8:32am Kenai, AK
Happy last day of work to me. Happy last day of work to me. Happy last day of work to me-e it's been a long road but i've learned a lot and grown a lot and seen a lot of gross thiiiings. Happy last day of work to me!

9:25am Kenai, AK
Well i must apologize. There are a myriad of reasons why i have not written for so long - really slow internet, illness, end of season organization and just plain laziness but i know that these are things that i want to write about. i have been having some really great fun nights and so much has happened since i last wrote. so i am going to try and fill it all in. working backwards. i am going to put my thing down flip it and reverse it.
I got to go to the store yesterday. I picked up Coline (formerly known as the crazy cat lady) we divided and conquered our shopping lists then road home singing along to carol king, simon and garfunkle, and men at work...you can't beat that sort of jamming. It was great. Then last night i took my crew to dinner to thank them for all of their hard work. We went to Don Jose's a surprisingly good Mexican restaurant. I had the chicken chimichanga - not as good as el coyotes (RIP) but pretty good. We laughed and enjoyed margaritas and not working it was great. I am really going to miss them.
Wednesday morning Sarah and Kelly left camp :( but i mailed out 3 packages of stuff i have acquired in preparation to go home :) then it was a day filled with laundry and the usual followed by an evening in with Field of Dreams (you told me your finger was a gun.) Not too shabby. Tuesday i was sick as a dog - sympathy sinus infection - i think a result of the second hand smoke...hmmm surgeon general you may be on to something. When i wasn't absolutely needed i clocked out and went to bed - probably the fewest hours i have worked all summer. Then Jackie and Kathy left which really made me sad because Jackie and I have gotten a lot closer these past few weeks and we've had a lot of fun. I am not worried that i won't see her again it was just tough to see her go. I ended my evening falling asleep during Nanny McPhee - hopped up on Bulgarian inhaler meds. (don't worry mom the girl that gave me the inhaler is a nurse)
Monday i was getting sick - which was awesome.
Sunday was a regular day. Clean the big ol office, do the laundry that the people who can't read leave on the stoop, snack shack it up...then in the evening Andy (the head of processing) took me, Jackie and Kathy to dinner at Nikko Garden - a Japanese restaurant. He ordered a table full of sushi and took home whatever wasn't eaten. I tried fried eel...it tasted like chicken and i also tried crab meat with egg...it tasted mostly like eggs. And for the record i don't care what anyone says - things that come out of the sea taste like the sea. You can't fool me by saying it doesn't taste like fish or crustacean or whatever...i know...and yes it does taste like fish! People who like something should never say that it doesn't taste like what it is or else why would they like it. I am through listening to people lie about fish.
Okay lets be honest most of my days are the same so i am now just going to talk about my nights because they were the interesting part anyway...and that is what my sieve of a mind remembers.
Saturday night I didn't feel like cooking so i rounded up Sarah and Kelly and we walked to the Sailors Galley - a small restaurant up the road from the Vagabond. Heavily decorated. Where each item on the menu had a special name ie: fries are called seaweed...you know the type of place i mean. Well i ordered the Rigging - we call that spaghetti and meatballs on the street. And you know, it was really good. It's a damn shame that i didn't walk there sooner...but it's probably for the best. (maybe i will go to breakfast there on sunday when i am free...) So after dinner we walked across the street to the Vagabond to get some package goods. Sarah had made a bet with Eddie that she could drink him under the table. Now, Eddie is in college and Sarah is a kindergarten teacher. I am not doubting a school teacher could house a college kid in drinking contest but in this case the college kid is tall and bulky and the teacher is lite and bitty. She never stood a chance but i admire her gumption. I picked up an 18pk of miller lite and Sarah picked up her 2 bottles of jager. That's right boys and girls they were going punch for punch with jager. Kelly got some tequila and that was that. It just so happened that Jackie, Kathy and Michelle were in the bar section of the Vagabond so we went and said hey then jumped in on the cab they had called.
The game was midget beer pong called so because instead of a regulation table they had a bed and in the place of ping pong balls they had pennies. Every time Sarah or Eddie had to drink so did the other one and if either one took a side swig the other one had to as well. I think i actually saw the moment that Sarah blacked out. It was subtle but i knew that it was only downhill for her from there on. And as Chris says, "does anyone really win in a game of 'lets see who can drink more?'" After two rounds of midget pong my bladder was quite full and it was getting hard to see the pennies in the dark. So i called it a night. The next morning there was a bag of laundry with a note on my stoop...a product of the drinking contest.
Friday was a low key night. A casual stroll to the Vagabond for a few drinks followed by a trip to the beach to see what they J-1s were up to. Very chill and just fun.
Thursday was my Bear Grills night on the beach. I had decided earlier in the week that i was going to make a fire on the beach and relax. I thought that other people would come along but after i tell you about wednesday you will understand why i was alone. So I got a ride out to the beach earlier in the day with a truck bed full of pallets and i stashed them in some brush. Then i went back to work readied some dinner and got dressed to go. I stopped by Jackies room but she was not up to the task. She gave me some marshmallows and wished me well. Next i went to Sarah and Kelly's tent - they were having happy hour and said they would be along later. So armed with some cous cous, water and a book in my backpack, a bowl of marinating chicken in one hand and a banana box lid in the other i walked to the beach. I found a place to set up my fire and put all of my accoutrement there. It was time for my pallets. Wearing only flip flops i started breaking them apart to turn them into firewood. Tetanus - i laugh in your face. Next i ripped up my banana box lid. I made a small pile of kindling and lit that thing up. banana box lid...not so quick to light. thankfully really old dry pallets and sticks are. I had a nice sized fire in no time. Now for my chicken. Since i value the small hairs on my arm and the flesh on my