This is what the room looked like Thursday morning after we cleaned it out Wednesday to prepare for the tile to be laid:

This is what it looked like Thursday afternoon:

This is what it looked like Friday afternoon:

And Friday evening:

Today they are working on finishing the main field in the music room and hall and some of the cuts. So still a lot to be done. It’s about 1300 sq ft of tile, and tons of angles, so it’s not a quick job. But we’re getting tile! Hurray!

Lord help us, we are trying to pick out a paint color for the kitchen, because you know, since the whole frigging kitchen is torn out right now anyway, we may as well paint it and install cabinets and countertops. Right? This should be fun. Not. But some day it will be pretty. I hope. *sigh*

I receive the church bulletin from my parents old church, and in it there is this statement:

Please also continue to pray for a new Supreme Court justice that will uphold God’s laws and the Constitution of the United States of America.”

This statement really bugs me. Whereas I have no problem with people upholding God’s laws and I see no problem with people praying for a Supreme Court justice that they are comfortable with, I don’t think it is the job of a Supreme Court justice to uphold God’s laws. It is certainly their job and their duty to uphold the Constitutuion of the United States and to interpret the law. But this is the United States of America. There is supposed to be separation of church and state. And the Supreme Court is supposed to represent every citizen whether they believe in God or not. So, yeah, this bugs me. Am I wrong here?

Baby Girl has cut her first tooth. It’s barely there and I wouldn’t have known to look for if I hadn’t felt it, but then I saw a tiny tiny little bit of white where I had rubbed her gum. No wonder she’s cranky today! If I can manage to get a pic of it, I will share.

In other news, we have tile being installed in our great room/music room/kitchen/hall! Hurray! I have some pics that I will try to get up later on today.

And, my income tax refund finally deposited. Hellooooo little 14 inch iBook with 1GB RAM and 100GB HD. Woohoo!!!

So I went to the cardiologist today. Sometimes it’s really annoying how well I know my body. I had a feeling that I would get the news I did, but I was hoping it was all just anxiety causing my symptoms. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. My heartrate was 134 and I’m in atrial flutter. Not so good. So he put me on some meds to see if we can get that under control. He also suggested that I see another doctor in the practice regarding ablation which he says should cure the problem and keep me off meds for good which to me sounds like a very good thing. I still have three months of COBRA left on my present insurance, so what I’m hoping is that we do the ablation, the other insurance recognizes that I’ve been “cured” of this particular issue and also that there have been no incidents related to the heart attack in the past ten years, and decides that I’m an okay risk for them to take on. Of course, this is a lot of hoping and what iffing, but the way I see it, I have been praying constantly about this whole heart thing and the whole insurance thing, so I guess I need to trust that God is providing me a way to get insurance even if it’s not the way I would have preferred. But the thought that I could not have to worry about going into flutter again is a very good thought. And staying off heart meds is especially important if we get pregnant again. So, maybe the bad news will end up being good news in the end. We can only hope and pray it is.

Why do I keep thinking today is Tuesday?

Maybe it’s because I want Monday to be over. I also want Tuesday to be over.

Oh, did I mention that today is the 10th anniversary (for lack of a better word) of my heart attack?

I didn’t? Well, there you go.

So yeah, 10 years. It’s quite the accomplishment huh? I was going to write a long philosophical post on it, but you know what? I’m to the point that I barely remember it. Yes, I know it happened. I’ll never forget that. But, I mean, I barely remember the event. It’s a fuzzy memory. I think that’s a good thing. So here I am 10 years later. My heart is still beating. Maybe not perfectly all the time, but it works pretty well for all the wear and tear.

Tomorrow I have my semi-annual check-up with my cardiologist. And I’m slightly paranoid about it. I don’t know why. No, that’s not true. I totally know why. I should finally be able to get insurance on my own now. I’m paranoid that something will be wrong and I won’t be able to get insurance and I’ll have to go back to work just to get insurance (since my COBRA runs out in November) and I’ll have to leave my daughter and that I just cannot deal with. I know I’d get over it. And if I had to work for money reasons, then well I’d deal with it. But the thought that I might have to work just to get insurance makes me so angry I can’t even begin to explain it to you. That to me is not fair. Yes, I know life is not fair. But the insurance industry is loathsome and disgusting and dumb and it really pisses me off.

So, yeah, I want tomorrow to be over. I want my doctor to give me his usual “you’re fine, see me in six months” spiel. I want to be able to get insurance without having to go back to work. That is what I want.

Aren’t you glad you asked?

You didn’t ask?

Well, you’re reading this aren’t you? ;)

Now that the little one can sit up on her own pretty well, we decided it was time for her first wading pool. And yesterday was the day she got in for the first time, swim diaper, swimsuit, and all. She had a blast and it was totally fun to watch her discover playing in the water.

Here are some pics: (Read on …)

“He’ll be famous - a legend - I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!”
-Professor McGonagall, Chapter One of Book One - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

A lot of my friends have been reading Harry Potter and slowly but surely we are all getting finished, so we can FINALLY talk about it with each other. I found it amusing that the hot topic this morning before Bible School started was our theories and angers and so on about the latest book. We weren’t talking around the water cooler per se, but how often do you see a group of teenagers and adults of a wide range of ages excitedly discussing a book that they have all read at the same time? (Outside of a book club of course) Harry Potter is definitely a phenomenon. We certainly didn’t necessarily agree with how we reacted to certain events in the book (which I won’t spoil here for anyone who hasn’t read it yet) nor did we all agree on our theories as to what will happen in the next book, but we all firmly agreed on one thing. We can’t wait to see what happens next. :)

Lavender was her favorite color. And when I see any shade of purple, she always comes to mind. It’s interesting how that color has become my favorite color as well since she’s been gone. Maybe it’s because it reminds me so much of her.

