After working three days of twelve, sixteen, and eighteen hours, I have learned several things. One: my body is capable of so much more than I thought possible. Two: don't say the "s" word (skiff), "h" (hot tub), or the "n" word (nap). These words were responsible for two of the last long days, making me understand silent appreciation of down time. We avoid acknowledging what is on everyones minds for fear that it will trigger an approaching boat looking to sell more fish. Putting our tired hands and arms back to work. Which brings me back to point number one. Yes...my hands, wrists, and arms are swollen after throwing and icing king salmon for 18 hours with only 4 hours of sleep...but the fact that I was able to keep going at the end of a hellish few days is a testament to what our bodies are able to withstand. Don't get me wrong, I was exhausted, yet I going myself picking up giant fish after giant fish until we finished unloading the last boat at 2:30 am. A boat with over 1,000 salmon. That boat took 3 hours with four people. And there were moments when I wondered, "What the hell am i doing?" Examples include, hanging over a tote half full if ice and fish as I'm soaked in water, fish blood, slime, and sweat; pushing 150+ pound totes over other totes by myself in the dark and rain on a rocky scow a foot from the freezing water. Somehow, I love it! And I take a good amount of pride in knowing that I was a part of the crew that took in nearly 30,000 pounds of fish in one day. Let's see what else this body is capable of!
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