Bus Tired

I stood on the docks today surveying the throngs of sweatpants clad tourists, thinking to myself that these folks all kind of look the same. Maybe because some of the t-shirts and sweatshirts are sold in the same shops throughout Ketchikan, Skagway, and Juneau...and some may end up with the same swag...but really, I think that I'm just done with this job in general.
I knew when I came back to Juneau that it would be fun, yet challenging to go back to bus driving. This summer was the most difficult working in tourism simply becuase I knew that I was not going to leave town after it was all done. Juneau is my home now, and I felt myself feeling guilty about driving giant smokey buses around the narrow downtown streets where my friends and neighbors walked...looking up at the bus with sour looks on their faces. The job is easy, it can be so much fun, and ulitmatley it taught me how to really talk to every kind of person in the world. Yet around this time of year, all I want to do is look out my window and see nothing on the waterfront, just empty docks. I want to walk downtown to grab a coffee, and not have to swim through clusters of confused lookie-loos.
Tomorrow is our first "no ship" day since May. I plan on walking around town enjoying the space, and thinking of my return from San Francisco where the locals will be the commanding presence in Jtown.
It feels weird, and it hasn't completely set in that when I come back to Seattle, I'm just visiting. I will be stopping through town, and returning home to Juneau.
4 days of driving left. Then I'm off!!!...but only for a little bit.

Shootin' with Andrew Heist

Andrew arranged for an early Thursday morning shooting adventure out at the public range in Auke Bay. I had never fired a handgun, let alone any firearm.
It was fun.
Thanks Andrew. Looking forward to more shootin!

Fishing in Excursion Inlet 2009

I love fishing.
Despite the driving rain, 6' chop, and utter lack of giant halibut below our little chase boat, Julie Jackson, Dan Kirkwood, and I had a great time out on the water for the weekend north of Juneau about 3 hours by boat. It was so good to be out in the elements, no matter how raw or unforgiving the Southeast climate was.
I caught my first fish with the help of Chase boat captain, Bluegrass lover, overall amazing Kentuckian friend Mark. We stayed in a camp full of nice awesome people who gave us their time, fed us amazing food (ribs! cinnamon buns! home made rice pudding!) and offered us comfy beds in beautiful cabins to sleep after a tiring day out.
It was perfect. I caught 2 halibut and a rockfish, learned how to fillet it, and now i have a freezer full of yummy fish for the cold winter months.

WHERE DID SUMMER GO!?

Sorry friends, I have failed you. Between moving, hosting visiting family and friends, and my crazy 2 jobs this summer, I have neglected my blogging duties!

So I will try and get all of my great pics from the past two months of fishing, shooting, hanging out with lovelies such a Lynn Vollbrecht, my brothers, The Bluegrass crew, and local Juneau celebrity sightings like Carlos Boozer and Sean Tracey. It's been a hell of a summer, and I have had the best time.

Here we go....