InTouch – Sharing Our Favorite Things
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You know when you enjoy something so much how you just want to share it with everyone? Oprah Winfrey says that thrill is what got her started on her famous Favorite Things list, which has turned into a holiday staple.
Each thing we’re enthusiastic about is a piece of what makes us who we are. Tell others about our favorite this or that, and you’re sharing little bits of yourself. The more you share, the fuller the picture someone gets.
So as we head into the holidays, I want to borrow from Oprah’s tradition, but use the idea to learn more about a few people you and I work with. I’ve asked them each to share a short list of favorites. Some of the things could be actual gifts you put on your own shopping list. But the real value in, for example, a favorite book is the way it stirs you emotionally or changes your outlook. It’s the experience the thing gives us that we want to pass along to others. Those are the real gifts I’m after.
I’ll add mine as well, and maybe you’d enjoy trying the same with others you know. But here are some department leaders’ favorites:
Kathy Flannery, Planning & Development Services
Favorite book, this year: The Girl With Seven Names. All time: To Kill A Mockingbird
Favorite San Diego restaurant: Rocky’s in Crown Point
Favorite place to watch sunset: Calumet Park in Bird Rock
Favorite charity: The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank
Favorite sports team: New York Rangers
Favorite way to spend day off: Hiking at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Favorite radio station: NPR
Favorite dessert: My mom’s blueberry pie
Andrew Strong, CAO Chief of Staff
Favorite movie, this year: Avengers Endgame. All time: Back to the Future
Favorite album, all time: Michael Jackson – Off the Wall
Favorite TV show: Grey's Anatomy
Favorite place to watch sunset: Sunset Cliffs
Favorite tech gadget: Galaxy S3 Smartwatch
Favorite sports team: College – LSU – Geaux Tigers/Professional – New Orleans Saints – Who Dat?!
Favorite way to spend day off: Hanging out with my family
Favorite dessert: Chocolate chip cookies
Migell Acosta, County Library
Favorite movie: Downton Abbey because I’m a fan of the TV series and it was a lovely wrap-up. Special mention to Always Be My Maybe, a Netflix movie and charming RomCom. Bladerunner is my all-time favorite.
Favorite book: Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts, by Annie Duke. This title represents a useful example of the principles of behavioral economics and decision-making under risk. Available for free from the Library’s eBook collection at SDebooks.org. My favorite all-time is a science fiction work called Neromancer by William Gibson, the first author to coin the phrase “cyberpunk” and other sci-fi elements still popular in film.
Favorite magazine: I love Sunset Magazine. That’s one of 61 magazine titles available for free (digital editions) from the Library’s collection called Flipster. Find it on SDCL.org.
Favorite podcast: Masters in Business by Barry Ritholz from Bloomberg Radio. This is a big picture podcast. For example, Ash Carter, for Secretary of Defense, discusses the challenges of weapon system procurement in the Pentagon and what that teaches about leadership.
Favorite website: SDCL.org of course! Free eBooks, eMagazines, place a hold on any book/Blu-Ray and so much more!
Favorite County park: Santa Ysabel County Preserve is my favorite so far, but I have many more to still visit.
Claudia Silva, Office of Ethics and Compliance
Favorite movie, this year: Ford v Ferrari. All time: oooh, so many . . . Shawshank Redemption, What Dreams May Come, Schindler’s List, Star Wars (the very first one released in 1977)
Favorite album, this year: Beyoncé – Homecoming: The Live Album. All time: Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair.
Favorite book, this year: 2019 Complete Ethics and Compliance Manual. All time: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Favorite charity: Girl Scouts San Diego
Favorite sports team: NY Yankees
Favorite magazine: Real Simple
Favorite website: Sephora
Favorite dessert: flan
Andy Pease, Health and Human Services Agency
Favorite movie, this year/all time: Chariots of Fire
Favorite album, this year/all time: Beatles – Greatest Hits
Favorite TV show: Game of Thrones
Favorite San Diego restaurant: Village Vino
Favorite tech gadget: Kindle
Favorite charity: American Red Cross
Favorite sports team: Chargers
Favorite podcast: Conan O’Brien
Favorite dessert: chocolate chip cookies with a cold glass of milk
Angela Bartosik, Public Defender
Favorite movie, all time: “12 Angry Men”
Favorite album, all time: anything by Billy Joel
Favorite book, this year: “The Woman’s Hour” (about women’s suffrage, by Elaine Weiss – I’m currently reading it)
Favorite TV show: Big Bang Theory
Favorite place to watch sunset: Sunset Cliffs
Favorite charity: Veterans Village of San Diego
Favorite sports team: Two-way tie: U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen and San Diego Padres
Favorite exercise activity: kayaking
Mike Barnett, Sheriff’s Department
Favorite book, this year: Gen. Stanley McChrystal's “Team of Teams.”
Favorite book, all time: John Steinbeck's “The Grapes of Wrath.”
Favorite San Diego restaurant: Rubio's Coastal Grill. I've been a loyal customer since 1986.
Favorite sports team: San Diego Padres.
Favorite magazine: “National Review.”
Favorite dessert: One scoop of any flavor ice cream, as long as it is vanilla.
Favorite County park: Waterfront Park because it has great views and the Maritime Museum and the U.S.S. Midway are both right there.
Favorite exercise activity: Keeping up with my children. I am occasionally successful.
Kim Giardina, Child Welfare Services
Favorite movie, all time: “Oklahoma”
Favorite San Diego restaurant: Prep Kitchen – Del Mar
Favorite tech gadget: Google Home
Favorite charity: Movember
Favorite sports team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Favorite way to spend day off: Rock climbing with my family
Favorite magazine: “Zoonooz”
Favorite podcast: “Ear Hustle”
Favorite dessert: Chocolate eclairs
OK, Helen here again. Lots of interesting things to check out in there. As promised, here are a few of mine.
Favorite movie, this year. “Judy”
Favorite book, all time: “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah
Favorite San Diego restaurant: Yanni’s
Favorite place to watch sunset: Waterfront Park
Favorite sports team: World Series Champs Washington Nationals!
Favorite way to spend day off: Beach
Favorite podcast: “Witness” (short, first-person accounts of historical events!)
Favorite dessert: Anything with chocolate
sunset at waterfront park
Hearing the variety of faves is a window into how unique each of us is. You’d never see two of these lists turn out the same, and that’s only a handful of topics – pretty surface-level stuff at that. Dig deeper and things get way more complex.
It’s a good reminder, as we deal with co-workers and customers, of how multifaceted each individual is. We see some sides but not others, and there is always more to their story. Deepening that understanding builds goodwill toward others, which is what this season is all about.
There wasn’t a category for it on the list, but one of my favorite things will always be watching the phenomenal work you all do on behalf of the people we serve. I’m so grateful all year long that I get to witness your creativity and dedication. Talk about a gift! Thank you for your efforts, and I hope your holidays are filled with the love and warmth of family and friends.
See you in 2020!