23 Weeks to Go: Movement

If you're wondering what The Impossible Goal is, you can read about it here.

Have I used this one yet?

I just tested myself at 350 wpm and .... it didn't suck.

I didn't PASS, but I DID get a lot more than I thought I did.  I got something for everything, even with "finger freeze."  And I could decipher more of my slop than I thought I could.  There were errors that were errors in WORD, but not errors in meaning.  Maybe that's due to the fact that I'm full-time CART now.

This could happen, folks.  This may not be as impossible as I thought.  I just may make speed.  Holy crap.

Always transcribe your tests, kids.

24 Weeks to Go: Court Reporting and Captioning Week

If you're wondering what The Impossible Goal is, you can read about it here.

Not much to update this week WRARDZ to progress.  Hangin' in there, doing what practice I can get done.

Now.  Here's a link to NCRA's press release about Court Reporting and Captioning week.

Hopefully your steno friends on Facebook will be posting this week about our profession and how we love it.  Hopefully you will too!  Here's a link to some ideas for your posts this week.

In other news, I have my first CAPTIONING assignment this week!  We're going to webcast the aforementioned SLCC court reporting event and I get to CAPTION some of it! So I'm looking forward to feeling like an absolute newbie again.

25 Weeks to Go: Spinnin' Tires

If you're wondering what The Impossible Goal is, you can read about it here.

Yes, I've used this .GIF before. I like it.

Not much of an update this week. I haven't upped practice speeds to 500, but I'm thinking I should, because I just tested myself at 330 wpm and haven't had any change for the past three weeks.  At 330 I'm getting something for everything, and there's stretches where I'm getting it, but there's more stretches where it's gibberish.  I think part of it is my work schedule, but I don't want to use that as an excuse.  Only 25 weeks to go!

In other news, on February 20 I'll be at St. Louis Community College-Meramec for their Court Reporting/Captioning Information session.  Click here for more info.

26 Weeks to Go: Finding Time

If you're wondering what The Impossible Goal is, you can read about it here.

It's been a heavy week of work. Some days I haven't been able to meet my daily practice goal, and I had one day where I only practiced once because I got home later than usual and my hands were beyond tired. That, plus my schedule for the next four months has filled up with work, extra work, weekend trips of either representing Stenovations or giving seminars (one on Facebook/Twitter for ILCRA, and one for the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association on CART), and I need to check my calendar on my phone to see whether I'm coming or going, whether it's a burro or a burrow. (One is an ass, and one is a hole in the ground.)

So I'm doing my best to practice when I can.  At the start of the day, I get the Magnum Steno Video of the Day up on my CARTing computer, and in between classes I can find a chair somewhere, plug in headphones, and do a quick take. Usually I can get in my pre-supper and pre-bedtime practice, so that's at least two.  Of course I do as much briefs practice as I can.

Tested myself at 330, and while I'm plodding along, not much progress from last week.

27 Weeks to Go: Push the Pace

If you're wondering what The Impossible Goal is, you can read about it here.

comixed.com for all your funny celeb meme needs.

My motto is "Push the Pace."  A few months ago (maybe several, don't quite know) WWE's Monday Night RAW filmed their 1,000th episode in St. Louis.  I was happy to attend, as all--ALL--my major WWE crushes were there :oD

I knew I was going to need a new Testing Shirt for the Guinness attempt, so I'd been keeping my eyes peeled for the Perfect Shirt.  And then the Rock enters the arena, and he's wearing this shirt (click through to WWEshop.com):

I hope this link works. If not, go to shop.wwe.com and search under "Superstar," "Rock," and look at the T-shirt that has "Push the Pace" on the back.

I could see something on the back of the T-shirt, and once my eyes focused in on the text thereon, I went, "THAT'S THE ONE!!!!!" And my husband said, "WHAAAT?" because there were, like, a bazillion people cheering for the Rock and stuff.  I ordered that sonofagun the next day.

So that's my mantra, motto, catchphrase, etc.

Weekly update: My CART schedule increased with a vengeance this week, plus I had to cover for someone in addition to my newly increased hours, so I actually did not get much practice in this week. Mind you, I'm NOT complaining. :o)

But this weekend I DID get all my 475 wpm practice sessions in, and I haven't felt much difference between practicing at 450 and practicing at 475. So it's time to -- what? -- Push the Pace.  I'll kick it up to 500 wpm here in a couple of weeks and see what happens.

And lastly, I just tested myself at 330, and it was MUCH improved from last week. Progress!

28 Weeks to Go: Positive/Negative

If you're wondering what The Impossible Goal is, you can read about it here.

No reason. I just like Grumpy Cat.

Little inside voices like to suggest sometimes that it can't be done, you're not good enough, what's the use, only the Epic people should be going for it, why try if you ARE going to fail, etc. etc.  I'm doing my best to brush them off.  Thankfully I haven't ran into anybody who has been negative to me about my goal--but I've ran into plenty who have been positive to ME but negative to THEMSELVES. "Wonderful! Boy, I sure couldn't do that!"  (You're certainly NOT going to do that if you keep telling yourself you can't.) (Heck, I can't do that NOW. That's why I'm practicing. I ain't gonna get there by accident.*)

I tried a 330 wpm just now, and while I got it in places and did NOT drop, it was mostly pretty messy.  And that's quite a bit slower than 370.  Doesn't look good for me at first blush.

But it's been five months since the NCRA speed contest where I got 280 wpm, and now I'm possibly around 320 (allowing for the messiness of that last 330). That's an increase of 40 wpm. That means if I maintain the progress, in five months--June--I should be at 360, and then that's within spitting distance, right???

*I've run into several Muggles--non-steno folk--who have expressed amazement when I mention that I have to excuse myself to practice, or that I train every day.  "You mean you PRACTICE??"  Pete's sake, it's the WORLD RECORD. Just because you've taken a few violin lessons doesn't mean you can immediately rip into the Devil Went Down to Georgia.

29 Weeks Left

Adjusting practice routine accordingly.

I'm up to five practice sessions a day minimum -- doing a Q&A take sped up to approximately 450 wpm, three during the day, once before dinner, and once at around 9 pm.  School starts this week, but I've got a light schedule this semester, so that shouldn't cut into practice too much.

And believe it or not, there's starting to be short stretches -- and I do mean SHORT stretches -- where I'm not dropping quite as much, so probably here in a week or two I'm going to bump up the speed again.  I haven't tested myself yet to see where I'm at due to the whirlwind of the last month, but I'm feeling some progress.

If you're wondering what The Impossible Goal is, you can read about it here.