TGIF?

Friday went pretty well for me. I managed to clear the daily stuff off my desk completely today. I have some long-term projects that aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but by the end of the first week, it's good to know that you can get your desk cleared without working through lunch.

Also, I haven't completely screwed up anything yet. It's nice to feel like you know what you're doing.

Samara went to get her background check done at the Alaska State Troopers office today, and she made a new friend. The secretary there was apparently friendly, and said that if her husband gets a moose this year, we can have some moose meat. Yay!

Yesterday, the magistrate gave me an order he'd written and asked me to give him my opinion on whether it sounded okay. It's a simple criminal case, but it has a lot of political ramifications because it has to do with a police chief and a native in an area where some of the natives want whitey to go home. So today we talked about it. He was dismissing three charges against the native, but I told him I thought one of them was a valid charge. He was convinced, so he's dismissing two charges and leaving the third. He would have asked the judge about it, but he's afraid it might go up on appeal, and he didn't want the judge to have to recuse himself. Now I hope that the opinion is right since I had some input. I'll be annoyed if the magistrate gets overturned on appeal.

Samara made yummy chicken and rice tortillas for dinner tonight, and we watched some good television. It occurred to me at some point that, really, when it comes down to it, rural Alaska just isn't that different from the rest of the lower 48 anymore. With the connections from television and the internet, it's not so different from being in Kentucky. It's prettier, the weather will get colder and there are bears (apparently--I haven't seen them). But rural Kentucky has just as few McDonalds, and close to as much alcohol-fueled crime. So what's the difference, really?

Well, I'd better wrap this up. I have to fill out some paperwork so I can register to vote here in Alaska before the election.