Monthly Ramble -December 2023

Transcript

Hello everyone, welcome to, I don't know which one this is now, is this the third one, or the fourth one? I don't know. But yes, welcome to the monthly ramble audio where I just talk about what's happened in December.

I am, well it's currently half six, that's when I'm recording this. I have plans with some of my friends for New Year's, so I thought I'd get this out the way now, as opposed to like when we're actually trying to celebrate and out in the street looking at fireworks and things. So yeah, I hope you're all really really well, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and I hope you had a lot of joy and fun and bliss and lots of hot chocolate, lots of really lovely presents.

I received a couple of things, my friends and I, we did a little like secret Santa thing, and we made sure that there was a budget limit of about £10. So a secret Santa thing, which was a lot of fun. I received, one of my friends bought me like a wooden spoon that I could use for baking, and it had like this engraved message on the back, it was very fancy.

And I really really appreciated that because I currently use wooden spoons for cooking and baking, so it was like, it's nice to have one that's now just for baking, which is really really cool. And I also got this little like, it's on my desk to my left, and it's a, it's like a Mario power up cube that opens up, and there's like a little red Shy Guy figurine. It was a really just, you know, like a cute, cute little desk thing.

So I have that, and he's currently staring at me. The reason why is because we all play Mario Kart every now and then, like in the evening or at night, and I always pick black Shy Guy if we're playing on 150cc. If we're playing on 200, I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but if we're playing on 200cc, I always pick baby Rosalina because the baby characters have low speed but high acceleration, which is what you want for 200cc, because you're already going really really fast, there's no reason to have even more speed.

So yeah, that's a little tip for all of you next time you play Mario Kart, and if you play on 200, I think it's, is it the Biddy Buggy? That, that, um, that kart with the red wheels, with one of the baby characters, that's really, they're really really good for 200cc. But if we're playing on, if we're playing on 150, I always pick black Shy Guy, and so they got me a red Shy Guy.

There was no black Shy Guy at the store, apparently. So, but yeah, I still love the gift. It's very very thoughtful, and I, you know, I'm very appreciative.

Um, one of my friends, I gifted them a handmade leather wallet. Now it was 15 pounds, but I was kind of struggling to find something for them, and I saw in this shop there was like, this lovely old lady, she was selling like handmade leather, like, you know, handbooks and notepads and wallets and stuff, and so I saw this one, and it had the Skyrim logo engraved on it, and I was like, oh he would love this, he would absolutely love this. So I got that for him, and then I took it home, and I wrapped it up, and yeah, and he seemed to really really love it, and he was very grateful.

We did eventually, like, everyone said who they got gifts for, and I was like, yeah, you were, I know you really love Skyrim, so I got you that, and I hope you like it, which was really really nice. I think everyone loved their gifts. I think the funniest one, someone got, someone was gifted a mug where the handle is like the letter C, and then on the mug it's U-N-T, so it spells cunt.

Yeah, I think that might have been the funniest gift, but everyone loved their gifts. So yeah, so that was fun. I did go home for Christmas.

I went home, I saw my mum, and I wrapped some presents for my nephews who live with us, just because, and that was a lot of fun. I really like wrapping gifts. It's very arts and crafts-y for me, and it's also very, like, satisfying if you're someone who, like me, is very very proper and tidy, because I always wrap them up very very well, and to make sure that, you know, all the creases are perfect and everything, and you get the, like, the really nice amount of tape, and it's a lot of fun.

So yeah, so I enjoyed that. I went back and, you know, I just had a break. I didn't do any work, I didn't think about audios for a while, because I really needed a break, and tomorrow, Monday, I'm gonna, like, go back into doing all my work, so I'm gonna start waking up early, or earlier, at an, like, an appropriate time, and I'm gonna get a lot of work done every single day.

I'm currently on winter break, obviously, because I'm a university student, so I'm revising, studying for exams, as well as, like, you know, doing other university student things, and it's very very busy, but I am managing, so that's good. Right, what else should I talk about? I should talk about, one second, Sorry about that.

