Month: March 2012

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I’ve Had Better Road Trippin’ Weather

Movin’ through the Rockies by way of the Crowsnest
These rocks are cursed, thrown up by some god
Who turned his back on a word called love— Paul Gross, ‘Angels’

I set off for Fort Steele at about 8:30 yesterday morning. I’d been following the forecast for a week and knew that I could expect some flurries through the Crowsnest Pass, but expected good roads since that forecast kept improving day by day. HA HA HA HA HA. By the time I hit Fernie, the roads were pretty slick. But I knew I was heading downhill from there and had a better chance of hitting good weather quickly if I kept going west than if I turned back east.

I was right. The first 50 or so klicks out of Fernie were abysmal but, without warning, the pavement became dry. It was really quite amazing. I pulled into a turn off to let an idiot race past me only to discover that half of the turnout had several inches of snow and the rest of it was bare! So it was smooth driving to Fort Steele from that point on.

I arrived at 12:45, only 40 minutes ‘late’ as per my GPS’ initial arrival estimate. So that just goes to show that slowing down for the conditions really doesn’t add that much time to a trip when compared to having to wait for a tow truck because you spun out into a ditch!

Donna wasn’t home from work when I arrived, so I had a few minutes to snuggle my favourite dog in the universe while Ken brewed me a very welcome cup of coffee. Donna arrived with vittles and we had lunch and gabbed for most of the afternoon.

We went into Cranbrook for dinner, all enjoying a very satisfactory dinner at ABC Country Restaurant. This is a BC chain of casual family restaurants; I ate at one in Victoria. Donna and Ken had been there a few times and had a few recommendations, including getting the roasted red-skin potatoes in lieu of baked or mashed. Yum!

Back at the Ark, we gabbed some more, then Ken retired for the night. Donna and I chatted into the wee hours of the morning as she ran down the battery on my iPad playing a game. It’s a good thing I brought it. I’m not sure how she would have entertained herself otherwise. 😉

Needless to say, we all got a very late and lazy start to today, which included watching two movies. I headed out around 3PM in good weather conditions and had nice dry pavement all the way through the Crowsnest. I thought I was home free. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

The sky became more swollen and angry the further east I drove and it finally erupted over Fort McLeod. I pretty much crawled for the last 50 klicks of the drive in near zero visibility with big fat snowflakes clinging to my windshield wipers. It’s still snowing and it’s sticking. Yuck! I am so glad to be home. I just checked the forecast and Lethbridge is under a winter storm warning.

Even though the driving conditions were less than ideal, I am so happy that I had a chance to visit with my friends before the spring migration. Based on today’s projections, we will see each other again sometime next summer…

Before I sign off, does anyone care to guess what the liquor store in Blairmore is meaning to say with this sign?!

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Running for the Hills

I promised Donna and Ken a visit at the start and end of my Lethbridge winter. I can’t believe that it’s been almost five months since I last saw them! Tomorrow morning, I am heading to Fort Steele for a quick trip. I must love those guys to drive eight hours and only be with them for about that much (not counting sleep)! 😀

Today is the one-month countdown to departure! I should be at the Walmart in Moose Jaw this day next month. Crazy! Starting next week, I will be cutting down my hours at the apartment complex as my replacement gets more comfortable and I will be in full departure mode. I’ve been feeling really run down the last few weeks, but knowing that I’m heading out shortly has given me a much needed burst of energy. 🙂

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Is There a Better Ending Than a Wedding?

When I started at my apartment management job late last June, I was amused to discovered that my grumpy maintenance man is a romantic at heart and deeply in love with his Thai girlfriend here on a temporary work visa. The future was uncertain, but they were working on getting her permanent resident status (PR) and hoped to marry in a few years time.

Fast forward seven months, and they were able to get married a couple of weeks ago. They had a civil ceremony at home but planned to have a big party with all their friends and family a little while later. They had considered the summer, but wanted me to be there, so the party was held last night. What a wonderful affair! The mostly Thai food the bride cooked was delicious, the music was lively, and all my work friends past and present were there. It was so lovely to see the couple looking so happy and in love.

It’s been a very, very long time since I last went out for drinks and entertainment, so I will confess that I stayed out late, made a fool of myself on the dance floor, imbibed a little too much, and was glad that I made the decision to go to the party in a cab. 🙂

In the next few weeks, I will be helping with getting the immigration papers typed up, my wedding present to them. I am amused that part of the process is just like that in American films where folks are trying to get green cards, in that Citizenship and Immigration Canada want photos and other proof that they are a true couple and didn’t just marry so she can get her PR. All I can say is that this the real thing and makes me realise that love can be complicated and messy, but it’s worth the journey.

 

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Replying to a Comment About Working From Your RV as a Transcriptionist

Reader Jayne asked a couple of questions in comments on the Street View post about working from you RV as a transcriptionist that I felt warranted their own post:

I know it’s best to do one’s research before jumping in, so I am hoping to learn from those are already in this field [transcription]. Hoping to learn about what you love about your job, what attributes /skills one needs to be successful? I can type fairly fast but definitely would need to improve my accuracy and knowledge of punctuation. I see many online programs for certifications as well as local schools.