body, holding the chicken on a fork over the flames was not an option. So i laid my chicken on a hot flat piece of pallet...heck yeah...special sauce. As I'm sure you can imagine, the outside cooked rather quickly but while i will cook chicken on old pallets i will not under cook chicken on old pallets. So i flipped it, let it cook some more, then took it out and cut it so that the insides could cook. It was totally wilderness-rific. And aside from the really crispy bit the chicken wasn't so bad. I enjoyed my meal, read some of my book and then started in on burning whole pallets. It was windy so my wood was burning fast. I didn't want to be there all night and Lord knows i wasn't about to drag those pallets back to camp. So i created one hell of a blaze instead. A few arm hairs later I let my fire die out, had a wade in the glacial waters and headed back to camp. As I came down the drive Sarah and Kelly were headed my way. I was all campfired out so i called it a night. but it was good. make a fire on the beach: check.
And now here we are. back to where i left you oh so many days ago. Wednesday. So after i clocked out i went and put on my sweatshorts, grabbed a beer and went and basked in the sun with Jackie. Both Jennifer and Ilian had invited me to the beach later that night for this kids birthday and i started thinking...why the heck not. (Jennifer said that 'when you get to the beach it is on the left. upstairs.') "Jackie, lets go to the beach later." "Okay." Awesome. We figured it was a good will mission. We wanted them to know that we weren't above hanging out. Now Jackie was a few beers into her celebration by the time we decided to go to the beach. But we wanted to go - 'we'll be fine.' We put on some pants grabbed some TP for the walk back, a few beers and Jesse's Jager and red bull for the beach and hit the road. It just so happened that Michelle and Kathy were going out to Don Jose's that night so we caught a ride in their cab and had them drop us off at the beach. We got there super early and 'upstairs' made no sense in the context of the beach so we found a nice log, had a sit down and cracked a cold one. After a few shots Jackie says, "I'm drunk. I had four beers before you guys were even out of work" Sweet action. Let the games begin. We sat there for a little while longer wondering where everyone was when i saw one of the J-1s climb up a small hill. 'oh upstairs...i get it.' So we gathered our beers and headed 'upstairs.' When we got there i was amazed. I hear them talk about going to the beach all the time. They eat, they drink, they sing, they have a blast. But until i got there i had no idea. There was a celebratory condom balloon tied to a small tree near the "path" up and a fire going with hot dogs cooking on sticks. But the coolest part was the group of 8 or so people all sitting around this feast that they had created using broken down beer boxes as a blanket underneath a dozen paper plates full of food. There were lemon wedges to go with the vodka and tomatoes with mayonnaise and cheese. It was beautiful. I realized that even though the fishing sucks and the hours suck and most times the boredom sucks, all of these people went to the beach and genuinely enjoyed themselves. They didn't need much (i guess because they didn't have much) and every other night they would come and they sit around their "blanket" eating and drinking while someone played guitar or an ipod played in the background and they would sing along and enjoy their time. I was touched to be there and to witness this. They were so welcoming just glad that Jackie and I had come. We had some vodka and some lemons followed by some 'sausages' and a salad of some sort. It was wonderful. But as she leaned over and told me - Jackie was drunk. We took some pictures and after a bit decided that it was time to go. We were both wearing flip flops and had never been 'upstairs' before but decided that the best way home was straight through the woods. Not back down the small hill to the beach below where we knew the way...no no...that was too simple. So there we were, me in the lead and drunk Jackie wearing the backpack following. It was a hoot - we were laughing so hard the whole time. We didn't even get ten feet when Jackie leaned on a tree, "Gravity pull!" The alcohol was taking over her balance. She righted herself and we kept walking. "Gravity pull." Luckily the route we had chosen was very densely wooded - so much so that the trees were helping to keep Jackie upright. Pretty soon we were out of the woods and into the less solid really tall grass. "Gravity pull." But before i could do anything Jackie was on the ground laughing. "I am so drunk. Meredith I haven't been this drunk in ten years." "Hey it's cool. I'm having a blast." I helped her up. "Maybe i should take the backpack." "Ya think?" Both upright we were back on our way. She must have fallen 3 or 4 more times before she decided to stay down. "Since we're here why don't we pause and have a beer." I busted out two of our unopened beers. Jackie had a few sips and then gently laid her can down and let it go to sleep. The beer drained out - better in the ground than in her. I smiled. "Meredith I am so drunk." "I know Jackie. We're almost there." More laughter. I don't know when it was but i eventually saw the top of a building at the end of our driveway so i steered us towards that. We were getting close. Somehow we made it through the grass and the nature and found our way to a road. And wouldn't you know as we were coming out of the brush there were Kelly and Sarah headed to the beach to see everyone. We told them our tale and they laughed. They helped pick some bits of tree out of Jackie's hair and then headed to the beach while we headed back to camp. As we got to the intersection by the driveway we ran into Jennifer and Ilian. I told them that i might be back but that i wanted to get Jackie home safe first. Arm in arm we walked down the drive way. And by some bizarre twist of fate Kathy and Michelle happened by in their cab. They picked us up and brought us back to Jackie's room where we got Jackie it bed. Water by the bed and cell phone in her hand we said good night. It was spectacular. What a perfect evening. I decided to call it a night as well and get my own water and cell phone. I don't know if i have laughed that hard all summer. And of course the next day Jackie was a total champ. Smiling and happy not looking the slightest bit hungover even though she was. It was just a really great night.
And there it is. you are all caught up. And i am tired. I think i am going to go pack and sleep. More tomorrow. (even though it says that is was published at whatever odd time in the morning i have been writing this throughout the day - between candy sales and laundry loads so that is why i am tired.) Good night.

