Adios, Mr. Anderson...

Today's a sad day for me. This is the last day at the Daily Pilot for my friend, City Editor Paul Anderson.

A NEW SEGMENT OF HIS LIFE
Tomorrow Paul begins a new and exciting segment of his life when he begins working as the Orange County Bureau Chief for City News Service - a kind of localized Associated Press. He's excited about it, as you can tell when you read in his farewell blog entry HERE.

OLD FRIENDS, WHO JUST MET
Paul and I have had an electronic and telephonic friendship for several years but, until the Daily Pilot "Meet the Editors" evening last week, had never laid eyes on each other. The photo above was taken at that meeting.

"SPIRITED" CONVERSATIONS
Since I have known him we have had some very interesting conversations. A glance at that photo will give you an idea of the generation gap between us. Believe me, that gap has created some boisterous discussions on a variety of subjects - sports, writing, politics and life in general. We disagreed as much as we agreed, but always had fun with it.

A VERY TALENTED GUY
As I've gotten to know him I have appreciated the prodigious talent that resides in that 1970s facade. Not only is he a student of the body politic, he's an excellent writer and very talented sketch artist - a part of his skill set that needs to be more fully utilized.

MY "GO-TO" GUY
Paul was my go-to guy when I had complaints or "constructive criticism" - like when they would "edit" too much of one of my submissions. He was my guy when the Pilot didn't get a story right - which didn't happen very often. And, he was my guy when I thought the Pilot covered a story particularly well and needed to tell someone.

HE WILL BE MISSED
I know Executive Editor Brady Rhoades is going to miss Paul in the newsroom - for many reasons. He's a good editor and an excellent writer. I'll miss Paul for all those reasons, plus, he's a friend.

PAUL AND MONA, SITTING IN A TREE...
So, as my pal, Paul, takes off on this new adventure with his beautiful Mona at his side, I wish him all the best. I'll follow him on his blog and his Facebook page and look forward to seeing his byline again in the future.

ADIOS, AMIGO...