This man (not me) is going away

This was moments after the Iowa-Indiana game this year at Bloomington. The animals were harmed during this production.

This is former Gazette photographer Jonathan Woods. And no, this is not why he is former.

This was minutes after the final gun at the Iowa-Indiana game this year. Here was Jonathan's crime, walking out on the field and pointing at his press pass. This rubbed the bald dude in the photo the wrong way. Words were exchanged. There's another couple frames. I'm off to the left. The look on my face says, "how am I going to get the photographer out of jail in time to catch the charter back to CR?"

This wasn't the first time I've thought that about a co-worker on the road. But we won't go there (no, it wasn't me, Mr. Gazette).

Friends and co-workers said goodbye to Jonathan on Friday night. He's off to NYC for a gig with MSNBC. If Kong goes back up the Empire State, Jonathan will provide stills, video and might get a quick interview. Cedar Rapids wasn't going to keep him. That's not a knock on CR. That's how this works.

We -- journalists, sportswriters, photographers, editors and whatnot -- move until we find something somewhere that's right for us, be it home, fit or the ultimate challenge. The operative here is "move." We suck the marrow out of job and move until we find what we're looking for.

I used to call them "victory laps." You tell your bosses you're leaving and then you work two weeks knowing you're gone.

I ran the victory lap in Fairmont, Minn., Ottumwa and Dubuque. I was only in Fairmont for  four or so months, so it was like, "who's he?" We ate lunch at a chain restaurant I can't remember. I do remember people who cared and a snowstorm that dropped 35 inches. In Ottumwa, I put in my two weeks and then was told to get out a day or two later. The Dubuque goodbye was cool. They gave me a pretty nice putter. Good people who cared about doing good work.

I miss the farewell parties. They're few and far between these days.

Some people are genuinely happy at these things. Some people feel a tinge of jealousy, and that's good. Some people get all lampshade and reminisce.

Not really Hawkeye, I know, but I wanted to get this out. I left Friday night before the lampshades came out and just before the fire-juggling 20-something did her thing (I didn't make that up).

By the way, Jonathan didn't end up in jail because of the above photo.

Always thinking this  guy, he quickly handed me his memory chip before being escorted somehwere I didn't know. So, we'll have photos, but what about the charter, which was scheduled to leave in about two hours? I made my way back up to the press box, looking for the SID guy to ask about bail.

The first face I see is Woods. He nodded, smiled and worked as if nothing happened.

Hunter S. Thompson was right.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

Thanks for a fun night, Jonathan. Good luck.