Not sure why this short-lived and long-dormant thread never took off, but…
I “graduated” a year ago (April 12, 2023). I wasn’t sure what my next step should be, but I knew what it shouldn’t: I’m a hardware & software geek, and I knew that if I got distracted with GAS purchases and recording apps and pedals etc. that my progress would come to a standstill.
So I bought myself a nice bass as a graduation present to replace the loaner that took me through the course (documented somewhere in another thread here), added it to the modest practice amp I bought at the beginning of the course, put my blinders on, and just focused on playing.
Going back and repeating various B2B modules and regularly checking in on Josh’s YT channel have both been extremely helpful. So has @gio 's recent “Blues Jam Simulator” ( THE BLUES JAM SIMULATOR! - Blues Vid Supplement ) .
Exploring other on-line instructors has been very valuable: Mark at TalkingBass, Luke at BecomeABassist, and Rich at Brown’sTone all provide unique and professional approaches to different bass topics. Jamming twice a month with my guitar-playing friends has been extremely valuable, and all of us are noticing how much faster we are picking up new songs and how much more willing we are to tackle new material outside of what was once a very narrow comfort zone.
To the point where I am finally comfortable loosening up on some of my self-imposed restrictions. In the past week, my Rumble 40 has gained a brand new sibling: an Ampeg RB-210 (motto: “More than I need & better than I deserve”).
It came from Sweetwater along with my first pedal–the obligatory Zoom B1X Four. And I finally started exploring the topic of digital recording. My existing knowledgebase revolved around 4-track reel-to-reel tape recorders and analog mixers, so I wasn’t even familiar with current audio-specific vocabulary and acronyms, never mind products and techniques.
My first stop was @pampurrs and @john_e 's “How to record yourself” videos here ( Pam and John's "How To Record Yourself" Parts 1 & 2 (Audio & Video) ) . What a fantastic intro to the topic! You guys have shaved days if not weeks from the learning process. Thank you so much for putting this together. (And @pampurrs, I’m so sorry to hear about your continuing health battles. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody fight back quite so hard.)
Thanks to @lanny for posting this check-in thread, and for his other helpful posts over the years. (And for indulging my borderline delirious ICU texts during a medical detour last September. 
)