We skimmed the lower edge of 80 degrees today

while I was knitting a wool scarf.

Molly Ivins: "George W. Bush says he doesn't 'believe in' global warming. Like it's a theological proposition."

I've lived in FL for nigh onto 25 years. Back in the 80s we had lots more freezes. My kids actually had to own parkas and mittens to get through most of January and February. I remember my daughter hated long pants - she's a native to her very DNA, her dad grew up in Miami Beach - and when she was a small child we'd have the battle of You Can't Wear Shorts It's 40 Degrees, and she acted like putting on long pants was like a full body cast. Yesterday, January 21, 2006, I watched little preschooler girls who reminded me of her at that age skipping through Target, chattering away, in skimpy cotton sundresses and sandals. We've had a few sweatshirt days and 30-something nights. Very few. No freezes so far - the threats always peter out into 40 degrees in reality.

Just an observation, I'm not a government-paid scientist so of course I'm full of shit.

So, yes, the wool in the stash is crossing from "I can justify it because it's useful at times," to "Okay, I love to felt, is that a crime?" to "Okay, this is now getting kind of tinfoil hats and too many cats." A little wool is good, a light wool is fine, but it's time to make peace with global warming and accept that I don't need really woolly things. Charity knitting, here I come.

I finished the red Red Scarf Project scarf, and cast on a second in stash Encore, in teal. A nice, rich, gender-neutral color in the same gender-neutral mistake rib. I noted that it has been said on other blogs, but I repeat myself all the time so I'll pile on: This is knitting for college students. The coin laundry is expensive, hand washing is a bitch and it takes three days to dry hanging there in a small room smelling like pizza, sneakers and now a wet sheep, so if they spill something on the scarf it's eventually going in the commercial machine and probably with the underwear. Encore is the kind of yarn that is right for this job.

Of course, it's after dark and has just now dropped to 69 degrees, so Encore and anything woolly is NOT the right yarn for this life I live. I made good on my idle musing today, I went to WEBS and bought some Longmeadow. In Aegean, and enough for a baby blanket. I had a brief, insane urge to joint the Harlot's Knitting Olympics, but I realized I'd been sniffing the cleaning products too hard and went outside to breathe the fresh air. I see several variations on this theme "for the rest of us" have been born, the non-knitting, the process knitting, and I'm tempted to suggest a charity knitting thing but that would require me to actually check the blog often and keep track of things and I just don't have it in me. So here's the informal Bossy Dog Olympics For The Rest Of Us: Why not make something for The Dulaan Project or Project Linus while soaking up all Olympic stuff? You don't have to register, there are no prizes, and I don't have the energy to make a button. Whatever. There are kids who would love warm cuddly stuff. I'm spending the rest of this quasi-cool season making charity things and whittling down the inappropriate stash. Only to replace it with linens and cottons.

The Cuisinart coffeemaker is lovely. I forgot what hot coffee was like. It's good. There are times when you just look at your life, and think, "I have a good job and a decent paycheck, and yet I have paper towels under my coffeemaker because it is incontinent." Life is too short to put up with dull men or a pissing coffeemaker.

I spent a little (like 15 minutes) of quality time with my new organizer. Tomorrow I will get to the office a tad early and organize for the week. I had a Dayrunner in the 90s, but I hadn't gone through the cool classes to teach you efficient things to do with these things. I tried to use the book, ended up with a hybrid of computer and a notebook, and have limped along with three bastardized systems pasted together, kind of like the Department of Homeland Security.

Now, I'm a Franklin Covey Groupie. If I use it for 21 days I'm treating myself to some upgraded goodies.