ex(PR)essed

Last Tuesday was blissful for me. Not only was The Compassion Forum successfully behind me, and I was enjoying my first evening at home with my husband, but it was premiere night for season four of “The Deadliest Catch,” the most gripping, fascinating show on television! Jeff and I have been fans of this show for years, and I always eagerly anticipate the start of a new season and the chance to reconnect with the “boys” — you know Sig, Edgar, Johnathan, Phil, and the others.

The season opener didn’t disappoint. Edgar gnawed the head off a herring for luck. Phil cursed up a blue streak as he expressed frustration about his challenging sons. Each boat engaged in any number of superstitious practices to ensure a successful season, including spending hours searching for an elusive Cup of Noodles carton for captain Keith to use as a spittoon.

Most people are surprised by how much I enjoy this show, and I must confess that I can’t completely explain it. Since I’m a girl who can’t cruise from southern California to Catalina Island without losing my breakfast (right, Dwayne?!), I think I’m just totally in awe of this world that is so foreign to me: A group of mean leave their families to fish in the Bering Sea, easily the most dangerous body of water on this planet. They smoke like chimmneys (I read that Edgar smokes two packs a day) and ingest caffeine like crazy (the Northwestern drinks a can every two days) and make tons of money. They battle pitching boats; terrible weather, including ice, wind, snow, and rain; extreme fatigue; and each other’s weaknesses, including often cranky captains, all to catch enough crab to make millions. It’s fascinating. I can’t, and wouldn’t want to, avert my eyes!