Personal Digest Saturday - August 29 – September 4

Life news this week:

• Saturday I still had a pretty bad day with my throat but it got a little better later in the day. Walked to the post office to mail packages to people who bought my nerdy merchandise. Then I got to have breakfast and relax. I worked on my blog and did some Polos. Got a vague e-mail that suggested some interest in one of my stories from one of the publishers I sent it to, but it wasn't a typical acceptance with a letter or contract so I figured I'd just wait for further instructions. Made a video for my asexuality channel. Did a couple voice-over auditions and did a little weight-lifting workout video. Read over my in-progress book to get back into the headspace.
  
  
• Sunday my throat was better for some of the day and then got bad again. I set up a camera in my garage to see what kind of pest is in my garage and finally got video of it but still couldn't tell. But most people think it's a rat that's sneaking in through a hole in the side door. Boo. I did some laundry out there with the rats and got my trash done. Processed my video and posted it, drew my writing comic, and listened to an episode of an audio drama that I'm a character in (but I'm not in the first episode). Felt weird and tired most of the day. Read more of my in-progress book.
  
  
• Monday I went back to work with four meetings, including one at 8 AM. I worked on proposals and entered timesheet data. Did my exercise, worked on my writing, and spent too much time on Bluesky whining. Got a couple of trolls on my video because some people just HAVE to be jerks about anything supportive of trans rights.
  
  
• Tuesday I got up early for work and did more meetings and proposals. Also fixed some data for my data-entry project. Got more clarity and communication from the publisher interested in my story--looks like it's being evaluated by an editor. Cool. Did a Polo for Meg, did more laundry, and started a new Instagram account for just my voice-over stuff. Read some of the book I'm reading. Posted my new goals update on my blogs. Did some writing briefly.
  
  
• Wednesday involved knocking out a proposal and sending it in. Also went to a utility meeting. Read over the new chapter I'd written. Did some more laundry and dishes. Played DDR and sent out a query and wrote some e-mail. Jeaux came over and we ate at GrillSmith. We went shopping and acted like boring old people at my house. Wrote a tiny bit more on the book.
  
  
• Thursday I checked in at work before heading out to go to the doctor for my throat. I was seeing an ENT. She stuck a camera up my nose! My first upper endoscopy. And it was a nothingburger--had no problems with it. The doctor saw evidence of a nasty infection and prescribed antibiotics. I picked the prescription up and went home and took my first dose, and was already feeling better later in the day. When I got home I had to do a bunch of work on proposals and I really went all out on doing all this prep work to make the engineers' jobs easier. Then I did some reading, wrote my webcomic storyboard, and tried to learn some songs for the band. I went to game night and talked to my friend late at night.
  
  
• Friday I had a huge checklist of stuff to do. Work was packed with proposals stuff, meetings, team invitations, reports, timesheets, and data entry. After I finished it all I did my exercise, finished my comic, posted my comic, got my walking finished, submitted a short story, recorded a karaoke song, and recorded a backing track for my band. I fell asleep early after that and didn't have time for writing. Too bad!

Health Plan Update:

• Nutrition stuff: I got my three servings of fruits and veggies every day this week and met my protein goals 5 out of 7 days. (I dunno what happened on Thursday and Friday really. I even met the goal on restaurant day somehow! Maybe it's the influx of hummus.) I am still taking my vitamins.
  
  
• Activity stuff: I'm continuing to do DDR or aerobics every other day. I made my 10,000-step walking goal every day this week. Based on my phone's app, my low day was Friday at 10,137 steps, and my high day was Saturday at 11,692 steps.

Books Read: 

• Finished Reading: Nothing this week.
  
  
• Currently Reading: The Awakening of Roku by Randy Ribay. I'm on page 63.

New singing performances:

This week's karaoke song is "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding.

Stuff drawn:

My monthly writing webcomic, So You Write:


#183: our turn?.

My weekly fantasy webcomic, Negative One:


#1112: ivy #369: life with her.

Videos Made: 

SwankiVY on LGB Separatists: This video discusses the troubling push from some people insisting that the LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexual) should be cut off from the T (transgender) and the rest of the community that might fall under Q (queer) and the + (everything else, including aces and aros). Some in this movement believe their orientation is legitimate while other people's isn't, and treat us like we actually are sick or perverted in an attempt to legitimize themselves. I talk about why this is wrongheaded, some of the legitimate roots of their arguments that still blossom into awful conclusions, and what we have in common that should unite us under one umbrella.

New photos:

None.

Social media counts:

YouTube subscribers: 5,464 for swankivy (6 new), 675 for JulieSondra (1 new), 17 for v & V Vids (no change), 214 for Not-So-Giant Women (no change), 67 for Tides of Time Band (no change) 10 for Vinyl Impact Band (no change). Twitter followers: 735 for swankivy (lost 1), 3,319 for JulieSondra (lost 3). Facebook: 284 friends for swankivy (no change), 624 likes for JulieSondra (2 new), 79 followers for Negative One (no change), 244 followers for So You Write (1 new), 100 followers for Not-So-Giant-Women (no change). Tumblr followers: 2,406 (lost 1). Instagram followers: 327 (2 new). Threads followers: 90 (no change). Bluesky Social. Bluesky followers: 483 (lost 1).