Greetings, Internet! I hope everyone’s staying as safe and sane as can be. This week, I got happy hour margaritas, took the subway to my parents’ house for the first time ever (there’s an elevator at a nearby station now), and underwent a procedure. Daily summaries below!

September 16, 2022

• Pre-Op visit! It’s never fun getting your blood drawn, or getting a very thorough COVID exam.
• Went grocery shopping. One of the #triotime gals stopped by to help me carry alcohol back to my apartment.
• And then we went to a local taqueria for happy hour.
• Two margaritas later, I am slightly tipsy.
• Slightly.
• Okay, fine, I’m buzzed and my friend and I are telling each other how much we appreciate having each other in our lives.
• And I’m drunk texting some people.
• I caught up on “She-Hulk” and lol, it continues to be delightful.
• Yay, Mets!
• The only nice thing about baseball being on random streaming services is that I can listen to a west coast game every now and then while I get ready for bed. Also, it’s Wilmer Flores’ one thousandth career game. Go, Wilmer!
• Wordle: Didn’t get it. I know the word is a word that exists, but come on, seriously?
• Currently feeling: I love friends and margaritas. And baseball.
• Currently looping: Kamelot’s “Veil of Elysium.”

September 17, 2022

• Did the FES cycle.
• Tidied up my apartment, because it’s been getting messy (one side effect of dissertationing is that basic cleaning habits go by the wayside).
• I put a bunch of things in the paper recycling bin in my building’s trashroom, such that it was full, because I was apparently hoarding way too much paper recycling. Went back twenty minutes later to throw more boxes out and the bin was clear. Like, how did they know?
• Did some vocal stuff today, finally.
• My boyfriend’s here! He brought dim sum. Mmm…dim sum.
• Yay, Mets! Oh man, it was Gary Cohen bobblehead night, and the crowd at one point started chanting, “GA-RY CO-HEN” <clap clap clap clap clap> I love how much Mets fans love the SNY booth.
• There’s also a really despondent-looking Pittsburgh Pirates fan in the stands. He just looks like, “Why did I come here?”
• Another Pittsburgh fan is wearing a paper bag. Yikes.
• Wordle: Whoops.
• Currently feeling: Forgot to go in the standing frame again, but I did tidy up my apartment, so that was a nice feeling of accomplishment. I wish there was time for everything.
• Currently looping: Kamelot songs.

September 18, 2022

• My boyfriend and I journeyed to my parents’ house for dinner.
• It is a long ride on the subway, especially because everything is running local. Because it’s the weekend.
• GAH, LOCAL TRAINS.
• But like, the elevators are shockingly clean and running? Whaa?
• The subway itself wasn’t that gross. And I could see some stations were preparing to install elevators. Dang. MTA really trying to make things accessible.
• Got to show my boyfriend around the neighborhood where I grew up. Introduced him to my favorite pizza place. He’s a fan.
• Wow, the Giants and the Jets both won? That’s unusual.
• My boyfriend and I were at my parents’ place for like, five hours eating food. This is an accurate representation of growing up in my household.
• Wordle: Whoops.
• Currently feeling: Felt weird being back in my neighborhood. I don’t really go back too often, and when I’m back I’m there for like, less than an hour. I feel like an old person saying this, but dang, it’s changing.
• Currently looping: Kamelot’s live album, “I Am the Empire.”

September 19, 2022

• Was going to do the FES cycle, but then got a call from my GP that the service that normally picks up blood and sends it to the lab forgot to pick up the blood on Friday. Ergo, I have to go back in for my pre-op blood test.
• GAH.
• So I skipped the FES cycle and did another blood test.
• Returned to my apartment and finally finished that book on social mobility in early medieval Gaul. I am still not a huge fan of it, but there are some things in there that are good starting points.
• THE METS ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS!
• HUZZAH!
• Also, Scherzer pitched six perfect innings, so that was awesome. And it’s his 200th career win.
• Wordle: In five! But also, that’s a word?
• Currently feeling: LFGM!
• Currently looping: Belle and Sebastian songs.

September 20, 2022

• Found out that my shower is causing some leaking in the apartments below and next to mine. Egad.
• Got my procedure time, but it was super early in the morning, so I had to ask for them to change it to something later.
• Some random guy outside my building asked if I would be in his documentary. I asked what it was about, and he said, “New York City.” I then turned down the offer because I had to get to PTW.
• Went to PTW after being stuck in thirty minutes of traffic. Dang, maybe I should’ve been in that documentary.
• Procedure time got moved to later in the day. Phew!
• Eight minute delay, Google Maps? I laugh.
• Bubble tea!
• Wow, this is a very exciting Mets game. #LFGM
• Wordle: In two!
• Currently feeling: Alright. Round two. Let’s do this.
• Currently looping: Didn’t listen to much music today, but I did catch up on some podcasts, including “Takeline,” which is my favorite sports podcast.

September 21, 2022

• No water and no food before this procedure = a very thirsty and hungry Val.
• As the anesthesia took hold, I described the joy that is a decaf caramel latte to the surgery team.
• As I woke up, I thought about that decaf caramel latte. Also, my body was telling me that it kind of hurt.
• Some painkillers later, the painful sweating has subsided. I should probably sleep next to a bottle of Tylenol tonight.
• After my mother picked me up from the hospital, I got that decaf caramel latte. ‘Twas glorious.
• Mostly just sitting around my apartment now trying to adjust to the post-op life. If all goes well, this won’t be nearly as awful as the procedure I had back in late January <knocks on wood>
• But you know, of course I’m still anxious. How could I not be?
• Wordle: In four!
• Currently feeling: Well, time will tell how this procedure went. For now, I’m going to catch up on all the food and water I couldn’t consume earlier in the day.
• Currently looping: There’s a Regina Spektor Tiny Desk concert and I love it. I need to get back into some keyboard playing.

September 22, 2022

• Last night, the pain hit hard. My mother said I looked like I was possessed. My jaw seized shut and I couldn’t talk, and every muscle in my body spasmed. I had never felt that much pain in my life. We called 911, but by the time they showed up, the pain had mostly subsided (thank you, painkillers). When I told them I felt like I had wasted their time, the EMTs said it was the most legit call they’ve had all night (apparently, they had a bunch of calls from a nearby Harry Styles concert).
• Hours later, I feel blah. So blah. And tired.
• Fever. So much fever.
• My mother was like, “We’re going to the ER,” so we did.
• And lo and behold, they found an infection. Cue the antibiotics.
• My mother and I were there from about 10:30pm-6am.
• Wordle: Whoops.
• Currently feeling: So blah. So tired. So many chills.
• Currently looping: More Regina Spektor.

Thanks so much for reading! Stay safe, get your boosters, and LFGM!