So long, I hardly got to know ya

So this is my last day at the Seattle Post Intelligencer. I'm sitting at my too-clean desk with nothing left to work on. Bob's on a plane somewhere between Omaha and Salt Lake City. Abby's slicing stuff at the deli, and Maddigan's probably playing in the kitchen.

I want to write a few lists.
First of all, what swag I've picked up since I've been here:

1. tons of free comics including "best of erotic comics 2008," "Sammy The Mouse," and "Epileptic."
2. A bright pink dress
3. The Dixie Cups "Going to the Chapel album," along with both Steve Martin's LP comedy recordings and his autobiography
4. Pages and pages of drawings
5. Free pie, free soup and free fried pig skin crackers. Yuuum.

Secondly, highlights of my stories and blogs:1. Naked bikers at the Solstice parade (Abby and Eileen, we should go next year????)
2. Naked men at Pride parade
3. Power tool races at Georgetown's "Artoipia."
4. Pinup girls at Fantagraphics.
5. Interviews with Nate Denver and Zak Sally
6. Interview with Chuck Palahniuk
7. Story on a 100 year old woman who still does beautiful oil paintings.
8. Six (count 'em six) pieces on "The Bachelorette"
9. A story on Robin Williams and Bobcat Goldthwait coming to town.
10. Two stories on different high school plays.

Lastly, a final "what I've learned."
1. Cities are never as big as they look.
2. Interns can kick paid reporters asses if we try hard enough.
3. Avoid the negative people at the office.
4. Always say hello to everyone at work.
5. Read stories over ONE more time before turning them in.
6. Don't trust whitey.
7. Naked people and high schoolers are always good for an interview.
8. Towns with competing papers have the best journalism.
9. Seattle isn't as stuck up as I thought (but still pretty stuck up).
10. Yes, it does rain here a lot.
11. Just because the forecast says high of 90, that doesn't mean it's true.
12. Just because it's free, doesn't mean you need it.
13. There is always money for ice cream.
14. There's always money in the banana stand.
15. Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog will change your life.
16. Comics are better if they're free.
17. If you have an opportunity for an interview, take it, even if it's not going to make a story.
18. Caffeine makes life look a little better.
19. Andrea James will win a Pulitzer someday.
20. Some people pretend to be busy, just to make you look bad for not being busy.
21. There is always something fun to cover.
22. Journalism is waaaay to cool for school, and I dread the thought of having to go from being a kick ass reporter back to a student.
23. Never let the restaurant know you're reviewing them.
24. Don't watch TV on your day off.
25. The Space Needle actually is worth it.
26. Copy editors are better than people give them credit for.
27. Drawing makes things better.
28. Covering an event gives me a reason to get out and meet people.
29. Wearing a fedora really does make you look like a newspaper man.
30. Working for the Daily Planet means I'm Lois Lane.
31. Always Mapquest everything.
32. Houses are better when they're tiny.
33. You're not supposed to swim in the Puget Sound.
34. Don't let people tell you journalism is dying.
35. Everyone is on Facebook when they should be working.
36. Stories are only lame if you let them be lame.
37. The Dark Knight is one movie EVERYONE can agree on.
38. Mary-Kate Olsen killed Heath Ledger.
39. Writing the celebrity gossip column can get addictive
40. Joss Whedon is the greatest living writer.
41. Writing stories about "The Bachelorette" can get a little tedious.
42. Women actually think they have a chance at love with the men they see on TV.
43. Work twice as hard as everyone else.
44. The 1987 Transformers pales in comparison to the 2007 live action version.
45. It turns out Shia LeBouf isn't all that bad.
46. Press packs are like Christmas presents.
47. Reporters' notebooks fill up fast.
48. Being an intern is hard.
49. Being a reporter is harder.
50. This is all I want to do for the rest of my life.