I have some idols in
my life, Who doesn't? I mean of course people look up to Muhammad Ali, Gandhi,
Beethoven, what have you, but I mean people I've met who've made huge impacts on
my life. There are about 10 people of whom I hold very highly. Topher, Zoe, Kelly.
Those sort of people, the ones who I believe helped to shape me. Not forcibly, but by broadening my horizons and then allowing me to follow what appealed to me. People like them. People I admire
more than anyone else in the world for the things they've done. Some for this
reason, some for that, but, needless to say, they have all made a deep impression
on my life. Some of them I've known since I was a kid and some I've only known
a few years. Hell, one guy I met only once at a bar in Greece and I don't even
remember his name! Ask me how that works, how can you admire someone at the
level of an idol, looking up to them with the deep awe. Wanting more than anything to be as good at the game that they are, but believing I could never reach that level of ability. How
could I look up to someone like that, and not even remember his name!
It happened
something like this. I was in Corfu, Greece, and working at the Pink Palace
hostel. The Pink Palace is a scatter of buildings starting right where
the beach turns from soft island sand to a a strip of rock that the Ionian sea can crash into on
the west side of the island. The palace is an odd pattern of buildings work their way
up the steep hillside in a jumble of pink somewhere between flamingo and cloudy
sunset, spacing themselves happily between the olive, walnut, and fig trees.
I don't know whether the chicken or the egg came first in the case of the Pink Palace. Maybe they named it that and then decided to paint it all pink, or maybe they bought it pink and decided to name it after the abnormal colour beating at anyone in the vicinity. Regardless of the origins from which the name Pink Palace came, the hostel owned the name. They were proud of it, and, still, three years later, I have a very specific shade of pink appearing in a multitude of spatter shapes all over my overalls from the many early mornings I spent painting walls that were becoming a little less ostentatious from the warm sun beaming down on them. They even went as far as dying the ouzo, the Greek liquor of choice, pink to match the concrete walls. I didn't mind though because, as benefit of being under the gracious employment of Magdalena, it was only a euro for a shot of ouzo at the bar on the high side of the hill.
I don't know whether the chicken or the egg came first in the case of the Pink Palace. Maybe they named it that and then decided to paint it all pink, or maybe they bought it pink and decided to name it after the abnormal colour beating at anyone in the vicinity. Regardless of the origins from which the name Pink Palace came, the hostel owned the name. They were proud of it, and, still, three years later, I have a very specific shade of pink appearing in a multitude of spatter shapes all over my overalls from the many early mornings I spent painting walls that were becoming a little less ostentatious from the warm sun beaming down on them. They even went as far as dying the ouzo, the Greek liquor of choice, pink to match the concrete walls. I didn't mind though because, as benefit of being under the gracious employment of Magdalena, it was only a euro for a shot of ouzo at the bar on the high side of the hill.
It was sitting at that bar that I met a young
man. He was older than my fresh 19, but still young. 24 if I remember correctly. His blonde hair was cut in a military fashion and
he had a sort of giant pink and white checkered bandanna wrapped around him from
one shoulder to the opposite hip. I remember wanting one of those for weeks after I met the guy because I wanted to be just like him. He reminded me a bit of myself, or, at least,
how I romanticized myself. Even though I like to think me and him
were similar he had far surpassed anything I had ever done at that point in my
life, and, probably, anything I ever will do in my life.
Like I said, I don't remember his name, but he was kind and energetic. I'll refrain from doting over him too much here because he isn't who this post is about, but I will tell you some of his accomplishments because they floored me a little bit. He'd graduated high school at 16 and college at 18 with a degree in nuclear physics. He went to grad school in Michigan and after talking a little about college we quickly discovered he had been classmates with one of my college professors. We had a little small world celebration after that, but back to his accomplishments. After college he enlisted in the marines and became so uniquely specialized in his field it's insane. He wasn't enlisted too long before he was injured and given leave, deciding to see the world with his new found freedom. And that exploration was how he landing in Corfu at the age of 24 sitting at a bar talking to me about how the peace corps had accepted him and he was soon to be sent to a semi-permanent location for the next two years.
He was so impressive to my young mind. At the time I had met no one like him and all the life experience I had could fit into a small boat out in the gulf of Alaska. Me and him talked most of the night. About traveling and things like that yeah, sure, but mostly about rubiks cubes, minesweeper, and, after being pleasantly surprised by how small the world is, professor Tucker. I was still new to the international world. Greece was the first place I'd visited, the first time I'd ever really been out of the country I could even say, and he taught me a lot about limits that night. Mostly, that limits are all self imposed and if you want it, just go for it. After meeting this mysterious fellow my ideas of what I could feasibly do had taken wing. All of a sudden I wanted to be more. Similarly, this is the way Maddie (a few blog posts ago) made me feel. Those are the type of people I look up to. And that's the kind of person I'm going to describe to you tonight.