What I love the most is probably specific to me in that I got really lucky and found a great client that provides me with a variety of projects. One day I’m transcribing in the medical field, another I’m transcribing a hearing, and the next I’m doing a focus group.

Skills that are necessary include:

– a good ear for voices (I struggle if I have more than four really distinct voices)

-good broad general knowledge (to understand, not just hear, what someone is saying)

-good typing skills

-patience (sometimes you get files that are very difficult)

-self-discipline (to meet deadlines)

I looked into accreditation and discovered that experience goes as far as a degree in the field of general transcription. If you want to go into medical, then a certificate could be helpful to learn the specifics of that trade, such as privacy rules, document standards, and terminology. But you can also get all that from someone willing to take you on as an apprentice of sorts. You don’t have to have a certificate to get into the medical transcription business.

A misconception about transcription is that it’s a mindless job that anyone can do. But it takes a certain amount of writing skills to turn words into readable text. I often have to break grammar and punctuation rules to make a transcript legible.

One of my first questions is understanding if technology might change the need for transcriptionists with all the voice recognition products on the horizon.

My client and I have talked about this and neither one of us is concerned. Software won’t be able to muddle through thick accents, stutterers, and mutterers. What I could see happening is that people may use software for the first transcript and then have a human do a review, but most people will realise that this is not cost efficient.

The second most important is what industries use them and which might be the best to target. I am only familiar with medical and legal but am sure there are niche needs and would it be better to think about this.

I am a general transcriptionist who dabbles in medical and legal thanks to that one client. Having had a taste of all three, I prefer being a general transcriptionist because it offers more variety. Industries that use transcriptionists include police departments, mental health professionals, research companies (eg. focus groups, surveys), political offices, the entertainment industry, and on and on and on.

you have the French / English translation skill, which I am sure opens the door for additional opportunities.

It does, but not as much as some would think because I am not an accredited translator. My translation clients are folks who can’t afford an accredited translator.

I have one occasional transcription client who also pays me to translate the transcript into the other language. I love those jobs!

If you had to go back and do it over again, would you select your current industry or another?

I wouldn’t change anything because my path has led me to an awesome client who is the backbone of my business and who provides me with a wonderful variety of things.

Last, but certainly not least is income. Wondering what I might expect to earn as an hourly rate in the beginning and what the more experienced folks out there are billing.

Billing in transcription is a thorny issue. Medical and legal pays by the line, but I’m not too familiar with that. I’m paid by audio minute, which is the standard in general transcription. The problem with being paid by audio minute is that most people looking for transcriptionists don’t understand how long it takes to transcribe one audio minute. The industry standard for good quality audio with a couple of speakers is 1:4. That means that an hour of transcription takes four hours to transcribe. I can type up to 100 words a minute and I can only beat this standard when I have a solo speaker with a prepared speech.

So all that said, I would not accept less than $1 per audio minute, which means $15/hour, minus taxes and expenses. But I usually get $1.20 to $1.40 with my big client (as I am a sub-contractor) and I charge $1.50 to $2 per audio minute to direct clients.

This brings up another challenge with transcription. I can’t tell you the number of times someone has offered to pay me $15 to transcribe an hour of audio. To those folks, I explain how long it takes to actually transcribe an hour of audio (and provide links to support my argument). Some reply, “Oh, that’s why no one wants this job! Will you do it for $60?” and others outsource to other countries where wages are lower (a common issue on Elance).

I am 55 and wonder if it is realistic to think I could carry this career into my retirement years to supplement my income.

There is a lot of need for transcriptionists, and it seems to be a bigger field in the US than in Canada based on how many ads I see on Craigslist. I think that a good transcriptionist will never be out of work.

As a final note, transcription does involve investing in some equipment: a reliable way to get online on the road, a good noise-canceling headset, a good keyboard, and a foot pedal, as well as an ergonomic desk setup. Transcription isn’t a job that can be done efficiently from the couch or a coffee shop. So keep that in mind when setting up a home office in an RV, and plan your electrical set up so that it will allow you to keep working even on 12V power. I have actually never transcribed with all this equipment while traveling in the RV and I am curious to see how it will affect my battery usage. I may end up having to spring for more batteries.

Thanks for your questions, Jayne. I wish you the best in setting up your online business.

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Passport Update

Thanks to the wonders of tracking numbers, I was able to confirm that my passport application arrived safely in Gatineau on March 2nd, two business days after I sent it off, which is perfect. Had I been in Calgary, I would have expected it to be one business day, but from Lethbridge two days is okay.

I just logged into my online banking account and learned that my application fee has been processed. They do not charge the fee unless the paperwork is in order, so it looks like I will be getting my new passport in time to leave on schedule! I continue to be very pleased with the simplified passport renewal process. It’s not often that I say, “That was painless!” after going through a government process!