This one made me think of my dad

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I never wore the dress again

But I very happily wore it ten years ago today. Happy Anniversary, Amy & David!

We've started state testing this week and everyone at work is cranky. Thankfully, I didn't have to proctor a test this year--that's just painful to do as a non-teacher because the students are testy and rude to their normal teachers. It's even worse with me because I'm "just a sub." There is a class testing in the library--a group of rather rotten 6th graders--and I'm trying my best to just ignore them. All the fiction books now have security strips with the help of the auto-assigned sub who didn't have a class to sub during testing this week so she offered to help as her job on Monday. It worked for me--I warned her that it's monotonous, tedious, and quite boring work. She agreed with that estimation but came back on Tuesday. Working solo the past two days, I've been able to finish the task and listened to the first 19 chapters of "Anne of Green Gables." I love that book. I feel Anne and her dislike of her horrid red hair.

Paul and I had an unexpected invitation to dinner last night from our friend Chris who was in town on business. It was very last minute but I hadn't gotten so far as to what I was going to cook so it wasn't a bad thing in my book.

Tomorrow, the final measurement of the kitchen for the new countertops and we'll hopefully get the work scheduled soon. Beyond that, not much is going on and that is quite fine with both of us. It leaves more time for Guitar Hero III.

The end of Carrie's Discretionary Spending Fund in one fell swoop

Today, we FINALLY signed the contract for new countertops and backsplash. Yee! We started this process in October, I believe. Between my being totally overwhelmed at the options and Paul being out of town, like, all the time, we couldn't make a decision. I've finally settled on quartz countertops in Storm Grey (I can't make only the color link so the link goes to all the quartz colors). The backsplash is going to be 8x12 tiles set in subway tile fashion in three slightly varied colors that coordinate nicely with our floor tile which also has the same colors (I can't find a link with these tiles but these are other tiles in the same line). The tiles have a small relief in the middle of each tile and the 4-inch tile (listel or lisette, I believe it is called) also has a relief pattern--understated and subtle yet not boring. Just like me. And! We'll be getting a new undermount sink. I think Paul would fit in this sink--it's huge and deep. It's not exactly what I thought I wanted but I already have a little crush on it so I'm sure I'll learn to love it quickly.

We're also going to have two windows in our living room removed. I've had to argue with several men on the removal of these windows and have lived with cardboard in my windows to prove my point. There will still be 6 clerestory windows and 3 humongous (2-3'x10' and 1-4'x10') west-facing windows in the living room. If anything, it is a nicer light in the living room without these two south-facing windows. I disliked these windows when we built the house but 7 years ago, I was too young/naive to speak up and say so when they went in. I'm sure I would have had to argue with men then as well and I'm not sure I would have won the discussion at 25. The windows are on either side of the fireplace/TV nook and the bottoms of the windows are at 6-feet. The windows are 2' x 4'and have no point. They don't open. There is no view out them. I've never even opened the blinds on them. And if viewed from the outside, we have a "face" with the windows as "eyes" and the fireplace vent as the "nose." So, away with those silly things.

Next up isn't cosmetic but one of the homeowner-has-to things. I need to make a variety of phone calls to have windows that have broken seals replaced. According to a neighbor, the windows are supposedly still under warranty but I haven't called to confirm that. I think 4 of the 6 clerestory need to be replaced, one of the 3'x10' windows, and the upper-half of the window in the guest room. What I heard from another neighbor is that aside from the weather in ABQ which definitely affects the windows (all that contraction and expansion), the windows were not manufactured here so they aren't made for our altitude. It does make a bit of sense to me--our house is at 6000 ft. Apparently, my windows have a little altitude sickness.

I've joked with Paul that if he's going to make me stay in this house (which I actually really like), I'm going to keep doing things until I get it perfect (and up to par with what is in our development). Remodeled upstairs two years ago, new A/C last summer, new countertops this year--we're getting there. And we're both still plotting enclosing the back patio. . . .

We'll try not to spend it all in one place

Paul and I did a preliminary take on our taxes today--we didn't get everything entered but wanted to see about what the damage is going to be.  I'll give Paul credit for helping because he did stir once during his nap to the Daytona 500 to inquire as to what I was doing and tell me he'll get all the stock stuff together soon before going back to sleep.  That's pretty much all the help I needed today.  We will owe the federal government some money--not as much as we worried we would and not so much that we won't be doing the kitchen counters.

But the good news is that we'll be getting refund from the State of New Mexico.  An $8 refund.  I know.  You're all jealous of that $8 refund.  We plan on getting Sonic drinks.  Twice.  And not during the Happy Hour special.  Because we're crazy like that.

I'll try a random uploading a random video today.  If this works, I'll try to add a few that we've taken on the camera.  A friend sent this video to me a while back.  I giggle every time I watch it.

Not quite how I'd envisioned an afternoon off

It's an undeniable feeling but I've been doing my best to ignore it since Tuesday.  

"I'll just drink gallons of water and it will all be OK," I said to myself.  "No need for a doctor,"  I said to myself.

This morning, when I found myself "holding it" until 11:30 and things not going so well at that time, I acquiesced and called my primary physician.  And was told that he could see me on Monday.  No sympathy at all when I suggested that I might die by Monday.  I called my gynecologist, where at least the receptionist sounded genuinely sorry that there were no appointments until Monday.  The spouse of a coworker is a P.A. but unfortunately, he is out of town.  So, I kicked the stragglers out of the library, let the teachers who were using the library today know what was going on, grabbed a book from the library shelf and headed to Urgent Care (I'd already told the school secretary who asked why I was still at school).

I checked in at the Urgent Care desk a little after 12:30, was seen by the Triage Nurse at 1:00 (I determined that counts as the "official" time I got to the clinic as I was still hearing a 2.5 hour wait time being quoted by the front desk when I left at 3:30), and settled in with my book, my crossword puzzles, and my iPod to wait it out.  I visited the snack shop which I found to be quite reasonably priced--a can of Diet Coke, a small sack of Ritz Bits, and a 24 oz. bottle of water for under $2.  Thanks to my supply of activities and snacks--and a 4 year old with a possibly broken nose who told her mom, "It doesn't hurt if I don't touch it.  I'm going to try touching it."--the afternoon wait went quickly.  About 3:15,  I finally gave a sample and saw the doctor a bit after that.  I like that she told me there was "an impressive amount of blood and pus."  I don't know why that makes me feel good.  It's not like it's a competition and I can't be all "Woohoo!  I'm #1 for UTIs!"  I caught the infection early enough that it hasn't spread to my kidneys and three days of antibiotics and lots of water is all that is needed to clear this all up.

And one more picture from Christmas, courtesy of Mom.  Happy 5th Birthday, Abigail!  I hope your day was better than mine.