2017 – A List

This time last year I was impatiently waiting to hear about the results of my background check. One year later, I am employed with the seeker of that background check and live on a completely different coast.

What a world.

Each year I keep a list (just a few words; mostly of food and I rarely remember what the quotes are from) of things I happily enjoyed or experienced throughout the year.

Here was 2017:

• WPSU Folk Show with Jim Colbert
• “WTF is anime.”
• “You’ll be dating a surfer dude in a year.”
• “Pigs don’t live in holes.”
• A REAL SWORD
• “Leave the door open for the Maple Fox.”
• WTNV 101
• Montclair Art Museum with NJLA Member Services Committee
• Secret Scumbag
• “It was probably the best Madea movie I’ve ever seen; it was also intolerable.”
• “…call the Piscataway Library.”
• MBMBAM: Got dragged to hell/miracles can happen and angels do exist.
• Welcome Bee Plant
• Pub 199 with Louisa and Juan
• Lego Batman (movie)
• Library going-away party
• LLNJ / BBWAB Instagram re-post
• Snowtubing with Kaytlyn
• Lancaster with Kaytlyn
• LC climbing with the Pinhos
• “Only tell me about large mammals and extra large reptiles.”
• “All men are dumb.”
• Dirty Dancing with Lauren and Gina.
• Meeting Julia and Kaleb
• Pinhos housewarming party + their new house
• Jennie’s pep
• Roosevelt Presidential Library / Hyde Park with Nancy
• Shout-out on WPSU from Jim Colbert
• 3755 San Remo
• Nashville – Capitol Building
• Bonuts and biscuits with gravy at Biscuit Love
• Civil Rights Museum in Memphis
• Draper James
• IHop Day
• Doubletree cookies
• Fiesta parking lot mayor dog
• Clinton Presidential Library
• “Did you break the paper dispenser?” “…I did.”
• Cadillac Graveyard
• Stump Dog  / Indy in Flagstaff
• Karla, Steve, Alex B. and Meaghan B.
• Chaucer’s
• The Harambe – air mattress – baby prank
• Meaghan B.’s welcome package
• Remove animal from hole. Fix hole.
• Camput Point sunset
• Tacos with Jody
• Land Shark Night
• Grass Mountain hike
• Poetry with the Research Librarian
• See’s chocolates
• Friars in Goleta
• Donuts and coffee at St. Raphael’s
• Surfer on April Fool’s Day
• “Okay, don’t act like you’ve never given yourself an aggressive pep talk in the frozen foods section before.”
• SB toasted coconut cold brew
• “Hidey-hole surrounded by garbage and broken dreams.” Colson Whitehead
• Lunch with Hong
• On the interview panels
• Easter Mass with the McGowans
• Moby Dick early bird steak dinner
• Arroyo Burro / Hendry’s Beach
• Boathouse sunset and soup
• Katie and Conner and the Pacific Ocean
• Kelp – the most dangerous thing in the ocean
• Earth Day
• Tribal Seeds in Ventura
• Los Angeles Times Book Festival at USC
• Jessica’s thank you note
• North branches visit
• Sandwich bread at Patti-Cakes
• Founding Day – Folk Orchestra
• Hendry’s Beach with RP
• RP’s eastside encouragement
• On the morning bus, Randy: “You are doing a great job at the library. So warm and happy.”
• Seaside Story Time with Jace and Cassidy
• Ira Flatow with RP
• “I see you at your desk and I’m just happy.”
• “You’ve got a bus to catch.”
• “Where are you from?” “New Jersey.”
• Tillie Matt
• Goleta Pier at night
• Octopus caught off pier
• Tacos with RP
• Goleta Beach
• Devereux Beach
• Hiking with Kaytlyn
• McConnell’s ice cream
• Tamales
• I Madonnari
• Wind Canyon hike
• Gaviota Beach – first swim in the Pacific Ocean
• “You’re a very pleasant person.”
• “He’s wonderful and you’re wonderful.”
• Nite Moves
• TJ SB
• Brent wearing sunglasses
• Katie Ellen show
• Korean BBQ with Hong and Justin
• Islands over the marine layer
• Summer Solstice
• 4th of July fireworks
• Saying hi to the Tamira owner
• Shorts above the knee
• Surfing at Campus Point
• Everyone should have a nemesis
• Yellow Belly / Jack’s / Wild Cat date night
• Tamira and Uncle Chen’s owners
• “Gruyere”
• “How do you know how to say that word?”
• Goleta Lemon Festival
• When the time comes, kids
• AG bros
• Summer spent in Carpinteria
• Jack’s bagels with lox spread
• Cowgirl Blues (album)
• Box of lemons
• San Francisco Half Marathon
• Siam Elephant
• Sushi with LC and RP
• Gilroy, CA
• Greek Festival – gyro
• MAC lipstick
• Churros
• Fiesta
• Olguad
• Jim the Volunteer
• Palomas
• Rodeo Night
• Miami Beach
• “Shrimp Heaven Now.”
• Empire sushi roll
• “You’re not a local until you run into someone on the street.” / Uncle Chen’s
• Carpinteria Culinary Crawl
• “Keep the squad goals attainable.”
• Itsuki with the Ps
• Boxing matches with the Ps
• Thank god for Libby and the Way Back Machine
• City Picnic
• “Are you queuing?”
• Dodgers vs. the San Francisco Giants – Dodgers win!
• LA Dodgers birthday game
• 9/27 – surprise ice cream with RP
• Chumash pow wow
• “You don’t need to show off – you already got the girl.”
• Kaytlyn and Josh’s wedding
• October weekend DTS with the family
• Strawberry birthday cake
• Faux Animal skeletons for Halloween
  
• Sushi burritos
• “Keep going weast”
• Tweezing Tim
• Ambassador of Fun
• United economy plus
• “You always have fun weekends”
• Harbor fest boat ride + seal sighting
• JLSB rummage sale
• Lunch with Nicole and Hong
• Pozole for the Day of the Dead
• Father’s last sermon on love
• CLA Annual Conference 2017
• Friday night out and about with Stacey et al
• Bev’s resourceful egg bake and bread pudding
• RP’s  Friendsgiving
• “Dropped food on the floor, made a ruckus, passed out on the floor in front of children – if that hawk is still alive, it’s definitely getting suspended.”
• “Cats I gotta check on the cats”
• Thanksgiving
• Dumpster out of 10
• Santa Barbara holiday parade
• Burger at Harry’s
• Venice and eggslut sandwiches and Philippe’s and Mexican hot chocolate and La Placita Olvera
• Home for Christmas
• 2017 holiday lights at Livingston High and the Landmark
• RP wrap bracelets
• Breakfast with Jennie
• Princeton 2023 with Kaytlyn and Lauren
• PJ’s Pancake House
• Barstow with LC and KGW
• Campus Point lemonade at Goleta Pier
• Lunch with Bob and Dan
• #gotghosted
• Lauren’s promotion
• The La Raza exhibit at the Autry Museum
• My going away disco fries at the Hibernia diner with friends and family

Have a happy 2018!