Right, what was I gonna say? Yes, I came out of the shower about an hour ago, and it was today that I washed my hair. I did my whole, like, hair care thing, and I just washed my hair, and I just washed my hair, and I just washed my hair, and I just washed my hair, and I just washed my hair, and it was today that I washed my hair.

I did my whole, like, hair care routine, which I'm sure most of you can relate to. I, you know, during the process of me, like, growing my hair out, I had to eventually learn how to really really take care of my hair, so I did a bunch of research with what, like, my hair type is, and I have very very fine, thin, no volume at all, like, very very flat, straight, black hair. So I was looking at which shampoos and conditioners I needed, and me personally, I use a brand called, is it Maui?

I think it's like that. It's like a purple bottle that I use, and it has, is it shea butter in it, or shea butter? It smells wonderful, and it definitely gets the job done for me, because I need, my hair gets, it gets very dry.

It doesn't get oily. I don't have the oily issue. I have the, it gets very very dry if I don't, if I wash it too much, or if I don't wash it enough.

So yeah, so today I did a, well, before I turn the shower on, I will brush my hair to make sure it's all, like, loose and, you know, not, like, tied up or anything. It never really gets tied up. Sometimes it's a little difficult, but that's just because, you know, it's never get, it's never been, like, really really difficult to comb or to brush through.

But yeah, I do brush my hair, obviously, and then I will get in the shower, make sure my hair is thoroughly soaked all the way, like, all of it. I'll shampoo, really, you know, I'm sure most of you know this, but, you know, you shampoo, you really really massage it into your scalp, wash it out, and then I will use my hair mask. Again, this is all the same company, the same, like, product brand, I guess.

So I'll use the hair mask, let that sit for a couple minutes, and then rinse it out, and then I will put my conditioner in. Again, let it sit for a couple minutes and then wash that out, and I'll use, I do have a, is it a scalp brush, I think it's called, to make sure the shampoo gets into my roots. But I know the hair mask and conditioner have to go into your mids and ends, I think it is.

So I'm learning, and I, you know, obviously this took a while, I used to use TRESemmé products, and then I realized I was having, not like big big clumps, but like, you know, it's not like an individual hair falling out, it's like a clump of hair falling out, and I was like, oh no, I need to, I need to change products and do research, so I stopped using TRESemmé products. And if TRESemmé works for you, that's fine, I wouldn't, you know, stop using it just because of this, but all I'm saying is, me personally, I had to change products, and I have much better results. My hair feels very hydrated and soft, and I actually look forward to washing my hair now, which is great, because I used to really hate washing my hair, and I've developed an entire routine, which is cool.

I was considering getting one of those specialized towels that you can wrap your hair in, because I currently just use a really really old t-shirt that I don't wear anymore, which is fine, you know, that hasn't caused me any issues, but it would be nice to have, like, a proper towel or something to help dry my hair, because I currently will just sit at my desk, like, doing some very laid-back work, or just watching YouTube or something whilst my hair dries, because I don't use my hair dryer anymore. So yeah, I had a hair care day today, which, it takes a long time. I was in the shower for, like, 25 minutes, which, yeah, normally I don't really shower for that long, but when I have to do my hair, it's like an entire routine.

I'm just like, okay, I need to make sure I get everything done. So yeah, my hair is dry-ish now, and I do have it tied up, just because I don't want it in my face whilst I'm trying to record. So, so yeah.

Right, what else can I talk about? The music that I've listened to this month. So, once again, using my trusty stats.fm website, if I click the last four weeks, we've got, we've got Nevermore, which is a metal band that I really love.

We've got Moonlight by Ariana Grande. I love this song so much. I don't think it's my favourite by her, and I really like how it's in a 6-8 time signature, like 1-2-3-4-5-6, 1-2-3-4-5-6.

And whenever I hear the chorus, I'm just, like, as a drummer, as someone who cares about, like, tempo and time signatures, I think that's really, really cool. Also, you know, it's, yeah, she has an amazing singing voice, and it's a very lovely, relaxing, romantic song, and it's, it's wonderful to listen to. I really, really love it.