There was a rosebush in our front yard growing up called “Sterling Silver”. It wasn’t really silver at all, but the palest shade of lavender, and it is my fondest wish someday to have one those bushes planted in a special place in my own yard. I know that every time I see it, I will think again of her.

Whenever I went on a trip, I would always bring her back a trinket. She was easy to buy for. Often I bought her just a simple coffee mug with the name of the place I was visiting. If that wasn’t available, it was something purple, or a tea cup or something with roses. Those were the type of things she liked. And she would always place it somewhere to show it off or use it often. That’s how she was.

Just a few short months after she died, I went on my first trip overseas to England and Scotland. I think the hardest thing about that trip was seeing all the beautiful trinkets and souvenirs that I wanted to buy for her. I would so often find my eyes and hands drawn toward things I knew she would like or enjoy. But as I caught myself reaching for something, I would quickly clench my fist, close my eyes, and fight back the tears. I think if she had still been alive, I would have had to buy another suitcase to hold all the gifts I would have bought for her.

Purple is my favorite color because it reminds me of her. Strange how just a color can flood my heart with happy memories. Just a color can transport me to my childhood home. Just a color can make me hear her voice, see her face, feel her hand in mine.

Just a color.

I wonder how my daughter will remember me.

Found last night in my hallway: This (don’t click if you’re very squeamish)
Disclaimer: This is not a picture of the actual bug, but of the same type of bug that was found in my hallway.

Hubby was gone (of course - cuz they are NEVER around when you really need them!).

However, I was brave and got the Raid and sprayed it from a good distance since luckily said insect spray has a reallllllly long stream. It wandered into my office to die or at least so I thought.

Then I text messaged hubby: GIANT BUG…call me!

He finally called and promised to find it when he got home so I wouldn’t have to come across a giant DEAD bug in the morning.

But he never found it, so we figured he crawled under something to die.

But then, today, I was walking nonchalantly down the hall and there was one of those nasty critters bottoms up with legs flailing.

I think it’s the same one, but he doesn’t.

Whatever the case, he was home, so I let out a scream this time. That felt much better thank you very much.

Hubby threw bug outside.

Hubby promised to fix the doggie door so no more GIANT BUGS can get in the house.

eek.

Taking a break from reading…I’m on Chapter 10 at this point. That’s from waking up in the middle of the night and reading a few chapters. Anyway, I’ve had something on my mind this week, and I haven’t written about it yet, because I’ve sort of been turning it over in my head. Now, I guess I’m ready to share. (Read on …)

It is 10:32 a.m. MST here in Arizona. Still no Harry. Hurry up UPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update: 1:21 p.m. MST. STILL no Harry. I think I may cry. :(

Update: 3:30 p.m. MST. Still no Harry. I could have gone to the store this morning and already had it half read by now. Next book, NO AMAZON. I’ll just either stay up late and get it at midnight or get up early and get it first thing. I was hoping that the fact that UPS was delivering it instead of the Post Office might make a difference, but at this rate, the mail will be here first. :P

Update: 4:27 p.m. MST. You guessed it. Still no Harry. U.S. mail was just delivered. So much for UPS being faster. They must have one person delivering every Harry Potter book in the Valley and I’m last on the list. :P

Update: 5:46 p.m. MST. There is no book in my hand. Amazon said don’t call them until 7 p.m. if your book hasn’t arrived. If it hasn’t arrived at 7, I’m calling them all right. Grrrr. And I’m going to tell them to take their book and well anyway…I may have to make a trip to the bookstore tonight. This is getting ridiculous. I know the book is here in town because it says so on the UPS tracking site. Not happy. Not happy! :-(

Update: 8:35 p.m. MST. The book never came. So, according to Amazon’s website, they will refund my money. Tomorrow being Sunday, UPS will not deliver, so the earliest the book will come is Monday. That, however was not good enough for me.

Our tax returns are finally done and sent in. Yes, I know it is July. Don’t ask.

Anyway, because we had a baby last year, (thank you baby girl for being a little early!) and because some other deductions and credits and all that fun have kicked in (thank you government!), we are getting a very nice return…even with me working only half the year last year. In essence, they are actually giving us back more than we put in (not like I haven’t given it to them already in other ways :P). And so, I am finally going to get something I have wanted a for a really long time. A laptop! Happy happy!

Thank you President Bush. :)

See? Tax refund, tax credits, I get more of my own money back and guess what I do with it? Right back into the economy it goes. Hooray!

I pre-ordered Harry Potter from Amazon so that it would (supposedly) be delivered on THE day which is of course tomorrow. He better not be late is all I’m saying.

And also, I am like the biggest spoiler nut on the planet. I LOVE spoilers. But if I hear any spoilers about Harry before I read the whole book, I may have to kill someone. Or something. That was a joke. Maybe. Just don’t RUIN HARRY FOR ME or I WILL NOT BE HAPPY!!!!