Mike Huckabee called last night

He said I really, really ought to vote for Joe Miller.

And I said, "Mike, dude, don't you know you are calling the wrong house?"

But Mike, like many of my Tea Party callers, wasn't interested in me.  Oh no, it was all 'liberal agenda of Barack Obama" this and "serious time for our country" that, and some 'protect life' thrown in for good measure.  Oh, and did you hear?  Joe Miller is bold.  And apparently, Mike called from a place called "Foreign Exchange" with a 402 area code. 

So I went back to watching some mass entertainment put out by the vast liberal conspiracy to corrupt our youth and turn all tweens into sexters, although honestly, I have a hard time seeing the connection between Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" and any threat to the as-yet unlabeled generation.  What are they?  Generation Z? Did anyone actually watch "Death Proof?"  

So there I was, back on the couch with a beer watching some pretty mindless violence.  And who should call?  Lt. Governor Loren Leman.  Funny right?   Loren and I don't talk on the phone much.  He prefers things to remain the way they are -- him down in Juneau doing not much other than hop on the wagon of more charismatic candidates and spout some right wing clap trap, and me up here in Goldstream Valley rereading my copy of the liberal agenda to my same sex partner and occasionally writing a check to radical groups like those organic food growing CSAs.  Loren:  Happy.  Me:  Happy.

But no, Loren had to mess with our happy arrangement (see above) and try to convince me to vote for Joe Miller.  Apparently Loren had been talking with Mike and a previous caller with the code name Alaskans for Common Sense.  Loren was very concerned about the Barack Obama's liberal agenda.  (Must remember to see if it is the same version as mine.)

It was impossible to get a word in edgewise. otherwise I might have gently reminded Loren that as an undeclared voter, I'm not allowed to vote in the Republican primary.  (Edited on 8-25 because that just isn't true.  One has to pick which ticket to vote - the Dem or the Republican.)  Sure, after a number of drinks, I have contemplated registering as one just so I could cast a preventative vote before the general election.  I have no illlusions, living as I do in Greater Redneckia, that Republicans won't get elected fairly frequently.  But what a service to help make sure only the less crazy ones make it to the primary.  I confess the concept is still so repugnant that I don't think I have the stomach for it.  I remain unaffiliated.

I did eventually hang up, and would have called back later to apologize for my rudeness, but Mike was calling from a phone number that my caller id could not suss out.  I guess I'll have to wait until he calls back.

Red Gold: Little Flavor Bombs

We've been playing hooky, again, Flic and I.  In our defense, the world is being kooky and appalling enough that surely, how important is it to point that out?  La Palinista Supreme continues to generate headlines, so things are okay at least in Wasilla.  (From the perspective of the Wasillians, obviously.)

 Digressing. 

When the times get tough, or too annoying, and it is June-August in Alaska, the wise woman goes dipnetting.  Had another lovely time perched on a rock waiting for the bump of a red salmon.  And bonus!  Got there in time ahead of the hordes of people directed to Chitina by the ADN article the week prior.  Spent most of the last week processing:  brining fish, smoking fish, drying fish, drying and smoking fish... and enjoying the delicacy that is red caviar.  It doesn't keep that long and I refuse to try to can it.  It is awesome (particularly on a hot day with a cold beer) and oh-so-fleeting, a once a year treat.  If you're harvesting salmon and don't try to make it at least once, I suspect you are a closet Tea Party member.