Ah, but this weekend is the Big One, the last bash before Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent when all good Christians swear off carousin', partyin' and the consumption of sweet treats. Those of more liberal spiritual persuasions might not follow such restrictions, but hey, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I mean, out of respect for other beliefs.

Put on your purple, green and gold beads, hide behind feather masks, and celebrate the weekend. Responsibly, of course, with designated drivers, etc., etc. And if you're not into a bacchanal Alaska style, well, try out some of these other Best Bets:

BEST ANSWER THE CALL BET: The dance call, that is. Ayup, it's the monthly square and contra dance at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at McNeil Canyon Elementary School. Laura Patty calls to music by Four Leaf Colvis. Wear clean, soft-soled shoes. Beginners welcome. Admission is $6, free for kids under 16.

BEST PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES BET: The friends of the Bullards have been pounding nails like carpenters on overtime out at the rebuilding of the Bullard's home on Caribou Lake. You can help them out at a spaghetti feed fund-raiser and auction for the Bullard Fire Fund. It starts at 5 p.m. Friday at Down East Saloon, East End Road.

BEST TAKE A WALK ON THE MILD SIDE BET: Here's a thought: a community where it's possible to get around by shank's mare. Dan Burden of Walkable Communities speaks at 6 p.m. Friday for "Trails, Trails, Trails," a discussion of how Homer can make the town more attractive to pedestrians and bicyclists. This month's Community Conversation at the Pratt Museum, Deland Anderson leads the discussion.

BEST "AARAGH!" BET: The Republican Party doesn't have a colorful speaker like Howard Dean well, not since Spiro Agnew but the Betster hears that if you rile up Sen. Ted Stevens, he might engage you in as spirited a discussion. Alaska's senior senator has been invited to attend the Republican Party of Alaska's District 35 Convention, along with Sen. Gary Stevens and Rep. Paul Seaton. The event starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center.

BEST FOREST FOR THE TREES BET: How has the forest changed after the spruce-bark beetle infestation? What will be the effects on wildfires? Those are some of the topics at "A Changing Alaska Forest Ecosystem," a symposium Tuesday to next Thursday at Land's End Resort. Call (907) 269-8460 for information.

BEST FLEET DO YOUR STUFF BET: Former Homerite Vicki VanFleet returns to town this weekend with her jazz band Fleetstreet. Friday at 7 p.m. the band plays at a fund-raiser for the Homer Council on the Arts up at Mike and Kathy Pate's home on Highland Drive. Tickets are $75 and going fast. Saturday, Fleetstreet performs at 7 p.m. at Alice's Champagne Palace. Tickets are $5 for youths, $8 for arts council members and $13 general admission.