11:07 Kenai, AK
We're going to get in our way back machine and go to June 3. On the plane to Alaska from Michigan i wrote about my weekend and I said that I would put it up here later. Well I had some free time yesterday to revisit it for the first time since i wrote it and i figured i would post it today. It's long...just so you know.
Tuesday June 3, 2008 in some time zone probably over Canada
Saturday was not a good day. They shut down the “highway” into Kenai which meant to be on time for my 6:40am flight we had to leave the plant at 5am and go the long way to town. We arrived at the airport by 5:50am. I said good bye and went inside to sit. With my new closest companion – my ipod – I sat in the small airport waiting. It was getting time to board when the gate clerk/baggage checker - one of the two man team that was working the airline that day (the other being the pilot/stewardess) - came over and told us that there were some maintenance issues and that our flight would be delayed. “I have to get to Anchorage – its bereavement.” “Okay. I’m so sorry. We will see what we can do.” My grandmother was still alive but I didn’t know for how much longer and I wanted to get there. I called my mom – like you do when things aren’t going the way that they should - and she and my uncle got on the case making sure that I would be able to get there…somehow. Not too much later – but late enough that I was getting worried – it was time to board. The pilot walked us out to our little 8 seater, thanked us for our patience, told us there were info cards in the seat in front of us and took off without any further delay. I kept in touch via text, letting my parents know that I had taken off and then 25min. later that I had landed. Northwest was in the same terminal so I found out where to check in quickly made my way there. I checked my bag and headed to security. Not being a frequent first class flyer I didn’t realize that you get to do everything separately including go through security. I climbed under the rope eager to get to my gate and was told that I had been selected for a random security check. I had to get patted down and my bags needed to be swabbed – the effects of a last minute flight. There was a large pile of belongings slowly being checked by security. I couldn’t help but keep checking my watch – this was ridiculous. I wanted to get on my plane and get to my grandmother already…they were taking too long. I got the okay, scooped up my belongings and headed for the gate. I called my parents in my grandmother’s room to let them know that I was almost at my gate – I was getting closer.
The voice that answered said that the family had left the room. She was dead. I hung up and called my dad. My mom answered. They had left the room to let the aides take care of her. Crying and confused I asked my mom what happened. She told me that she was out in the hall when it happened – on the phone with Continental trying to make sure I was squared away. She had been there for days by my grandmother’s side and she missed it because I had some stupid plane troubles. But her voice was calm and soothing and not the slightest bit upset. My sister was holding my grandmother’s hand when she died. An EMT, she noticed her breathing slowing down and her pulse fading. She looked up at my father and said that she didn’t think my grandmother had a carotid pulse and that they should get a nurse. My mother told me it was such a gift that my sister was there for her last breath. She couldn’t be there and what an honor that her daughter could. My grandmother told my mom a few days before that she didn’t want to be alone when she died – and she wasn’t - my mom made sure of that.
I hung up and walked to the gate tears streaming down my face. I paused on the walkway to call Chris and let him know that my grandmother was gone and that I was getting on the plane. I took my seat in first class glad to be able to sit. The stewardess came over to ask if she could get me anything to drink. “Do you have any beer?” Moments later I was drinking my breakfast. My mom called me to make sure I got on the plane okay. I told her I was okay, that I was having a drink - it wasn’t champagne but it would do – her only request was that I not pour it on my cheerios. I cried for a while and kept the beers coming…one of the beauties of first class next to the added butt and leg room. I finally decided to put on a movie to think about something else. A few hours later we landed in Minnesota, prettier and greener than I had imagined. I sent texts out that I had landed and that I was going to find my gate. I talked to my dad and he told me that my sister and I were all set with a room for that night – complete with the flowers that I sent my grandmother. I called Chris because I was really just upset and he told me that he was coming out. He had booked a flight for the next morning. I started crying again. I had to sit down. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted him to come but didn’t want to ask – I was so relieved.
I made it to my gate, sat down and looked out the window…of course – the sky was black. Apparently we were under severe thunderstorm warning. Great. All I wanted was to get to Michigan and see my family. I just wanted to be there. I boarded my third plane of the day, looked out the window and watched the rain start to fall…followed shortly by the hail. “Oh, hell.” This delayed all of the planes on the runway…there was traffic on the tarmac. An hour or so later we took off. We hit some turbulence on the way a result of the storm. Why is it that flying through something as fluffy as clouds causes such a disturbance? As we neared Michigan I saw something that I hadn’t seen in almost two weeks…night. It was so bizarre. I had gotten used to it always being at least a little light out and to see a city twinkling below seemed foreign. I landed, got my bag, and went outside to wait for my sister. She and my uncle Peter came to pick me up. Finally…family. My parents were sleeping thankfully. I know they needed it. We got to the extended stay hotel and knocked on their door; they had told us to stop by – always parents they wanted to know that both of their girls were safe. No answer. We went to our room where not too long after we got a call that they were up and they wanted us to come on down. It was so nice to see them - they are my trifecta. We sat around and laughed for a bit – something we Scheibner’s are very good at – then they decided that they were tired and wanted to go back to bed.
My parents woke up early on Sunday to go to church – my grandmothers church - and then we all met for breakfast. After breakfast we went shopping. I didn’t want to attend my grandmother’s funeral in cargo pants and hiking boots. Not that she would have minded, I’m sure, but she deserved more than that. There would be a private informal family viewing at the funeral home on Sunday at 2pm and the funeral was set for 7pm Monday night at Holy Cross Episcopal Church – the church my grandmother had been a member of for 29 years. We took two cars to the viewing so that afterwards my sister and I could go get Chris at the airport.
We waited upstairs for the rest of the Clark family – my mother’s two brothers and their families. My grandmother was waiting for us downstairs – peacefully laid out with a slight smile on her face. They did a really nice job - she still looked like Grammie. We all stood there quietly for a bit crying and taking in the last sight of our grandmother and mother. She looked like she was sleeping. Every now and then I thought I could see her breathing. Part of me really wished she was. When we were ready we all left the room and went into the hall to catch up and talk then my sister and I went to the airport while everyone else formulated a plan for dinner.
It was like exhaling to see Chris. I was so glad he was there.
Later the whole family met for dinner at a little Italian sports bar called Vitale’s not too far away. It was so nice to be all together. I like having everyone around, even if we’re all talking about different things it’s just nice to be surrounded by the people that mean the most to you. My Aunt Rose’s brother Frank even made the drive up from Kentucky that morning to be with us which was such a treat. I don’t know why but I had a feeling he would come. My grandmother’s older sister Elisabeth joined our table too. My heart hurts for her losing her sister. They were quite a pair. I kept looking up during dinner – they were so much alike. Even the way that they held their bread – they had the same hands. I wish my grandmother could have been there, she liked being surrounded by her family too. After dinner my cousins and I split up the alcohol order and picked a room to meet up at…how often do we have all of the cousins together?
The next morning my sister and father went over to my grandmother’s room to help pack up her belongings while my mother prepared her ‘loving reflection.’ Chris and I went shoe shopping, picked up the bulletins for church and then went to Starbucks for a little pick-me-up for my mom. After that we went over to my grandmother’s room to be of more help. It was distracting going through her things. There was so much history in that room. After a bit of packing I went back to the hotel to get my mom – she wanted to do a trial run of her reflection for us and her brothers. It was beautiful. She spoke of my grandmother’s life like a quilt – all of the pieces and love that went into it and made up her life. She couldn’t help but cry which of course made us cry too. But you have to cry sometimes so that way you can be stronger later. And she was.
Holy Cross Church was packed at 7pm to remember the life of Mary Zimmermann Clark. There was a small table up front with two roses and a favorite picture of my grandparents silhouetted at sunset looking at each other – in between were the remains of my grandmother. Not too much fanfare…simple the way she would have wanted it. Leaning against one of the table legs was Psalm 23 embroidered and framed – it was my grandmother’s favorite psalm it had hung over her bed. It wasn’t until after the congregation gave their first response that I realized how full the church was. I was touched. All of these people came to pay their respects to my grandmother – they were all part of her life. Relatives of relatives came in support, long time friends and a bunch of the aides that cared for and loved my grandmother were all there. After the service Frank told my mom that he was sure her dad was smiling down – so proud of the way that she and her brothers had honored their mom. I’m sure he was right – we were all very proud. There was a small reception in the church with lots of catching up and good memories. We decided to go to dinner afterward. A call was made for a reservation of 30. It was time to leave. My dad, my sister and I went into the church with my mom to help her gather everything. My mom gently picked up her mom with a calm smile. We looked around to make sure we had everything and left the sanctuary. Flanking our mother as she held her own mother we walked out of the church – Grammie had left the building.
Grammie was placed in the car and I gave my mom a hug. “I’m really okay,” she said and I knew she was I just wanted to check…I can’t imagine it’s easy. We all caravanned to the restaurant and had a great meal. A room full of family – the way it should be. After we were all stuffed we said our goodbyes and all went our separate ways. It was pretty late and lots of us would be flying out the next day. We went back to the hotel and packed and relaxed. The next morning Chris and I went to the airport to await our separate planes. Not long after Chris took off my sister came (with cookies) to await her plane too. I got to see her for a few minutes before i took off which was comforting - that whole seeing someone you know in a foreign place. And as hard of a weekend as it was i really loved seeing my family and just being with them. I can’t even imagine losing my mom. But in a way I think the void of losing my grandmother has brought my mom and me closer and I think that somewhere my grandmother is smiling about that.

