On Saturday afternoon I attended journalist Gustavo Arellano’s talk at Upland’s Carnegie Cultural Center, the repurposed original library (after lunch at Molly’s Souper across the street). About 100 people attended the talk.

Arellano, author of the new book “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America,” traced the history of Mexican food in the United States. Did you know salsa has outsold ketchup for 20 years? That was one of the memorable factoids.

He ran out of books to sell long before the line ended and instead presold a few, which he promised to sign and mail to the customers. I had him sign my copy of “Orange County: A Personal History.” While I was in line, one woman had me sign a copy of my Friday column about Arellano, which she’d already had him sign. Another had me pose for a photo with her. Ego-wise, I made out all right.

(I assumed the librarians took Arellano out for dinner afterward, but no. “Sadly, we encouraged him to go to Bakers. He had never been there. But we weren’t able to go with,” principal librarian Shawn Townsend reports.)

That evening, I went to the Ebell Club building in Pomona for a dinner for Pilgrim Congregational Church’s 125th anniversary. I was seated by Charles Phoenix, which was a treat. He gave a well-received and amusing slide show about Pomona Valley iconic buildings. It was a neat event and I got to meet some new people and say hello to some longtime friends.

So, not a bad Saturday at all. Hope you enjoyed yours.