Greetings, Internet! I hope everyone’s staying as safe and sane as possible. This week, my sister visited! There was much merriment, tennis-watching, and food. So much food. Daily summaries below!

Day Five Hundred and Thirty-Three (8/27/21)

• Went to Push to Walk! My butt was kicked. Of course.
• The person who received my library scan request was very kind and generous, and gave me the entire chapter that focuses on an important source in my chapter. Thank you, wonderful scanning person!
• My mother and I had peach pie, and it was delightful ^_^
• Practiced clean and harsh singing. I’m hearing the improvement in the harsh singing! I should send something to my vocal coach at some point soon.
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Nine!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 4.
• Currently feeling: On the one hand, I like being critical of myself because it pushes me to do better. On the other hand, it wears me down. I really need to find the proper balance.
• Currently looping: Sarah Jarosz’s live performance of “Maggie” feat. John Leventhal.

Day Five Hundred and Thirty-Four (8/28/21)

• Did the FES cycle. Caught up on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Nine-Nine!
• Practiced a bit for a collaboration (I’m holding off on accepting any more, but this one came in just under the wire).
• My sister’s here!!! <CONFETTI EVERYWHERE>
• Got dinner with my parents. Then my sister and I watched the end of the Mets game, and they won! <MORE CONFETTI>
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Ten!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 12.
• Currently feeling: My sister’s here!!! How do you think I’m feeling?!
• Currently looping: Halsey’s “I Am Not a Woman, I’m a God.” It’s super catchy, and I love that Nine Inch Nails basically produced her album. I’m also really digging her album title, “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.” Relatable AF.

Day Five Hundred and Thirty-Five (8/29/21)

• Got brunch with my sister and a couple of her friends.
• Wandered around my neighborhood because we needed a bit of light exercise after all of the brunch.
• Stopped at a bakery to get some treats. They had some steps to get in, but they had a wheelchair lift!
• No one who worked there knew how to work the lift.
• The manager apologized profusely and gave us a menu for the bakery. He then said our entire order was on the house.
• SO MANY PASTRIES. And dang, they were delicious.
• My sister’s friend stopped by to help us eat the pastries. We then ordered soup, to add something savory to all of the sugar in our bloodstreams.
• The Mets won twice in the same day! Holy cow!
• Did the crossword with my sister! There were many fun anagrams.
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Eleven!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 0.
• Currently feeling: Hoping that the power goes back on in New Orleans soon. That storm looks terrifying.
• Currently looping: Live performance of Spiritbox’s “Rule of Nines.”

Day Five Hundred and Thirty-Six (8/30/21)

• Did the FES cycle. Caught up on “Legends of Tomorrow.” Might have cried several times. I also watched an interview between Brittney Slayes (lead singer of Unleash the Archers) and my metal vocal coach. I love learning about vocals (because duh).
• My sister went out for matcha lattes!
• I am trudging through this German chapter. So far, it’s super duper useful (yay!).
• Played a bit of guitar.
• My sister and I watched the first night of the US Open. Go, Osaka!!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 6. There are so many that I need to watch.
• Currently feeling: It’s really weird that neither Williams sister is competing at the US Open. And there’s no Federer or Rafa. Guys, I think I’m getting old.
• Currently looping: Lorna Shore’s live performance of the songs they released on their EP “…And I Return to Nothingness.” The first three songs were the EP songs, and dang, Will Ramos sounds better live than in studio.

Day Five Hundred and Thirty-Seven (8/31/21)

• Went to Push to Walk, and then left two hours later feeling hella exhausted.
• Had lunch-dinner (lunner?) with my sister and mother. Then watched the Mets win the second game of their double-header (and they won the first game of their double-header, um, what?).
• US Open!! Gotta love that Fritz upset.
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Twelve!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 12. Still so many more to go!
• Currently feeling: Going to bed late again. Alas. But it was for the tennis! Oh, I’m going to wake up so sore tomorrow.
• Currently looping: Live performance of Sarah Jarosz’s “Johnny.”

Day Five Hundred and Thirty-Eight (9/1/21)

• This might be the most beautiful acoustic guitar I’ve ever seen.
• So much German. So much.
• Soooo much.
• Took a break before the storm came to go on a mini adventure with my sister outside.
• Watched “Newsies” with my sister. Has it aged well? Eh. But is it amazing? Oh, heck yeah.
• Total times outside: One Hundred and Thirteen!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 1.
• Currently feeling: I spent all day on my dissertation. No video is going up this week. I’m just so tired.
• Currently looping: Sarah Jarosz’s Live from Here performance of “House of Mercy.” Freaking amazing arrangement and performance. Wow.

Day Five Hundred and Thirty-Nine (9/2/21)

• Did the FES cycle.
• Read about the horrific flash flooding in the outer boroughs. I know some people in Brooklyn who had flooded basements, and the home of one of my department’s administrators was very badly damaged. Things were pretty much fine here. My building lost power to a couple of elevators, but they were back to normal in the early afternoon.
• Therapy.
• Got dinner with my sister and one of her friends. Ate too much.
• Came back from dinner to find that the Mets won (?!?!).
• Okay, that Pliskova v. Anisimova match was awesome.
• Backed up the translation work I’ve been doing.
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Fourteen!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 7. I’m behind, I know.
• Currently feeling: The flash flooding is only going to get worse. I’m terrified at the prospect of an actual hurricane hitting the NYC area.
• Currently looping: Sarah Jarosz’s performance at Shrewsbury Folk Festival from 2017. I’m in love with her performance of “Build Me Up From Bones.” And her encore song is a Paul Simon cover that sounds like a lullaby.

Thanks so much for reading! Stay safe, get vaccinated, and treat yourself to a pastry somewhere!