Updates requested by Patrick

Pat, this one goes out to you:

So here's what's been going on. I have been hugely busy (is that a correct usage of that word? is that a word?) with a really, really big transcript order (1,500 pages) that was due in a very short amount of time (five weeks), and I finally got it done, sans proofreading it on the paper (I'm so anal and I feel guilty, but that alone would have taken me another week). I did proof it to the tape, though - so I know it's beyond mediocre. I might have a missing comma or two, though ::clenching fist, biting it:: So that's done, and now I get to focus on the 2,000-page murder trial transcript I've been putting off, which is due in just over a month! Woo hoo! Oh, the exciting, exciting life of a court reporter...

Ah, but that life might just end soon. No, I'm not talking about committing suicide (although I heard that the lead singer from Boston lit a couple of charcoal briquettes on fire and inhaled the fumes to kill himself? Is this guy a freakin' chemist??). Anyway, as I posted, I believe, I had applied for a job called "Training and Certification Manager" in the newly created Transcript Services Office (and no, neither of those titles should be capitalized). I was super excited about the job, because I think I'd be pretty darn good... so I got called in for an interview, and before that I had to complete a "written exercise" where they pretty much asked the applicant to write out what their plans and ideas were for when they get the job (if they do), and I had to use 10-pt font because I was too excited and wordy for all the answers. I got lots of help from Jay and his dad; they're good at narrowing the scope of stuff. I tend to be too wordy, if you couldn't tell from my rambling. I submitted the exercise, I had my first interview last Friday (one week ago), I interviewed with two people, they seemed to be interested in the fact that I'm actually a court reporter, and they called me back Monday for a second interview, which was held on Wednesday, and I interviewed with the actual manager of the office, and she said she had heard that my first interview went well and that she was excited to meet me (awww). So I think THAT interview went well, as well (well well well!), and she said they'd get back to me "fairly quickly," but as of yet, I haven't heard anything.

I think I'd do a really good job if I got this position, and I'm trying not to get too excited about it because there's always a chance I won't get it.

Speaking of interviews, Jay got onto the "short list" of candidates to be accepted into MassArt!! Weee! He called them today, since he hadn't heard anything (and they were supposed to make decisions late Feb/early March), and the lady said that he should be getting an e-mail about setting up an interview, but Jay couldn't figure out if that meant him specifically, or that it applied to everyone in general. But a few hours later, he checked his e-mail and had received notice that he made the short list, and they want to set up an interview sometime in April! Yay Jay!!

Times, they are a-changin'. Of course, I might not get the new job, Jay might not get into grad school, and we'd still be here in the same spot as we are now, but it feels good to reach for something a little higher than the stuff you're doing now, and to get some positive feedback that you're not crazy for trying to better yourself or get a better position feels great. Sometimes I just don't know what people think of me, and it felt good to hear them say that they were impressed with my ideas and with the way my interview went; and Jay's been waiting for a few months now to hear back about school, not knowing ANYTHING at all about what the school might think of his application, and it made HIM feel great that all his work is paying off and that people respect and acknowledge his skills and talents.

That was a really, really long post, and I've been meaning to shovel the driveway for over 45 minutes now.... so I'm going to go, uh, shovel. Happy St. Patty's Day! Erin Go Bra-less!