A good week, although I didn’t feel very productive and doing things felt sluggish. In the past days I have felt very tired.

This week I

• Was at home Monday as it was a national holiday. We used it to go to Utrecht to buy paddles and boat shoes. In the afternoon we went to the ‘Lepeltje Lepeltje’ food truck festival in the city center with the three of us, which was a lot of fun.
• Had the weekly client meetings.
• Did preparations for the Tactical Council on EU data strategy in two weeks.
• Did preparations for the Interprovincial Ethics Committee in thee weeks.
• Prepared a talk about the role of my philosophy of technology studies in the evolution of my work, which I then gave at a career event at my old university. It was fun to be back.
• Had an interview with a client about the extension of our work for the next year or maybe two. By the end of the week I heard they plan to award us the contract above three other proposals.
• Participated in the Ethics Workgroup of the 12 provinces, a meeting that takes place every 3 weeks.
• Was interviewed by a PhD student at Delft University about the workings of the interprovincial ethics committee. Their PhD research looks at responsible design of decision making systems, and institutionalising ethical design practices for digital innovation in the public sector. As part of that they are looking at how different ethics committees in the public sector are constructed and with what aims. Specifically they are interested in the fusing and allocation of different layers of responsibility. A very interesting conversation I thought. They shared a paper with me that resulted from earlier steps in this research which I started reading with interest.
• Had a pleasant conversation with Peter, catching up and reflecting on work, travel, going to conferences as a couple and organising your own private but professional interest oriented events and unconferences. Also met L. which was fun.
• Started with putting together my work evolution mind map, an idea I encountered recently in a design museum in Nuremberg. I started out with adding together a number of lists I already had made earlier: the ‘grand narratives’ I had over the years, i.e. my main topics of interest, and the list of projects I worked on in The Green Land and the World Bank since 2011. I also jotted down other projects from roles before that, a list of key events, and several things that still stand out in hindsight from university and before. It’s a long list with well over 100 items. Next step is trying to put them on a timeline and make connections between them.
• Went to pick up a Steel Case Perch. It’s a leaning stool that I came across in the same design museum in Nuremberg I mentioned in the previous bullet. I’m very pleased with it, as it is useful and has a story that appeals to me. It’s made from recycled e-waste, using pyrolisis resulting in polymers suitable for a product like this, which in turn is mechanically recyclable unlike the e-waste it comes from.
• Took Y to her swimming lessons. She is now scheduled to get her B swimming diploma before the end of the school year.
• Went to Utrecht on Saturday by train with the three of us to get the right pump for our inflatable kayak as well as to wave to my brothers in law and cheer them on during the Utrecht canal boat pride. I also splurged on two new hats at Jos van Dijck, a 100 year old hat shop now run by the third generation. Upon our return to Amersfoort, we enjoyed the sun on the terrace of the local watering hole Tjaps until evening.
• Reconnected the irrigation system in our garden and on the living room balcony. I didn’t get around to doing the irrigation system on our third floor roof terrace yet.
• With E and Y tried out our inflatable 4 person kayak for the first time. Already last year E and I had decided to buy one this spring, as we thought it might be fun to paddle around our very water rich neighbourhood and on the connected river Laak, now that Y can swim. This year we bought a kayak and today was our first foray out on the water. It was a lot of fun. We saw eye to eye with coots, geese and ducks, all with their young. Y enjoyed it a lot too.