I’ve always paid attention to the election results in other states because they clearly impact every American. What happens in Florida can affect people in Maine. But this year is strange because I don’t know where the twins will live next year.

Up until this point, it was pretty neat and tidy. We focused on our state, and just our state, noticing what was happening in other states without investing much emotional energy. But now the twins will likely be in another state, or maybe even two other states, and we know how much local politicians can change the tenor of a state. So we need to peek into what is happening in many different states because they won’t know where they’ll end up for a while. It’s a strange feeling.

So I’m glued to the results, checking on all states, sending good thoughts into the universe.

I will not remind you to vote today because you are already voting. I feel it in my heart. You have a plan, and you’re ready to go. You know that voting is essential, and you’ve seen what happens when people stay home from the polls or say things like, “Well, I don’t like X candidate, so it doesn’t really matter if I don’t vote.” Yes, it does matter because “don’t like” is not equal to “I’m okay if someone bananapants is in office instead.”

So I am not going to write a post imploring you to leave your house or vote by mail and make your voice count.

Except we are talking and thinking about nothing else in this house. Even though we suspect we already know how some of the results will shake down.

Fine. I’m going to ask you to get out and vote. Please.

P.S. The twins are voting today! Yes, those kids who were drinking bottles at the beginning of this blog.

Not sure what #MicroblogMondays is? Read the inaugural post which explains the idea and how you can participate too.

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I was reading a blog post, and the person mentioned that they were working to become ambidextrous. Just because.

It never occurred to me that this was something to attempt, at least not without clear reason, such as not being able to use your dominant hand or because it naturally occurred. But 1% of the world is ambidextrous. That number seems a little high. That would be 78 million people. More than the entire population of the United Kingdom. Without a dominant hand.

I’m not sure why I’m still thinking about this person’s comment this far after the fact, except to wonder if we should all be attempting to write neatly with our non-dominant hand.

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Are you also doing #MicroblogMondays? Add your link below. The list will be open until Tuesday morning. Link to the post itself, not your blog URL. (Don’t know what that means? Please read the three rules on this post to understand the difference between a permalink to a post and a blog’s main URL.) Only personal blogs can be added to the list. I will remove any posts that are connected to businesses or are sponsored post.

Three Pines is having a moment. There is a new Substack where various people weigh in about the books and a television show coming out in December that looks stunning.

The issue is that I’m still reading the Louise Penny books, and I don’t know how closely the show will cleave to the book storylines. I don’t want to ruin a set of mysteries I enjoy reading. I would be genuinely bummed out if I watched an episode and then recognized it in a book.

But look at the trailer! Doesn’t it look so good? Louise Penny + cold weather = perfect winter reading material. And, apparently, viewing material.

There are only two kinds of people in the world: those who enjoy coconut and those who do not like coconut. Whenever I mention coconut, a certain percentage chime in that they also love coconut, and at the same time, a certain percentage chime in that they hate coconut; it’s akin to eating blades of grass. I cannot think of any other food that receives that kind of reaction. Maybe fruitcake. People either love or hate fruitcake, leaving a no-man’s-land in between.

I am pro-coconut — I like the flavour and the texture. Josh hates coconut, so we rarely have it in the house. Except when it turns up in a bag of Halloween candy or a box of chocolates.

My favourite mocktail: Seltzer, coconut syrup, squeeze of lime.

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Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

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And now the blogs…

But first, second helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “What If There Isn’t a Plan?” (No Kidding in NZ)

Okay, now my choices this week.

The Next 15,000 Days has a moment with a horse. When she asked why a single female horse was left indoors, she discovered, “She was too small so she never had a foal of her own. So she has been separated from other mares with foals, who can be outside on the pastures all days.” Click over to read what she whispers to the horse.

Lastly, The Uterus Monologues writes about baby loss burnout. As someone who also felt disconnected from infant and pregnancy loss awareness week, I related to this post. This thought — “But it makes me wonder whether part of the reason miscarriage has remained taboo (or perceived as taboo) for so long is because even when people do tell their stories they eventually feel compelled to stop telling them, too.” — and the fact that “our stories do go on, our experiences continue to be shaped and re-shaped” resonated with me. She gives you a lot to think about.

The roundup to the Roundup: Team Coconut. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between October 28 – November 4) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week? Read the original open thread post here.