Greetings, Internet! I hope everyone is staying as safe and sane as can be. This week, I dug deeper into the early medieval scholarship (written in German), tried to save my overwatered houseplant, and realized that my microphone has not always faced the correct direction. Daily summaries below!

Day Five Hundred and Twenty-Six (8/20/21)

• Went to Push to Walk and got my butt kicked. One of the trainers I’ve worked with for a few years is about to go on maternity leave, and I shall miss her!
• Went to follow-up with the surgeon (remember when I had surgery back in January?), because something doesn’t seem to be healing right. And it isn’t, despite all of my wound care efforts. Cue to Val trying desperately hard not to cry in front of the surgeon at the prospect of another procedure. I’d rather that no one ask about it.
• Tidied up the apartment a bit.
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Five!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 3.
• Currently feeling: I could use a hug. And some ice cream.
• Currently looping: Spiritbox’s “Hurt You.” There is new Spiritbox and the album drops on September 17th! This is one delighted metalhead.

Day Five Hundred and Twenty-Seven (8/21/21)

• Did the FES cycle. Caught up on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
• Gave the “Too Scary, Didn’t Watch” podcast another attempt. These hosts are unprepared for their pod. About Chris Hemsworth, “I think he was in ‘Star Trek.’” YES, HE WAS. HE PLAYED CAPTAIN KIRK’S FATHER AT THE BEGINNING. KNOW YOUR CAST. And sixteen minutes in, they’re…watching the trailer. Now they’re talking about the plot. Finally. Geez.
• Now one host is telling the other two hosts what the plot is, basically note for note. They ask her clarification questions. This reminds me of when my mother started watching “Game of Thrones” halfway through season six, and I had to explain who everyone was. I do not need this experience on a podcast. Good day.
• Movie night! We went with a classic, “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Did my best to restrain myself from shamelessly objectifying Chris Evans (although really, it’s the moral compass of Steve Rogers that makes the character such an icon/a candidate for my future fictional husband).
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 0. I’ll catch up tomorrow.
• Currently feeling: First in-person movie night! Finally, we’re off of zoom! And one person suggested an MCU Thor-themed double feature next time, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
• Currently looping: Live From Here’s cover of Sheryl Crow’s “Everyday is a Winding Road.”

Day Five Hundred and Twenty-Eight (8/22/21)

• So many articles about Adalhard of Corbie. So many. Also, there’s a highly relevant book (written in German, of course), but it’s not online, so I’d have to go down to Princeton to get a copy. Or park myself in the nearby research library.
• Did some vocal practice. Had a moment where the scream sounded about right, but then couldn’t replicate it. But hey, progress. Maybe later this week, I’ll have something I can send to my harsh vocal coach. Played around with a possible song I might do a raw and live recording of later this week (that seems to be the direction I’m going in because I’m trying to get this chapter content ironed out before I start writing).
• Congratulations to the Mets for winning a game. This is what my Mets updates have come to. I need a hug.
• I have a houseplant, and have no idea how to take care of said houseplant. I overwatered it and now it’s wilting.
• Now I’m looking up how to quickly dry out soil. I have placed a paper towel underneath the plant. And now I’m reading about how to take care of houseplants. This was overdue.
• It’s past midnight. Why am I still reading about houseplant care?
• Total number of videos watched by other YouTubers: 8. Lol, and I said I would catch up.
• Currently feeling: This chapter is going rather slowly, but that’s fine. The point is that it’s going.
• Currently looping: Rose Cousins’ “Donoughmore.” It’s beautiful and sad, and there was a tropical storm nearby, so the feeling felt right.

Day Five Hundred and Twenty-Nine (8/23/21)

• Went to Push to Walk. Am now very tired.
• My mother is helping me revive my overwatered houseplant. I’ve already killed two houseplants, but I’m determined to keep this one alive.
• Okay, so there’s an important book for this chapter that I need. Of course, it’s written in German. I think the NYPL research library has it. Time for some recon at some point soon (maybe once the positivity rate goes down).
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Six!
• Currently feeling: So tired. And now I think I have an article in Italian to read? It’s okay, Italian is just Latin with more letters. Maybe?
• Currently looping: Sara Watkins’ “Without a Word.” It’s like a sad lullaby.