Like I said, I don't remember his name, but he was kind and energetic. I'll refrain from doting over him too much here because he isn't who this post is about, but I will tell you some of his accomplishments because they floored me a little bit. He'd graduated high school at 16 and college at 18 with a degree in nuclear physics. He went to grad school in Michigan and after talking a little about college we quickly discovered he had been classmates with one of my college professors. We had a little small world celebration after that, but back to his accomplishments. After college he enlisted in the marines and became so uniquely specialized in his field it's insane. He wasn't enlisted too long before he was injured and given leave, deciding to see the world with his new found freedom. And that exploration was how he landing in Corfu at the age of 24 sitting at a bar talking to me about how the peace corps had accepted him and he was soon to be sent to a semi-permanent location for the next two years.
He was so impressive to my young mind. At the time I had met no one like him and all the life experience I had could fit into a small boat out in the gulf of Alaska. Me and him talked most of the night. About traveling and things like that yeah, sure, but mostly about rubiks cubes, minesweeper, and, after being pleasantly surprised by how small the world is, professor Tucker. I was still new to the international world. Greece was the first place I'd visited, the first time I'd ever really been out of the country I could even say, and he taught me a lot about limits that night. Mostly, that limits are all self imposed and if you want it, just go for it. After meeting this mysterious fellow my ideas of what I could feasibly do had taken wing. All of a sudden I wanted to be more. Similarly, this is the way Maddie (a few blog posts ago) made me feel. Those are the type of people I look up to. And that's the kind of person I'm going to describe to you tonight.
----------------------------------------------------
My captain is Amber.
Amber is a cute little Mexicana girl, about 5'4 with brown eyes and long raven
black hair. She went to cosmetology school in Portland, but, she spends summers in Alaska nearly every year and has been doing so throughout her whole life. Yes my captain is a girl, no there aren't many girl captains in
Alaska. There are a few, and they are all, by necessity, quite bad ass. And, if I had
my say, I would say Amber is Queen of the Bad Asses because there is no one cooler than she is. She's deceptively tiny and sweet for how tough she is, tougher than anyone I know. Seriously, whatever the job is, no
matter how long or how hard, Amber can do it. I have never, never ever ever
ever, seen Amber quit at anything she needs to do. She is tatted up head to toe and the sky is the limit with her. If it is humanly possible, she has got it on lock down.
I don't know how to properly describe her though. What I know about Amber is how fiercely loyal she is, clever, fit, and she is THE BEST chef there ever has been or ever will be. Seriously, that girl could churn water and come out with butter. I don't know how she does the things she does in the galley, what sorts of sacrifices she offers up to the gods or whatever, but there is more than a little bit of magic in the delicacies she brings forth out of seemingly nothing. I still remember last year, 2014, when the Christmas party for the fishermen was going on (they have it in September since everyone leaves for the winter), and it's a party right? So everyone's going to go out and get wasted right? Well of course that's what we do, we work on boats in Alaska, don't be surprised. So first off, Amber made a rhubarb pie the day of the party, and it was the best fucking pie I have ever had in my life. Holy hell, talk about a mouthgasm. Anyways, that was left on the galley table for the crew (half of it was at least, we ate the other half earlier that day) when we all stumble drunkenly back from Rosies, the only bar in the tiny town. Super wasted in the early morning like that all you want to do is come home and eat some food and pass out right? Well Amber didn't just leave the pie, she made the best venison pot roast this world has ever seen as well. Loaded down with garlic and carrots and chunks of onion and little baby potatoes and oh my sweet baby Jesus it almost brought tears to my eyes chowing down on that after the night of festivities. It goes in the top 3 best meals of my life, it was INCREDIBLE, so incredible that I doubt that memory could ever really fade from my taste buds. It was the pot roast to end all other pot roasts.
She's the the most incredible boss too. She just gets it, after spending years on deck as a deckhand, she understands the people she has working for her. Working with her as my captain last year was fantastic. The whole operation flowed so well, and you've no idea how fucked up we can really get because it can get out of control. Even at the most hectic though, Amber is right down there with ye gettin' it done. She is no slipper skipper, hands on in the best way. Always up for hikes on the days off and a fellow adventurer, spending the whole of last winter in SE Asia having a blast. Needless to say, Amber is absofuckinglutely one of the people in the world I have a deep deep respect for. If just 1/10th the bad ass that she is could rub off on me I would call myself Hercules.
