I got back another abnormal pap smear with some squamous cells that are more developed than they should be. I forget the terminology, but they are a little more mutated than they should be. I go in for a biopsy in a week or so. Then, perhaps another leep procedure. We're already talking about the future of removing my uterus and keeping my ovaries. *sigh*

My throat's tons better, though my knee is still kind of sensitive. I can do stuff, but a lot of time on my feet makes it swell and ache. But that's also true of my throat. If I spend a lot of time using my voice, my throat swells up and aches.

I'm overall feeling better. I was pretty bummed about the abnormal pap smear again and cried a little when I found out. It's just frustrating to never feel like I have a healthy moment to myself, you know?

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Yesterday, I took the kids and a couple of their friends to Barnes and Noble for the Harry Potter party and we made crafts to beat the band, ate out, did more crafts, then I gave the kids to Mike who took them to see Willy Wonka, while I went curtain shopping with a girlfriend (we're refinancing again because our house is worth that much more and we're going to do lots more stuff to the house, but we want to make it pretty for the appraiser). I'm picking up my book this morning, but with the refinance, I'm guessing that I'll be reading it somewhat slower than I'd like. They gave out plastic Harry Potter eyeglass frames with the pre-order slips, as an added bonus -- props that will be ferreted away in the Halloween box.

I had so much fun with the kids and they were sooo happy. I did the crafts right along with them, bought a ton a books, and sucked on a frappucino from Starbucks. Unlike the kids', mine had caffeine. I bought lots and lots of books. I love going to the book store -- far more than going to the library. There's nothing like the stiff spine, bleached paper scent, unsmudged cover of a brand new book. I also enjoy smug victories like finding that prequel to the sequel I really wanted to read downstairs in the bargain section. I also get a girl woody for giving kids new books that they really really want.

I had Russell's friends S-boy and S-girl with us and they both wanted a book. Their folks can't afford stuff like that and I knew how much it would mean to both of them. Mind you, I bought S-boy the $20+ book, which was more than I wanted to spend, but that was the only book he really wanted. The kid hates reading and English. After having the teacher that Russell had and that our whole family loathes, I don't blame him for hating English, so I bought him the one damned book he'd read.

Big. Girl. Wood.

I can't help myself. I know that teaching, even when I'm not getting paid for it, is a kind of mental illness, but I love it. I live for it. I look for opportunities for it.

Big. Girl. Wood.

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The appraiser will be here this week -- I am scouring my house.

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If you want to suck the joy right out of your life, coffeedrinkers, you should check out the calorie count in starbucks frappucinos. My gynecologist had warned me that they were nutritional bad news, but damn, I coulda had a big mac. I'm returning to my iced sugar free vanilla 2% latte.

I hate reality.