Day Five Hundred and Thirty (8/24/21)

• Doctor’s appointment. I hadn’t seen my urologist in about seven years, and those with SCI really ought to go more often than that, so this was long overdue. TMI but still interesting for those who wonder what urologists check for with SCI: kidney function (via blood test and ultrasound) and bladder shape (via ultrasound). Those with SCI have the risk of developing what’s occasionally referred to as a “Christmas Tree” bladder, in which one’s bladder narrows and develops hard walls due to being very spastic (I think “neurogenic” is the technical term). There are some treatments for a highly spastic bladder, such as botox (you read that correctly). So I’m basically checking to see how my bladder’s doing.
• Ultrasound results are back (dang, that was quick), and my bladder has been described as “unremarkable.” Break out the confetti, folks! ^_^ I still need my urologist to interpret my kidney results, but I’m just going to take a moment to be happy about my bladder looking like the bladder of an able-bodied person.
• Practiced a bit of guitar and singing for another potential raw live cover. This girl needs to get to the library, renew her library card, and take some notes on important things. There is no time for a one-woman multi-instrumental and vocal cover/arrangement.
• Total times outside: One Hundred and Seven!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 8. I’m very behind.
• Currently feeling: You have no idea how relieved I am to have an “unremarkable” bladder. #punnotintended
• Currently looping: Sarah Jarosz’s live from home performance of “Hometown.”

Day Five Hundred and Thirty-One (8/25/21)

• So, um, guess who realized that her microphone has a front and a back? No big deal, just learning vital information about a key piece of equipment more than a year after purchasing and using it regularly. This definitely explains why I sometimes hate the audio quality. I’ve just been recording things literally backwards. #thisiswhathappenswhenyouforgettoreadthemanual #wellthisisembarrassing #howmanytimeshaveirecordedthingsincorrectly
• <places box over head>
• Literally noticed a dot on one side of the microphone and thought, “Huh, why does just one side have this dot?” <goes to Google> “Wait, that’s the front?!”
• Bass lesson!
• Recorded a cover and attempted to audio mix. The volume in the beginning is too low, but I added some compression and there’s not much else I can do about it now =/
• Got a facial, and my first peel. Very much hoping my face does not turn into an exfoliated mess.
• Dear Mets, you make me sad.
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Eight!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 13.
• Currently feeling: I need to figure out when to venture to the library. I just have two things to review, and then I can get to writing. Why, oh why, must these items be in a non-lending library? I mean, I could get the books if I went down to Princeton, but it seems like quite a trek for two books.
• Currently looping: Sarah Jarosz’s live performance from Newport Folk Festival (2013). I introduced her music to my music instructor today, and he was a fan.

Day Five Hundred and Thirty-Two (8/26/21)

• Did the FES cycle and caught up on “Legends of Tomorrow.” A character gave birth to 48 tiny aliens through his nose. Seriously, I love this show.
• Posted my live cover of The Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.” I used to think this song was overplayed, but enough time has passed that I love it now. And I love any excuse to belt emo lyrics.
• My mother’s here! She baked a peach pie.
• Someone stopped by to fix the refrigerator, so yay!
• Well, this sounds like a positive article about lowering barriers to higher education for students with disabilities. We shall see if anything actually happens.
• Therapy! Turns out I have a reasonable (though still eyebrow-raising) hatred of mediocrity. And I project like it’s my job.
• I really do not want to go all the way to Princeton for two books. And so I’ve done some deep digging and have requested some pages to be scanned (we shall see if the person receiving my request is okay with the fact that I did not put a chapter title in my request, but instead said something to the effect of, “please scan the chapter that includes this page range, thank you!”). #imsorryivebecomethatgradstudent
• Got through an article in French in about an hour. I have no idea why French reads so much faster than German does.
• The Mets lost 3-2 again. <sigh>
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 17.
• Currently feeling: Got a lot done today! Which means I’ll be lucky if I get over five hours of sleep tonight. I’m also thankful that my YouTube friends don’t seem to mind all the live/raw covers I’ve been doing lately. Given the time demands of my chapter planning and physical therapy, I don’t have nearly enough time to do a multi-instrumental cover.
• Currently looping: Ad Infinitum released their new single, “Unstoppable,” today! Yay, more symphonic metal!

Thanks so much for reading! Stay safe, get vaccinated, and always check which direction your microphone is facing!