See, there's the difference between America and the rest of the world. They party first and then work, while we work and then party. Hey why not have two parties? Take some time off Saturday and hold an unofficial May Day celebration. Work like crazy fishing, gardening, pounding nails and showing the tourists a good time, and then party again on Labor Day. You don't need a parade for May Day, not when there are all these cool Best Bets:

BEST GET 'EM UP DOGIES BET: Round up the wagons, hoss, cuz we've been punching cattle all day and it's time for some grub. Ayup, the Homer Mariner Football Booster Club holds a Chuck Wagon BBQ Chicken Dinner fund-raiser from 7-10 p.m. Friday at the Elks Club. Tickets are $10 adults, $8 for students and $5 for children under 12 and available from football players. Raffle tickets are $3 each.

BEST SPIFFY AND SAFE BET: OK, here's the drill. Pick up your trash bags today from the Homer Chamber of Commerce, then get up early Saturday morning and do the annual gross-and-disgusting gunk collection shtick. Dump off trash starting at 9 a.m. at the chamber, then head over to the Bus Rodeo starting at 9 a.m. at the Homer Middle School. Watch our local drivers smoke the competition, then head over to the Safe Kids Fair from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the high school. Whew. May Day won't be boring.

BEST 15 YEARS LATER BET: Former Rep. Gail Phillips returns to Homer from Anchorage to report on what's up at her new job as executive director of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council.

Gail and Phillip Mundy, the EVOS science director, present "Then and Now: A Message of Hope," on update on oil spill prevention and mitigation, starting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitors Center.