to pursue a career in counseling... I couldn't have predicted the way that plan would fall apart and crumble - the last straw being when my alma mater (SNU Tulsa) rejected me for their Masters program after acing every class and getting recommendations from two of their best professors. I'm so done.

Before that dream ended, though, I let my Total Eclipse (CAT software) and my NCRA membership lapse. (NCRA = our national association which charges $280 in annual dues and makes everything as difficult as humanly possible on their members.)

.....Fast forward to 2017, when I decided to re-embrace court reporting and go for my RMR (the next step up at 260 wpm).  I rejoined NCRA, asking the woman on the phone for clarification that my RPR certification would still stand.  "Oh, yeah, that won't be a problem!"

Orrrrr will it?  
I signed up for the CRR (a realtime test), and after practicing, getting ready, completing the online practice test, and jumping through hoops to get a webcam and all the cables and equipment I would need for the new way they administer the tests... THEN they decided to mention that I actually could not sit for that test because my RPR was not current. They offered to let me "simply" pay a $100 fee to reinstate it, but I found that really irritating since the lady on the phone had assured me it was current, so I said no thanks and thought I would just skip taking any more tests.

.....Fast forward to 2018, when the State of OK is bleeding and out of money in every possible area, so they send out a letter saying that anyone whose certifications are not current with NCRA will take a pay cut this July.

*This, by the way, coincides with the $2000 a year raise being given to all Oklahoma State employees in a certain salary range.  Oh wait, excluding only the court reporters. Not even kidding. Nothing about it is okay.

Also around that same time, Total Eclipse informed me that I would have to pay $3000 for them to simply update my software to be compatible with Windows 10 - because in addition to the upgrade fee, you have to look backwards and pay them a $300 fee for every year you were not a member.  UGH.  And no one can stop them, and it suuuuucks.  So now my Windows 10 computer is here at home, and I kept my old work computer because a $3000 "upgrade" is too terribly absurd.

I finally paid the $100 fee for reinstating the RPR, and then I have to earn 2 continuing ed credits (CEUs) to make it official.  So I attended both days of our state seminar, (which they chose to hold in a hotel downtown where parking was a HOT MESS.  So $15 for valet and a $5 tip two days in a row, plus $160 for the seminar itself.)

I thought that would be enough, but I didn't understand that one hour = .1 CEU, meaning I have to attend 20 hours of seminar classes, so the 11 hours of boredom at the OCRA seminar was not enough.

Luuuuucky for me, NCRA offers online seminars for the low, low price of $350.  I was so upset by this point I could barely speak, but I really don't want to take a pay cut next month. Not getting the promised raise is bad enough.  And I have to be a registered RPR to move forward with any other tests.

At some point today, it dawned on me that I am attending 9 extra hours of online classes and paying crazy fees when I could have just paid $270 to retake the freaking 3-hour RPR test and saved myself loads of money and time and hassle.  (A test that I already paid for and passed 14 years ago, if that wasn't abundantly clear!)  Then I wanted to scream and punch someone, but I quickly realized that no one who's in charge cares AT ALL, so I'm writing this ranty blog instead.  

Soooo $650 and 20 hours later, I'll be an official RPR again. (Still.) And get to keep my existing salary instead of taking a pay cut whilst all other OK state employees are getting raises.  Hoooo-freaking-ray.

I am so over NCRA, and I'm over being a state employee!  The AC in my office continues to have issues and leak, almost destroying my printer yet again.  And they continue to care less and leave it halfway patched up with no ceiling tile in that spot and tiles with water damage all around it. #creekcounty #makeitstop #whydoesnoonecareEVER

As a State of OK official court reporter, we have to buy our own equipment.  That includes a computer and printer, a steno machine ($1800 to $5000), and CAT software ($4500 initially plus $600 a year for "support.") #nothanks

Our state association dues are $80 per year and the national are $280. Taking any test with NCRA is $199 to $270 each time, and they are not easy to pass.  We have not received a raise since 2005, and we're clearly not getting one this year either.  (Meanwhile, Texas CRs easily make double what we make, and the State of TX buys all their equipment, as well.)

GET IT TOGETHER, OKLAHOMA.

(End Rant.)

Weekend Update

Me and Lindsay at her yoga event to raise money for Aspyn Arrows on Friday night!

