bringing sexy back

So, re: the issue of one side of my head I have solved the problem by taking it from subpar to freaking awesome. I didn’t do it alone; in fact I only had the vision. Dane was the actual agent of manifestation and kudos, I say, to him.  Though we later found out he was even more trashed than any of us expected while he did it I think that probably only helped. P.S. Emily, I dedicate this haircut to you. I knew you would be as excited as I am. Here is also a picture of what I wear to work every day minus hairnet and band-aid. I should have put that on for the picture because it’s pretty essential to my look. I have to wear it to ensure that this lip ring that I’ve had for over four years and don’t even know how to take out, and would probably take two pairs of pliers and three people, doesn’t fall off my face into the product. Because that’s much more likely than a big blue band-aid falling off my sweaty lip. But I digress. 

So for those who are interested I’ll give a brief rundown of a typical day, today in fact.

6 am I get up at and get dressed and stretch a little

6:30 eat a small bowl of eggs and hashbrowns

6:40 I go and put on my raingear and band-aid and hairnet and hearing protection

6:45 clock in and go check how many fish we have, start up the incline belt and crossover belt etc. and let some fish out of a bin to fill up the fresh frozen hopper where the fish wait to go to the slime line

8 or so we usually finish processing the fish and start cleanup

9 or so we start cleanup. I always clean the sorting belt, where people sort the different types of salmon that get pumped in into different bins. That takes about an hour when I can either think about how the other person I’m cleaning with is doing it all wrong or about how many other activities I would rather be doing with my wrists’ limited lifespan.

[Is that how a possessive comma-in-the-air works? I am losing the ability to write. Yesterday I was trying to spell “friend” and just sat there looking at it, trying to figure it out. It looked too weird. And then on my wall I wrote “hungery”. It’s a little distressing.]

Then sometimes we get another boat in the afternoon and so I sleep until lunch and then do the routine over again. Up until now we’ve been getting 4 to 10 thousand lbs at a time, but today we are waiting for the boat from Bristol Bay which is bringing about 250,000 lbs. So instead of working for 3 hrs I think tomorrow will be more like 16. We have an exciting evening and 4^th of July ahead of us.

In other news Lauren has carpal tunnel and has to get surgery/sergury when she gets home and Jade threw out her back again and so is hobbling around bent halfway over. I have been working on some tennis elbow but so far it’s mild.

 So it’s now 12:44 am and we just got off work. It was action packed. I thought I would add that if anybody wants to send me anything, like dried fruit, nuts, episodes of This American Life or large earrings feel more than free.

Send them to:

Kira (Jade’s Friend)

Bottom of Fish Bin

Fish Camp, AK

No, the real address is:

Kira Nelson

c/o Icicle Seafoods 

PO box 30

Larsen Bay, AK 99624

Punch this face in the face.

That's what Jade and I are calling the foto stills movie that we made yesterday. It is, my friends, amazing. You have to hear it played to Girl Talk. We also managed to memorize the Eminem part of the song which was very satisfying. Or almost memorize it. We're working on it. It's still hot, there is more work now. I have been burning oil and working on the fillet line. In an hour I get to go do that again, labeling. They are classy labels let me tell you. 

Here is what I painted in Jade's room. Okay, I have to go to lunch now but kisses to everybody and wish me luck labeling with Polish people. Here is how you say small fish: Mowa riba. 

He didn't do it because it hurt, you know.

Can we talk about one of the questions that has troubled humankind for months now? How can one side of Kira’s head look so good and the other side look so subpar? With every haircut? And also how come only pictures of me taken by Lauren look flattering? Otherwise completely unphotogenic? How did Beck get all those genes?

Also, how like high school it is here. Ridiculously so. Lauren and Jade and I all go do separate things and then at lunch we sit together at big benches and tables and talk about the other groups of people sitting around us. We even found a Pinky here, This Pinky we call him, who seemed really cool until he got super trashed and threatened Lauren and Marek with a knife last night, which is something That Pinky would never do.

I have had the last four or five days off, partly because there are no fish and partly because I have not gone out begging for it. Which at times I feel guilty about but then again, I have always been more focused on being happy than on being employed. And happy I have been. I am painting a GREAT painting in someone’s room; I’m very pleased. Below you will see a picture. I have been spending more time with Lauren and Jade than I have since, well, February I guess but before that it’s been seven years which is very good for my mental health and reminds me that I used to be a very different person. Which I would like to reincorporate somewhat because they are both some of the coolest people in the whole world. Speaking of which here is perhaps my favorite foto of Lauren ever.

I have also been doing some good Spanish practice, I have met some really cool people and practiced interpersonal communication skills. I have been reading out loud with Jade and drinking and I laugh really hard at something at least once a day. I’m basically doing all of my very favorite things and I don’t even have to cook for myself, which actually we can count as another favorite thing.

It’s obviously too good to last.

We should be getting fish soon and then I suppose I can start freaking out and being unhappy and getting good at my job and making money.

I have to say it is very satisfying so far, my job, and I hope that I get very proficient and everybody can say, “Well, I guess Kira is the best bin girl we’ve had since Jade or that Russian last year,” and talk about how cool I was. Or am, because maybe I will come back. We have to see how it goes once there are some 18 hr days. But really, who will help facilitate the extinction of salmon if not me? It’s rather weird to be knee deep in a steel bin of salmon with all their mouths open looking at you. They are very beautiful fish.  Here is the mural that I'm painting right now. It's pretty cool. And then, just to finish things out here is me dominating at thumb wrestling. This is right before my decisive win against Jade and Lauren's friend Matt Hart Fels. 

SHOW-time

Hey everybody!
I'm excited to announce that I'm having a show at the Capitol Theater this February 2009 in Olympia WA. I think it will be called What Goes Around Comes Around. The opening reception will be on Saturday February 2nd.