Attended the PhD defense of our dear friend Dr. E on Monday, which was a reminder that the intersection of academic research on “the Internet” and product research is a sweet place for me to be. Anja spotted our family physician on the opponents’ council and yelped in enthusiasm.

Completed my introductory course in zazen meditation at the beautiful Zen Center Amsterdam. Eager to continue a weekly practice, which proves great for mind, body, spirit.

Three wins

1. Walked on the beach barefoot
2. Leg-pressed 111.1kg at physio
3. Survived 35-degree weather with little complaint

Three wins

1. Walked on tip toes as soon as I formed the conviction that hiking boots reign supreme.
2. Spent the entire Tuesday with Anja at Studio Pansa, where I made my first two wheel-thrown pots. Looking back, the whole thing was too wet, which is confirmed by the ridiculous amount of clay I brought home on my clothes. Between drying, trimming, firing, glazing, and more firing, it could be months before I find out whether I did it right. I find that quite exhilirating.
3. This feels like a bit of a sad win, but I’ve cancelled my YouTube Premium account, putting an end to three months of near non-stop background videos, and bad reality TV on repeat. I’ve replaced it with discovering new music through NTS Radio, which continues to delight me.

Three wins

1. Read the eleven peer reviews I had received at work, and was stunned, inspired, and humbled by the kindness and positivity. Part of me thinks that’s just because people felt sorry for me and my Christmas Eve surgery. A more positive part sees I’m doing things right.
2. Despite what I was told, my PICC line, which delivered antibiotics intravenously, was able to come out on Wednesday. This meant I no longer have to carry the dispenser pack, that I can pick up the dog again, and that I can take normal showers!
3. Had my first physical therapy session, where the therapists straightened me out right quick about my posture. The younger one, a senior student, massaged my calf in a way that gave me so much more flexibility it left me speechless.

Introduction

For years, years I tell ya, I’ve been telling myself I need to write better week notes. “Better” refers to their frequency and to a lesser extent to their content. I never seemed to have found the pace to spend my Sunday afternoons sipping tea and reflecting on the week gone by.

I just noticed in my RSS feed that Rach Smith is adopting a new habit of writing Dave Rupert-inspired month notes. I thought about my week notes, and immediately heard the voice of my wise mother-in-law saying “why suffer?” And why suffer indeed? Today, I’m writing my very first Vibe Check.

• This week, I attended my first Gerimedica party. It’s great to know I can expect a big celebration every year, and not just for the company’s sweet sixteen. It confirmed what I already know: great vibe, great taste, great people.
• I went to Bar Bario on Saturday for a meet-up called Hair Haven, which fosters connection between people with curly hair. Again, I was struck by how welcoming the space is. It’s a ridiculous feeling, being the norm there.
• I’m tired these days. Too much fun, too little rest. I’m better at napping, though. On Sunday, I barely wanted to get out of bed after a little snooze. Three years ago, a nap was unthinkable.
• I’m giving Reni Eddo-Lodge‘s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race another spin. The title alone makes it a hard read, but I’m hoping I’ll find myself along the way.
• I saw Dalva at Ketelhuis. Reading the reviews, I’m surprised so many people seem to interpret the girl’s dress style as “an adult woman in the 50s”. I thought it was reminiscent of the way girls dressed when the camera first came out. Not a girl, not yet a woman. Regardless, I imagine being Dalva’s mother, getting to know her daughter again, and understanding what has gone so wrong in the fibers of het child. It sends chills down my spine.
• In another childhood trauma narrative, I thought it was so moving that Jan Broberg played the therapist in the Showtime series on her turbulent childhood. I fantasized the scenes functioned as a systemic family constellation, her talking to her childhood self. The reality was probably much more technical than that.
• Anja had a very intense and short stint with Call of Duty, remarking on its evocative storytelling in the Cold War portion. She finished it, though, and the zombies turned om her off with such immediacy that she’s back to NBA.
• After hearing it only once, Billie Eilish’s “The 30th” is stuck in my head. She and her brother have a good thing going.

January flew, flew by, I tell you. We started with “wow, 2023 already, let’s have a chill time this year, hey what’s on Netflix?” and at the time of writing everything is different:

• Things are not chill, because we’re preparing ourselves, our lives, and our house for our first-ever puppy
• Both our work lives are unexpectedly bustling and busy
• We cancelled Netflix

I’ve been saying for years that I’d be willing to pay 100 euros a month for a single, all-encompassing international streaming platform. I suppose it’s never going to happen, but, hey, at least we’ll have that puppy, right?