Derrick Henslee from LifeChurch played live worship music, and Kristen Campbell was the holy yoga leader. It was my first time at the Jenks Downtown Commons, which was nice, and they had a pretty good turnout for the event! =)

After that, I met Chet Lee, Karli Marie, and Tate Haywood for dinner at the Riverwalk Los Cabos, where we talked about their plans for the Hawaii trip in September! =)  Fun times!

We randomly ran into Michael on our way out, so I had to get a Wilson boys pic! lol

Saturday, Tiffany and I went to see Oceans 8 (fun times - I always love Sandra, and the Oceans movies make high stakes crime look like such fun - lol).  Then we headed to my neighborhood pool for a couple hours... which was so much better and more fun than I expected!  I think they're working harder to keep the pool clean now, so I'm gonna use it more this summer. (Technically, going twice will be more than any other summer I've lived here. lolol)

We grabbed dinner at Tulsa Hills and brought it back to my house, then listened to the N'Sync Pandora station (instead of watching TV - still going strong on that), and we had a really good talk! Yay for good friends and pool time and good movies and Panera mac n' cheese! =)

Sunday was the Growth Track class followed by an unexpected emotional reaction, then Woodlake Church then lunch with the Fosters and Laura Bower, who I randomly ran into in the Schlotzsky's parking lot!  We got to see Jon and Kristin's new place, and we had a good talk!  

That night, I hosted a girls dinner for Tiffany.  This month is rough with the anniversary of her Dad's death, of his birthday, then Father's Day three weeks in a row.  So I wanted to do a few things to honor his birthday (he loved Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream and liked to play dominoes) and just to encourage Tiffany and remind her how much she is loved!  Kelly, Laura, Breanne, and Kristin came (and me and Tiffany, obviously).  We had salad + pizza + cupcakes and ice cream, and we played Mexican train dominoes! Somewhere around 9:30, the crowd dwindled down to just the Creek County girls, and we got into a really deep, sacred conversation about favorite memories and painful emotions and holding onto God when we don't feel strong enough to make it through something. ❤

Today, I was off work and got to sleep in. =)  Then this afternoon, the Parrish fam stopped by on their way home from Grand Lake!  Mom had warned me that Jace would be curious about everything he saw, and she was very correct on that! lol  I just thought I didn't own any toys!  My therapy putty that I use to limber up and strengthen my hands provided all kinds of entertainment, as did my old CR machine, my fit-board, the globe (wanting to know how far Italy was for Claire), my jewelry box, the empty backyard, my Bible journal ("Can I color in this!??"), and a random pump he found in the garage ("Do you have a balloon I can blow up with this??  What can I blow up?  I need to blow something up with this!") lolol

I got some Domino's cheese bread and brownies for them. =)  It was fun having them here at my house and hearing all about their lake trip excitement!

My Simply Fit board was a hit! lol

The Miss told me I need to wear those heels next time I come over. lol Deal.

Me and T-man being normal... the rest of them being a hot mess. lolol

Best one. ❤

So that's a long recap of my long weekend!  Huzzah!! =)

Summer Sun

Well, our jury trial for today did not settle, but they did waive me taking a record of voir dire (my least favorite part of any trial ever!)... so yaaaay for that!  I'm hanging out in my office, chatting with Chet Lee on the phone and writing a happy blog post while they're all in court!  Here's hoping the attorneys take their time with this one. ;-)

Okay, so my summer TV break and "engage the real" thing is going really well thus far!  I've missed the TV less than I expected, and I've been much more productive and had lots of fun times with friends!  Starting with dinner and a game night at Audrey's new apartment on Friday... Neil brought her this emoji pool raft as a housewarming gift! lol I love it!!

Here's Audrey dancing to a new song Kristin was playing on her phone! =)  We had a potluck dinner that included BBQ chicken sandwiches, chips, veggies, a kale salad that was surprisingly good, and brownies for dessert!  Then we played several rounds of Nertz and Pit, which was fun times!!  I'm usually the least competitive person ever in these games, but it entertains me to watch those who get really into it! =)

Saturday morning, I decided to take a walk outside, and the Jenks pedestrian bridge was nice and close to me... then I saw these lovely pink bikes you can rent and thought, "engage the real" and "embrace the new!" lol

It was a short-lived dream, and entertaining for anyone who happened to be around to watch. lol  The seat was way too high where my feet couldn't touch the ground, and I rode about a hundred feet then nearly toppled over - so yay for getting my heartrate up! lolol  Then I walked the bike back to it's spot and thought of Phoebe! lol

The walk was still nice, though! =)  Yay for summer sunshine!!

