This Week's Thank Yous
As I wind down the current phase of this project due to the fact that the weather is taking a turn for the cold, making camping uncomfortable is not downright dangerous, I reflect that I have so many people to thank for my success. This latest batch was generous enough to believe in me and donate to my GoFundMe campaign:
This week's round of thank yous starts with my former coworker Jennifer Mars. In another life before I was a librarian I was a travel agent. Yes, I can really pick professions, can't I? Anyway, back in the go-go '90's I worked for a relatively progressive company called McCord Travel Management and one of my friends there was Jennifer Mars. Jennifer was a part of a group of people whom I admired greatly, the international ticketing department. These were a niche of people who came mostly from an airline background (TWA for most of them). They were well traveled, curious group who had encyclopedic knowledge of places and destinations but were also a lot of fun to hang out with at parties. Jennifer was one of the nicest people to work in the department, always helpful and open to any questions, and she also enjoys a mean margarita. Thanks SO much Jennifer. I hope to see you again soon!
My second person to thank this week is my friend Frank Avagliano. Frank and I were undergraduates studying Geography at SUNY New Paltz together, and through a quirk of fate, we sat together in cartography class, (which incidentally was taught by Jo Margaret Mano-see my thank yous from September 23). We quickly learned that we have the same quirky sense of humor and have been good friends ever since, to the point that he has a long standing invitation to drop in on my mother any time. I miss you Frank, and hope to be heading east soon so that we can make snarky comments on James Bond movies again.
Finally, my last person on the thank you list is another coworker of mine, albeit one from within the past few years. Ben Haines was one of the first librarians I learned from. He taught me to be fearless and creative and to always push the envelope even if it pissed off those in charge, for without questioning the status quo and coloring outside of the lines, there is no innovation. It is because of him in a lot of ways that I found the courage to do what I am doing. Thanks Ben!