5:19pm Kenai, AK
It is absolutely gorgeous out. I took a very late lunch at 4pm and walked over to Kenai Landing to see about buying some gifts and the walk was just wonderful - big fluffy clouds in the sky, good temperature, not too much wind. The store i wanted wasn't open so i took the short cut back through the marsh. When i got back to camp i found Jackie - she was sitting in the sun enjoying a beer. Bobbie had let her borrow the car because it was just so beautiful out and all she wanted was to have a beer and soak up the sun. So i sat with her for a few minutes then came back here to help with dinner. But i am about to go clock out and join her. It isn't about the hours anymore...not that it ever really was...but it is just dumb to sit inside not doing anything when i can be outside with Jackie enjoying my time here.

7:27am Kenai, AK
I got the call! At 6:34am while i was in the shower - of course - Anup called me about fashion week. I was beginning to wonder. I got dressed headed to the break room made the coffee and juice, filled the hot water urn, put out more sugar and creamer then i sat down with my computer. Naturally i had to look up when McCarter started. Sadly i won't even be home when they load in the first show...and I'm kind of upset about it. I haven't seen anybody all summer and now I'm missing load in and the BBQ. :( I know i will see everyone eventually but I missed load in last year too. Damn you Kool Aid man...:shake fist in air: So then i called 'Nup back. "Tell me your available." "I'm available. I just wasn't when you called. I was in the shower. It was 6:30am in Alaska." "What?! You're in Alaska? What the hell are you doing there?" Usual response and explanation. He then proceeded to tell me that they want me August 29-Sept 4 and for strike on the 13. But his real hope and dream and IMCD's too - they are the lighting company that is hiring me - is to have me work everyday during fashion week as well. He just has to figure out labor budgets and all of that but I'm pretty pumped. I guess i am doing something right. So there it is from fish to fashion in under a week.

11:55am Kenai, AK
I've started a side business. I now hold the market on cigarettes in camp. $5 a pack. I'm selling filters and lighters too. It's more like fundraising...i don't stand to make that much maybe $5 profit after taxes...somebody has to do it. But i am taking care of my people and building their loyalty. I just hope that i can sell them all before i go.

9:12am Kenai, AK
Not much to say really. I've started preparing for the end. I am weeding out the things that i don't need to bring back with me and giving them away. I am starting to look at what i have acquired and what i can/should mail home. My days are getting shorter - there just isn't as much to do. Yesterday they chartered a bus so that all of the kids could go to fred meyers for 2hrs. which was great because they needed it. They filled one whole bus so we supplemented it with a 12 passenger van and then i drove a mini van. It was nice to get off camp for a little bit but i really didn't have anything to get at fred meyers. After we came back I shaved my legs for the 4th time this summer. (i was starting to creep myself out) I decided to shave in the sink. No one was really around so i thought i was safe. I was on my second leg when this girl walks in. I look at her and say, "I have a hard time shaving in the shower." She says 'okay' and proceeds to wash her hands. I catch her looking at my leg, how could she not - it's in her face, and she looks amazed. In an effort to distract her from the chia pet that i am shearing off my leg i ask her if she had fun at the store. She says 'no.' I am confused. "You didn't have fun at the store." "I do not understand." It was then that it hit home that she had no clue about anything that i had said to her. I was just some hairy weirdo hanging out in the bathroom. I stopped trying to make conversation. It will be so nice when i can shave regularly - not in the sink.

8:44am Kenai, AK
Two weeks left - we're winding down. There are only a handful of boats left in the water and supposedly we aren't going to get any fish from them anyway. Vince (the owner) is bringing in fish from Prince William Sound and the Yukon. The fishermen have packed their bags and are heading out which means...free food. I've been promised some hamburgers and some bacon which, after a summer with no really good Sunday morning breakfast, sounds awesome. (I can't wait to get home so i can sleep in and make breakfast...and then go get a pedicure cause Lord knows momma needs one.) It's sad to see some of the fishermen go because i discovered that they aren't all bad and even the bad ones have softened and are being more courteous. Who knew?
Last night I went to the Vagabond with Jackie and Kathy and Greg - one of the fisherman. Greg and I got to talking about the oil spill. Even though it happened 19yrs. ago and lots of people have pushed it out of their minds, the effects are still being felt. The year it happened, they payed the drift fisherman not to fish - they were given an average of what they might have made - Greg received $37,000. (He said one year he made $100,000 in the 7-11 days he was out fishing - which isn't common...but still. That is the crazy thing - they only go out fishing a few days out of all of the time they are here. So this summer they aren't getting to go out as much and when they do the fish aren't there like they usually are.) They did however let the set netters fish so of course they got all of the fish. Why they let one fish and not the other i do not know. Greg was saying that he was supposed to get 1.3 million dollars from the settlement, which astounds me. To be honest i never really thought of who would be effected by the oil spill aside from the obvious, but it really hit the fisherman hard. Cook Inlet fishermen were included in the settlement - and that is one of the places our boats fish. They have been battling in court since it happened and i think they are going to keep fighting but apparently the settlement is down 80% while gas prices are up 200%. So people around here are a little bitter. And of course it's upsetting that gas prices are so high but again i never thought of that in relation to this settlement (naturally because i don't stand to gain anything from it) but the whole thing is interesting and eye opening. One of the places i am going (in two weeks when i no longer have to work! :)) is to the Alaska Sealife Center. It is a wildlife rescue center that came about after the oil spill to help save the animals and understand through research what was going on and how to 'maintain the integrity of the marine ecosystem of Alaska.' This ain't your mommas aquarium. It is a large beautiful research center with a huge emphasis on educating the public and I hear it is really interesting. You can go and watch the animals in their natural setting or in a research setting - both are equally cool. I'm pretty pumped about it.
So much learning on so many levels going on inside and outside of the fish plant...

Molly, Ernest and Petya

Molly, Me, and Ernest

The view from the deck.

Basking in the sun.

It's really hard to see but there is a cabin across the way.

There you have it. I can't make this stuff up.

"Hey there big spender..."

I'm not offended by nudity either but this hat creeps me out a little.

In alaska the roadside stand is the shape of what is sold inside.

They look like they are ready for a good time. Work it out Molly.

7:48am Kenai, AK

Well i have finally realized my dream of dancing at a strip club. I can really see why some of these girls love it. Not really dad - I'm just kidding. :)

Ernest got to work early so we would have time to go pick Molly up, go to the strip club, have some fun and still get Ernest and Petya back for the night shift. (Good Time Charlies is in Soldotna up the hill passed Fred Meyers and St. Elias Brewery.) Like most strip clubs it is a really classy joint - where your main concern is if you have any open cuts or are prone to illness. So we crest the hill and there it is - in all of its shanty glory - the long awaited and much discussed Good Time Charlies. "The red light isn't flashing." (According to Ernest that is how you know they are open for business...But of course.) Hmmm. Two cars in the parking lot - one: an old school limo for sale the other a truck being off loaded of its beer...hmmm. No Good Time Charlies? How is it that the only strip club on the peninsula isn't open at 7:20pm on a Monday night? Ernest tries the door - nothing. And of course they don't have their hours posted in the front window so we sit in the car and figure out our plan. We could either head to St. Elias or Ernest mentions a bar right up the road in Stirling. We decide to keep the adventure going and choose the bar that none of us have been to. The ride is beautiful - we pass the two million acre nature preserve and Ernest's Funny River Road (true story: that is actually the name of the road he lives on...John calls it happy bunny trail i call it funny bunny lane.) The bar is called Moosequitos and it overlooks the Moose River. We go inside - there are four locals and us - Ernest and his three pretty ladies. Molly and I order the Moose Drool, a darker beer, and we all go sit out on the deck. The weather is just right - the sun is out, it's warm and still, eagles keep flying over as we sit there laughing and basking in the sun - it's perfect.

