Happy Days – Week FortyThree
Starting off September with a quick trip to Copenhagen and a short haircut
In the end of August, Santi and I went through our calendars to coordinate everything we had going on in September and every time something needed to be done I asked him to send me a text so we would both have a register everything. We were going to go through just the first week, but ended up going through the whole month together. There were 19 messages of things that needed to be coordinated in our lives that month so that we could take care of everything including our son who shouldn’t be left alone for long periods. September was going to be a very full month and indeed it was.
September 1 – Day 296
I wish I could remember why I was in downtown Utrecht on Monday, but I don’t have it in my calendar and if it’s not in my digital calendar it most likely “doesn’t exist” in my brain. But, in any case I stopped by the Oudegracht (old canal) in downtown Utrecht and took this photo as the beauty of the scene stopped me in my tracks.
September 2 – Day 297
Bart from the Home Computer Museum (I wrote about them when we went to WHY2025 Hacker Camp) came to Internet Archive Europe headquarters to meet up with Brewster and get to know us and explain what he does and how we might become allies. Sadly I didn’t get a photo of his shoes which were awesome! The sort of remind me of fluevogs, but for Dutch men and not nearly so eye-wateringly expensive.
September 3 – Day 298
Wednesday started with an early morning train commute to the airport to fly to Copenhagen for work. Internet Archive Europe was there to meet up with Archivists and give a lecture at the University of Copenhagen. We started our visit with at the Danish National Radio station for Brewster to give an interview. Then we went for a walking tour around downtown Copenhagen, visiting a couple of libraries and the Astronomy Tower which has a ramp instead of stairs so that horses could climb all the way to the top to carry scientific instruments to see the stars way back when.
September 4 – Day 299
And we’re on! Brewster showing his love for Public Libraries in front of the “Black Diamond” Danish Public Library where we met up with Danish Archivists.
After the working day of meetings and lectures, we made our way to Freetown Christiania which started as a squat and has evolved over time to be quite a thriving and vibrant purposeful community.
September 5 – Day 300
Friday started off with a couple of personal appointments including getting my hair chopped. I was expecting a smaller trim, but it was cut a bit shorter than anticipated, but it’s not horrible and will grow out.
That afternoon, the Internet Archive Europe had a “borrel” with about a dozen guests. Borrel in Dutch basically means “Happy Hour” but we pervert it a bit with lectures and updates about the projects IAE is up to.
September 6 – Day 301
Saturday was a rest day at home and Pica and I enjoyed the afternoon sun on the outside benches of the front garden.
September 7 – Day 302
Sunday, Santi and I celebrated 10 years of marriage and he gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a lovely hand painted card. We went on a date to the Water Tower in Utrecht, the top floor of which has been converted into a restaurant. It was a fancy meal with an amazing view - fun!
Ten years prior, we were living in Buenos Aires and I was eight months (and change) pregnant. David was born just over three weeks later.
We are blessed to having a loving marriage surrounded by friends and family even if not everyone is physically close. We can feel your love and appreciate the community surrounding us.
Personally, I am incredibly blessed to have the role models of my parents relationship and lasting love through thick and thin.
The Kitchen Sisters Davia and Nikki recently produced a love letter to and about my parents Walter & Aggie Murch on their podcast. It’s overwhelmingly beautiful. The world is so blessed to have their love, intelligence and thoughtfulness percolating through society and the communities they have built together over the years. Dare you to listen and not have your eyes glisten….
I am loving the messages you have written to tell me about your lives and the happy and the unhappy days. Thank you for sharing bits of your lives. You all are precious and I appreciate you reaching out and connecting. Be assured, not all my days are filled with joy and positivity, believe me. I am not trying to show a perfect life because that doesn’t exist. I am just trying to spread joy in the world these days because there is way too much doom and gloom and it’s easy to spiral out. Once again, I am trying to focus on things I can control in my life, but also influence things as I can.
For example, I voted in the CA Special Election - Yes on Prop 50 - and I got notification from the Marin County Board of Elections that my vote was received and counted. If you live in California, please be sure to vote in this election to counter the redistricting tricks in Texas and other states to rob citizens of representation in the House of Representatives.
I also encouraged others to organize a No Kings Rally here in the Netherlands as I will be traveling to California for work to celebrate the Internet Archive archiving 1 Trillion websites and so couldn’t help with the No Kings event here. But others took the lead and ran with it and so it lives on - yay!
Your update is marvelous. Happy 10 year anniversary!!! xoxo