Rick Oppegaard:  

A friend suggested that I tell a bit about me, so here goes. At 18 years of age I went to Alaska to find work. I got a job on fishing boats in Prince William Sound. I did that for two seasons. I worked in boatyards in Vancouver and in Tacoma for a couple of years. When I was 21 I married a woman I met while working in a little mom and pop store that my folks owned, down in the Carter Park neighborhood. She had two boys, and a year or so later we had twins, a boy and a girl. So, by the time I'm 23 I have 4 kids. That'll wake a guy up in a hurry! After the mountain blew, I worked on dredges for a few years. After that was done, I went to work on towboats on the Columbia River, where I've been ever since. It's a great job, but a hard life. Two weeks on and two weeks off every month for the last 23 years. I have missed half of my family's life. But, it has allowed me to put 4 kids through college, buy a home and have a comfortable lifestyle. We've been able to travel quite a bit and plan on doing more of that. My kids are all great and are happy and successful. The oldest is married, with 3 daug...Expand for more