Author: vicky

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Combating Despair with Facts

vicky

The other day I was in a coffee shop working on my laptop and I overheard an interesting conversation happening next to me. A woman in her 30s was having coffee and talking with two older adults, who I assume are her parents. The woman’s talking about politics and about how terrible this administration is and right away the dynamics of this relationship are clear. The dad is conservative and practical while mom prefers to keep the peace and tries to see both sides of every argument. I see myself in the woman because despite seeming to be a fully-functional … Continue reading Combating Despair with Facts

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Summer (non)Reading

vicky

The already too-short Seattle summer is coming to a premature end due to dense wildfire smoke. While this makes me all kinds of sad, one positive aspect is that it’s put me back into the groove of reading. I haven’t read a ton these past few months, slowing down my pace of book consumption to make room for bicycling and kayaking and riding my new motorcycle and (let’s be honest) long alcohol-fueled afternoons on patios with friends. I love summer. But now that we’re getting back to sweater weather, the idea of curling up on a couch with a full … Continue reading Summer (non)Reading

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Samantha Irby is gross and I love her.

vicky

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Meaty by Samantha Irby. She is hilarious. It was wonderful to listen to in my car last weekend when I was driving by myself out in the mountains. It was slightly uncomfortable to listen to sitting in traffic with my windows open the next day though because, like all the best people in the world, Samantha Irby curses like a goddamn sailor and she talks about a lot of gross shit — especially shit, since she suffers from Crohn’s disease and has serious issues with her digestive tract. She talks bluntly about … Continue reading Samantha Irby is gross and I love her.

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What I’m Reading

vicky

I’m doing a shitty job of hitting my goal of writing weekly blog posts. We’re 12 weeks into the new year and I’ve only written eight posts (including this one) so I’m at 67%, which is like a D+. Gotta step up my game. Anyway, I may not have been writing but I have been reading. I’ve finished 21 books so far this year! And even better than reading a lot, the ones I’ve been finding have all almost magically been great books. Here are some of the highlights: The Line Becomes a River by Francisco Cantu: My book club … Continue reading What I’m Reading

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Books About Sketchbooks

vicky

I went to India last week for work. It was an AMAZING trip. When normal people make a trip like that they come back with jewel-toned scarves and golden bangles or delicious tea and spices. I unpacked and realized I brought back six new sketchbooks*. You could say I have a problem, yes. I’ve been obsessed with notebooks and sketchbooks pretty much my whole life but it’s really taken off in the past four or five years. I do all kinds of work in my sketchbooks — I write, I draw, I do collage, I paint. I have quite a … Continue reading Books About Sketchbooks