Update

Okie dokie. Where were we?

Well, I haven't been able to blog because I've had to take my computer in to work and leave it there for a few days. FINALLY taking that P.O.S. Vista operating system off and replacing it with Windows 7 in an effort to get it ready for a work-from-home scenario. There are just too many programs that won't run on Vista for me to even try to keep using that system.

So Windows 7 was installed yesterday, but we had to completely wipe my hard drive to do it. Good thing I backed everything up on an external drive last weekend. Well, everything except iTunes. Rats! I have an older iTunes back up, so I'm hoping I won't lose my entire music library. Because that would just suck. Now we need to set up the VPN client and add other software. I'm hoping to bring the computer home for the weekend.

On the health front, lots of squishing, smashing, poking, and prodding on Tuesday for the mammogram and colposcopy. You know, I think a mammogram is a rite of passage. You don't need to have one if nothing is wrong until you're 40, then it's a recommended part of health maintenance. Let's just say I'm beginning to feel like a mature woman. But I don't think I ventured into the "woman of a certain age" territory just yet.

I received the mammo results today—all clear. Now just waiting on the colposcopy. Can I just say that procedure is a bitch! I'm very thankful I took a sick day on Tuesday because I was out of commission after that appointment due to severe cramping. Oh, and my doctor has put me on restricted activity—no strenuous exercise, no heavy lifting, and no nookie—pretty much until I get the fibroids taken care of. Which means Scoob is going to be stuck doing most of the loading and unloading for the move since he seems to classify anything over 8 oz. as "heavy" when I'm lifting it.

On the heart attack front, I got a bill for the first doctor visit that started all this—$565!

!!!!!! 

Okay, if an office visit with my primary care doctor for a routine physical was $565, what are all the other things (ultrasound, blood work, GYN appointment, mammogram, colposcopy) going to be? I was fully prepared to spend hours in automated voicemail hell yesterday trying to get to the bottom of it. Amazingly, I got a human on my first try. And 15 minutes later I was told to disregard the bill. Apparently it hadn't been submitted to my insurance company. Whew!

On the furry front, Scoob and I were talking over the weekend about logistics with the cats and decided to get a harness and leash for each of them. Tank seems to love his harness, but (of course) Dozer hates it. The plan is to keep them harnessed for the move and while they're in the car, we'll attach their leashes to a seatbelt. This way they can get out of their carriers, move around, use the litter box, and just be more comfortable and we won't have to worry about one of them bolting from the car when we open a door.

We did a test run on Sunday, and it went pretty well. Though I'm not sure if that's because they settled into it, or because we gave them a "calming" kitty treat about 30 minutes before putting them in the car. Heh. I do still need to call the vet and get a prescription for kitty tranqs. You know, just in case.

More pictures of the house coming soon, once I get my computer back at home. But the builder notified us that Parade judging happened today, and the Parade of Homes begins tomorrow. She also told us that each of the 6 judges (2 groups of 3) selects a special feature for each house. It looks like one group selected the front entry and elevation of the house as the special feature, while the other group selected the kitchen and laundry area.

To be honest, leading up to this, I didn't much care what other people or the judges thought of how we were building the house, because we're building it for us, not them. But I will say that every time someone comments on how much they like the kitchen, it makes me feel good. Because that kitchen is all me. Scoob let me know if there was something he absolutely didn't like, but other than that, I chose every single thing and feature in there. I took a leap away from traditional with that rock wall. Even though I liked it, it felt like a big design gamble while we were making our selections and convincing the builder and  others that yes, this really was what I wanted to do. Now that the house is complete, it's validating to hear that other people are appreciative of my vision.