Inside for another round of drinks, Molly and I notice this charming hat hung on the antlers over the bar - 'Born Horny' it says and there is a small wang crafted onto the bill - only to be completed by the pin that says 'I am not offended by nudity.' The hat is not for sale but it is available for pictures. We have a big 'ol laugh and then of course we get it down and Molly takes a picture in said hat. After we leave the bar - it's occupants still smiling from our photo shoot, we decide to try our luck with Good Time Charlies before heading back to camp. As we come down the hill we see no blinking light but a parking lot full of cars. I guess the light is a decoy - 'maybe if we don't turn it on the Jehovah's witness will leave us be.' Hooray! Strip club! So we are all expecting 70 somethings walking around in g-strings with their boobs down to their knees after what everyone has told us. We are expecting big beautiful Inuit women shaking what their mommas gave them - basically we are looking for a laugh. We walk in and we are greeted by a yippy dog and a fully clothed old lady. Nothing says 'welcome to my strip club' like the elderly. We sit down in plastic lawn chairs at what looks like a prime table and await the show. We find the big beautiful Inuit woman we are looking for - she too is fully clothed - she brings us our beers and there is no shaking involved. All around us there are women that look like they are dressed for a night of clubbing in the city talking to people...they are the strippers...and they don't look half bad, but then again we were expecting septuagenarians in stilettos. Batter up. The first lady takes the stage. She shakes a little, walks around, loses her outfit, talks to the guy in front of her and is done. And this, my friends, is what Good Time Charlies is known for. Shaking like they are being bitten by a mosquito and stripping like they are running to a shower. The next three dancers are similar except for the one who is more obviously baked than the others. Her dance is the most humorous - she winds up wiggling on the floor. After we have had a few laughs we look at the clock and it's time to go. "Leaving so soon? the door guy asks, "yea, we have to go back to work." And we did. We bid Molly farewell and headed back to our simple lives at the cannery.

12:30pm Kenai, AK
Today is a very weird day. It feels like the last day or like everyone is getting ready for the end...and i guess that is because they are. The boats are coming out of the water, the J-1s are starting to get the hint and hear the news that fishing is most likely done, there isn't much to do around camp - it's just weird. The J-1s are pissed because when Dale and Bobbie recruited them there was talk that they would make $10,000 if they came and some of them haven't even made $2,000 in the few months they have been here. Michelle is waiting for the revolt and subsequent mass exodus - she figures she will be out by the gate giving them money as they leave. Kids are coming to the snack shack and spending what is left on their food cards while others are on the internet trying to make other plans for work. It's a shame. Everyone wants out.
Molly is getting on a plane tomorrow heading to Texas to relax at her sisters for a few days before heading back to start work. So we are going to Good Time Charlies tonight to celebrate.

12:58pm Kenai, AK
So the Buddha in the muffler is a shrine the fisherman built after said muffler blew up. Mystery solved.
There is no work for processing today. They are going to open up for fisherman tomorrow but there is talk of closing down commercial fishing for the season in the next few days. (sport fishing will remain open - apparently that is where the money is for the city of Kenai and it doesn't hurt that a few members of the fish and game board are avid sports fisherman.) They were expecting 750,000 salmon to run across a certain point by a certain time and so far only 300,000 salmon have run. It's looking pretty grim. The owner will try to buy some fish from around the area for us to process but I don't think there are many people wanting to get rid of fish. The pinks have started running but at $0.10/lb the fisherman have to catch at least 7,000-8,000 just to break even after filling their gas tanks. The scientists didn't think it was going to be a good season and i hate to be debbie downer but it looks like they were right. No amount of fiery weeds or rainy days are going to make the fish run before they are ready. Apparently last time this happened and they closed the season early they had to dynamite the salmon later because there were too many of them.

I don't understand the deal with the huge gaps in between the pictures. I tried to fix it but it put them in anyway. Oh well.

'23-6 with buddha in a muffler' um...yea i don't know.

Why some people should use condoms. OR - what happens when one uses a light as a coat hook.

Sunrise on the river.

Not a bad sight to wake up to.

Greedy little seagulls.

The Albatross. It's a tender.

trying to hold onto the fish and stand up.

She shoots, she scores!

Charlie operating the crane.

Brailer bag headed to the hopper.

Look, a fish!

Loading the stapler - covered in blood

Mid word. Labeling totes.

11:39am Kenai, AK
Ta Da! Here i am Momma.
I am a woman on a mission. Out with the old and in with the new. Operation 'leave it better than you found it' is in place. As they break or we run out of the stuff to fill them, i am replacing all of the dispensers in the plant. My goal is to have as few keys as possible and to only need to order one type of soap, toilet paper or paper towel. I am also in the process of documenting my job; that way people have an idea of what to do and where to go for things.
It is finally sunny out and i plan on enjoying it.

2:16pm Kenai, AK
Last week was crazy busy. We had fish everyday; the processors worked 9am-12am daily. By friday i was really getting worn down. I started getting headaches from stress, lack of sleep and lack of good food. Then Sunday rolled around and it was my perfect storm. The fish slowed down on Saturday and all of the crews were planning on starting late on Sunday. I went to bed early watched a movie and then got to sleep in until 6:50am! They didn't have a lot of fish so i decided that it was the day - the day to do something for myself. My perfect storm - the planets had aligned - I slept in, had a light easy day, nothing to do to prep for dinner, I got all of my work done early...it was perfect. I worked with this in mind so that nothing would keep me from relaxing. I clocked out and called a cab...i was going to get some retail therapy at freddies. As we pulled in to the dot the cabbie told me about this new brewery that had recently opened up by freddies - St. Elias - he said the beer was good and the food was pretty awesome too. Hmmm...beer, restaurant, close by - sold! I poked around freddies for a few and then decided that it would still be there in a bit so i walked up the hill to said brewery. It was perfect; decorated to look like an old brick oven pizzeria with lots of windows and character. Three years in the making apparently. I sat at the bar and enjoyed a vanilla bean porter while i waited for my pepperoni pizza to get fired in the oven. Some folks from Anchorage came and sat down next to me. They were in Kenai for the dip netting - residents are allowed to go out on the river and catch up to 25 fish with these large nets (like a net for a fish tank only bigger) they are allowed more depending on the size of their household. This week the river has been full of dip netters and the open field by our plant turned into what looked like a "hobo camp" overnight - filled with campers, tents and drunk people. The people sitting next to me didn't catch anything but they had a good time doing so. Dip netting will continue for a while so we can look forward to their crazy river antics for the next few weeks.
Next i tried a puddle jumper pale ale. Not bad but i preferred the porter. So i got a growler of the porter to go, threw it in my purse and headed back to Freddies. I meandered around for a bit, got a few shirts and some more beer and then called a cab. To make the evening truly a treat we stopped at Dairy Queen on the way back. Perfect - the whole night was just perfect.
My high school principal used to say "Don't count the days; make the days count." I have less than a month of work left. I am passed the half way point and i am tired - but i don't want to wish away my time here. I want to enjoy what i have left and try to find things everyday that will make each day awesome. So i am taking suggestions - silly, small, big, i don't care - ideas or missions that i can do to enhance my journey.
I'm off to the laundry but something tells me you aren't surprised.

8:39am Kenai, AK
Life is what happens on the way to the bathroom. Last night the processors got done with work at midnight and came back to their rooms. I know this because they woke me up. Upon waking up i realized that i had yet again fallen asleep in my clothes and that i had to pee. Being fully dressed i just got up and walked to the bathroom. It was night again - like it is lately - and the moon was incredible. It was full and yellow and sitting happily over Kenai Landing. I stood there and watched it for a bit; it was so beautiful. I debated going to get my camera but i think it makes a better mental picture.

