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Something Is Very Wrong
Friday, May 9, 2008 at 11:44AM 
Ever have one of those days when the wheels fall off right and left? I had one of those days yesterday.
What happened was, I went downtown to cover two depositions. Did a sound check as usual, just as the many lawyers were beginning to file in and disgorge the contents of their Redwelds all over the conference room table, and discovered to my horror that there were "issues" with the sound level on my Marantz digital recorder. This piece of equipment is a workhorse and frankly I baby it, so I concluded that the problem was nothing more than a low battery on my primary high-gain microphone. The one that perches in a clip in the middle of the table and records everything ... not just every spoken word but every sneeze, cough, sigh, paper rustle, beeper buzz, cellphone vibration, and candy-wrapper crinkle.
To its credit, it did not look at me indignantly when I removed it from its box; it merely played the tape with stunning clarity.
Now, due to the birth of our second grandchild on April 15th, necessitating my spending six days in North Carolina, followed by the week-long visit of my first grandchild at our home, during which I came down with a bad cold, and the subsequent out-of-town graduation earlier this week, I haven't worked in a month. Batteries sometimes wane in these circumstances.
So I changed the microphone's tiny button battery. Four times. Still, not much volume ... and decidedly not good.
Of course I have a smaller digital backup recorder with excellent sound quality (just not as easy to transcribe from) and my trusty Sony cassette tape recorder. No worries. The ambient sound in the room was virtually nil (sometimes air conditioning can be so loud I stifle the urge to place it under oath) and the proceedings were fairly low-key (the subject being false arrest for inadvertent use of counterfeit currency), so I wasn't too concerned. At least I'd be able to hear something.
Last night I loaded the four hours of testimony into my transcribing software and took a listen.
Nothing.
Nothing, that is, save my whispering on the track where I repeat everything that is said in the room. But I don't transcribe from that source; between marking exhibits and pausing to make notes, not to mention all the times people rudely talk over one another, I sometimes miss a sentence or two. I rely on the primary recording for transcription purposes.
So I'll be transcribing these 200 pages from old-fashioned tape, thank you very much ... and I am grateful for my Sony transcriber which has not seen the light of day in three years. To its credit, it did not look at me indignantly when I removed it from its box; it merely played the tape with stunning clarity through my earphones, making me grin real big in relief. And this machine cost less than a fourth of what the Marantz set me back.
Ah well. Have you ever noticed that the more you pay for something, the more trouble it is?
Speaking of which, the large HVAC unit that sits beside my house, keeping me cool in summer (which it already is, here ... daily highs are near 90), yesterday joined the ranks of balking machinery. When I arrived home last night from my depositions, it was 78 degrees in the house ... and climbing. The unit was running but nary a breath proceeded from the registers. I turned the whole thing off, located some fans, put my hair in a ponytail, and waited for TG to solve it.
The repairman has promised to come by this evening.
Stay cool, y'all.
Jennifer
The air conditioning is fixed! It was nothing serious! Thank you, JB! Cool is the rule.
Reader Comments (9)
RYC: Thanks. It always helps to know I'm not alone with a screwed-up father/daughter relationship. My dad isn't the drunken type anymore (although he was when I was a baby), he's just the misogynistic type, which results in not having a clue how to relate to daughters in any way, shape or form. Add to that the fact that he's 9 months shy of 60 and already having serious memory problems, and it creates quite the interesting drama. I'm just glad I moved out when I did - dodged THAT bullet...
Regarding your post - it is interesting how the more money you spend for something, the more trouble it is. I've always said, the more technological something is, the more there is to go wrong! :)
@ Angi ... Girl you are so right! I just hope it gets fixed tonight ... I don't do well when the ambient temp gets much over 70! LOL! I am a wimp.
Haha...well...where exactly do you live that it's already so hot?? I live in Seattle, it's been about 55-60 during the day here, and this time of year, it's hit-and-miss whether we get rain or sun. I lived in Oklahoma for the better part of 5 years, though, for college...one summer we had 3 weeks straight where the temp was 110 or more. THAT was miserable! I almost married the air conditioner...
South Carolina ... look at my sidebar! It's 85 degrees right now! And this is only the beginning!
I've always thought I would love the climate in the Pacific Northwest. I love rain. We actually lived in Seattle for several months when I was a little girl. My mom worked in the restaurant in the Space Needle!
Ooooh okay. I didn't pay attention, haha, whoops. Is it super humid there, too, being that you're close to the ocean as well?
I LOVE Seattle. I grew up here, I love the ocean/mountains/forest...and if you go over to eastern WA, it's a bit flatter, and much hotter in the summers. It's like the best of all worlds! That restaurant in the Space Needle is still there, too!
It's not as humid now as it will be! It's just getting cranked up as it were! I would really like to visit the Seattle area again someday ... you might say it's a dream of mine!
Well, if you are ever in the area and need a tour guide or some suggestions of some must-sees, I know just the person ;-)
How sweet of you! If I ever make it that far west, I will sure let you know! And if you ever make it way over here, I'm sure you'll let me return the favor.
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