Learn the English Phrases TO MAKE A MENTAL NOTE and ON A SIDE NOTE

In this English lesson,

I wanted to help you learn the English phrase

to make a mental note.

When you make a mental note of something,

it means you make an extra effort to remember it.

Sorry if I'm squinting a lot today,

it's brighter out than it looks.

I should've worn my sunglasses.

I'll make a mental note to bring my sunglasses out

next time I make a video when it's sunny.

So when you make a mental note

like I just did in that example,

you don't write it down so that you remember it.

You just try really hard to remember it

without writing it down, without putting it on a list,

without typing it into your phone,

or some other way to remember it.

After school today, I have to actually go

and pick up my daughter from school,

from a different school.

So I need to make a mental note about that,

so I don't forget to do it.

And on a side note, I'm not sure if you noticed,

I did get a haircut.

And that is the second phrase.

The second phrase is on a side note.

When you say on a side note during a conversation,

it means you're adding information

that's not about the main topic.

If you're having a discussion,

let's say you're having a discussion about Canada,

and you're talking about how you want to have,

you want to go on a trip to Canada someday,

and you like Canada.

And then someone might say on a side note,

I think that it's a bad time to visit Ottawa,

because there's a big protest there.

So it's adding, it's a phrase we use

to add a little bit of information to a discussion

that maybe isn't part of the main topic

that you're discussing.

So, like I used it, on a side note, I did get a haircut,

and now it's a little colder than I thought out here.

Anyways, to review, to make a mental note of something

is to just try and remember it.

And when you say like on a side note,

before you say something during a discussion,

it means you're gonna add some information.

Maybe that's important, maybe that isn't important

to the discussion that's happening.

So on a side note, I did get a haircut.

I think I mentioned that three times now.

I should stop talking about my haircut.

Let's look at a comment from a previous video.

This is from Bonita.

Bob, you're funny today.

Thank you for the lessons.

And my response, you're welcome, Bonita.

So I guess what I'll say is this.

A few things have happened in my life.

I wouldn't say that I'm funny,

but I would say I'm in a good mood.

I've been in a good mood lately for a number of reasons.

Number one, I feel way better than I did a few weeks ago.

Way better.

Number two, I've been walking every day again

for about the last five or six days.

I get up every morning, and I go for my walk.

That just makes me feel good.

Number three, the new semester.

Sorry, I'm sinking in the snow here.

The new, on a side note, I'm happy I wore my boots today,

because the snow, I thought I could walk on top,

but I'm kind of crunching through it with every step I take.

I'm not sure if you can see that.

Number three, the second semester has started at school,

and we are about two weeks in now almost.

And I am definitely in a good routine.

Whenever I start a new semester at school,

whenever I start something new, you're not in a routine.

So it's a little more stressful.

You have to think about things a lot more often.

You have to kind of, sometimes I was working late at night

to get ready for the next day.

So I'm really happy that the semester is going well.

So a bunch of things.

Oh, and I got a haircut.

Is that the fourth time I've mentioned it?

So, yes, I was funny in the last video.

I think mostly I'm just happy.

It's good to have life kind of back on track.

I'm not sick.

The semester's well underway.

I got a haircut, and there was another one.

Oh, and I'm walking regularly again,

which is very helpful for my mood.

When I go for a walk, I'm just happy that day.

Anyways, I hope you liked this lesson.

I rambled a bit.

I will see you in a couple days with another one, bye.