THANKS ESPECIALLY TO: Debbie for organizing the swing shift dinner. It was DELICIOUS! Thank you for your friendship and wisdom. Vickie for helping me with my stuff at the end of the night. I'm glad my last goodbye was to a friend. Donna for the pies and for also helping with my stuff! It's been very great working with you. Huey for the card. My South Park pal! Don't tell anyone, but you were my favorite records officer, right next to Dailey. ;) Valerie for the parting gift. I love it! I'm honored to have worked with such a lovely woman. I think it's the name. LOL! Johnette for the day shift lunch. You did all of that food?! I love you for it, you know that? Thank you so much! I'm going to miss your lovely singing voice and your laughter in the office. Kristine for the day shift lunch. The cake was yummy! Thank you for teaching me the dispo desk. I loved the work and it's because of you. I'm so glad we're friends beyond the dungeon. Everyone who signed my card, THANK YOU! Your words made me smile a little, laugh a little, and maybe cry a little. To my dear friends, my co-workers, and those who crossed my path, I will miss you all very much. I wish I could name you all here. Be good, stay strong. Best always from the former dispos chick,
photos and layout © 2004 Valerie C. Noble |
THE LAST MONDAY (excerpt from Moonlit Jazz)I haven't had such an easy Monday in a LONG time. All the courts came
back in a very timely manner and I was finished with my work at about 2000
hrs. So I had an hour and a half to kill! I took a break, filed some
files, and chatted a bit. It was a good day. THE LAST TUESDAY (excerpt from Moonlit Jazz)It was a decent Tuesday, this last Tuesday at work. It was busier than
yesterday, but I was still finished in a timely manner. ;) THE LAST WEDNESDAY (excerpt from Moonlit Jazz)A sunny and cool day driving towards Dublin. It's springtime, though it
has definitely cooled down from last week. I like it. It feels good. As I was walking out tonight, the sergeant (filling in for our regular
sergeant) stopped me and asked if I've quit. I went into his office and
replied with a yes. He asked me why and I told him that "officially" I was
tired of the commuting. He picked up on the "official" part and asked
about it. I actually told him the truth. I'm tired of all the politics,
even though it doesn't directly affect me, but it was just getting on my
nerves. He understood, I think. He wished me well and off I went... THE LAST THURSDAY (excerpt from Moonlit Jazz)And so it comes to this. In 24 hours, I will be sitting here
unemployed. YE GODS! THE FINAL DAYI walked into the office just before noon. KA and JJ were still setting up the muster room for lunch. I put my stuff away at my desk and chatted with BE and DL for a little bit before heading into the muster room. The food was very tasty! People started filtering in and I enjoyed the hour of eating and talking and taking pictures. Some people commented about my casual attire and asked if I was going to change into my uniform. I said I’d rather not and glanced at the sergeant, who basically said that I didn’t need to change. Groovay! VC came by and dropped off a gift bag for me. How sweet! It was a good hour… It was officially time for me to start my shift. I was happy to stay in my regular clothes, but it gave the whole shift a kind of surreal feeling. At times I felt as though I was in a strange dream. I toiled through writing up almost forty releases that first hour, but I only gave JJ eighteen of them or so. I pulled the big stack of court returns and managed to go through some of them before swing shift muster. My last swing shift muster. The lineup today was RS at intake/female dress, DS on release, JS on booking, PC in male dress, MG in property, RM on the bail phone with CB on the back half, Noble (that's me!) on dispos, and VA on rebooks. BE said a few words about my departure and muster was over much too soon. I headed out for a few minutes to clean out my locker. Since I didn’t need to wear my uniform, I packed it up into my duffle, along with some other stuff in my locker. I should have taken my camera in there to take a picture of my empty locker, but alas! When I returned to the office, I turned in my keys, my gas card, my CD-ROM, and my badge. My last bit of business will be my ID card to headquarters. Even though I was still full from lunch, VA and I took our dinner break at the usual time. My last time in staff dining! I had pasta salad and some fruit salad. DB sat with us and inhaled his food. VA asked him how he likes living in Tracy and he replied that he doesn't like it, that it's really just an investment for him. We chatted while he quickly at his food. He gave me a hug on his way out. VA and I sat around for a little bit and then headed back to the office. I was glad to be out of staff dining. PC came around and said that it was time for pie courtesy of Miss DS. Yikes! I was still full from dinner and from lunch, but I had a piece of delicious French Silk pie. Mmmm! Then it was back to my desk for more work. People stopped by my desk throughout the shift to say goodbye. I was really touched by their good wishes and their confidence in me. I really do feel that they appreciated me and the work that I did. I don’t know if that made it harder for me to leave. KV, my most favorite deputy, came by for a quick hug. I wanted another picture and he groused about being out of shape, but he took a picture with me anyway. And then I got another hug. I’m so going to miss him! (How many times have I said that one? LOL!) The actually working part was a blur. I had to write up so many releases! It was as if all the judges were being generous. I had one remand and a rather small amount of no counts. It was a good day on the working front. A good way to end my time at dispos. I finished my work early and I had time to slowly clean up my desk and gather my personal items. I wandered through the office a bit, took pictures with more people. I turned in my timesheet to the sergeant and we talked a little bit about his lasik eye surgery. I made my rounds through the office to say my final goodbyes. First was DS (who ended up walking me to my car). Then CF. After him was JS. Then CB. VA gave me a hug, but she ended up walking me out too. My last picture was with Sgt. AT. He had come into ITR for some reason (the leftovers?) and he was in the muster room when I was gathering my stuff. I asked to take a picture with him just as he popped a piece of turkey meat in his mouth. VA and DS walked me out to my car because I had to carry out so much stuff. The rest of my desk, my balloons, my duffle, etc. VA had my balloons and DS had my book bag and fan. I had my duffle and my purse. My car was parked near the kitchen, the first spot against the fence that wasn’t marked for BMD or handicapped. I said my goodbyes to VA and DS. I watched them head back to the door. I drove through the gates just as Jane Monheit began to sing: "Bye bye baby |
