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Carl will be my bartender for the week. I found out where the fishermen hang when they get into town. The bar is called The Highliner. 2 pool tables, long bar, and some party animals. Chris is the dockmaster. His first question was "do you need a shower?" He's pointing me in the right directions. Seattle is a beautiful town with more homeless and less crime than baltimore. I guess these homeless just aren't desperate enough. It looks highly unlikely that I'll get a chance to hit up a blue crab boat, like I want. I keep telling people that I've wanted to do this for 10 years, and they keep telling me that I should have been out here 10 years ago.... snooze and looze. The thing is, the government has imposed limits, so it is no longer necessary to use the Olympic method. I'm still trying to get to the Bearing sea. That's where I want to be. I may just fly up to dutch harbor, see what I can get, but that would probably wipe out my savings. It is a tough call. I've already sacrificed alot to get up here. Hanging out at the fisherman bars doesn't help. they have 13 beers on tap, and I've been working my way from the right to the left. The problem with microbrews is that after 3 beers, you have a hangover. The owner and manager have taken a shine to me, and don't ever give me a complete tab. Ted is a regular at the highliner. He is an old old fisherman and looks as salty as the dead sea, having fished the Bering Sea for most of 30 years. He is taking care of his sick wife, otherwise he'd be at sea. I've been recommended not to ask him for a job. The guy has more lines in his face than John Belushi. He's more leathery than Jack Palance. Every man out here that I've met has calluses. It's kinda nice to shake with someone that actually uses their hands. Apparently the boats will return in a week or 2. I missed out pretty bad. Had I been in town when I planned, in July, I would have been nabbed by 2 of the companies that I've spoken to. Most of the ships have already gotten under weigh. It's very frustrating.
So, after 6 beers at the Highliner, I met Chuck, his friend Joe, and Joe's father in law Lee. They just dragged in a load of gury from Alaska. He's got a 90 foot boat called the Lady Jesse. The Lady Jesse is currently rigged with a crane. It has 6 diesel motors in its' wee dark engine room. The guys just headed out, but Joe has alot of contacts. They'll be back in town on Tuesday. Joe and Chuck are ex military. They've got alot of stories about killing and being dropped out of helicopters. They were both in Iraq, but I don' t know which time. For the first time in my life, I am homesick. I'm making friends though. These guys are really rough, and really funny. After sobering up for a couple hours, I left the boat, and hit some random bar in Pioneer Square. I rode another mechanical bull. I must have pissed off the operator, he had me thrown off in 10 seconds. I need to do more of that bull shit.
It's Official, Sarah wants nothing to do with me romantically. I don't know whether I should laugh or cry. I've been doing more of the latter than I'd like. She still wants to be friends. I'll leave it to a vote. All those in favor of my remaining friends with the former love of my life, email me a yea, all those in favor of me forgetting her like a dropped pizza crust under the bed, email me with your favorite topping.
My living situation is odd, but effective. Tina has been staying at her (new as of Friday) boyfriend's house (the guy with the stretched lobes), and I've taken residence in her apartment. She stops by to change and shower, and I stay the hell out of the way. She doesn't have 2 sets of keys to the front door, and the key has written on it in big print "DO NOT DUPLICATE". There is a festival that John (her boyfriend) goes to in Phuket, Thailand where he pierces monks. Normally that might sound odd, but it gets more extreme. These Buddhists, to show their faith in the Buddha, pierce their cheeks and throats with knives, pipes, and bicycle parts. They then parade around for 10 miles about the local villages. The incidence of infection is fairly high, but apparently many survive. The older monks walk on swords and hot coals. It's always amazed me what people will do for their deity. Imagine if they put those energies towards science and education. John does the piercing for these crazy cats. I'd like to see this festival. I will DEFINITELY NEVER PARTICIPATE! Don't worry girls, I've got more facial scars than I want already. As for walking on coals, I'd do that for fun, not for Buddha.
Lesson for the week: Jellyfish tastes good!
I gotta keep on chasing that dream, if I'll ever find it
Pete
Questions?, Comments?, Hate Mail? Send it to Pete or John
08/09/06 Issue 9 - I've really been at my parent's house this whole time.
08/07/06 Issue 8 - Nooooorth Dakota where the wind comes sweeping down the plains
08/02/06 Issue 7 - Grooves, Grates and Gravel
07/30/06 Issue 6 - Moon Over Parma
07/28/06 Issue 5 - I LEAVE TOMORROW!!!!!!!
07/24/06 Issue 4 - Why Jersey, and what's the holdup?
07/23/06 Issue 3 - Is this fraud? and Welcome to Delaware
07/22/06 Issue 2 - MVA, Headaches and Miracles
07/21/06 Issue 1 - Mission Statement
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