3:39pm Kenai, AK
I look like the walking dead. A whopping 3 1/2 hrs of sleep. But it was awesome last night.
I went up to the office for some reason and Bobbie was saying that they were going to get slammed out on the dock last night because they had 17 boats coming in. AND they were also going to get slammed on the beach pad and were short handed. Drift fishing closed at 7pm and set net fishing closed at 11pm. She told me that if i wanted to pitch fish - last night was the night. 'heck yeah. I came 4000 miles for this.' So i finished all of the stuff i needed to get done, suited up and headed out to the dock. As i was getting ready my hands were shaking, I was nervous. I've been waiting so long to pitch fish and now that it was finally here i didn't want to mess up. "How can i help?" Dale had me start by helping him sort fish. I learned how to tell the difference between reds, silvers, chums and pinks. It's really how to tell which ones aren't reds - they are the money makers. Silvers have lots of silver on their tales and smaller pupils. Chums have some silver on their tales, larger pupils, and some "spots" or darker lines on their scales. Pinks have small scales and dark spots on their tales - they tend to be smaller. Chums and Silvers are very close "when in doubt - look at their pupils," according to Dale.
Even though fishing ended at 7pm we had boats starting to line up before then. At 7pm Charlie sent me down to pitch The Eagle. I climbed down the yellow ladder and boarded their boat. There is a 5 cent/lb brailer bag bonus for the fishermen to come with their fish already in the brailer bag. If the fish are not in the bag that is when we go down and pitch them. There is also a 5 cent/lb icing bonus (it's nicer to pitch them when they are iced. they are a little firmer and easier to grip :) ) The fish sit in the hull of the boat, so we board the boat and climb down into the hole where the fish are - the deck of the boat is about up to your waist or chest - you just hop right in with the fish...they slip out of the way. The boats weren't full up to the deck maybe 1' - 2' deep in most cases - roughly 3-4 thousand pounds on the lighter end of the spectrum. The access holes are roughly 6'X6' square and depending on the boat the crane lowers the empty brailer bag down into the hull so that we can pitch the fish into it (we had to pitch one boat where the bag sat on the boat deck and that was just obnoxious. the reach to get the fish into the bag is rough enough when you are kneeling but to have to bend, pick up fish, stand, pitch and repeat... it gets old) The bag is about 3' tall and has a 3' diameter. It is attached to a round frame that helps it keep its shape. So you have the bag and one or two sometimes even three crew in the boat trying to get the fish from the bottom of the boat into the bag. And there is fish slime and blood everywhere...all over you, flying through the air, just craziness. I looked down at my hands at one point and i looked like i had webbed fingers they were so slime laden. Charlie and Dale could get one fish in each hand. For me i was quicker doing one fish two hands. Later on in the night i got the two fish two hands thing down. The easiest way to pick the fish up in one hand is to cup your hand on over their head and squeeze them in their gills. If you try to squeeze them from under their head they slip out. And sometimes when you squeeze them by the gills, as opposed to picking them up one hand around the tail one around the head, blood squirts out. The proper way to carry a fish is through the gill and into the mouth but this would take too long when pitching. And i found out the hard way that fish have sharp little teeth. I have loads of shallow little cuts all over my hands - it doesn't matter if you have gloves on - and it's the shallow cuts that hurt the worst...like lots of little paper cuts. After the first boat i had blood and scales all over my arms. And when the scales dry on you it hurts to peel them off...imagine being covered in band-aids with lots of adhesive. When we were done i headed back up the ladder to sort the fish i had just pitched. (Dale says we gently "pitch" fish, we don't throw them or sling them for that matter.)
Next the crane lifts the full brailer bags, pauses so that the crane operator can read the scale attached to the hook, then brings the bag so that it is over the hopper. Then someone goes up and releases the ropes holding the bottom of the bag closed and all of the fish slip down and await further release. When we are ready we pull a handle on the hopper and fish spew out onto the conveyor where we proceed to sort them into pre-iced totes. The reds go into the totes at the end of the conveyor because those are the ones that we have the most of. The pinks and silvers get pitched into totes that sit on big scales - the chums go in different tote which, on our dock, was not on a scale (we had two docks running and the beach pad was seeing lots of action too.) After each different boat we count the silvers, pinks and chums weigh them and then zero the scales for the next boat. I pitched two boats and then we had a long string of boats with the fish already in the brailer bags. For those we just lower the crane hook and the fishermen attach the ropes to their bags and they get raised up and we do it all over again.
I wound up pitching 4 or 5 boats last night. We received about a half a million pounds of fish last night - this put us over the 1million pound mark so far for the season. I got on the dock at 6:45pm and didn't leave until i was forced to at 2am- i probably touched a quarter of those fish between pitching and sorting. I was getting really tired by 11pm (not sleepy but tired) since i had been on the clock since 6:45am but i was determined to finish the boats. I was pitching the last pitch boat - the shady lady :) - and i had about 10 fish left when i was told i had to go to bed. They let me finish and then i went back up on the dock. John had started calling me Lizzie Borden earlier in the night because i had dried blood and fish slime all over me - in my ears, in my hair, all over my face and arms even on my underwear - apparently i looked like i had just gone on a killing spree. There was only one boat left as i was leaving so i felt pretty good about the amount i did plus I was getting sore. It was fun to be a guest pitcher - there to give relief to the crew that do it on a regular basis. If i thought i wouldn't have regretted it in the morning and probably for the rest of the summer i would have just gone straight to bed. But in a better act of judgement i went to my room peeled off my layers of slime laden clothes and went and took a shower. It took five solid minutes to get all of the blood and scales off before i could actually start to wash myself. After my shower i decided to take my clothes straight to the laundry...i can do this because i have the key. I would have cried if my room reeked of fish for the rest of the summer. Then i got to sleep for 3 1/2hrs just to wake up and start my day all over again. I have been tired all day but it was great and i would totally do it again. And i am probably the only person to ever pitch fish in diamonds and Tiffany jewelry.

5:35pm Kenai, AK
Put me in coach! I'm playing on the dock tonight!

7:51am Kenai, AK
Happy Birthday Grandma! I hope you are having a wonderful day and that you get all that you wish for.
So i woke up at 1:30am...I'd had a lot of water before i went to bed :) ...and when i opened my door it was dark out! Night? What is this? Now that the summer solstice has passed we are gaining night a few minutes at a time. It was just so weird and foreign.
And apparently not too long after i went to the loo the cops were called into camp. Native Terry was dipping in the sauce. He had left the plant earlier that day because he needed to tend to his son who was in trouble in Anchorage. He said his good byes but apparently didn't get very far because he came back to camp that night wielding a bottle of Monarch as a weapon. Now he has to sit in jail for 60days...that's what happens when you get arrested twice in as many days. If you get arrested once and then again before your court date its automatic jail time. Look ma, I'm learning new things... The worst part is that now he can't go take care of his son.

