here is just a quick update: yes, i am in iceland now. once again kim was knocked backwards. carving of the pattern will be done from the bottom of the tile, thus leaving the front surface smooth. i highly recommend giving him a ring if you have any issues. she's still a very aggressive by nature, and i think she's going to grow up out of that and maybe be a little more relaxed early on, so we just wanted to let her run out of there and think about where we are after that. 