My Birthday

Today is my 76th birthday.  Michael P. Garofalo, January 23, 1946 -  

My daughter, Alicia, and I, 2021

My two grand-daughters, Makenna and Katelyn, and I, 2021

My parents were Bertha June (1921-1994) and Michael James Garofalo (1916-1997).  My two brothers were Paul (1948-) and Phillip (1952-).  

My parents and I in 1947
In South-Central Los Angeles

My maternal Grand-Mother Mabel Ast Blaize on the left,
and my Paternal Grand-Mother Lena Garofalo in 1947.  

Paul, Big Mike Dad, Philip, Me, Mom
Circa 1958

I grew up in East Los Angeles and attended St. Alphonsus Catholic Grammar School, Cantwell Catholic High School (Honors Diploma), California State University at Los Angeles (B.A. Philosophy), and the University of Southern California (M.S. Library Science).  

I worked for the City of Commerce Public Library System from 1963-1969.  

Blanche Karen Eubanks and I were married in 1967.  We celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary in 2021.    

Karen and I in 1970
Biloxi, Mississippi

Served in the United States Air Force, Air Training Command, from 1969-1973.  Honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant.  

I worked for the County of Los Angeles Public Library System from 1974 to 1998.  I retired as a Library Administrator, and Regional Administrator for the East Region in the San Gabriel Valley.  I worked at offices in the Compton library, Bell Gardens library, East Los Angeles library, Norwalk library, Huntington Park library, and West Covina library.  

We lived in Bell Gardens and Hacienda Heights - both in the East Los Angeles  metropolitan area.  

Karen and I, and our families and community, raised two children, Alicia June and Michael Delmer.  We now have two grandchildren, Katelyn and Makenna. 

Alicia June, my daughter, and I in 1976.

Alicia, me, Karen, Mick, circa 1990

My colleagues in East Region at our
Community Library Managers Meeting, Circa 1993
For 15 years, I was the Regional Administrator for 22 libraries
in East Region of the County of Los Angeles Public Library System

I started creating websites in 1995, and a blog in 2005.       

Karen and I lived in Red Bluff, North Sacramento Valley, California, from 1998-2017, in a rural area on a five acre parcel.  We both worked part-time for school districts.  I was the Technology and Media Service Supervisor and District Librarian for the Corning Union Elementary School District; and Karen was a Special Education Instructional Aide.  We both enjoyed gardening and landscaping projects. 

 

Red Bluff, California, Sunny Garden

Yosemite, North Dome, 2005

Sean, me, Mick
Alicia, Karen, April
Circa 2007

Karen retired on June 14, 2014, after working part-time since 1998 as a Special Education Instructional Assistant for the Tehama County Department of Education in Red Bluff, California.  

Mike retired on July 1, 2016, after working part-time since 1998 as the Technology and Media Services Supervisor and District Librarian for the Corning Union Elementary School District in Corning, California.  

I taught yoga, taijiquan, qigong, pilates, and other fitness classes at the Tehama Family Fitness Center in Red Bluff from 2002-2016.

In 2017, we moved to Vancouver, Washington.  We are now both retired.  

Family in Oregon in 2013

Vancouver, Washington, 2017
Our New Home

Flinn and Garofalo Family Gathering
Vancouver, Salmon Creek, Washington, Summer 2021

I am very fortunate in having fairly good health, a positive attitude, and stamina for work and play for all of my long life.  I was fortunate in being able to be productively employed for 54 years, and earning good medical insurance for Karen and I.  

I am a philosopher by inclination and practice.  

I have been active with various sports, physical conditioning programs, walking, fitness, Taijiquan, Yoga, hiking, etc., during my entire healthy long life.  

However, during this past COVID epidemic period I did not walk each day, kind of huddled in my home office and read, smoked too much cannabis, daydreamed, lolly-gaged, goofed-off, and acted like a lazy depressed retiree.  Therefore, I was very out of shape at the end of 2021.  

My personal goals for 2022 are to:  

1. Maintain a dietary habit that reduces my blood sugar. 
2. Reduce my body weight to 225 pounds. 
3. Walk and exercise every day. 
4.  Read and write:    Four Days in Grayland     Cloud Hands Blog. 

