Okay, Three and a Half Months is Too Long Between Updates

The title says it all. Sorry about that. But I think you can take solace in the fact that I haven’t found the time to write a new blog entry because I’ve been so hard at work on Season 3! Well, that, and I’ve been having back problems, which make it difficult to bend over a desk, staring at GarageBand for long stretches of time (I badly need a standing desk). Oh, and I also finally got a little thing called Covid, which definitely set me back, even though I only had it for a week. But a week is a long time in Podcast Land, so, I don’t know, cut me some slack? Maybe? No? Fine.

So! What is there to update? A lot, actually. For starters, all the episodes have been recorded, and three of them have been pieced together and are in the fine-tuning stages! That means getting retakes and new material from the cast, as well as listening to each episode obsessively until I don’t hear anything more that needs tweaking. As a self-proclaimed and shameful perfectionist, there’s no telling how long that process will take. But it at least gives me time to play Solitaire and work on my Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater skills; nothing like mindlessly button matching while listening to your own stuff for flaws and junk.

The original plan was to work on all six episodes at once. While having the initial recordings in the can has definitely been helpful, I may have been a little too ambitious when it came to the prospect of working on six episodes simultaneously. For one, there’s the whole Overloading-My-Computer’s-Storage-Space thing to consider, especially when the three episodes I chose to work on first involve A LOT of sound effects. Yes, the sfx files technically aren’t that large, but again, there’s A LOT of ‘em, and three episodes’ worth, too. Three additional episodes’ worth will likely take up the remaining space while those episodes remain unfinished. So, I’ve taken a step back and decided to make sure these three episodes are locked and loaded before I move onto the next three. Hopefully that won’t take too long, but again, there’s that whole perfectionist thing to consider. Gotta get over that…

The recording process was, as always, a blast. Last season’s finale, “The One That Got Away,” sort of gave me permission to not always have the entire cast available at the same, singular session, which makes scheduling less of a hassle, because, you know, people have their own lives. Four of the episodes from this batch were done at various times, including a few one-on-one recording sessions. As much as I like the spontaneity that comes with getting everything done with the whole group in one take (and the various pick ups that come immediately after said one take), there’s something about a one-on-one that allows for more direct, well, direction. It’s instant, and potentially eliminates the need for any retakes later because you’re getting the takes you want right then and there. It’s also more intimate; you’re working more closely with your performers and not feeling any need to rush through stuff out of fear that the ones just sitting there on the Zoom call waiting for their turn are getting bored. All of this isn’t to say I’m going to change how the vocals are recorded starting next season, but I’m definitely not opposed to these more “traditional” ways of recording vocals in the future. Now if only I can send sound booths to everyone… Maybe just a bunch of egg crates?

“But Andy!” you may be asking. “What was Covid like?! And what are these back problems you speak of?!” Well, first of all, stop yelling, I’m right here. And secondly, I’ll take the second question first; Covid stuff feels more climactic, so I’ll save that for last.

Back problems. That’s an oversimplification, as technically, it’s my ribs that are the problem, and even more technical still, it’s my intercostal muscles that are the problem. Those are the muscles between your ribs, and apparently, they can tear or strain with not a whole lot of effort. Something can happen from just a sneeze, or, as was the case for me, I could just be sitting on my bed playing Solitaire (I live such an exciting life), not moving at all, when all of a sudden there’s a cracking noise and a shooting pain jamming through my right side. I seriously thought I’d cracked a rib, and from nothing! I wasn’t even shuffling the cards! Ah, the fine process of aging.

There’s not a whole lot that can be done with strains like this; you just take some Advil, use hot or cold compresses and wait for the fuckers to heal. What’s sucked the most is that I’ve been getting multiple pains at once, usually of mild severity, but enough to definitely impede my movements, or, in the case of editing podcasts, lack thereof. Still, as someone who has never been the shining poster boy of Posture Magazine, and who spends most of his time either doing his best Quasimodo impression or slumping in his seat with his legs awkwardly splayed while sitting at his desk, these injuries (if you can call them that) have definitely set me back when it comes to spending a lot of time in a row editing episodes. So, I’m trying to limit my time at the desk, but also making sure I’m not limiting it too much, because ideally, I’d like to have this season out by mid- to late- summer at the earliest.

Okay, now the climactic Covid stuff. And, well, to be honest, it isn’t all that exciting. I tested myself before going to watch the Oscars with some friends at their house, just to be safe, and my result was the faintest, almost non-existent double line. Denial set it, so I took a second test from a second brand, and once again, a faint positive result. We had one more brand of test in the house, so just to be absolutely sure, I swabbed my brain again, and this time, the result was clear as day: the ‘rona had found me, so I wouldn’t be able to watch Amy Schumer drop from the ceiling in a Spider-Man costume with my pals (what, was there a more memorable moment during this year’s ceremony? I must have been in the bathroom). What followed was what many people have spoken about when it comes to breakthrough cases: a mild but not fun cold or flu. I seemed to have a different symptom each day, but it’s not like they were piling on top of each other; it was more like they were taking turns in the pole position, like, here’s a sore throat, and tomorrow that will be over and you’ll have a runny nose, and the next day that’ll be done and you’ll just be feverish all day, and blah blah blah. So while I wasn’t laid out by this virus (I’m so thankful to be vaxed and boosted), it wasn’t too much fun being confined to my room and not knowing when it was all going to stop. You would think all that time cooped up would be a perfect opportunity to work on the podcast, buuuut you’d be wrong. I was still sick, remember? And when I’m sick, I’d rather just lie in bed and rest and finally watch Ted Lasso, which is so goddamn delightful and really helped me through the week. So, minor set back, but that’s why I don’t give myself deadlines; it keeps the stress levels low. THE END.

I mean, THE END to that story, not this blog entry, because how can I end a season update without a tease for that upcoming season? It’s basically the law. The law, of course, doesn’t dictate how vague those teases should or should not be, and past teases certainly reflect that I am not above being especially vague. This time, though, I’m gonna give you something visual. Here are six, grainy screenshots from the six initial S3 Zoom recording sessions. Obviously, there isn’t a lot here, save for showing some of the lovely folks who will be making appearances this season, but I hope the joy these goofs are expressing is enough to get you hyped for what is shaping up to be a very goofy, albeit incredibly dark, collection of six stories.

Until next time (which will hopefully be a lot sooner than three and a half months)!

—Andy