Alien Abduction, or What?

Monday was what I'd hoped to be my second to last trip to the WVU Dental Clinic. On the way in to the complex, the lady in the parking lot box asked me if I worked there, and when I said no, she reminded me that I couldn't park in that lot if I was going to class. I said I wasn't a student, and that I was getting dental work done. She asked, somewhat suspiciously, what I was having done that required me to be there every other week for three months. I said, "Have you ever had work done at the clinic? They clean like six teeth at a time!" Later I thought to myself, probably not, I bet she has dental insurance being a university employee and all. I think next time I will take the PRT just so I don't have to go through the grilling. Although I do appreciate her vigilance because as a patient I wouldn't have any place to park at all if she let students park in that lot. (On a side note, in the last couple of weeks there have been several days when the PRT was not running, due once to vandalism - someone set a fire in the track- and today there was an unidentified explosion as Keith was going to class. I think if the city and university want us to use the People Mover instead of our cars they ought to try to make it more reliable!)

According to my Student Dentist, things are looking good in my periodontal arena. There was no comically huge hypodermic needle to be found, as this appointment was just a checkup and polish and flouride treatment. I did miss the Novocaine a little when she, and then later the nice Supervising Dentist Dr. Reed, probed my gums to see if they were healing properly from all the shredding I'd been getting. Even though the measuring probes are blunt, they are still uncomfortable, and it is akin to sliding a darning needle under your fingernail to see how well it is attached to the quick underneath. So. Much. Fun. But I passed the time by taking pictures of the joint with my phone.

Jennifer tried to sell me again on the night guard, for defense against tooth grinding. I remembered how my Grandpa's teeth were all ground quite flat, and she explained how that exposes the dentin and makes all your teeth much more susceptible to decay. I am still not sold, but she may have a point. She even got a second opinion from a neighboring student, and he agreed that I had an exceptional amount of wear on my chompers for someone so young. It is hilarious to me to have two 24 year olds calling me "so young" but I guess I'll take what I can get. It was also quite interesting to hear them talking about trying to meet their root canal requirements for graduation - the neighbor student said he paid for one of his patients to have a root canal because both of them really needed it to happen. Which I thought was kind of cool. Jennifer said she couldn't help it if most of her patients had good teeth! So if any of you need a root canal, and have a lot of free time and no dental insurance, let me know, I'll hook you up with a nice little dentist in training who has a light touch and small hands.

New Plants

This sweet pothos came from Aldi last week. I love these plants because you almost can't kill them! They thrive even in low light and with minimal watering. As in you can forget to water them for weeks (and there are a few in my house that may have gone months without any love) and they still survive. If anybody would like some cuttings, I have several of these babies in my house, growing like gangbusters. They take right off, you just cut and stick into a pot, no messing around.
This little guy is a Sassy fern. He was on the clearance rack at Lowes this afternoon. I LOVE the one dollar plants. A little loving care, and possibly a slightly bigger pot, and this frilly fella will be the star of my kitchen (or bathroom, or wherever he ends up this winter).
Nephthytis is my new favorite houseplant. They remind me of caladiums, which I had a few years ago. Several weeks ago I rescued two little nephthytis from the sad plants rack at Lowes, they were marked down to 10 cents each which is almost a toe tag for houseplants, but with a bit of trimming and some attention, they came back and are looking good. This hanging basket was a dollar, and I couldn't resist her either, she's labeled Nephthytis Maria. I think these pretties need serious attention, they like to be watered frequently but do not like to be soggy, so we'll see how they survive in this house of sporadic plant care.

We tried to take a bike ride this afternoon, but got rained out. Instead we went shopping, and ended up at Lowes. I needed a new 10 inch pot because a recent squall knocked one of my plants off the porch and busted the pot. The new pot I picked out was a chocolate colored terra cotta, but the check out clerk broke it while she was scanning it out and it was the last one. So I got a plain orange terra cotta pot, AND some guys from the sad plants rack. I would have brought two more home but there really wasn't room in the car.

Then Keith fired up his drill and installed a plant hook I bought at the beginning of the summer. It was supposed to go on the front porch but now that winter is coming I need a place to put all the plants I have collected. They will have to hang from the ceiling to survive with 2 rambunctious kitties flipping out all over the place.

Delia and I made Double Chocolate Nutella Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies after supper, and they were great! That girl is an expressive cook, and she just loves chocolate. She wants a double chocolate cake for her birthday and I intend to make it from scratch. If anyone out there has an extra Time Turner lying around, I could certainly use it for the next few weeks. I promise not to bump into myself and disrupt the fabric of space and time!

I tried to watch the debate for WV's senate seat but the Capitalist Pig made me want to throw up in my mouth, I thought about turning it off but the website crashed out before I could do it. Maybe I will be able to watch the replay tomorrow. I am so tired at 8:30 pm, this working 6 days a week is for the birds, I hope someone qualified applies for the relief baker's job soon because we all need some relief!

And that's the way it is. Goodnight.