A Nickname for Greg

So now that I'm off to Alaska in a couple days to work in the "gold fields" of Chicken, Alaska, for the summer, I'm thinking I need a good nickname related to the mining industry. Over the last several years we have met lots of recreational miners and others who work semi professionally or professionally in the field. Some of them have some really cool nicknames. What made me start rethinking this was the comment from "Big Bill" in Anchorage, Alaska, although I thought a little bit about it before as well. Big Bill. It's a little like "Big John, Big John, Big John, Big Bad John." It just sounds cool! I guess I don't need to be cool, but the assignment of a good nickname is rather complimentary to the fact that one is working in a field that matters (to one, if not to more than one...)

So in addition to Big Bill, there was "Texas Bill" who helped the caretakers at Vein Mountain. He was a big Bill, but he was from Texas, sounded like he was from Texas, talked like he was from Texas, and so on. A good guy to be sure. Very likable. And while he was likable with or without the nickname, I more than likely would not remember his name day in and day out without the "tag".

We also met a "Gator Jim", a "Florida Bob," a "Nuggetman Will", who autographed his book for us, "Crystal Jim", who is really good at gold reclamation and at moonshine production, "Juneau Judy", and "Yukon Yonda", who once said "Boys, It's not a gold mine; it's more like Gold??? Mine!!!"

Even Marilyn got a nickname on our first trip to Alaska, though she's probably going to be slightly less than thrilled that I tell this story. First time we found a nugget in our sluice box, Marilyn was so thrilled and amazed that the gold really does settle out at the top of the sluice and not pass right on through and out the other end- that she decided to pick it out, look it over, then send it on through the sluice again, just to see if and where it would stop the second time through! To my thinking that put our find at risk, but sure enough it showed up again later in the day, right there at the top of the sluice on cleanup. When I relayed this story back in camp at the end of the day, the guys started to call her "DD."

"DD" I said.

"Yea, it's short for Double Drop" Apparently this phenomonon is not all that rare, evidenced by the term already in existence. Still, it stuck, and while she doesn't especially relish being called that, I think it's a cool nickname. Actually, I guess I just think it's cool that someone HAS a nickname. It's not a negative, high schoolish name, it's just a fitting assignment of a term of affection that came about in the process of doing what you do....

So I'm thinking about it. I thought about "Chicken Greg" but it's too much of a Chicken George thing from ROOTS. Everything else we came up with was forced and foolish. So what do you think. Suggestions? And "NO! Marilyn, "Dirt Bag" does not work for me!"