8:30am Kenai, AK
Lets start the day with some shout outs...shall we:
This one goes to to Miss Lindsay Rae Barnes in Massachusetts for the weekend with her sister. Lindsay called me after she passed exit 150 on the parkway and thought of me. Thank you Lindsay for making me smile and being a welcomed friendly voice.
To Liz for chauffeuring around 2D and giving her a social life and then sharing it all with me and making me feel not quite a continent away.
To Alex and Julia because you're super cool and i'm sad that i'm not there to play this summer. Swing rides for everyone when i get home! Have a wonderful weekend.
To Chris for being 100% awesome.
To my Whee because I love her. She sent me a Disney princess tackle box complete with pink silk robe from the land of China.
To my parents because they give me peace when i have none and wise loving words when i need them the most. Thank you for all that you are.
And to everyone else for keeping me company and enjoying the crap that i spew out here on a fairly regular basis.
Okay that's enough of that...So i was starting to rethink the whole Sweeney Todd thing...it was looking very appealing. Fisherman were getting on my nerves, the outdoor kitchen was a total mess beyond comprehension and my boss was just shrugging all of this off like jay-z with dirt on his shoulder. I was pissed. And i hated it. I hated being in a bad mood. I hated that people were treating me bad but somehow i was always the bitch because they had no introspection. I hated that i was overtired and sensitive. 'screw this.' I clocked out and started walking. I didn't care where i went i wanted off camp property. I pulled out my phone and called my dad. "Dad i'm done. These people suck. I'm just done." I knew i wasn't going to quit and I knew that i just needed to blow off some steam and talk to my parents but it felt good to say because at that moment i was done. I needed a break and i was taking it. I walked clear out the gate, down the driveway and found myself walking towards the beach. I talked to my parents for a while. They told me what i already knew but it was still good to hear - that not everyone has a work ethic or morals for that matter. That i should do my job the best way that i could and that would be enough. That i needed a break - to actually take time out for myself...not just a nap but time away doing something for me. (my mom suggested finding a salon to get a pedicure or manicure. "they don't have those here." i think there is one barbershop and one "salon" in town but in reality i think these people cut their own hair and don't get pedicures all that often.)
Later that night I went out with the girls. We got two cabs to come pick all seven of us up and we went to The Backdoor. Three generations of women laughing and hollering and dominating the bar. It was perfect. They didn't want the fun to end but since i had work the next morning at 6:30am I got in the cab that was heading back to camp early with Molly and Kathy. The other girls decided to head to Good Time Charlies - the local not so sexy strip club. After they got their fair share of the big and beautiful women there they headed to Hooligans where they were the cause of a bar fight. It sounded like it shaped up to be quite a night.
Five and a half hours after my head hit the pillow i was back up ready for action. I actually felt refreshed. I was tired and felt like i had been drinking but having a night out with the girls really rejuvenated me. I made my coffee and juice got ready for the day. Then i headed to the laundry room because it was Saturday - fisherman's laundry day. As i was standing there folding clothes this wonderful feeling came over me...it actually felt like a Saturday. Yes the work was the same as most days around here but it felt like a weekend. Jackie walked by so i asked her how the rest of her night went, "I'm still drunk." She came in and told me about the strip club and the bar fight and then Michelle happened by and filled in the rest of the story. They had a blast. And as we stood there I was having a blast. This is how it is supposed to be. Everyone shouldn't be all stressed out and counting the days until they leave. We should be laughing and working towards a common goal enjoying the time we have and the money we are making. Isn't that a novel idea...
After the laundry, I handed out gear made sure all of the workers everywhere were squared away then i grabbed my purse, my shades and my list and went to the store. This is how Saturdays should be. It was so great to get out for a drive. I went to Three Bears, as usual, got everything on my list and then got on line with my favorite cashier, Gloria. She had gotten her hair cut since the last time i was in so i asked her where...maybe they did nails too. She goes to the barbershop but apparently there is a "salon" not far way. We see eye to eye Gloria and me. We respect each others efficiency and she is always so positive. I just feel better after i have spent those few moments with her. I said good-bye until next time and got on my way.
I got back to camp and unloaded the van just in time for case-up to go on break. After lunch i went and finished up the fisherman's laundry. The rest of the day was spent going between the laundry and the snack shack. I clocked out at 5:30pm! I took a short nap and then spent the rest of the evening watching Paris When it Sizzles. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday i figure.

10:23am Kenai, AK
There are some days when i don't stop moving and everywhere i go people need something. But then case-up comes in for break on a day like today fighting over the remote and giving unsolicited advice to the room at large and i couldn't be happier to have the job (and the crew) that i have. I would probably be rotting in some Alaskan jail by now if i had to work with some of these people all day. (Or I'd go Sweeney Todd on their behinds and turn them into seagull food...not really...I'm not that hateful) I only have to be around and talk to most of these people in small doses and that is just fine by me. Give me a toilet bowl, some latex gloves and a language barrier any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

1:22pm Kenai, AK
So i accidentally got the prize for the most overtime for the last two weeks. My bad. Now i am going out of my way to avoid the burn out that Bobbie is afraid i am approaching. I may already be there. These people are jamaican me crazy. So i've been taking long lunches when the days allow and now i am going to watch a movie and take a nap. There are no fish today so i don't feel any pressure to stay on the clock right now.
Last night I went to the bar after work with my book. People always want to talk to you when you are reading...and that is exactly what you don't want. It's not like Kenai Landing is this crazy scene so reading at the bar isn't out of the realm of possibility. So this drunk man sits down and orders some wine. 'Awesome. I'll sit here and read you stay there and fall deeper into the bag.' Reading, reading, reading, happily not talking to anyone. "Excuse me, i don't mean to interrupt..." 'yes you do. otherwise you wouldn't talk to me.' I look up from my book. "but I love to read and i was just wondering what you are reading." I tell him and go back to my book. A few pages later: "I really don't mean to be bothersome..." 'yeah right.' "but can you tell me about your book." Then he goes on to tell me that i look like a tourist but it's so great that people are coming to Alaska and that he is a fourth generation Alaskan he was born in Washington but his family has been here since '98...1898 (ha ha ha...he was so amused with himself) and now he lives here and has two kids and asks me what i do and then proceeds to tell me that he is a civil engineer and does land surveying. I sneak in a few words...being polite and all. "I don't want to be rude..." 'well now we both know you are going to be so hit me.' "but why would anyone do what you do? I mean i know people like to go to concerts but that's it." "Actually the arts are really wonderful. They help people express themselves and they are great for kids development and growth. There are so many reasons i do what i do." I discovered a while ago that trying to be logical with illogical people is fruitless. "Who goes to see these things?" I size him up taking in his numerous wrinkles and head of grey hair and say, "Actually, lots of old people are patrons of the arts. It gives them something to do with all of that time." He pauses and then continues to babble, "well i'm a surveyor...blah, blah, blah..." Then he turns in his chair and says, "You're a woman. I'm going to explain business to you." 'Oh that's it old man. I'll break your hip. I just wanted to have a few beers and read and now you're pissing me off.' "Blah, blah, blah...i make so much money I'm so awesome. You can't understand." He winds up buying me a beer for my troubles, insulting me some more and then finally finishing his wine and leaving. Peace at last. I soon finish my beer and leave as well, I'm pretty beat. After i get back to camp (2 successful passes through the marsh) Molly comes and knocks on my door. She has a twenty in her hand and a smile on her face. "Jesse gave me twenty bucks and told me to take you to the bar for a shot of Jager on him. He said you were having a rough day." I look at her. I look at my bed. 'Sorry old friend. I will miss you long time." I put my coat back on and head out the door. We are joined by the two New Hampshire girls - Sarah and Kelly. We take the long way to the bar because it's a nice walk on a nice night. By the time we get there they are closing up. It's 9:40...that means last call at Kenai Landing. The bartender, Jonas, looks at me...i was just there...and he waves us over. Molly and i get our shots and a beer each while the other two get their beers and the basket of Andies mints to munch on. We sit there and laugh for a bit but decide to leave after one beer - we are after all the only ones in there and the staff wants to go home. On the way out they spot a group of young guys playing beer pong in one of the housing units at Kenai Landing. They want to make friends. I do too...with my pillow not some dumb boys who probably don't even have chest hair yet. So we walk inside. There are some holes in the plan. Two minutes later we are walking out and laughing. They were a baseball team from California in town playing in an under 19 tournament. The only thing in those cups was pink lemonade. Right. Mmmhmm..."I told you they were young!" Pink lemonade...get real. We headed back to camp taking the scenic route again. Then Molly and I walked to the dock to thank Jesse and then I called it a night. It's hard out there for a pimp.

