I’m about to tell  you that I’ve had a stressful few days – and anyone out there panics and worries, let me assure you that this is stress that is well within the range of normal for human beings, and totally the result of normal life stuff, and that I have already dealt with most of it by scrubbing the baseboards, which always affords me a great deal of satisfaction.  (I know some of you are just now thinking "I’m supposed to scrub baseboards? Who notices baseboards?" and I have two answers for you.  Yes, and me.  It’s a personal quirk.  I don’t know what to tell you -except that part of the reason I love cleaning them is that I do it so seldom that they’re really transformed by the process – so clearly my baseboard standards aren’t that high.) 

I spent the weekend doing Bike Rally stuff. (I told you I’m doing the rally this year – didn’t I?)  Saturday I got on my bike and did my second training ride, and a few things happened.  First, I finished. I don’t know how, considering that the ride was mystically uphill both ways and that it was so cold I couldn’t feel my hands on the handlebars.  The second thing that happened was that I got properly afraid.  That ride was a challenge, and it’s small potatoes compared to what the rally itself is – 600km over 6 days – Toronto to Montreal.  My sister and I comforted ourselves by saying that if we stick to the training schedule we’ll be fine, but I’m starting to think that we might have been using "fine" in a non-traditional way.  I’m just going to keep getting on my bike and riding far and hope that it all comes together.  It’s very scary. 

Sunday I went to the bike expo and did my required workshops.  I’m pleased to announce that I can now fix a flat on my bike – although not without swearing violently and creatively.  The instructor reassured me that the rally only requires that I can do it – not that I do it with any sort of grace – so I guess I’m okay.  (Even Sam changed her inner tube faster than I did. It was a bit demoralizing.)

Somewhere in all of that we did a bunch of family stuff, I unpacked from Sock Camp and started re-packing to go out the door on Friday  (See here, I’m on the road for a week.) and then magically managed to finish Ken’s Birthday Socks, which fall entirely into the category of Better Late Than Never.

I love knitting socks for Ken.  He always seems so pleased to have them, and since he’s a knitter himself, he knows how much work they are. 

Pattern: Francie, yarn Everlasting – in Congo.

The sharp eyed will note that I changed the toes.  I just whacked my standard favourite on there – I like it better.

More tomorrow, when I’ve got a grip on things here.  There’s more baseboards.