I like the turning over of a new year. If the previous year was crappy, it's a good chance to say "the hell with all that, this next year will be different." If the previous year was good, it's a great time to remember all of the grand adventures of the past year. I like burning things or having things be washed away in the sand or rain or snow on New Year's Eve. I like making collages of my hopes and dreams for the coming year. I like drinking champaign with friends, meditating on the past and picturing the future. And, of course, I like making lists.
Top Five of 2009:
Personal:
1. Camping in Joshua Tree with Lucy, Mitch, Josie, Allie, Tom, Brian and Alba.
2. Cama Beach. Peter and Nathalie’s wedding, berry picking, swimming, shell collecting.
3. Mississippi. Tiffany and Jason, free range bacon, meeting their friends, seeing Clarksburg and other sites.
4. Disneyland! I don’t know how many times we went, maybe as many as seven or eight. 2009 was definitely the year of Disneyland and I loved every moment of it. Even waiting in line for the Princesses every time. Ray, Sandy, Becca, Rob, Rick, Sarah….
5. So many fantastic holidays – Christmas in Colorado, Turkey Day in the mountains, New Years Eve in San Diego. Good friends, good family, good times.
Professional:
1. Working Together Against Weeds seminars at Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Olympic National Parks.
2. Finally getting the diversity ecosystem function paper resubmitted.
3. Giving so many academic seminars to promote research in the national parks all over California.
4. California Invasive Plant Council Symposium, two posters and two talks, and tons of fun.
5. Finally getting the Guide to the Invasive Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains written and published thanks to the major efforts of Irina Irvine.
6. The science strategy working group!
Aspirations for 2010:
Personal:
1. Adopt a dog that will be happy and fit into our crazy family.
2. Re-do the back yard so it is pleasant to look at and functional.
3. Keep up the pilates and run more.
4. Get a group of friends and family to go on a short Mexico cruise out of Long Beach.
5. More camping!! Mount Pinos, the east side of the Sierra, the beach, and more.
Professional:
1. Keep working on paper submissions – submitting and resubmitting until at least the three current papers are published.
2. G.A.D.J. I’ll explain that in 2011 (c.s.p.)
3. Get the weed management plan to the public comment phase.
4. Keep learning new things.
5. Get the carbon offset project done.
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