Today’s entry, a collection of thoughts presented in no particular order.
1. I am thinking about taking Joe’s stumpy birthday mittens apart and making them more pointy. I have concerns about how normal it might be to lose sleep thinking about mitten pointiness, but I really have strong feelings about it. These fit him perfectly, but the lack of geometric tapering is offending me.

2. In preparation for the Sewing up Party for Mason-Dixon Knitting on Sunday at my house (You are coming, right? Drop me a line asking for directions.) I have decided to repaint the house. It was only after I’d bought the paint and started slapping it on the walls that I considered that this might not be the most reasonable response to a party in five days.
3. I have painted the inside of my front door a really dark navy blue. This may have been a tactical error. It is too soon to tell. It is not too soon to tell that every single time I see it I feel a little bit woozy.
4. I stayed up late watching US election coverage. I don’t know why I did this. Some insane idea that someone would be elected on election day. Crazy.
(I will spare you all any rant about world politics that I may be feeling. You all know where I land on the scale. I will instead sit here with my fellow Canadians …only 22% of whom would vote for Bush, chanting “Not my election…Not my country.” Given our proximity and trade relationship, it can be difficult. NB: You should ask me how many of us would elect Martin Sheen. Embarrassing. )
5. I am knitting another Harlot Poncho for Sam’s friend Emma. (Pattern in “free patterns” sidebar). I have told her, even though she is 10 and it’s really wrong to disappoint little children, even though I am painting my house, even though I have to go to work in between now and then and even though there is so much laundry that I’m afraid I’m going to lose the cat…I have told her she can have it by Saturday. What am I? Hit with a stupid stick?

6. I am very close to turning on the heat. My sister caved. My mother caved. There’s just me and my brother and both of us are starting to look a little blue. The high today is 7C, the low….-1C. (That’s 44F and 30F). At what point to I start to consider the children “collateral damage”?
7. Paint on the walls doesn’t dry in temperatures of less than 10C. I know because I asked the paint store guy. I understand what a grave sign it is that I felt that it might be cold enough in my home that I should consider its role in a chemical reaction.
8. I am painting over a colour that we have been calling “Barbie flesh pink” for 8 years. (This is not the real colour name. The real name was something funky like “Wheat circle”. I bought it, and left it with my brother, who painted while I took the kids to the park. When I came back he was done and my walls were infuriatingly “Barbie flesh pink”. I tell you this because it’s important that no one think that I chose that colour. It was a horrible paint/artificial light accident.) The new colour (despite inexplicably being more of a green/taupe colour) is called “Winter’s Silence”. Who names these? Wouldn’t you think that “Winter’s Silence would be…I dunno. White? Off-White? The colour of nothing living? C’mon. Green? In winter? Where do these people live?

9. I am thinking that we should do a “Toronto” afghan on Sunday. Good idea? Everybody bring a square of whatever you like. (If you can. No pressure) 20cm or 8 inches. Follow the guidelines here. Don’t worry about colour. Bring a square that makes you feel good. Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world, the blanket can reflect that. If you don’t have time, that’s ok. I’ve got a head start.

10. I can’t stop eating leftover Halloween candy. I eat it until I feel ill. Then I drink coffee. Then I paint. Then I watch the news. I appear unable to stop repeating this unhealthy cycle until the house is painted, politics make sense, caffeine poisoning is incurred or the candy is gone. Don’t mock me.