I spent Sunday at church, then journaling and proofreading my friend, Michael's first book!  I volunteered myself for that one and helped with Elizabeth's book, as well.  I got them both done pretty quickly - ahh, the things you can do when TV is not an option! lol

This week, I spent Monday night swimming with Sarah and Tiffany at Audrey's apartment pool (the plan was to go to Sarah's but it was closed for maintenance). 

Audrey lives at the Encore Apartments in Bixby, and the pool area is really nice! =)

Swimming is so much fun to me! =)  We all met last night at Sarah's pool so that we could go with our original plan for Monday.  We swam and Steve grilled hot dogs for a late dinner, and it was relaxing and great and fun! ❤

It's nearly time for me to have to go back into court.  I've been getting up early and working out this week, and I'm determined to make that a new routine!  My screensaver of the preshface Miss K inspires me to be strong!! lol

That's all for now. Happy Wednesday!!

Mon Ami Memory Monday! =)

Today's Memory Monday = a tribute to my favorite French bistro, Mon Ami Gabi in Las Vegas!! ❤ #vegasbaby

These first two pictures are from my third visit to Mon Ami. Sarah and I were seated at the exact same table on the patio/terrace two days in a row! =)

My first Mon Ami experience was a brunch with friends on my 30th birthday in February 2014, where I had about 1/10th of my birthday mimosa. lol  (The taste has grown on me since then).  The atmosphere and the food were awesome!  I had trouble choosing between two types of waffles, so they made me a half-and-half plate, which was perfect! =)  It was fun times with good friends, and a perfect way to start off my 30s.  After our brunch, we crossed the street to watch the fountain show at noon! Oh, I miss Vegas. ❤

When Sarah and I went in January 2016, we were both big fans of Mon Ami!  Her skinny crepe pancake and my bananas foster French toast that first morning were fantastic. She had not been a big fan of "night Vegas" the day before, but it redeemed itself that morning. lol  The weather was pretty perfect. We had a fun waiter, and there was a guy on the street playing delightful music that went well with the French theme. We arrived just before they stopped serving breakfast, which meant that we got to watch the Bellagio fountains right across the street while we ate! =)  We quickly decided to come again the next morning so we could both try something different. All three times I've been there, I've eaten delicious breakfast foods (my favorite meal), and I've sat outside on their cute little patio! =)  If ever I go in summer, I'll get to experience the indoor part of the restaurant. I'm sure it's nice, but not quite as magical. lol

So if ever you find yourself in my favorite city, I recommend making reservations or dropping by the Paris Hotel for brunch at Mon Ami Gabi. You won't regret it! =)

Happy Monday, gang!  May all our jury trials settle!! =)

Engaging the Real

John Eldredge has done a fantastic six-part podcast on The World, about how Christians should navigate life in a world that increasingly prefers the artificial to the real...

I've thought about that a lot, and it's so true of our world.
And our souls need more of what is real and true!

Bought some of my favorite flowers this week! =)

Obviously, going with what's artificial is typically easier and more comfortable... air-conditioned indoor spaces, text conversations, online friendships, fast food, processed foods, fake plants, relaxing with TV and movies, pretending to have it all together, etc.

Choosing to engage in what is real takes more effort, but it's also better for our physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational health...  soaking up the sun, swimming,  handwritten cards, face-to-face conversations, cooking, whole foods, real plants and fresh flowers, relaxing by reading a good book or getting a massage or taking a bath, being honest about what's hurting you, etc.

