What I've Been Up to Lately Part 2
This is sort of a continuation of my last post, because in less than a month things have already changed a bit.
Layout Change
First of all, a new layout! It's simple, as I'm working within Bear Blog's limitations, but I tried to give it a fun personal touch. My favorite color is blue, especially the cobalt blue spectrum, so I tried to stay in that color palette while also matching the header image, which is from one of my favorite video game series, Ace Attorney!
Twitch Streaming
I'm still streaming on Twitch, but after my last blog post, I went on an unexpected hiatus. I had a hectic week of appointments and working late, which meant I had no energy left at the end of each day.
I plan to get back to it tomorrow, but I'm also rethinking my streaming schedule. Saturdays are Danny's day off, so that's the only day during the week that we really get to spend completely together without one of us working. I want to devote that entire day to Danny and Ranni, as well as to being outside enjoying nature and just generally away from my computer.
Mondays are also difficult for me because the start of a new work week is a bit draining. I have to catch up on work that comes in over the weekend, so Mondays are my busiest days. At the end of my shift I usually want to just veg out for most of the night because my brain kinda feels like mush. Not the most conducive situation for streaming.
As of right now, I've decided to keep my Twitch schedule to Wednesdays only. It's the best day for me, and I usually always feel up to streaming on Wednesday evenings. My plan is to start streaming at 6pm EST and go for about four hours. I feel like this is also the best way to prevent burnout, which has been sneaking up on me recently. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy streaming a lot, and it's very different from my day job, but it's still work (in a sense) and requires me to switch "on". I'm introverted, so it's not super easy for me to flip that switch, and I feel that one day a week works best for me right now.
Not Completely Vegan
I made another big lifestyle decision last week: I decided to start incorporating seafood and meat back into my diet. I'm trying to make mostly plant-based decisions when it comes to food, but I'm allowing myself to eat meat and especially fish every now and then. I'm still trying to stay away from dairy. I can't call myself vegan anymore, but sustainability is important to me and I loved being vegan, so I want to make plant-based decisions as much as possible.
My reasons for this are largely social, to be honest. It's hard to be the only vegan in my family and friend group. There were a few situations that made it especially difficult, and selfishly, I want to eat the food that my mom and my husband cook. Danny had no problems at all accommodating my diet and was making vegan meals for both of us, and he still will to an extent, but we can now also buy tilapia and salmon and such.
I still want to make sustainable decisions and pay close attention to what I put in my body, but I'm just...making things a bit easier, I suppose.
Listening to Lots of Music
Phew! That was a lot to get into, but I did want to explain how things have changed over the past couple of weeks.
On a lighter note, I've been listening to a lot of music lately (as usual) and wanted to share a few favorites.
"Hand That Feeds" by Halsey & Amy Lee - Evanescence and Amy Lee have seemingly been all over the place lately, and I'm not complaining. Evanescence was one of my gateway bands to heavier music, and I still love them just as much as I did back in 2002. I haven't listened to Halsey much, but I'm loving the way her voice complements Amy's in this industrial-pop-rock song for the movie Ballerina.
"Ride The Wave" by Spiritbox - I'm obsessed with Spiritbox's new album, Tsunami Sea, and this has become my favorite track on it. I love the moody guitar, the lyrics, and the breakdown. I almost go into a trance every time I hear this song, it's so captivating.
"Caramel" by Sleep Token - I was never a Sleep Token fan before their new album dropped. I didn't have anything against them, the vocals just weren't for me and I wasn't fully convinced by what they were trying to do. Then I heard this song. I really like that they seem to have fully embraced the pop elements that were always present in their music, but this also feels like dreampop, especially in the chorus and breakdown, and those drums go hard. I like their sound. I'm sold.
"Spicy Queen" by Hanabie - I love Hanabie's hyperpop-infused style of metal so very much, and I can't get enough of this new single.
Hellfest 2025 - I'm super excited about the lineup for this year's Hellfest! It's absolutely stacked with bands I love, and although I can't be there or watch livestreams of all of the bands I'm interested in, I'll definitely be checking out some of ARTE's upcoming livestreams at the playlist I linked.
Everything Else
Resident Evil 9 was announced! I'm beyond excited to revisit my favorite game franchise, and I love the connection to Alyssa Ashcroft from Outbreak!
This Saturday, I'm planning on visiting a boba tea cafe and seeing a new exhibit at my local art museum. I'm really looking forward to it! Stay tuned here because I'll try to do a post about it.
And I'll leave you with a picture of Ranni ❤️
