DENTIST

Reading the informed consent forms at the oral surgeons was the grown-up equivalent to sitting in the pediatrician's waiting room listening to some kid screaming their lungs out, obviously getting the world's most painful shot, the brother of which was waiting for you.

Every line on this form ended in "and/or death." And the middles weren't so good either. "...may hit a nerve causing nerve damage to the lip and cheek which may result in permanent disfigurement...and/or death."

I asked the surgeon how he was going to pull the tooth. The tooth had broken, so what was there to pull? He said that 'pulling a tooth' was actually a misnomer. Really, they do everything but pull. They pry, they push, they crack, they drill, they twist, anything to result in getting that tooth out..(and/or death)

He told me dry socket was a possible complication of tooth extraction, and if I had pain continuing past 2 days, I should come in again. I asked what IS dry socket anyway. It turns out dry socket has nothing to do with dry anything at all. It is a nerve reaction; the nerves become inflamed and cause a great deal of pain. Sometimes one loses the clot that was lodged in the hole the tooth left.

Ten minutes was the time an extraction usually took. I figured all I had to do was count to 600. I could get through practically anything if that's all it took. 600.

When I was all numbed up he took up a wicked looking, not quite miniature, prybar and I took up counting. I only got to 278. But I figured I counted to 278 about four times. "78, 79, 40, 41..."

I left the office a little more than an hour after going in, went home and slept all afternoon. "Pry, crack, twist, clot, socket', never reaching 600.

A NEW YEAR OF WRITING, begun

Yesterday I was pulling together images of the covers that never were for a presentation I will be giving for the OLLI group in Davis. I think that one of the surprisingly difficult things I've encountered having a novel published is trying to keep up a writing schedule while keeping up a publicity schedule as well. I would not want to let either go, but the two pressures feel sometimes like children with sibling rivalry. As soon as I get busy with one, the other demands attention.

Eileen Rendahl (chick-lit writer extraordinaire) and I took a writing weekend to try to catch up on the writing part of things. We went to Richmond. Got a room at the Marriot. Ate at Chevvy's one night, and ate chocolate almonds, cheese, crackers, roasted and heavily salted almonds, Good and Plenty's (that's me, Eileen doesn't share my love of licorice), bread and drank wine the rest of the time. We got a lot done.

I enjoy writing with friends. Shawna Ryan (Locke 1928) and I often write together, more often in writing sprints (see her blog for a wonderful description of a writing day for Shawna in particular and just a great blog generally)

Eileen and I usually write in a marathon. Every time I slow and think I can't type another word, I hear her tapping away and I sigh and keep at it. She says the same goes for her, but I think, in actuality, she is a robot. Nothing stops her.