My pumpkin vine has finally sprouted! I do wish I could have a grand, sprawling pumpkin patch like Martha Stewart’s though. Thirty different varieties! That is one sincere pumpkin patch. I bet the Great Pumpkin visits her place every year.

I woke up before the alarm this morning, and I could tell as soon as I opened my eyes that something weird was going on. Normally the sun is shining brightly through our bedroom window. Today all I could see was orangey-red, like the world had turned into a badly-faded photograph from the 70’s. I grabbed my iPhone from the nightstand and took this picture. Then I jumped on Twitter and saw that everyone was talking about the dust storm (and making Dune jokes). It’s eerie. The SMH has an article with lots of pictures. I think some schools are closed, and people with asthma are supposed to stay in. The Snook claimed that he was able to “smell” the dust, but I’m not getting anything. (Not unexpected considering my allergies are GOING NUTS right now.) I checked on the garden, and everything’s doing all right in spite of the dust and the wind. The cats seem fascinated by it.

Edited to add: Here’s a really nice Flickr gallery.

Waitwaitwait… The FDA has banned flavored tobacco? No more clove cigarettes; no more fruit-flavored Swisher Sweets? My disaffected inner college girl is, like, totally bummed. (Link courtesy of Kevin.)

“Firm cancels health insurance coverage for girl, 17, after celiac disease diagnosis.” I almost didn’t read this story, because I knew it would make me pissed off. This family is now facing bankruptcy. Opponents of health care reform: YOU SUCK.

TO A TOP SCIENTIST
This is great. In 1957, an Australian schoolboy named Denis Cox sent a letter “to a top scientist” at Woomera’s Rocket Range with his design for an Australian rocket. My favorite part is “You put in other details.” Ha! This blogger tracked him down earlier this year. Judging by the comments, it looks like Denis may finally get his reply.

A little stressed
I’ve got three weeks til we go on holiday, and so so much to do.

• Finish a mammoth spec at work so the guys have things to work on in my absence.
• Prepare a presentation on Roald Dahl to give to 120 third-graders next week. (My nephew Kurt told his teacher about my website, so they invited me to speak.)
• Get everything ready for knitting camp, including the syllabus for the sock class I’m teaching, the Internet presentation I’m giving, and the trivia quiz our group is providing.
• Prepare and send out this year’s Halloween Party invitation.
• Get everything ready for Eileen’s arrival. I cleaned my office (i.e. the guest room) yesterday and it was like tidying the psychic blockage in my own head. (I’ve also got to finish knitting the gift I’m making for her.)
• Meet up with Erin the house/cat-sitter and make sure everything’s in order for her.
• Get everything ready for the October guild meeting, including finding us a secondhand filing cabinet and organising for the Food for the Future Fair.

Oh crap. When I write it out like that, there’s even more than I realised.