Number three is Hysteria by Def Leppard, and again, just another incredible song. It sounds so, like, loud and epic and 80s, and it's incredible. Number four is No Role Models by J.

Cole. I, I remember just, like, I listened to this song because I was, like, I've never really been too keen on rap music. It's never really something that's, like, really clicked with me.

I know, you know, some people who love rap music, they just, they have, like, SoundCloud, and they, and they listen to all their favourite rappers, and they can learn the lyrics really quickly, and it's just, I never really got into it, but that is a song that I really, really do love, especially, like, the intro bit, and it's just an incredible song, and I listen to it. I've been listening to it a lot this month, just because it popped into my head, and then I was, like, oh my god, I haven't heard this song in ages. I'm seeing a lot of random cigarettes after sex music, and that's just because I listen to that band whenever I can't sleep, because it's so relaxing.

What else we got? We've got some of the, uh, the Batman Arkham Asylum and Batman Arkham City music as well. Yeah, the, uh, Arkham Asylum one is number seven, and the Arkham City one is number 47.

So, I've been listening to them, because I've been playing the games on, playing the games on stream, and really, really, really enjoying, like, the nostalgia of being able to play all those games again. Um, if you want specifics, I've been listening to a song called, or a track called, Predator by, well, that's from Arkham Asylum, and then from Arkham City I've been listening to I Think You Should Do As He Says. Uh, these are both tracks that play during the Predator encounters.

So, like, when you're sneaking around the room, the room full of armed thugs, it's that, it's that music from each game that I'm listening to, and it's just, oh, I love it. It's, like, the nostalgia. If you ever listen to music from video games, or movies, or whatever, like, just by yourself on Spotify, it's always the nostalgia, and you can see, like, you know, it helps you remember, like, that one specific part of the game, or that one specific, like, episode, or part of the film where, that, you know, that you really, really enjoy, and I definitely get that from the music from those games.

Uh, I don't know about Origins or Night. I think Asylum and City had the better scores, but who knows, maybe I'll really enjoy a section of those games, and then start listening to the music that plays. Um, so yeah, I don't think there's anything else that's, like, yeah, I'm scrolling down to, like, 60s and 70s, and there's no other track that really stands out.

Um, so yeah, so that's the music that I've been listening to this month. Um, what else can I talk about? I can talk about my New Year's resolutions that I had.

Um, I have been making New Year's resolutions for about three or four years now, because I actually do take it quite seriously, um, and, you know, every, like, couple of months I'll just open the Notes app, where I have them written down, and tick off the ones that I've completed, and I think it's a really good way to just, it's like, it's very validating, because you can see in real time that you are growing as a person, and it's not just, you have to wait until the end of the year. Um, so I ticked off three of them, I think? Yes, three of them, and I had seven, and some of these are a little bit personal, so I won't share all of them.

One of them was, I wanted to acquire a lot more, like, metalhead style fashion, so I bought some more band shirts, I bought some rings, um, I was going to buy some, like, boots, but I can't, because I can't find any good place that sells boots, or, like, really, really nice, high-quality boots that are going to last a long time. So, yeah, but I did, I ticked that one off. Uh, what else? I was going to learn some hairstyles.

Yeah, it says, learn hairstyles, maybe do something with your hair. I think I meant, like, either dyeing it, or cutting it, or just anything, but I don't really want to do that anymore, because I have. ..

keep in mind, I used to have short back and sides, and now I have hair that goes way below my shoulders. I think I've developed a little bit of, like, hair anxiety, almost, because I don't trust anyone to cut my hair, or even, like, touch it. Like, no, I am the only one who gets to touch or cut my hair, and that means I don't want to dye it, I don't want to ruin it, because I'm scared that I'm going to ruin it, and then I'm going to have to chop it all off, and then.

.. oh, I. ..

yeah, it's just a nightmare. Um, maybe when it gets a little bit longer, and I have split ends, and I have to get it cut, then I will, but right now, I don't really have any issues with my hair, or at least I don't think I do. So, I didn't do any of that, because I'm terrified that I'm going to mess my hair up, and I really don't want to, because uh, my hair gives me a lot of confidence.