Greetings, Internet! I hope everyone’s staying as safe and sane as can be. This week, I finished precepting for the semester (!), finished Binge Mode “Star Wars,” and finally got a haircut! Daily summaries below!

Day Four Hundred (4/16/21)

• Day four hundred! Holy cow!
• Woke up tired. At least I can blame my period this time.
• Worked a bit more on the dissertation chapter outline. Sent some emails.
• Did some reading for the course I’m teaching. Learned a lot about the history of personal protective equipment.
• FaceTimed my sister!
• Did my coursework for my third week of vocal lessons! Then practiced for about an hour. I also ran through a song I want to cover, and it’s going to be my third attempt at covering this song. I wasn’t happy with my vocals the first two times. Time to put these lessons to the test.
• After these vocal lessons (it’s a foundational course), I kind of want to learn how to scream/growl. Kind of in the style of Melissa Bonny.
• Currently feeling: I love music. I really want to perform, but really have no idea how to (or if there’s anywhere nearby?). I feel like wherever I go, I’ll have to recruit someone to help me carry my guitar to get there. Any volunteers?
• Currently looping: Garbage’s “Supervixen.”

Day Four Hundred and One (4/17/21)

• Did the FES cycle. I’m almost caught up with “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
• Almost done with Binge Mode: Star Wars! Then it’s off to listening to The Ringerverse’s recaps and deep dives into Falcon and Winter Soldier.
• Chatted with another History student who studies disability! Ah, there’s more than one of us in the department! Yay!
• Surprise Zoom birthday party for writing buddy!
• Practiced a bit of guitar and vocals.
• Currently feeling: You know the expression, “If you want something done, ask a busy person”? I’d like to alter that to, “If you want to do all the things, add more things to your schedule.”
• Currently looping: Evanescence’s “Blind Belief.”

Day Four Hundred and Two (4/18/21)

• Did some recording for a cover that should (if I manage my time well) go up this week.
• My sister and brother-in-law got their first vaccine doses! Huzzah!
• Vocal lesson!
• Caught up with “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Okay, it started slow, but DANG, this is good. And I freaking love Sam Wilson.
• Watched the Mets game (#LGM).
• Finished the readings for this week’s precept, and have mostly planned out my lesson. Just need to wait for the lectures to be uploaded.
• Currently feeling: My goal this week is to go to bed before 1am. We shall see how that goes.
• Currently looping: The Smashing Pumpkins’ acoustic demo of “Perfect.” This is just beautiful.

Day Four Hundred and Three (4/19/21)

• Did the FES cycle.
• Music lesson! Actually, more of a back-to-basics guitar lesson, which was very much needed.
• Recorded vocals for a cover.
• Teaching meeting! Then emailed my precepts, watched the necessary lectures, and finished up something of a lesson plan.
• Recorded flute for the same cover. Somehow I need to audio mix this in like, half an hour? I think I can audio mix it post video recording.
• Currently feeling: I should just get a shirt that says, “Team Time Turner.” It’ll be a great conversation starter, and an excellent way to explain to people that I am a workaholic.
• Currently looping: Exit Eden’s live cover of Shontelle’s “Impossible.”

Day Four Hundred and Four (4/20/21)

• Recorded the video for this week’s cover! Still have to do a wee bit of audio mixing (the vocals are way too loud on the belts and if I don’t adjust the volume, your ears will hurt).
• Went outside for a sandwich. Because it was over seventy degrees outside and I wanted a sandwich. Realized that wanting a sandwich on 4/20 could mean many things, but no, I swear, I just wanted a sandwich.
• Came back in time to watch the Chauvin verdict. That was way too stressful for what should have been some straightforward accountability. And that’s all I’ll say on the matter.
• Last Tuesday precept! Holy cow. And the students who usually didn’t participate as much chimed in, which was really great.
• Audio mixed! And watched a bunch of other people’s YT videos.
• Total times outside: Sixty-One!
• Currently feeling: It’s kind of nuts that we’re already at the last week of classes. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve still got assignments to grade, then another optional assignment that maybe a third of my students are going to do, and then I have to grade final exams, so the grade-a-palooza has just begun. But as far as leading a discussion section goes, that ends this week. I’ll probably have more thoughts on this tomorrow.
• Currently looping: Nightwish’s live rendition of “Yours is an Empty Hope.” Did you know that Floor Jansen can growl? She’s just the gold standard for vocalists.

Day Four Hundred and Five (4/21/21)

• Did the FES cycle. Started watching “Fleabag.” I’m one episode in, and I’m a bit embarrassed that it’s taken me this long to start.
• My mother’s here!
• Office hours! The vaccine rollout has resulted in some student absences, so a few of them stopped by office hours to go over precept material.
• Last precept of the spring semester! Holy cow! I’m going to miss talking to the undergrads, for sure. At no point did I mention my wheelchair, so if I ever run into any of them on campus in the future, they’ll probably be somewhat confused.
• Currently feeling: I still have lots to grade, so I don’t feel anywhere close to done with teaching yet. But I guess it’ll sink in at some point that I’m done with leading discussion sections for the time being.
• Currently looping: Henry Jackman’s “The Winter Soldier” from “Captain American and the Winter Soldier. It’s so intense, I love it.

Day Four Hundred and Six (4/22/21)

• Posted my cover of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals’ “Stars.” If you can believe it, I tried covering this song months ago, but I hated how it turned out and didn’t post it. Then, I tried again. Didn’t like how it turned out. But the third time, I was really happy with it.
• Went back to my parents’ neighborhood because that’s where my childhood hair salon is. Yup, I finally got a haircut! I now have a tiny ponytail when I tie my hair back. It was long overdue (like, the last haircut I got was in 2019).
• Got part of my chair fixed at a neighborhood bike shop (there were some armrest issues…and axle issues).
• Grading assignments! Have I gotten more lax with my grading, or have my students improved? Either way, the overall average is going up.
• Total Times Outside: Sixty-Two!
• Currently feeling: My hair is so much shorter! My head feels lighter. And sure, I don’t look like as much of a rockstar as I did this morning, but that’s okay. As long as I still feel like one, all is well.
• Currently looping: In preparation for tomorrow’s season finale of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” Henry Jackman’s “Louisiana Hero.” Love me some montage music!

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