Ethan e-mailed me after my shift on Thursday to see when I what times I would be available.  Since the new summer intern started, she took my time slot so there was no more time slots for me.  Ethan politely suggested that I could stay on Monday afternoons from 1-5 (the only time slot available) but I politely declined.  I told him that I wouldn’t be coming in the following Monday (since I was going out of town for the weekend) and told him that Thursday would be my last day and I’m sure that I would be missed.  He insisted that I would be missed and that I was one of the best interns Diablo had.  I wasn’t sure of the truth of that statement, but it was very sweet all the same.

Ironically on Wednesday, at Best Buy, one of the staff of Diablo (one of guys who works downstairs who mostly does networking, technological type work for the company) recognized me and insisted that I get pizza for lunch on my last day.

On Thursday, I came in and Ethan was very apologetic for not having planned a lunch for me and insisted that he would plan one once he came back from vacation. (he was planning on going to the East Coast the next week).  However, to my surprise, one of the editors got a box of cookies from Walnut Creek’s Bakery and we mingled for 10 minutes as the editors asked about my future plans.  All of the editors also gave me a thank you card, with notes they wrote for me.  Something I will probably treasure forever.  I found myself feeling actually really sad about my last day, more so than I thought I would feel.

Although one of the new interns worked that day, I was happy to be able to work at the same intern desk I usually work at.  The newbie worked at the other desk.  (I think Ethan did that on purpose, for me to be at the same desk on my last day).  I worked on a fact check about eggs and where to buy baby chicks.  The Alamo Hay and Grain employee sounded like a place that sold chickens year-round (he sounded like he belonged in the hills of the back country).

I also worked on an intense fact check for an article about Dana Dornsife and Lazarex.  It’s a foundation for cancer paitients to afford living and travel costs, while taking trial medication for their cancer.  I only made a couple of phone calls since it was pointless for me to leave voicemails (since it was my last day, I wouldn’t be there for them to contact).  One source was a cancer paitent, Scott, from Massachusetts who praised how Lazarex saved his life.  When I called the phone number listed, it said that he was out of the country and listed an alternative phone number.  I hesitated for a second, wondering where he might be and hoping there wouldn’t be a vast time difference.  So I made the phone call.  Biggest. Mistake. Ever.  I called him at 3 in the morning, the next day, because it turns out Scott was in the Philippines.  Consequently, Scott was not very pleased with me.  Although after we talked and I asked my questions, he apologized for being rude and I apologized profusely for waking him up.  I got the fact check though.  And I have to say, one of the most memorable fact checks.

I also wrote my very last blog for Diablo.  I did a scoop on a restaurant abruptly shutting down in Pleasant Hill.

Finally, my shift was up and I said my last goodbyes.  To my surprise, Ethan even gave me a hug and wished me the best.

Before I left, I headed to the closet downstairs to grab more issues of Diablo.  And to my surprise (because I was told we didn’t have any copies of it) the new Diablo Arts was out with my article.  Another printed byline!  Except it looks NOTHING like what I originally wrote.  About two paragraphs made up what I wrote and the rest the editor wrote.  I didn’t have a high enough word count for the article, and it was my own fault for not writing the article sooner.  I snagged some issues of it all the same, and walked out the doors one last time.