10:20am Kenai, AK
Today is Wednesday - laundry day. I posted a sign a while back saying that i would take laundry Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30am-10:00am. And then fisherman could drop their laundry off on Saturdays from 8-12. Well I've come to learn that people have selective reading. Because don't you know that everyday there is a forest of laundry growing on my stoop. For a while i would just keep the laundry and give it back on the actual laundry day but now i just take it and do it when i can...they are wearing me down. (In all honesty it doesn't bother me to do laundry everyday it bothers me that people are morons and don't read and then complain when their clothes aren't ready.) But on laundry days i am in there from 8:30-10:00 washing, drying and folding consistently - it's pretty peaceful...it's my quiet place. It works out well because i can change the loads as needed and this winds up being my most productive laundry time. If i try to get to the loads later it's harder and then people have to wait longer for their clothes. And now that the boats keep coming into dock to drop off their fish i am getting random fisherman laundry and they need it washed before they have to leave again.
Today i am making steak for lunch...when i find time to take lunch. I'm going to use the grill and do it up right. Bobbie is worried about me working too long and burning out so i am trying to take longer lunches and clock out earlier. I think i will make a potato and some vegetables too. It's hard to find the time to make well balanced meals when you work crazy hours and then are too tired to cook. If anyone has any easy recipes or suggestions that they enjoy...i welcome them.

9:04am Kenai, AK
I woke up and looked at my watch...6:38am...'coffee's gonna be late.' I slapped on some pants and flip flops and rushed to the break room. I made a small pot in the hopes that it would percolate quicker while i washed the other pot and brewed a big 'ol pot of coffee. It's going to be a long good day. Last night they unloaded 10 boats. They were pitching and sorting fish until 4:30am. They had to call in extra people because the dock crew is mostly new and they haven't done that kind of volume yet. I almost got to go out last night but i think they didn't need one more person who didn't really know what was going on. They would have stuck me in the boat to pitch the fish which is what i want to do but they had plenty of people that could do that. What they needed were people who could sort the fish quickly and efficiently. We have roughly 160 totes of fish in the processing room and more are coming. The Georgia Straits is coming into dock this morning to get 10,000lbs. offloaded and then i'm sure there will be more fish later. Yippee!

7:58am Kenai, AK
I have a male housekeeper. He cleans the male bathrooms. He is our token guy.
His name is Ilian and he is from Bulgaria. Ilian doesn't speak such great english so we have a hard time joking around even though i am sure we would both find the other one quite funny. I make lots of noises and gestures to get my point across - it is helpful but rather odd looking. (And to make everything a little more confusing - in Bulgaria nodding your head means 'no' and shaking your head means 'yes.')So this morning i am getting ready for the day and Petya - the gear goddess - and Ilians friend, says that last sunday when we were cleaning the upper office - or football field as i like to think of it - Ilian told her i looked like Freddie Mercury. Not so much in looks but more the way i was dancing and vacuuming with my ipod. I guess i was just being silly to pass the time and make the giant room seem smaller. But today i think i will sing along. maybe dance with the vacuum.

6:47pm Kenai, AK
I just got a personal tour of the plant while it was in action. I took in so much information i don't know if i can remember it all. Bobbie started with me at the hopper and i got to watch them cut the heads off the fishes. Then they put the open neck over a rotating blade which frees up the guts and allows them to be pulled out easier. Next the fish gets its insides pulled out. In this are the organs and intestines and a sleeve containing the roe. The guts and sleeve go down to a different conveyor belt where a group of girls sort the sleeves from the guts. The guts or gurry go down a chute and get ground up, then they travel down the 'gurry line' out to the water where the seagulls eat them. The fish are then scraped, rinsed, and graded by weight. 1, 2, or 3 i don't remember which is the biggest. Then depending on their size they get packaged or frozen or cut up for fillets. Bigger fish get shipped fresh to the lower 48 then medium and smaller fish can either get frozen and sent out later or cut up for fillets - they do this at the Kasilof plant.
Then Bobbie took me to the roe room. The roe stay in their sleeves and get agitated in a brine solution. Actually i am not even going to try and explain this. Roe are so specific and they are handled and packaged so specially that i can't remember all of the details. I know that they are graded by size and color - and they are so neat looking in their sleeves. There are 2 ways of processing roe and of course they are japanese words and i just can't remember them now but one way keeps them in their sleeve and the other way separates out the eggs and they get used for sushi.
Next we went to case up. They take the fish that have just come off the slime line and put them in a different hopper and sort them even further. They pack them fresh into plastic lined boxes slap a label on them that says what river they are from, if they are deheaded and gutted, what grade they are and what kind of salmon they are. Then they get shipped to the lower 48 to get sold and eaten. Some of the more undesirable salmon get saved and then cut up and scraped off the bone for salmon patties.
Then we walked out onto the dock where the crew was off loading a tender. There is this giant hose vacuum that gets lowered by a crane (it supports the weight of the hose so that it doesn't get sucked to the bottom) into the hull where it sucks the fish out and deposits them in the hopper to get sorted by type. Then they go into totes and get fork lifted into processing. They don't like to process different types of salmon at the same time because the roe get processed differently. When the level of fish gets low enough they pull the hose out and pitch the rest of the fish out manually. (or sling them as i like to think)
It was awesome. There is so much to know and do. It really is incredible. And it was impressive to see the whole thing in action. I have such a better idea and can visualize it all now. I am going to try and go back another time and take pictures. Just so that you can see too.

12:58pm Kenai, AK
Happy Fourth of July!!
We have fish...lots and lots of fish! today is an over 100,000lb day. The fish just keep coming in. 50-60,000 coming in on boats, fish in totes from other plants...people are working it's great. They are going to take a break at 5pm and we are going to barbecue. (The last time we grilled they put up signs and one of the foreign kids asked what a bar-beck-way was. Chapin told him it was like a bidet only way worse..."you'll be okay." After the look of terror spread across his face Chapin just started laughing and told him what it really was. I laughed so hard when he told me i almost peed.)
I love when they have lots of fish...it keeps them busy and out of my hair. I am going to get ready for break and harness my inner chi and try not to push a certain "cat lady" in front of a moving vehicle.