Greetings, Internet! I hope everyone is staying as safe and sane as can be. This week was all about television shows, dissertation chapter prep, and grading the last of the assignments for the semester! Daily summaries below!

Day Four Hundred and Twenty-One (5/7/21)

• Did the FES cycle. Started watching “The Bad Batch.” I’m twenty minutes into the first episode and I’m already in love.
• Worked a bit more on my chapter planning. Requested a couple of articles that seem relevant, and have found several new items that should be added to my bibliography right away.
• FaceTimed my sister!
• Abbreviated vocal practice. Some practice is better than no practice.
• I love it when the Mets win in the unlikeliest of ways. Weird ground ball that ended up bouncing better than a bunt, hit by a guy who was taking his first-ever at-bat at Citi Field? Sure! That’s more on brand than you’d think.
• Currently feeling: What they didn’t tell you about writing your dissertation: You can plan all you want, but once you start to write, you realize you actually needed to read at least ten other things, and then translate at least a dozen Latin passages. The bulk of your pre-writing planning is going to end up in the (sometimes obscure) footnotes, and the bulk of your argument is going to come from the last ten things you read because you realized you needed them. Or maybe it’s just me.
• Currently looping: Melissa Bonny’s cover of Kamelot’s “Liar Liar,” because she can do both the clean and harsh vocals. She’s so talented, I can’t even. Her bands need to come to New York.

Day Four Hundred and Twenty-Two (5/8/21)

• Caught up on “The Bad Batch.” I’m so delighted. It’s filling the hole in my heart that was left by finishing “The Clone Wars” and “Rebels.”
• Did some drum programming, and practiced the guitar and keyboard parts (still need to record those).
• Worked on outlining for the second dissertation chapter. Got carried away and barely remembered to do like, ten minutes of vocal exercises at the end of the day. I’m giving myself a few more days to plan before I absolutely need to start writing.
• The Mets seem to be doing well, but DeGrom is pitching tomorrow, so nothing is certain.
• My cover of KT Tunstall’s “Universe & U” got over 100 hits and it’s only been up for two days! What?! That’s a new record for me.
• Currently feeling: Trying so very hard not to slack on vocal/instrument practice as I go into hardcore dissertation mode. I remember the wisdom of Ron Swanson: “Don’t half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.” But what if I whole-ass something for one day and whole-ass another thing the following day? Can I alternate whole-assing two different things if enough time is allocated to each item? Guys, this is now a philosophy blog.
• Currently looping: Kamelot’s live rendition of “Liar Liar” feat. Alissa White-Gluz. How do they sound better live than they do in-studio?

Day Four Hundred and Twenty-Three (5/9/21)

• Did the FES cycle. Am halfway through episode two of “The Nevers.” I’m a fan so far.
• Made myself a matcha latte (well, heated one up from a pre-made ChaCha Matcha beverage) while I watched the last third of the Mets game. How is it that DeGrom wins a game after leaving with an injury? #probablynothowhesawthatgoing
• More chapter research! I think the next step is to translate the Latin.
• Watched the first episode of “The Witcher.” Is it weird that this is the one role in which I actually find Henry Cavill attractive?
• Recorded the guitar and piano parts for a cover. The piano part took me way longer than anticipated (which is what happens when you don’t actually know what you want to do, so you repeatedly just wing it).
• Currently feeling: Well, so much for going to bed at a reasonable hour. I really put in a good effort to cram in everything I wanted to get done today, so at least I can go to bed feeling accomplished?
• Currently looping: Kamelot’s live rendition of “March of Mephisto.” Shagrath does the harsh vocals in the studio version, but, you guessed it, Alissa White-Gluz stepped in this time. And I have such a girl crush on her.

Day Four Hundred and Twenty-Four (5/10/21)

• Almost all caught up with “The Nevers.” I’m a fan.
• Recorded vocals. Then did some vocal practice. I’m trying to shift into the high female warmups (I usually do low female, but I’m finding my range is improving).
• Music lesson! Riffs. And my guitar instructor and I came up with my symphonic metal stage name: Valkyrie Pyro. All ye bow down, for I shall carry you to Valhalla!
• Recorded flute! Just have to do mixing now. I also might have to edit the drums I programmed in.
• Currently feeling: Tomorrow is “translate all the Latin” day. Or at least, most of it. The deadline is to start writing once I’ve finished grading the finals (which I’m supposed to have done by next Monday, because the finals will be out starting on Saturday at midnight). It’s going to be a hectic weekend, everybody.
• Currently looping: Sara Bareilles released an audience-free concert! Could not stop smiling. She’s just every level of amazing. And she’s admitted to being in a constant pit of self-loathing. Relatable.

Day Four Hundred and Twenty-Five (5/11/21)

• Did the FES cycle.
• My mother stopped by! She had some errands to run in my neighborhood.
• Did some grading, came across an amazingly helpful article for the upcoming chapter/possibly another chapter, and translated some Latin. I may have done some translating with the Mets game on in the background, which may have been slightly distracting, but I’m pretty sure there’s no way I would mistranslate something as “king of the fielder’s choice walk-off.”
• Guess who got her registration certificate from the US Copyright Office! That’s right, “Jackass” is copyrighted!
• Audio mixed this week’s cover. It’s Adele. Get hyped.
• I’m alternating listening to metal and then Sara Bareilles and somehow neither feels out of place.
• Currently feeling: I know that anyone can get basically anything original copyrighted, but still, I feel like I own something that I created and it’s legally mine. It’s a fantastic feeling.
• Currently looping: Spiritbox’s “Circle With Me.” Do I want to learn how to do a metal scream? At some point, yes. Right now, still working on the fundys of clean singing.

Day Four Hundred and Twenty-Six (5/12/21)

• Recorded the video for this week’s cover. I have no idea how I got to 225 subscribers (it was 200 about two weeks ago), but here I am?
• Adulted in the form of being on the phone with an insurance company for about half an hour.
• Graded the last of the assignments! There was a glitch on the course site, so I may have to officially upload the grades tomorrow.
• So, I’m in the “Binge Mode” Facebook group. It imploded today, for reasons that are a bit too complicated for me to type out here. So now there’s a new “Binge Mode” group.
• Currently feeling: I may end up going to bed after 1am because of this “Binge Mode” Facebook group drama. This is what happens when you try to find a nerdy happy space on the Internet.
• Currently looping: Evanescence’s live performance of “Better Without You.” Amy Lee’s live vocals are perfection.

Day Four Hundred and Twenty-Seven (5/13/21)

• Did the FES cycle. Watched the latest “Legends of Tomorrow” episode. You know I love my Legends.
• Uploaded my cover of Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain.” You know I love an overly dramatic song.
• Therapy!
• Went outside for a sandwich. Wore one mask instead of two, even though we can now technically go outside without masks. (Holy cow!)
• Am almost halfway through season one of “The Witcher.” I can’t tell if I like it, or if I just like Henry Cavill saying, “Hmm.”
• Total Times Outside: Sixty-Seven!
• Currently feeling: And “Binge Mode”’s FB group is now on pause. Goodness. I’ve now joined a Binge Mode Discord server. It’s like a giant group text within another giant group text, with several channels. I have no idea what I’m doing and time really flies when you’re talking to a lot of other awesome people.
• Currently looping: Evanescence’s “Take Cover.”

Thanks so much for reading! Stay safe, get vaccinated, and go hug your loved ones once you’re able to!