To top it all off as well, her sense of humor is spot on. A perfect 10 out of 10. Somehow we share the same funny bone because I swear we do more laughing than working. Sometimes I can't even work because I'm laughing so hard. I'll literally have to walk away from what we're doing so that I can collect myself and dry the tears from my eyes, but, even then, as soon as I turn around to go back to work, I see Amber and fall over with laughter again. I don't even know how we find the things we do so funny, but it's crippling sometimes. Not even a week ago Amber and I were in the Wrangell library trying to find a movie to watch when an old joke came up and I couldn't even catch my breath it was so funny. I felt bad dying of laughter in a library, and I'm sure everyone was glaring at me, but that's just what Amber does to me. She makes me smile. She makes me laugh. She makes me happy to be working on a boat in Alaska.
One of the best feelings I know in life, is, at the end of the day, sitting down at the galley table all exhausted, and having a shot o' Jameson with Amber. Nothing I look forward to more in life. Amber, you're amazing and incredible and the best captain ever. I couldn't dream of having a better friend. Thanks for everything you've taught me and thanks for all the gut busting laughter that Gordon looks at us funnily for. Keep it up, and have fun down under. Love you Amber! See you for the summer season!
Be happy y'all,
Beacon
I don't know how to properly describe her though. What I know about Amber is how fiercely loyal she is, clever, fit, and she is THE BEST chef there ever has been or ever will be. Seriously, that girl could churn water and come out with butter. I don't know how she does the things she does in the galley, what sorts of sacrifices she offers up to the gods or whatever, but there is more than a little bit of magic in the delicacies she brings forth out of seemingly nothing. I still remember last year, 2014, when the Christmas party for the fishermen was going on (they have it in September since everyone leaves for the winter), and it's a party right? So everyone's going to go out and get wasted right? Well of course that's what we do, we work on boats in Alaska, don't be surprised. So first off, Amber made a rhubarb pie the day of the party, and it was the best fucking pie I have ever had in my life. Holy hell, talk about a mouthgasm. Anyways, that was left on the galley table for the crew (half of it was at least, we ate the other half earlier that day) when we all stumble drunkenly back from Rosies, the only bar in the tiny town. Super wasted in the early morning like that all you want to do is come home and eat some food and pass out right? Well Amber didn't just leave the pie, she made the best venison pot roast this world has ever seen as well. Loaded down with garlic and carrots and chunks of onion and little baby potatoes and oh my sweet baby Jesus it almost brought tears to my eyes chowing down on that after the night of festivities. It goes in the top 3 best meals of my life, it was INCREDIBLE, so incredible that I doubt that memory could ever really fade from my taste buds. It was the pot roast to end all other pot roasts.
She's the the most incredible boss too. She just gets it, after spending years on deck as a deckhand, she understands the people she has working for her. Working with her as my captain last year was fantastic. The whole operation flowed so well, and you've no idea how fucked up we can really get because it can get out of control. Even at the most hectic though, Amber is right down there with ye gettin' it done. She is no slipper skipper, hands on in the best way. Always up for hikes on the days off and a fellow adventurer, spending the whole of last winter in SE Asia having a blast. Needless to say, Amber is absofuckinglutely one of the people in the world I have a deep deep respect for. If just 1/10th the bad ass that she is could rub off on me I would call myself Hercules.
To top it all off as well, her sense of humor is spot on. A perfect 10 out of 10. Somehow we share the same funny bone because I swear we do more laughing than working. Sometimes I can't even work because I'm laughing so hard. I'll literally have to walk away from what we're doing so that I can collect myself and dry the tears from my eyes, but, even then, as soon as I turn around to go back to work, I see Amber and fall over with laughter again. I don't even know how we find the things we do so funny, but it's crippling sometimes. Not even a week ago Amber and I were in the Wrangell library trying to find a movie to watch when an old joke came up and I couldn't even catch my breath it was so funny. I felt bad dying of laughter in a library, and I'm sure everyone was glaring at me, but that's just what Amber does to me. She makes me smile. She makes me laugh. She makes me happy to be working on a boat in Alaska.
One of the best feelings I know in life, is, at the end of the day, sitting down at the galley table all exhausted, and having a shot o' Jameson with Amber. Nothing I look forward to more in life. Amber, you're amazing and incredible and the best captain ever. I couldn't dream of having a better friend. Thanks for everything you've taught me and thanks for all the gut busting laughter that Gordon looks at us funnily for. Keep it up, and have fun down under. Love you Amber! See you for the summer season!
Be happy y'all,
Beacon
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