Welcome to another edition of "As the Silla Turns" in which Ivy Frye jumps ship, we learn the Palins are never leaving Alaska, and Todd gets pissy with reporters.

From the New York Times:

Sarah Palin’s big new life is remarkable for its smallness. She is as remote as she is overexposed. Even as she travels the country stirring up Tea Party apostles, poking at opponents and building a robust bank account through speaking fees, book royalties and television contracts, she comes home to one of the more unlikely launching pads in politics — and she apparently will not be pulling up stakes anytime soon.

“Where else would we go?” Mr. Palin said. “Alaska is our home.”

(That wasn't always the plan though.  No that was NOT always the plan.)

Things have changed, of course. Ms. Palin is often away, sometimes joined by her husband and some combination of their five children. Her father, Chuck Heath, who lives in town, said in a recent interview that he had not seen her in a month. While people say that Piper might turn up at Wasilla Bible Church with a cousin and that her parents attend community basketball games, sightings are far less frequent than they were when Ms. Palin was governor and friends from high school bumped into her at the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Ms. Palin’s inner circle has contracted in recent months, with some of her closest longtime Alaska aides — including Meghan Stapleton, a spokeswoman, and Ivy Frye, who helped research her book, “Going Rogue” — departing. Rumors of family discord still rumble across the Internet. Reports have tried to pin down Ms. Palin’s accumulation of wealth ($12 million?) since she resigned as governor. Yet virtually no one who might know the truth appears willing to talk publicly. (Ain't THAT the truth!)Family members are certainly wary.

Damn I missed this new revelation about Ivy Frye!  I had heard that there was somebody in the inner circle who was close to having a nervous breakdown and I figured it had to be either Meg Stapleton, or Ivy Frye, but now with both of them fleeing the scene of the crimes I am still not sure which one it was that was losing her grip. 

Boy I certainly hope that somebody offers Frye a book deal, the woman surely knows about all of the Palin skeletons, and within which closets they are hidden. 

Jesus! Get a load of how tightly wound Tawd is lately.

“Are you the guy who’s been writing all that crap about us?” Mr. Palin barked at an approaching reporter.

A few moments later, less testy, he seemed amused at the soap opera of it all, grinning, eyes wide, as he feigned curiosity. “Have you talked to Levi?” He lingered on the long vowels in the first name of Levi Johnston, his grandson’s father, whose relations with the family have been strained.

I think Mr. Palin has turned into a particularly nasty piece of work. I had heard from an old school chum of his that he was a great guy at one time, but that Sarah had poisoned his very soul.

Mr. Palin started to pull away, then he stopped and leaned toward the window. He emphasized that he did not want to be misrepresented by a reporter.

“What goes around comes around,” he said, still smiling.

You kind of have to wonder how how much longer Todd can hold it together. 

After all he is a guy who was well known for cherishing his alone time, and who had a fair amount of autonomy. Now he is reduced to being Sarah's hired hand, full time babysitter, part time chauffeur, and occasional arm candy for big media events.  And he seems to be responding to it all like one of those big cats in the zoo who pace back and forth, back and forth, until they one day they simply lie down and welcome the sweet escape of death.