Never got around to writing about my time at Cairocomix (four weeks ago already!) and Zinefest Houston less than a couple weeks ago, both of which were amazing. Time has passed though and I'm already in a very different headspace. It's been wall-to-wall madness for many months now, but as the year comes to an end, so do the many disruptions that have colored the majority of 2023 for me. At least, I think so anyway.
Playing catch up on many fronts here at the studio, and boy do I hate playing catch up. Makes me approach the work with many anxious feels that are less than ideal.
#journal #work
Spent the most magical few days alone with my son. Exhausting, sure. That toddler energy is no joke, but it's been bonding in a special kind of way. Post-divorce fatherhood just may end up being my jam after all.
#journal
Woke up with migraine, heart still in my stomach from all the News which clearly points to a genocide in the making, largely cheered on by major global powers and their news outlets.
Opened tab on my browser and Microsoft Edge front page—which aggregates news from across the web—is carouseling through the following headlines:
- Man DIYs concrete pathway that looks like old cobblestone.
- Why mortgage rates are still heading down despite rising bond yields
- It's Pumpkin Season in Miami!
- Hybrid Workers Spend an Average $51 a day when they go into office
- Gen Z buys a $200 plot of land in the middle of a desert: a grounding human experience
- How soon can I refinance my mortgage?
- I Went to a Dinner Party Full of Strangers. It taught me that the secret to avoiding loneliness isn't...
- So What's the most attractive accent according to Americans?
What fresh dystopia is this?
#journal
Between all the News and divorce stuff, I am finding it difficult to avoid depression. Days are a slog and progress on TSG pages are agonizingly slow. I did however manage to pump these out:
Decolonize Your Mind: A1 & B1
Was planning on writing my newsletter today, but could not find the time, energy, or peace of mind to do so.
#journal
After having had a second bike stolen in Houston—from inside my building of residence no less—I have decided to acquire a foldable commuter bike for my transportation needs, something I can carry up the stairs with relative ease and tuck away in one of the corners of my abode.
It's an adequately minimalist thing; single speed and breaks by pedaling backwards. No wires, no fuss. Considerably lightweight at 26 lbs (11.8 kg) and surprisingly comfy to ride. This is the Judd folding bike from Retrospec. I'm thinking of maybe replacing the straight handlebar with Dutch-style one for added riding comfort, knowing that it would no longer fold as well with the handlebar attached. But I think I may be able to live with that.
#journal
Still raining profusely. This throws a dent in my morning walk routine which doubles as my daily grocery run, and thus I am without food this morning.
Will have to resort to having stuff delivered, something I've been successful at avoiding for a time now. It's okay to make exceptions every now and again though.
Rain is my kryptonite. In fact, all weather conditions aside from temperate blue skies are my kryptonite. What can I say; I'm a spoiled child of the Mediterranean.
#journal
It's been raining nonstop since sunrise.
Sunrise in this case being a misnomer because there has been no sight of sun at all, which depresses me to no end and catapults me to the deep ends of low-energy fatigue.
Will have to cook something nice and curl up with a book later.
#journal
Wrapped up thumbs on THE SOLAR GRID, Ch. 8 (#9) and started on pencils. Feels good. The 198th newsletter was sent out a few days ago, considering taking a different direction with the thing come #200. Perhaps something more column-like.
#journal #work
Bicycle thieves are the scum of the Earth.
#journal
Choppiest sleep I've had in a long time, after weeks of less-than-ideal sleep. My smartwatch has given me a score of 53 with the notice “needs attention.”
Historically, I've always been a pretty sound sleeper, so I'm quite positive that this lack of sleep is coming from my biological alert system, the internal chemicals that tell you to stay on your feet and maintain caution. Our bodies are after all hardwired to be ready for danger. Experience passed down from one generation to the next over hundreds of thousands of years. That kind of experience does not lie.
#journal