Let's Talk About Me

I've been tagged on the "25 Random Things About Me" exercise several times, so here goes:

1. I like playing Scrabble and poker, though I'm not much good at either.

2. I have had stitches twice and a broken bone once.

3. I am fascinated by the squirrels in our yard. Their dexterity in managing fence rails, telephone wires, and tree branches is just astounding.

4. I broke the school record for cross country when I was in high school.

5. I ran 13 miles from Manitou Springs to the top of Pikes Peak without training for it. Not recommended (not training for it, that is. The climb is spectacular).

6. I could easily live on cereal, plain pasta, red bell peppers, provolone cheese, steamed broccoli, coffee, lunch meat, root beer floats, potato chips, and white wine. Oh, and water.

7. Erin is my best friend.

8. My favorite short story is James Joyce's "Araby." I must have had a similar experience once.

9. Nearly all my friends are women, which I think is great.

10. The best driving song ever is Jimi Hendrix's version of "Drivin' South." Apropos, indeed.

11. I've always wanted a 1967 Corvette. It needs to have a very specific options package, so please ask before you go out and buy this car for me. This is exactly what I'm looking for.

12. I haven't watched a single professional sports event since John Elway retired ten years ago. Can't say I've missed any of it.

13. One dream I have is to walk alone for a week across the Mojave Desert. Not during the summer, of course.

14. I cannot handle watching the roller coaster on top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas.

15. I drive the same way to work every day.

16. I love the prairie.

17. I love the fish tanks at a nearby sushi bar.

18. I didn't see the ocean until I was 40 years old.

19. I am interested in design of all types and how it affects our attraction (or not) to certain things.

20. Being married has been the hardest thing I've ever done, but it has also been my greatest source of happiness.

21. My color blindness doesn't affect my enjoyment of color.

22. I'll take doing laundry over cooking any day.

23. I like life's ambiguity.

24. I have been among the top 300 finishers in all six years I ran the Bolder Boulder (running has obviously played a major role in my life).

25. Nothing feels better than a big, genuine laugh.

There, got 'er done.

Buckfifty.org

For those who don't know, Denver quietly turned 150 last November. To celebrate the city's sesquicentennial, Hugh Graham, Hadley Hooper, and a few other creative folks have put together a really fun website called buckfifty.org. For the past few months, locals (and not-so-locals) have submitted interesting pieces about the city's history, personal memories, and other bits that paint a human picture of the town so many of us love.

Today's buckfifty post is one I wrote about Zeckendorf Plaza, a wonderful public space that once existed downtown, but is no longer. Many thanks to Hugh and Hadley for finding some marvelous images of Zeckendorf and posting them on the site. I love the one that shows the miniature golf course.

And there's a mention of my post on Westword's blog The Latest Word. How cool is that!?

Twenty-oh-Nine

It's a new year and it's time to set some goals (which are not to be confused with new year resolutions - something I realized the futility of long ago and therefore don't do). This is purely off the cuff and not a comprehensive list:

Read. I already read a lot, but I'm sloppy as hell. I found/rediscovered three books last year that inspired me to spend some quality time with great literature (How to Read a Book by Adler and Doren, The Well-Educated Mind by Bauer, and The New Lifetime Reading Plan by Fadiman and Major). I've kicked around with Moby-Dick and The Education of Henry Adams each for at least a decade, but I've never tried to truly understand them. This is the year.

Get out. By this I mean to hike, backpack, camp, snowshoe, and climb. I love nature and I want to learn as much as I can about it and explore as many out-of-the-way places as possible.

Pitch in to preserve landscapes and places. I volunteered a weekend at Riverside Cemetery last summer and felt like I did something truly worthwhile. I'm going to find more projects that appeal to my love of architecture, neighborhoods, and natural settings.

Develop my expertise as a cultural resource manager. I really don't think of myself just as a librarian anymore, because my professional interests go far beyond that. My job has cultivated my appreciation and sensitivity about donor relations, what's worth saving, and information design. My colleagues William Turkel, Hugh Graham, Beth Heller, Erin Landeck, and Nina Simon have been inspirational on these fronts as well.

Become involved in my community. It's amazing how easy it is to live in a town and not really know what's going on next door. The Arvada city council is looking for members to serve on the boards of the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority and Arts and Humanities Committee, so I hope to be soon contributing on one of those.

Increase my professional participation. Work stays interesting if you get out of the office once in a while to see what your colleagues are doing. The Colorado Association of Libraries just started a new chapter for special collections libraries (like mine). I'm also going to write for publication. I'll probably begin by doing some guest blogging on some high-traffic CRM (cultural resource management) blogs to develop ideas.

Build healthier relationships. I always say I'm going to do this, but the sands shift so much and I too often find myself lost when it comes to effectively managing them. Personal relationships are what I find the most bewildering in this life, but since I also find them the most worthwhile, I keep getting back into the ring. A specific point I'll work on is being aware of my own behavior triggers and owning my own "stuff." Everyone (spouse, friends, family, co-workers, etc.) will be subject to this treatment.

That's enough, I think.