Greetings, Internet! I hope everyone’s staying as safe and sane as can be. This week, I wrote hella cards, watched hella holiday movies, and realized that I may never feel comfortable asking a question during a virtual talk (and maybe that’s okay?). Daily summaries below!

Day Six Hundred and Thirty-Eight (12/10/21)

• My sister went out for treats from a different local bakery (there are a lot of bakeries in my neighborhood). So good.
• Went to Push to Walk!
• Had ramen with my mother and sister ^_^
• Game night! Some friends came over and we broke out “Clue,” which is a fabulous game that I am not very good at, haha.
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Sixty-Eight!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 0.
• Currently feeling: I didn’t even open my laptop once today! It’s okay, I’ll catch up on everything tomorrow!
• Currently looping: The soundtrack from “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

Day Six Hundred and Thirty-Nine (12/11/21)

• My sister and I ordered in dim sum after sleeping in after game night. Mmm…dim sum. We were going to try to get brunch outdoors, but it’s SantaCon, so, um, no, we will be avoiding the outdoors, thank you very much.
• We watched “Cliffhanger.” It’s a ‘90s action film starring Sylvester Stallone in which a few mountain rangers stop South African criminals looking to rob the US Treasury. Gotta love those ‘90s action films.
• We also had pastries from a nearby bakery. Because of course we did.
• Then she went back to Brooklyn for her flight.
• The SantaCon participants are lined up at the club across the street from my apartment. Some of them started shouting, “Let’s go Brandon” so I guess that’s who SantaCon participants are.
• Oh, now some of them are shouting, “BOOOO!”
• This is what happens when you live across the street from a tourist trap bar.
• Watching “Toy Story 4” while I write Christmas cards. I forgot how much this movie just broke me at the end. Bo Peep’s got a broken arm, Woody’s missing a voicebox, they’re both technically lost toys, but they’re basically toy soulmates. I can’t take it. <sobs>
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 14.
• Currently feeling: So much for going to bed at a reasonable time. Got carried away with card-writing (I sense this will be the case for the next couple of days).
• Currently looping: Kristin Chenoweth’s “Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow World” (feat. John Pizzarelli). This is just a lot of fun ^_^

Day Six Hundred and Forty (12/12/21)

• Finally got to do some vocal and guitar practice. I am, er, rusty.
• Went out for a facial. My complexion may be clearing up, for once!
• Had dinner and then drank tea while watching “The Polar Express.”
• Started writing holiday cards, only to realize I needed to clean up my apartment a bit, so I did both with “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “The Muppets Christmas Carol” in the background.
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Sixty-Nine!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 9.
• Currently feeling: All of the holiday movies!! Also, writing cards always takes ten times longer than I think it will. I’ll be lucky if these go out by the end of the week.
• Currently looping: Josh Groban’s “Believe” from “The Polar Express.”

Day Six Hundred and Forty-One (12/13/21)

• Did the FES cycle. Watched an episode of “Ted Lasso” that was very rom-commie and adorable.
• Musical hangout! Anyone know of any cafes that do live music? How does one even go about doing that?
• Virtually attended a talk on early medieval demography given by my former undergraduate thesis advisor. I had a few questions, but I hate asking things with an audience of people who will be judging my question, so I’ll just email him later.
• My sister sent me cookies! Alas, they did not arrive in time for her visit. And now I must begin the quest of eating a dozen cookies.
• This month I’ve just been putting on movies in the background more so than usual. They’re usually movies that are festive or that remind me of winter. Tonight I started “Anastasia” (the animated film that is technically not Disney).
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 16. Finally caught up!
• Currently feeling: Technically, I got a lot done today, but I still feel so behind. I need to write out more holiday cards, email my advisor to set up an update meeting, email a potential outside reader for my dissertation committee, and practice guitar. I wish I could strike a balance between “doing all the things” and “having just enough time to do all the things.”
• Currently looping: Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Last Christmas.” Of course there’s a saxophone in there.

Day Six Hundred and Forty-Two (12/14/21)

• Went to Push to Walk!
• So much card writing. SO MANY CARDS.
• Whoo, Steph Curry! And of course I missed the record-breaking shot because I had to pee.
• Realized that I meant to send emails, and then forgot. I’ll try tomorrow.
• Did some vocal practice and tried to adlib a song. So behind on my songwriting.
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Seventy!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 0.
• Currently feeling: I got a lot of stuff done today. Would’ve gotten more done if I felt comfortable practicing guitar in my apartment after midnight, but I probably should’ve been getting ready for bed anyway.
• Currently looping: Mariah Carey’s rendition of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”

Day Six Hundred and Forty-Three (12/15/21)

• Watched the latest episode of “Hawkeye.” I can’t believe the season is almost over. This might be the best MCU show thus far (which is what I said about “Loki,” but still, this is pretty sweet).
• Therapy!
• Almost done writing cards! Watched “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas” and “Frozen 2” in the background. That feeling Elsa has in the last shot of “Frozen 2” when she’s basically come into her own as a spirit goddess is like my permanent life goal.
• Princeton basically told the undergrads to go home because of Omicron. And all the instructors have had to upload their final exams so that students could take them remotely. So, not at all something that could cause oodles of stress for instructors.
• Dang, this Rangers game is exciting. And by that, I mean this third period is exciting. The horn blew to end the game, and then the Rangers and Coyotes started throttling each other. Dang. These hockey bros.
• Total Times Outside: One Hundred and Seventy-One!
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 17. Have I responded to comments people left on a video I posted like two weeks ago? Not really. Eh, I’ll get to it eventually.
• Currently feeling: Didn’t have time to practice guitar/vocals today, but it feels great to be basically done with writing cards.
• Currently looping: Norah Jones’ live performance of “The Christmas Waltz.”

Day Six Hundred and Forty-Four (12/16/21)

• Did the FES cycle. Watched a couple episodes of “Ted Lasso.” One character is becoming the absolute worst. Like, he was mildly annoying in the previous season, but now he’s just awful.
• My parents both visited for lunch Mmm…lunch.
• This exists, and I’m delighted (yet not at all surprised) that Stephen Colbert acknowledged the 20th anniversary of “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.” Hugo Weaving rapping in Elvish is everything I didn’t know I wanted.
• Finished writing holiday cards! Time to mail.
• Whoops! Forgot one. Have to fish out an address, and then time to mail!
• I need to look up how to order a new wheelchair.
• Total videos watched by other YouTubers: 0.
• Currently feeling: So the Omicron news in NYC is kind of terrifying and I’m wondering whether I should go back to double-masking.
• Currently looping: She and Him’s “Must Be Santa.”

Thanks so much for reading! Stay safe, wear a mask, and send a holiday card to a loved one!