My employment

I haven't spoken specifically about my job much on here because I always think there is a fine line that I don't want to cross on that subject...meaning I don't want to break any confidences or say too much.  But boy, do I have some good stories I could tell some day...and maybe I will once a few more years pass. 

By the way, I am currently an Official Court Reporter for the State of Illinois (finally) working in my home county (yeah).  I have been a court reporter since passing my state test in 1996.  (Man, that makes me sound really old.)  So yes, I do see and hear a lot of 'stuff,' but I don't see and hear everything, which most people assume.  There was a murder (literally a block from the courthouse) a couple years ago and I don't think I knew about it for a day-and-a-half.  Just because I'm over here in the courthouse doesn't mean I know what's going on.  Usually, unless there is a court case in the courtroom where I work, I don't know about it.  There is a whole gob of court going on in the other courtroom weekly that I never hear about, and I don't want to.

I have an office behind the main courtroom by myself.  The judge is an office just around the corner from me.  I see people coming before he does, but we're not in each other's face or space.  This side of the courthouse is pretty quiet except on our busy court days.  The chief judge's administrator is on the other side of the courtroom, and although I can hear her sneeze or cough, I can't see when she's picking her nose.  (haha, Kathy!)  I/we have our 'own' bathroom, which is so nice compared to other places I've worked.  Technically it's in the jury room, but since we only have juries about once a year, the remaining 300 days or so, it's our potty.

No one really bothers me up here and I like it that way...if only I could keep people from calling me for random information, such as, "I need to get my birth certificate from Cook County, can you help me?"  "Nope, you would need to call Cook County." OR  "Yeah, I need a copy of a death certificate."  "From Clark County?"  "No, Lake County."  "Okay, well, this is the judge's office, and second, this is Clark County.  You need to call Lake County."  I'm not joking, I get these calls all the time.

I have worked with a lot of good people, mostly women, but I must admit that I'm thankful that I work alone.  I know that I can be hard to get along with and I'm sure I would have problems getting along with others on a daily basis if we were in each other's face.  I guess I work well alone...which is funny because I feel like a very social person.  The thermostat is in my office in direct line of site and I watch it like a hawk.  Having come from a courthouse that was always cold, I am so thankful for that.  And the judge I work with has never once complained to me about the temperature, which is awesome. 

Over the next couple of weeks, I will give you a little insight into my job and my duties, and what it's like to be the silent one in the courtroom when you know I have so much to say :)