Happy Birthday to Me!

  I was rummaging around in one of my dresser drawers the other day looking for a small screwdriver or some such thing for the crew who was working on the bathroom. I don't usually keep tools in my dresser, but this screwdriver was made for eyeglasses, and I didn't want to lose it in the mess that I call my tool room. Anyway, I came across a card that I got for my birthday last year. When I opened it, there was money inside! Woo Hoo! I'd forgotten all about it, which was fine, because otherwise it would have been spent already. Well, it just so happens that my favorite store, Tideland Tackle, started carrying a line of Ray Troll t-shirts. For those of you who may not know Ray Troll, he's a famous Alaskan artist who made fish art really cool. He does some other things too. I've seen t-shirts with dinosaurs on them and I can't recall what else. My interest is mainly in fish, so I don't pay attention to anything else. He came up with a design for the under appreciated and often times cursed pink salmon or humpy. It's the smallest of the salmon and unless you're fishing for them specifically, they're a nuisance, They aren't worth much, and they are voracious feeders, so you can load up your fishing lines with them and the money fish can't bite because all the hooks are full. Anyway, Ray came up with a design with a bunch of angry looking humpies with huge teeth and the slogan, Humpies From Hell. It was pretty popular. There was also a shirt that mentioned Creek Street down in Ketchikan where he has his studio. Apparently Creek Street was the red light district some time back. The slogan on the shirt was-Creek Street, where both men and salmon go to spawn. I haven't seen that one in awhile either. I can't begin to remember what all he carries. There are a number of really interesting slogans with corresponding drawings. If you get on the Ray Troll web site, you can see for yourself what's available. I happened to love the one I'm wearing. The colors are so vibrant and the message is spot on. Commercial fishermen, especially Alaska fishermen, are feeding the world.  Now a note about my picture. Jan has a habit of cutting my head off when she takes my pictures, although in her defense, I guess if the whole t-shirt was going to be shown, something had to go, why not the top of my head? I always look like I'm angry in all my photos.I'm not sure why that is. I think it's those blasted bushy eyebrows. I trim them almost daily, and overnight they grow like dandelions. I don't understand it. It looks like I'm getting a mug shot taken. Actually, that wouldn't be so bad if I could wear my Ray Troll. That gives me an idea. States could get sponsors from various companies, you know, Coca Cola, Frito Lay, Budweiser. Then when a person gets a mug shot, the corrections officers could give them a shirt for the photo shoot thus advertising for the company.Of course the down side would be if people looked at the sponsors shirts and equated them with criminals. The upside would be that It would give the tax payers a break, and maybe provide some money for the prison recreational fund. A new ping-pong table or Foos ball might be appreciated. I suspect that a dart board wouldn't be considered, unless it was covered in felt and the darts were those flat faced Velcro things. Anyway, something to think about. So, if you're at a loss for what to buy a friend or family member, consider a Ray Troll t-shirt. They're colorful, fun and neat to look at; or just give them some money and they can go buy their own.