text scale?

I can't figure out why I can't write a note outside of the viewport in paperspace that will be scaled properly. I think, judging from the color of the background where I type the text, that I am missing a setting someplace in the command and the text is being typed humongous. All I see when I type text in the dt command is solid color of the layer I'm in. Also I am trying to figure out why I cannot have the angle displayed in the DI command, when I use it on the lower property line, to read S 85d44'51" W so that I can copy it from the command line and paste it to edit the text just below the property line as is proper in a civil drawing. I get the reverse angle (I think) of 184d15'9" with no directions. Any ideas why?

Civil plot drawing.dwg

For your text you need to zoom in closer and you will see it or press enter twice to end the command after you typed in your text. The angle with the DI (distance) depends if you start on the left side or right side.

Perhaps you are using a text style with a hard coded text height set up for modelspace. The last survey drawing I did was plotted at 1" = 100'-0". The modelspace text height was 12", in order to show up at 1/8" high in paperspace. That text style used in paperspace would have been 12" high. I used a text height of 1/8" for paperspace text.