I'd like to point out that at my last job, I never would have had a spreadsheet named "Obsolete Panties" on my desktop. We're hiring a coder, and while that person's job will not involve keeping tabs on panties, it'll still a lot of fun if you're a geek.

Neither of these things has anything to do with my balcony watering system. I just wanted to show off my pretty little plants that I can't forget to water.

... from the Disney. She's trying to sleep through the Spurs game.

For the coworkers' eatification.

Mom and Dad and I swung by an art show yesterday at the former Lorton prison. It doesn't look like much yet, but there's a lot of enthusiasm, and the place has a history. I think the suffragettes imprisoned there would have been elated to know that women had helped vote in the funding to turn the cellblocks into a place of creative force.

Spent part of Saturday at Savage Mill with Lauren in a belated celebration of her birthday. She turned me on to a great store called "The Queen's Ink," which I could have spent several hours in.

On an unrelated note, I've included a few shots of the Toaster Bunny in his natural environs (being cooed over in the palm of my hand). Check out the tail-lever action and the aerodynamic lop ears.

Eating at tasty cafe in Fairfax City with coworkers.

We're waiting for the 8 p.m. show. Whee!

Jen and I went to see Jenn, my office mate, at the hospital today with her new addition. Teeeeensy toes.

***** gyn alert (scroll down if you don't want to read about icky female procedures) *****

So... had my first colposcopy and biopsy today. Wanted to post about it because reading other folks' experiences on their blogs really helped me know what I was getting into. I should say here that I premedicated with 1000 mgs of ibuprofen, plus a half a lorazepam and an immodium. Was glad for all three before it was over.

Starts off just like an annual exam, only with the speculum cranked extra wide. They stretch away the cervical membrane (feels weird but not awful). Then they swab your cervix with vinegar (the squamous cells are full of lipids instead of water, so when all the proper cells begin osmosing water out, the squamous cells are sitting there, still full, going, "Hey! Where did everybody go?") That allows for them to show up better in contrast. The swab stings a little, but not too bad. And fortunately, the binocular-y machine that enlarges the view is NOT like the x-ray machine the dentist uses for your bite wings; it never jostles or even touches the speculum. At this point, my doctor readjusted the speculum to ensure she was seeing everything and added a green filter to contrast the blood vessels better, and voila! Evil cells appeared. And were instantly removed. The biopsy was... unpleasant. Fortunately, I didn't see the scalpel. The hardest part for me was bracing myself for it without clenching up my muscles. It sounds stupid, but think about it: when you're nervous, you clench everything. Which is particularly bad in a situation like this because it moves your insides and the doctor has to refocus the lens. Pain level was... maybe akin to an accidental cut with a kitchen knife? It's really painful for a second or two and then is over. Then my doctor took two deep scrapes to make sure the uterus wasn't up to anything -- think pap smear with a test-tube brush. And that's it. A little silver nitrate to stop the bleeding at the site of the biopsy, and I was out of the office. I'm still cramping now, 12 hours later, and apparently should expect to bleed and cramp on and off for the next few days. And that's my cervix in a nutshell... err... specimen jar. Hope the description helps somebody else who just got those three dreaded words: abnormal pap smear.

***** end gyn alert *****

Mom came to meet me at the doctor's and took me out to IHOP for pancakes afterward. It's so nice to be local again. And now Disney's curled up against my leg, and I think I'm off to sleep.

Mom and I came out to Cheesecake Factory for coffee and dessert. This is Mom being overwhelmed by her strawberry shortcake. ;)