I don't like final columns. Most of you know that I'm out the door Thursday afternoon. But the majority of my column readership doesn't. They're going to be surprised when I -- or the newspaper -- announce that I'm packing it in. So I need to come up with some final thoughts to end a 47-year newspaper career. Mrs. O thinks I should make a list of 5 things I'm proud of, from my career as a Spokesman-Review writer. Which isn't a bad idea. I can think of a couple of things off the top of my head:

• Developing a cyber space that serves as a civil sounding board for the community.
• Helping stop the 2012 recall attempt against Mayor Sandi Bloem & Co.
• Winning the 1999 Herb Caen Memorial Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.
• Working and succeeding at 4 distinct jobs over 33 years: local government/Investigative reporter, editorialist, blogger, column writer.
• ???