The Pike Place Fish Family

There are commercials going around with the crab boat fishermen of "Deadliest Catch" trumpeting the products of their labor as thanksgiving treats.
"This Thanksgiving, start a new tradition," they say, "and eat crab."
"Why fight over two legs, when you can fight over eight?".

Part of me feels a real jealousy of these now celebrities. Captain Sig rode in a Navy, Blue Angel, F16 fighter jet this past summer in Seattle as the grand master of the SeaFair festivities. His brother, a long-time hardworking, Alaskan deckhand spoke on King5 News about kissing babies, shaking hands and signing pictures like he was a presidential candidate. Don't get me wrong, they work their asses off in the middle of the Bering Sea. I'm not complaining, I don't strive for this kind of notoriety.

I bring this all up because with fame, be it Discovery Channel or a $900 video from Charthouse Learning, comes a new limelight that has a whole new bag of exposure you never thought possible. Besides the body aches, calloused hands and smelly clothes, I feel a sense of kinship with these guys because we share a rock solid work ethic that is in a constant balance with the demands of being a human being with friends and family. We begin to have each other as our true and closest family. Take the cameras and videos and blogs away and we're still just Taho, Erick, Ryan, Ben, whomever. We sell fish and stay in business so we can make a difference.

With all that in mind, wednesday was a day that brought one of our own back to work. Keith, the Bear, Bish has been at home the past seven weeks nursing a broken leg. As one particularly known for his "power in brevity", the Bear was glad to be back throwing smoked salmon and a smile to his Pike Place Family.
"Good to see you Bear, how's your leg?"
"Sore."

"Cooking for thanksgiving?"
"Nope"

"Glad to be back?"
"Not sure yet, how are you?"

Some say there is magic in our orange pants and aprons (find me a man who wears overalls and doesn't smile!) Although they do keep us dry and a bit less smelly......for Bear those Grundens are keeping him the same old rock that customers have known for the past 30+ years.
Welcome back Bear....

And Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Come down to the market and throw some smoked salmon on those leftover turkey sandwiches!


Early Wednesday morning, The Bear with his brace that will follow him for the next four weeks.