Happy blueberries and strawberries =)

Eldredge talks a lot about the importance of spending more time outside, and over the past few years, I've come to understand more of why it matters and how it affects my mood and health for the better.  (It's ironic that I'm writing this the day after Chet Lee called to tell me a horrifying story about yellowjackets... but still, I'm determined to embrace the outdoors more this summer! lol)

Tiffany and I on the Art Trail walk at Crystal Bridges

All that to say, my motto for this summer = "Engage the Real."  Part of that will be in my thoughts and emotions... I'm starting a new journal purely for expressive writing (writing the truth of what's on my heart without the myriad of filters I typically put on what I write for others to read - turning off the filters is HARD for me because some part of me is always worried about someone reading it down the road, even in diaries I wrote as a child - so this will be a book I fill and then shred or burn, as that's the only way I'll actually write freely). I've read a lot lately about the power of expressive writing to help people really let go of things that have weighed on their minds and hearts.  It's the same idea as talk therapy, but most people find it nearly impossible to genuinely throw open their deepest thoughts to a stranger who is busy forming their own opinions and possible diagnoses about you. So the idea is to put it on paper and express the unfiltered, raw, brutally honest emotions and thoughts that have felt inadmissible.  To come clean and fully process past traumatic events and painful emotions, and to find release and healing. There's also a lot of research about the positive effects that type of writing (letting go of long-held secrets or unexpressed feelings) has on lowering blood pressure, boosting immune function, reducing anxiety, and basically combating all the negative things caused by stress!  And it makes sense that God can use that - that He wants "truth in our inmost being" - and He knows how to free us from whatever causes shame.  So that's something I'm going to push myself to do over the next three months. (Handwriting instead of typing because it's more personal and cathartic that way.)

My latest book - I recommend it!

Another part of "Engage the Real" will be getting outside more often and focusing more on the things I mentioned above -- using my senses to see, touch, hear, taste, and smell the good things God has created, taking a minute to really notice and appreciate it. ❤ I'm not gonna make this very rules-oriented, but it's a fun summer goal that I'll post about here every once in a while.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I'm turning off my home TV for the next three months.  Yeah.  I'm taking a summer break from it, which I realize would be no big deal for lots of people, but it's a major comfort thing for me, so it will be challenging.  I already know I'll have less brain fog and more time for walks, swimming, books, podcasts, audiobooks, cooking, God time, family time, friend time, game nights, brainstorming, working out, writing, journaling, CR practice, trying new things, real rest, aaaand pretty much everything that's not TV. lol

Panera lunch outside with Sarah B. last week =)

So that's my summer plan for June - August of 2018, and I'm looking forward to it!!  =)  
#engagethereal

Vacation Memories!

On this day last year, I woke up in an Embassy Suites hotel room in Canada, with a crazy-awesome view overlooking Niagara Falls...

I got in the car with Mom and Dad for the long road trip from Canada into the heart of NYC!!  We arrived at our hotel that afternoon (the Times Square Marriott Marquis), then walked across the street to eat at Junior's.  That was the first of many fantastic NYC experiences on that trip, where a city that was once at the bottom of my list redeemed itself!!

Jill, Bill, Mom, and Dad in Times Square on this day last year.  =)

I have soooo many great memories from this vacation, and I'm thankful I documented them all in great detail right here on the blog!!  ❤❤ (Click for links)
NIAGARA FALLS recap
NEW YORK CITY recap
FAVORITE QUOTES, etc.
EXTRA pics

Memorial Weekend 2018!

FRIDAY & SATURDAY -- Met Kristin for dinner at Olivetto in Moore... (and took a happy selfie while waiting in the parking lot)... we talked for 3 hours and had fun catching up! =) Mom's photo blanket I got her for Mother's Day came in (it's huge - that's on a king-size bed). Dad got a pretty new car (which put Rappers Delight in my head as soon as I realized it was a Lincoln Continental). lol  And Saturday marked 11 years since the first time I saw my house - yay!!

Saturday we celebrated Babah's 82nd Birthday with our first summer swim for the year at JoBug's!!  J&K painted and glittered up some picture frames for her. =)  

I was gonna join the other adults just sitting under the umbrella and talking... but it was crazy hot, so I opted to swim, and I'm really glad I did!  I just love being in the water - it's fun and good times! =)

Just splashing around eatin' some pizza! lol #cuteness

I left around 2:00 and drove back to Tulsa to get ready for Kyle and Sarah's Engagement Party!  

