In the evenings, we’re continue our journey with Better Call Saul (2015-2022). Midway through season 3, it’s finally beginning to get a firm grip on our attention span again. I loved the debut of Gus Fring, the way he lingers in the background, out of focus, voiceless, before landing, so to speak. I find this one of the finest roles in television history. Less reading this week. Struggling with discernment this week: what do I do when following Jesus when it gets hard interferes with my boundaries and sense of safety Beaming at work Beaming at home Sunday is amazing. (Continue)

This week marked the week I got back into the swing of things at work. I tend to find the holiday season quite boring because things slow down quite a bit. Now that people are returning from their winter break, my to do list is filling up again with exciting projects, opportunities for collaboration, and research endeavors. As usual, a conversation with my manager reminded me how much I love my job. (Continue)

A somewhat quiet week, mostly spent at the office because Anja’s on winter break, although I did enjoy spending time at Coffee Company Oosterdok as well. Working without my regular laptop stand and wireless keyboard and trackpad doesn’t feel great for my body, but they make great coffee. I seem to have found my way back to the Miracle morning method. While I cringe at the very notion of self development, it has been great to start my day in quietude. (Continue)

Covid It’s curious to see my response to a bout of Covid is not much different from what it was in early 2020. Despite a negative test, symptoms tell me everything I need to know. I have to remind myself every day this week that, given the regulations, I’m not obliged to quarantine. Nevertheless, Anja and I are both barely able to walk the dog. I work half days, and spend my afternoons in bed with hot water bottles. (Continue)

I’m making an attempt this week to make my weeknotes more of a personal record rather than a performance of how exciting my week is. What I’ve written answers the question I might ask myself seven years from now: what was life like this week? I went on the road for on-site research on Tuesday, and was delighted by the particular nursing home that we visited. It seems many Dutch healthcare organizations have understood that environments that resemble the real-life environments of patients contribute to their overall wellbeing. (Continue)

First of all: not a great week. I continue to struggle to notice when I feel stresed or overwhelmed, and it never fails to result in my body giving me a clear sign. On Monday evening, in the midst of a busy work month, my body said “SIT. DOWN.” I needed undtil well into the weekend to feel myself again. One of the signs my body knows to give it a very mild version of conversion disorder: I lose the ability to listen to a conversation while I walk without feeling very dizzy. (Continue)

Cooler temperatures! After the hottest week I’ve experienced in months, things were back to comfortable Summer weather. By the time I’m writing this the sky is gray and it’s raining, but this week’s weather was cheerful and moderate. On Tuesday and Wednesday I gave two big UX workshops at week to help coworkers understand how they can use UX in their daily work. I’ve been giving workshops for well over a decade, always trusting my instinct to figure out what a particular group or context required. (Continue)