Greetings, Internet! Hope everyone’s staying as safe and sane as can be. This week, I got my second vaccine shot, had about two days of side effects, and I started work on planning my second dissertation chapter! Daily summaries below!

Day Three Hundred and Ninety-Three (4/9/21)

• Did the FES cycle.
• Went for my second vaccine shot! Two more weeks for full vaccination! At which point I will continue to hermit as I write the next chapter of my dissertation.
• Five hours later: arm is sore.
• I got my first sort of negative comment on my YouTube channel! Someone said that resorting to practice to sing the high notes in the bridge seemed “kind of drastic,” and then left a cry-laughing emoji. Wow, someone’s jealous. Who tries to undercut someone for practicing?
• Total times outside: Fifty-Nine!
• Currently feeling: I can’t wait for everyone to get vax-ed up (to borrow my bestie’s term for it). I mean, sure, it’ll still be a while before I see everyone because this is going to be the summer of dissertation writing, but I’ll do what I can to make sure I see people!
• Currently looping: Julien Baker’s “Favor.” She plays all the instruments on her album and I want to embody her awesomeness.

Day Three Hundred and Ninety-Four (4/10/21)

• Side effects from the second vaccine dose: body aches, leg spasms, slight elevation in temperature (99.5 degrees F), and of course, a very sore arm. All those people who complain about sore arms who don’t need to push a wheelchair to get places can take a seat, thank you very much.
• And now I have a fever. 100.5 degrees F.
• 101.4 degrees F. Okay, this girl probably should take some Tylenol.
• 100.9 degrees! And the leg spasm severity has decreased noticeably. Thank you, Tylenol!
• 100.4. Technically still a fever, but at least my teeth stopped chattering. My mother and I started to watch “My Fair Lady.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen the film the whole way through before. It’s cute.
• After the second Tylenol, 99.8. Wahoo!
• Did some reading for next week’s precept.
• Still managed to fit in about an hour of vocal practice. #priorities
• Currently feeling: Tired. Achy. Hoping that the fever will drop without need for Tylenol.
• Currently looping: Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” (Taylor’s Version). I’ll get around to listening to the whole album soon. Although Julien Baker’s “Little Oblivions” is currently taking priority, album-wise.

Day Three Hundred and Ninety-Five (4/11/21)

• The fever has abated! Taking the day off from the FES cycle just to give my body a break after my side-effect-filled yesterday.
• Washed my makeup brushes.
• Group vocal lesson!
• #triotime FaceTime! We’re all so close to being fully vaccinated!
• Vocal practice! Probably should’ve recorded something for a cover. I do have to do a Dissertation Diaries video this week.
• Watched most of the lectures for the course I’m TA-ing.
• Currently feeling: Two more weeks of precepting, and then the second dissertation chapter panic will set in. I really need to start planning. Don’t get me wrong. I have ideas. They’re just scattered in two Word docs, a couple Google Calendar entries (inspiration struck and I didn’t have time to open a Word Doc), and quite possibly in an email draft I never sent myself. Gotta write those ideas down before you forget them!
• Currently looping: “Weird Little Flute (feat. Kid Cudi)” from SNL. The flutist in me could not stop laughing.

Day Three Hundred and Ninety-Six (4/12/21)

• Temperature’s still fine, but there’s a noticeable amount of fatigue. #stillbetterthangettingcovid
• Music lesson postponed! Worked on my lesson planning instead.
• Teaching meeting! It took less than ten minutes, so that was nice(?).
• Recorded a Dissertation Diary update! It’s almost eighteen minutes long. I should edit that down.
• I had my first virtual one-on-one vocal lesson! The vocal instructor is super knowledgeable (and she listens to a lot of metal and Disney, so I feel significantly less nervous singing in front of her than I probably would with most people). Don’t get me wrong, I was still super nervous, but she said that I had a great sense of pitch (!) and a lot of natural strength. And of course she noted my lack of confidence. We’re going to work on that.
• Currently feeling: I probably should’ve taken vocal lessons sooner. I’m already learning so much about proper technique, and I can already tell that my range and tone are improving. It’s going to be so much easier to write songs.
• Currently looping: Taylor Swift’s re-released “White Horse.”

Day Three Hundred and Ninety-Seven (4/13/21)

• Did the FES cycle. I really need to pick up “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
• Printed out my lesson plan after reviewing it again.
• Thought about going outside, but then didn’t. Maybe tomorrow. Also thought about doing my standing frame early. But then I didn’t.
• Precept! I don’t realize I’m tripping over my words or saying “um” too many times until it’s too late.
• I have to do a recording for my vocal lessons (it’s week three now!), so I did what I could and sent it off. I know there are parts where I’m flat, but I’m really on a time crunch this week >.< (or so I say virtually every week)
• Currently feeling: You ever have one of those days where you do everything so slowly that you end up going to bed around 1am again?
• Currently looping: Ad Infinitum’s “Maleficent.” Can they please tour the US and come to NYC? Melissa Bonny’s growl on “WATCH ME RISE” is perfection.

Day Three Hundred and Ninety-Eight (4/14/21)

• Went outside for a matcha latte, some groceries, and some baked goods!
• Music lesson! Trying to write some more original stuff. Really wish I had more time to work on things.
• Office hours! One student showed up!
• Precept! The college kids are really feeling the vaccine side effects. I’m amazed any of them came to precept at all.
• Vocal practicing and songwriting, and oh gosh, there isn’t enough time.
• Late night editing of a Dissertation Diaries video that should go live tomorrow.
• Total times outside: Sixty!
• Currently feeling: There were ten other things I wanted to get done today that haven’t happened yet. So now I’m cleaning my apartment with “Mulan” playing in the background (the animated version, of course). Because “Mulan” is the story of a woman who undergoes an identity crisis and discovers that she is a badass. I would very much like to channel that badassery.
• Currently looping: Christina Perri’s “Burning Gold.”

Day Three Hundred and Ninety-Nine (4/15/21)

• Did the FES cycle.
• My mother’s here! She brought hella ice cream.
• Posted my second Dissertation Diary. It’s all about tips for staying motivated and productive!
• Therapy! Working on reframing things.
• The cable and WiFi went out for nearly three hours. Spent that time working on the outline for my second dissertation chapter, because that doesn’t require WiFi. Set up an old tablet (a Microsoft Surface from 2013) so that my mother could play some virtual Mahjong. I was convinced that there was no way that tablet could still function, but my mother proved me wrong.
• Currently feeling: I have something of an idea for a dissertation chapter! This is progress. I like progress.
• Currently looping: Falling in Reverse’s “I’m Not a Vampire (Revamped).” I don’t even want to listen to the original, because this version is just so good.

Thanks so much for reading! Stay safe, wear a mask, and get vaccinated!