Thursday, April 12, 2007

Today I Became a Man

Today I up and bolted in the middle of having my teeth cleaned. I have had my teeth cleaned four times a year for the last 20 years and twice a year before that. It hurt too damned much and it occurred to me suddenly that maybe some hygienists were in it for the pain. Maybe watching Minnie Driver on The Riches inspired this thought. I cried, the hygienist cried, and the clerk at the front desk cried as I headed for the door. I'm sure they saw the $$$ I had spent there over the years going with me. But still I left.

It's been quite a week and this event sent me home to multiple glasses of King Shag wine from Trader Joe's.

My story The Squatter had been reprinted in The Weathervane: An Online Journal for the Great Lakes. http://www.theweathervane.org/. They sounded like a mythical organization but here it is. Thanks to Bryon Q. for first publishing it.

Off to the movies-my main source of painkillers.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks to you for letting us have it first. And I agree, movies are the best pain killers. What are you going to go see?

I haven't been to the dentist in four years and I'm still leery about finally getting around to making that appointment now that I have insurance.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I saw what I thought was a terrific and profound movie--51 Birch Street, a doc. about a dysfucntional family with secrets.
The other woman loved it too. The two men said we should have seen Grindhouse. Oh, well. The movie was about the differences between men and women so our reactions seems appropos.

Stephen Blackmoore said...

Oh, that sucks. All that from a teeth cleaning? What the hell did they use, a dremel?

I had a deep cleaning once after not seeing a dentist for waaaaaaaay too long. Had to get numbed and everything. And it still hurt like a bitch.

Glad to hear about the story, though. I've always liked that one. Very nicely done.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Stephen--when you get very, very old, and your teeth are threatening to give way, they will send you to a periodontist. Especially if you are a grinder. Then you will experience a level of hell you didn't know existed. Floss, floss, floss and brush the back of your teeth more dilgently than the front. Make tooth care you number #1 priority. And pray you have good genes. Thanks. Patti