Tuesday, September 4, 2012

From First Class to No Class

So today was a double dip day. From 6am to 11am I was driving my bus around and from 11am to 7pm I was working with the boats just like I would any other day. Between those two jobs I got to see quite an array of different people all in the small area that is Ketchikan Alaska.

Person number 1 - a middle aged Asian lady traveling alone, who was born and raised in Boise Idaho. Needless to say we were already kindred spirits because of the Idaho connection as well as the fact that I love me some chinese food. We talked fondly of the city of trees, how Idaho had so many cool things to offer and the best kinds of ways to make egg rolls. She was polite and the picture of kindness. Quite a nice lady to spend some of my morning talking to.

Person number 2 and 3 - A couple in their late 30's from Birmingham Alabama. A real southern bell and her gentleman husband. A real class act, they told me all about their children who had just gone off to college and this cruise was their celebratory "our kids are out of the house" deal. They told me that I was a great example of a young person who had graduated college and not moved back in with the parentals afterwards. Upon going our separate ways they said to me, "I hope that our children can be as adventurous as you one day." Very flattering and somewhat ego boosting!

Person number 4 - A fellow from foggy old London town! We got to talking about all of the best kinds of fish to eat and after much deliberation we both settled on halibut. I told him all about the best halibut in town, which is the Alaskan Amber Ale beer battered halibut at one of the local fish joints and he told me all about a fantastic restaurant in London aptly named "The Halibut" that had the best fish and chips in all of London.

That concludes all of the interesting people that I met in the first few hours of my day, there were the usual suspects on the bus as well, but those were the interesting ones. After that it was a quick change of clothes out in my car and off to my other job. This is the part of the day where I start meeting people with no class...

Person number 5 - A deckhand off of a small fishing boat. It's one in the afternoon and this guy is already drunk as a skunk, I mean I am getting a contact high from this guy. And to paint a picture of what this man looks like he has roughly eight teeth, a huge scraggly salt and pepper beard and an American flag bandana. I shall now rehash some of the conversational gems this man had to offer.
Him: You know man, I'm just pulling fish in... and them I'm counting em all like, "one fish! two fish!" and all them fish is just money in my pocket man!
Me: It's like free money!
Him: I know! Like all of that money is just swimming in the ocean and I just gotta reach in and, you know, grab it! Its all just (incoherent babbling) man!
Him: But you know, I'm pretty much the best deckhand there is... cuz skipper there (points at captain) well he wakes up at five, and when he does that I (some incoherent babbling about coffee cups) and then the FLAPJACKS! Fuggin FLAPJACKS MAN!!! Every morning! (From here he proceeds to laugh for a good minute straight.)
Me: (Laughing along with him) I would kill for some flapjacks right now.
Him: And for lunch, well I sit right there drink my beers and rum and coke, and I eat all sorts of eetos!
Me: Eetos?
Him: Yeah man! You know! Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos...
Me: It's like you're living the dream man.
Him: But really man, you see that dog there? (points to small terrier on the boat) That's the skippers dog.
Me: Is it a good dog?
Him: I call him my burrito dog.
Me: What? Why?
Him: Cause in the morning when the skipper gets up the dog gets in the covers with me and I wrap him up with me and he's my burrito dog.
(As they are pulling way from the dock)
Him: (yelling towards me) Hey! Hey man!
Me: What's up buddy?
Him: (puts fist in the air in a black panther salute) ... I love you homie...
Me: ...

And so this concludes some of the characters I get to see on a day to day basis in Ketchikan.

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