Stuff

 

Random thoughts.... probably like usual, but I am just admitting it I guess today:

1. I had a damn dental appointment this morning.  I dreaded it like usual.  I went through all the usual machinations I always do of worry and fret, and being EXTRA careful to do an extra extensive cleaning of my chompers..... first with dental floss, then with toothpaste, then with baking soda, then with a mouthwash with a touch of peroxide added, then mouthwash alone, and then finally a special high flouride toothpaste.  This was all before bed last night.  Then this morning, after my run, I did another scrub of the teeth with just toothpaste and mouthwash.  I took the mouthwash with me in the car so I could rinse my mouth one final time before entering the building of torture.  
   
2. Fortunately, all was fine again... and I received ample complements from the dental hygienist and also from the dentist himself about how I have very healthy teeth and gums.... and especially so with the fact that I have significant TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) which is associated with more mouth/tooth maladies.  I do fastidiously take care of my teeth daily.... not to the extend of my pre-appointment ritual above... but I do typically brush 3-4 times a day and usually floss twice a day.
3. Back in the day when I was an ACTIVE pipe smoker, I also would fret and fuss about that before a dental visit.  Because it became the subject of conversation a variety of times (mostly more recently, say in the last 25 years... it was never much of a topic before that.... other than in a "hobby" sort of fashion, as my earlier dentist was a pipe smoker too), I began to refrain from my pipe the evening before a visit to attempt to avoid the inevitable discussions of said subject.  During the last 25 years when I did purposefully refrain the evening before... it used to be such a wonderful and exciting "treat" of sorts to get out of the dental torture chamber, and enjoy in a fully resplendent fashion the "fast breaking" pipe of the day on my way to the U.  
4. In order to get ready for the dental torture chamber, I had to short-change my run this morning as well.  I was able to only get in 9 miles (~14.5 km) before I HAD to leave to have enough time to do all the necessary work to steel myself for the dental visit.  
5. One very pleasurable thing DID occur at the dentist, however.  The dental hygienist, who was a new hygienist at the practice, and who was a very "chatty" sort of hygienist... gave me a very big complement on my beard and mustache..... declaring it to be a "magnificent" beard and mustache and saying it "framed my face" wonderfully.  I have to admit that I am still taken off guard by such complements since I let my beard and mustache grow out quite a bit beyond what was my prior norm.... but I also have to admit that I also sure enjoy the hell out of getting these surprise compements when they do occasionally occur!    When I get to tell my wife of this newest complement tonight, I am sure she will roll her eyes at me.  :)

On the drive to the U, I was thinking about a trip I took to Austin, TX that was perhaps ~20 years ago.  I may write about it soon.  I had not thought of those memories in quite a while.  

I guess my thoughts were NOT all that random today.  :)

PCS - 8.5….. the longing remains.  

PipeTobacco