Well folks, it seems my column wonít be around any longer ñ at least not in these parts.
Yes, itís true: my two-year tenure with Rocky View Publishingís Airdrie City View and Rocky View Weekly newspapers has run its course.
Apparently my editor, Nathan Anderson, has had enough of me confusing him with Crossfield Mayor Nathan Anderson (and accusing him of moonlighting as said mayor.)
Maybe it was because I took time off for March Madness when our staff was shorthanded.
In reality, a job opportunity arose at my hometown daily newspaper, the Lethbridge Herald, and it was impossible not to accept.
So back down south Iíll be going, probably already by the time my devoted half dozen readers have got to page 9 in this paper.
The staff at Rocky View Publishing is full of characters you donít typically meet every day.
Anderson, Covy Moore, former colleague Trevor Bacque and I always filled the editorial room with jokes ñ some of which Stacie Snow, Dawn Smith and a chorus of interns enjoyed, some of which they didnít.
But in my experience, itís not commonplace in too many offices to actually get along with everybody you work with.
Iíve also been able to cover a wide array of events, from the bright lights and big stage of the 2012 World Junior Championship, the 2011 Heritage Classic and two Calgary Stampedes, to the area high school sports scene, minor and junior hockey and Special Olympics.
Iíve had the pleasure of getting to know many people in the community and the surrounding areas, including a number of memorable coaches and athletes.
Although my co-workers will likely say otherwise, Iím sure there will be moments when they will miss me.
No more clutches of my Dunder Mifflin stress ball, no more breaking water coolers (a moment which inspired one of my personal favourite columns to write) and no more moments where Iíll interject into any conversation with my random and useless fact-based mind, commonly known as Nickipedia.
But itís time for me to move on, and as a piece of clichÈd wisdom, initially introduced by Wayne Gretzky before being immortalized by a No Fear T-shirt in the early 1990s, goes: ëyou miss 100 per cent of the shots you donít take.í