They're getting married this September in Hawaii, so it was Hawaiian-themed decor and dinner (catered by Taziki's Mediterranean), and everyone wore leis. =)  We even had an awesome two-tier cake from Ludger's! The McAlister's Strawberry Lemonade was a hit, so I guess it's good they messed up and gave me more than I ordered. Also, Karli made the banners as well as individual placecards for us using her Cricut, so that was fun and cute! =) The sun was shining brightly right over Kyle and Sarah, which was a nice metaphor, but not great for eye-to-eye conversation. lol

Kyle took a selfie of our whole table! =)

The picture frame we all signed, baby Tate just hanging out, our party hosts, and Kyle playing the first voicemail Sarah left him. =)

SUNDAY AND MONDAY -- Sunday was Woodlake Church with Audrey, followed by a movie and a relaxing night at home. And Monday was a Bentonville, Arkansas trip with Tiffany... the first road trip where I drove the whole time and crossed state lines - yay me!!  

I'm thankful to say it was a really smooth, scenic drive!  We got to the Crystal Bridges Museum around 10:20, and we had fun touring through and looking at everything. The Chihuly chandelier was awesome, as his work always tends to be!  We rode in the biggest elevator we'd ever seen, and without even discussing it, both went to opposite corners and took a picture of each other. lolol  They had a lot of pretty floral art, including mosaics and a massive wall filled with paper flowers and leaves.

The architecture of the building itself was pretty cool!  We sat down for a bit to map out what was next, and we snapped a picture of our reflection in the huge gold heart hanging from the ceiling. lol  We walked the Art Trail outside - almost all uphill, and most of it was stuff I could care less about like the random metal pig sculpture. The LOVE sculpture was cool, though!  And everything out there was really scenic and pretty (minus the bugs, of course)!

This = a small portion of the art we made fun of! lol  There is always sooooo much fascinating weirdness to be found at art museums, including but not limited to:  A ginormous spider where the artist wrote a special note about how spiders remind him of his mother. ???? A random carving where everyone looks disfigured and only the butt and feet are skin colored. A wall full of wood chips painted black, in a very moving piece titled "Wood and Paint."  A second-grade-level painting titled "Self-Portrait with fish and cat." A colorful cigarette piece called "Smoker #9." A huge turquoise metal sculpture titled "Dropped Bra." lolol  Whyyyy? A very special piece called "Buttons and Glue." A huge silver blob titled "Eat Meat." Two creepily-lifelike exhibits - the man on the bench and the man with glasses. Tiffany mentioned an attorney he reminded her of, and I got really cracked up on that one!  A masterpiece called "Untitled" that was quite literally just tons of green hard candy poured onto the floor of a little hallway room. People are allowed to take and eat them, so it's a unique, ever-changing exhibit. I cannot even with the pretentious stupidity - my favorite thing is listening to people trying to sounds smart as they analyze this stuff. And finally, 3 black and white photos of a woman's hands as she's cooking titled "Mama's Biscuits." Make it stop! lol

They had some good, pretty stuff too, and either way, we had fun looking around!  After we finished the museum and art trail, we stopped for a fun lunch at Tavola Trattoria, a local Italian restaurant. I had a chicken parmesan pot pie, and Tiffany had a chicken parm sandwich and sweet potato fries. Neither of us cared for the cucumber-mint water, and I didn't like my carbonated lemonade much better. We laughed about how we always prefer peasant food to the fancy pretentiousness! lol  

After lunch, we stopped in at the Walmart Museum. The first Walmart ever was opened in Bentonville. They did $250,000 in sales the first year, and are now all over the place raking in over 482 billion!  (They had a "By the Numbers" thing going across the wall, showing when and where they expanded, and it was fascinating - the American dream for sure).  Tiffany and I added our names to the Post-It wall, then stopped for some ice cream at the Walmart Cafe! lol  Then we started off on our scenic road trip back...

Stopping by Dripping Springs State Park to see a pretty waterfall right here in Oklahoma!  We walked around quite a bit there, and it was HOT enough outside that I was really wishing I could jump in!  Then we blasted the AC and the Mamma Mia soundtrack and headed back to my house!  'Twas a fun day and I'm proud of myself for driving and not getting us lost. lol

And that's my Memorial Weekend Recap!  =)  Now here I am back at work for felony Tuesday.  Hopefully the afternoon will go by fast! lol