Greetings, Internet! I hope everyone’s staying as safe and sane as can be. This week, I drunk-ordered a camera, outlined my first dissertation chapter, and began TA-ing over Zoom! Daily summaries below!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Three (1/29/21)

• It was COLD last night. I went to sleep wearing four layers.
• Did the FES cycle for 45 minutes. I might be able to return to my usual hour next week.
• Therapy!
• I thank the people of “Binge Mode” for telling me of this beautiful compilation.
• My mother’s here! She brought flowers. They’re purple ^_^
• My mother was watching the BBC “Pride and Prejudice” (you know, the one with the swim scene that was nowhere in the book, but that exists because dang, Colin Firth is fine), so I watched the last hour or two with her. Most men look annoying when they brood, but Colin Firth is the rare exception (Kit Harington is a close second). Really getting as much value as possible out of this HBO Max subscription.
• Yes, “Pride and Prejudice” was accompanied by hot chocolate.
• Wound care + period = an absolute mess. Sorry not sorry for the TMI, because being a woman makes everything messier and the world needs to know.
• Currently feeling: I really want a camera. Why are they so expensive?
• Currently looping: Fiona Apple’s “Every Single Night” from “Live From Here.”

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Four (1/30/21)

• Did some reading for dissertation research, followed by lesson prepping.
• My mother and I rewatched “The Long Night” episode from “Game of Thrones.” I had watched it when it debuted on my laptop, and my laptop screen and speakers did not do the episode justice. It was much more fun to watch on a proper television.
• Cleaned my makeup brushes! I’m going to be on Zoom calls more often for teaching, so I’m probably going to have to do this more often.
• FaceTime and wine with one of my elementary school besties! I got really drunk and ordered a fancy camera. Oh my.
• Currently feeling: I AM SO DRUNK RIGHT NOW AND I LOVE YOU ALL.
• Currently looping: Sarah Jarosz’s cover of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” I kind of prefer it to the original (sorry not sorry).

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Five (1/31/21)

• Did the FES cycle for a full hour. Huzzah!
• Started watching lectures for the course I’m TA-ing. Ahh, it’s happening!
• Listened to a couple of episodes from the Infectious Historians podcast. I didn’t realize this existed (and that its hosts are both graduates from my program!).
• Finished the bottle of wine I started yesterday. Then proceeded to watch more “Clone Wars.”
• Preparing for precept! Just a couple more items to get through, and then I’ll feel relatively confident.
• Currently feeling: I had a plan to do music things today, but then I got caught up in work. This may be a semester-long struggle. Oh dear.
• Currently looping: Veruca Salt’s “Awesome.”

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Six (2/1/21)

• The semester has begun! Ah, feel those pre-precept jitters.
• Watched more “Clone Wars” as the blizzard ensued.
• Music lesson! Of course in the midst of everything I want to plan yet another complicated cover.
• Teaching meeting! Followed by me emailing my students for the first time. Holy cow. You know I spent like half an hour just writing the email and then immediately checked my sent folder to make sure it was sent and that all the links worked. Then looked over my precept plans and started to edit them.
• Family FaceTime! We all finally have phones that can do a three-way FaceTime, which meant that my niece got to see me and my mother at the same time! (She did a happy dance and said, “Hello, everyone!” My heart. It melts.)
• Currently feeling: Must. Make. Time. For. Music.
• Currently looping: Lindsey Stirling’s “Elements.” Seemed appropriate for a blizzard (even though there is no snow in the video).

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Seven (2/2/21)

• Did the FES cycle. Watched more “Clone Wars.”
• Skype hangout with a friend from college! There was much venting about academia.
• First precept ever! Did it go well? Not sure. Did it go badly? Probably not. 
• So I saw this special that “Good Morning America” did on mothers who use wheelchairs and I might have started tearing up. It looks so achievable. Except that they’re all married.
• Currently feeling: I was fretting over teaching, and so my mother commented that I was worrying over this like it was a date, to which I replied, “Dating is for people with free time!” I know it’s not actually for people with free time (I know many people without free time who still try to date), but I refuse to make time for something that will most likely end in failure. Teaching, however, I will make lots of time for.
• Currently looping: Fiona Apple’s “Fast As You Can” from Live From Here. Omg, hearing Chris Thile play the mandolin to repeat the line “and I will not let you win.” Just freaking amazing.

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Eight (2/3/21)

• Meeting with my advisor! Guys, it’s starting. First dissertation chapter outline due in two days. <starts typing frantically>
• <continues to type frantically>
• Why do I keep getting notifications of articles about wheelchair-using mothers or wheelchair-using women talking about marriage?
• Precept! Definitely tripped over my words today, as I foolishly thought I didn’t have to prepare as much because I spent much of yesterday preparing (and much of today typing an outline frantically). Lesson learned. But the students were great, at least (and they all had their cameras on!).
• Outline draft completed! And now to review it for a day before I send it off. Ah, the joys of frantic typing.
• My guitar instructor sent me a picture of a guitar at a nearby music store that he thought would be perfect for me. It’s beautiful. I really want it. I already know how I’d use an electric guitar in my songs (I mean, can you imagine “Jackass” with an electric feel? Oh gosh, I love it already).
• Currently feeling: Outline’s done. Once I get the okay, it’ll be time to start writing the first chapter draft. All the while writing up a lecture to record. And you bet the deadlines are all during the same week. <starts playing Hans Zimmer> Oh, it’s on.
• Currently looping: Hans Zimmer’s “Supermarine” from the “Dunkirk” soundtrack. It’s good for tense research music.

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Nine (2/4/21)

• Did the FES cycle.
• Posted my cover of The Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love.”
• Reading group! It was nice to talk about something from the modern period (and by that, I mean the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries).
• Therapy! Turns out that having a bunch of work deadlines has put me in a rather chipper mood. I say that with complete sincerity. Productivity is my drug of choice.
• Worked on my outline a bit more. I’m hoping it’s not too rambly. I had some ideas while putting it together that required some Latin translations. I’ll go over it again tomorrow morning and then email it to my advisor.
• Finished season three of “Clone Wars”!
• FaceTimed my sister and niece! Of course, first she asked me to show her pictures (and I don’t really have any), then asked for my mother (who my sister also got on FaceTime, so that was a lovely surprise for my niece), and then she asked me to show her Hello Kitty. I have a bunch of stuffed animals on my couch because I knew she liked to play with them when she visited. They’re still on my couch for FaceTime calls.
• Currently feeling: Productivity really is my drug of choice. That, and dancing to acoustic renditions of metal songs while I brainstorm dissertation things.
• Currently looping: Ad Infinitum’s acoustic version of “I Am the Storm.”

Thanks so much for reading! Stay safe, wear a mask, and happy spring semester!