5.  Help and take care of my wife, family and friends. 
6. Support humanistic and environmental causes. 
7.  Explore Photography using my Canon SX740 camera, Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop; and work on our Family Photo Project😊 with Karen. 

8. Enjoy old age. 
9. Travel to the Coast and Yurt camp each month for four days.  
10.  Yet to be Determined, New Opportunities, Unknown

That about sums it up!

Retired from the County of Los Angeles Public Library System on February 1, 1998

I worked for the City of Commerce Public Library (1962-1969.); and, worked for two years as the Head of Technical Services, Librarian II.  From 1969-1973 I was a Personnel Specialist E-5 in the United States Air Force.  I began my career with the Los Angeles County Public Libraries in 1974 as a Reference Librarian at the Compton Public Library.  I was the branch manager of the ELA Library for many years, and regional and systemwide audio-visual services coordinator.   I retired as the Regional Administator for East Region of LACOPL on February 1, 1998.  I worked part-time for the Corning Union Elementary School District (K-8) as the Technology and Media Services Supervisor or District Librarian from 1998 until June of 2016, and retired at the age of 70.  And, during the same period, I worked part-time for the Tehama Family Fitness Center in Red Bluff, California, as a Yoga, Tai Chi Chuan and fitness instructor.

From 1985 to 1998 I worked as a Library Administrator, assigned to lead as the Regional Administator for East Region (21 libraries, 2 bookmobiles).  22 years have passed since I retired on February 1st from the Los Angeles County Public Library and moved to Red Bluff, California in 1998.

So, February 1st is a very important date in my life.  Karen and I, and our son Mick, all moved in 1998 from Hacienda Heights, San Gabriel Valley, East Los Angeles County, California, about 550 miles north to Red Bluff, Tehama County, North Sacramento Valley, California.  From huge metropolitan Los Angeles, we moved to rural Tehama County, with a population of 50,000.  Red Bluff City had around 15,000 residents.  From a small suburban lot, to a five acre parcel with a spacious home.  The Spirit of Gardening was born in 1998.

During the 1980's and 1990's period, here are some pictures of the people I had the good fortune to work with:

East Region Library Managers and Regional Coordinators

circa 1994

Administrative Council (AdCon)  COLAPL circa 1993

Margaret Wong, Mike Garofalo, Lilly Loo

How I looked back then in 1980-1990:

1999-2016 Corning Elementary School District

Technology and Media Services Supervisor

or District Librarian

Part-time 24 hours per week school year

Library Services Team CUESD
2014

Karen and I would take an unpaid week off work each February, from 1999-2014.
The deserts east of the Sierra and Cascades are great in February.

So, February 1st reminds me of past good times.

East Region Library Managers, Los Angeles County Public Library System, 1996

A hard working group of branch library managers and regional staff.  Great colleagues, and some fine friends.  We accomplished a lot with our 20 libraries in East Region.  Fond memories!  

I was the Regional Administrator for East Region, in the San Gabriel Valley, 20 libraries, from 1980-1998.  My office was at the West Covina Regional Library.  

At the time the above photograph was taken we were all at the Rowland Heights library attending the monthly Branch Managers meeting.  Back then, Mike McClintock and Billie Frierson were  assistant administrators.  Judy Valcho, Linda Siggins and Kay Simonetti were regional coordinators; and Elizabeth Koller was the office manager.  

From my memory in 2018. The top back row standing, left to right, Chuck Kaufman (Hacienda Heights), reference librarian Diamond Bar, John McClellan (Claremont), Tony Ramirez (El Monte), library assistant at Rowland Heights, Peter Rosenwald (Duarte), Elizabeth Koller (Region), Pat Libbry (Norwood), Robert Marquez (South El Monte), Sherna Cowan (Rowland), Mary Noonan (San Dimas), Dottie Nichols (Charter Oak).  Sitting, left to right, Stuart Rosenberg (La Verne), Billie Frierson (Region), Linda Siggins (Region), Mike Garofalo (Region), Sandra Novoa (Sunkist), Wilbert Hunt (Baldwin Park), Mike McClintock (Region).  Missing: Joan Livingston (West Covina), Bryan Trygstad (library), Librarian (Walnut), Judy Valcho (Region).  

As of 2018, Chuck Kaufman, Mary Miller, Claudia Moiseve, Cathy, Susanna Morneau, and John McClellan have all passed away.