Losing My Teeth

I think this is the year to get all my bodily processes healed and up to speed. That's what happens when you hit the big 5-0. I had my physical, though I still need to tie up a few loose ends, get some blood work done, and deal with my teeth, which have been a bit of a thorn in my side, or in this case, my mouth. As I've mentioned, one of molars is in bad shape, and I was hoping that my dentist would just yank it, but no such luck. After the failed root canal attempt, it was decided that extraction was the next step, so off to the oral surgeon I went (can't my dentist just pull it?)

To be fair, the tooth was cracked and in bad shape, but waiting to see the oral surgeon was only prolonging the inevitable. What made it hard was that I couldn't really chew my food on that side because the tooth was so thrashed. I went to the oral surgeon (very nice, I liked her a lot) for an initial consultation, and then I had to make an appointment for the actual procedure. They miraculously had an opening at the end of the same week, or I could wait until January. I was hesitant because like all things in my life, I like to put them off, but I realized that sooner was indeed better.

So a few days later, I went in and she yanked the thing out. It was easier than they anticipated, which actually made the procedure cheaper, and I got a refund. Don't you just love when that happens? The tooth itself was so gnarly, I won't horrify you with the details. It was good to get it out, and since the area was infected, she put me on systemic antibiotics for a week. This was some serious stuff.

Now I'm on the road to recovery. I still can't really chew on that side, but eventually it will be all systems go. They inquired about dental implants, but that's apparently an option I can pursue at a later date, and she didn't push it hard. Besides, she said plenty of her patients live happily ever after with just one molar, and I'm all for happily ever after. They tried to accommodate an implant on the other side when they took out the molar, and it didn't work, so I wasn't very hopeful this time around.

For now, there's no more pain and eventually I can go back to eating a normal diet, which means food 24 hours a day.

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Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Amber for the pic.

Hockey Drama

Even though we've left our old lame hockey program, N's new program is not without its share of drama. One of the big issues is that several of his teammates are freshman in high school, so they are eligible to play high school hockey. The big city hockey program is legendary so they are all just biding their time to make the team, though it's very difficult for a freshman to make it. They have the option to play JV or do their second year at the Bantam level. The big city program actually requires them to choose, they cannot do both, though almost every other program allows this.

With this in mind, a couple of the stronger players, and dare I say one of the best guys on the team, want to play for their respective HS. It's not the big city program but a neighboring school, where they are sure to play on the varsity team. Given the choice, of course they're going to go for that option, but if they do, then they can't play for this team because this team won't let them. I think it's lame, and everyone is up in arms over this decision, but I guess rules are rules.

So now, this team that's been depleted for various reasons, is now going to lose even more players. It's really hard to even fathom, but such is life. I guess you just have to roll with it, though our time in the big city program is really not what I had expected it to be.

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Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Kaz Andrew for the pic.

Closet Carpenter

Word has come down from above (i.e., mom) that A needs more useful closet space, with “useful” being the key word here. A has a small walk-in closet in her room that we have been using for storage, and the time has come to open it up so that she can put her clothes in there. This is a two part process, with mom taking the reigns on the first part (cleaning the closet), then leading the way (cracking the whip?) on the second part (installing a bar), which will require my involvement. The reality is that she's already taken care of the first part, so turning this closet into useful space is really my job, and that will require installing a bar (an maybe a few hooks) so that she can hang her clothes properly. As it is now, I think she is using various wall appendages to hang hangers, and needless to say this has limited utility. At some point a girl needs a proper bar to hang things.

I had to come up with a plan. It's not the most challenging of projects, and I've done similar things in the past, but seemingly in the distant past. Not only will this require me to get off the couch and actually do something, but I need to locate my tools (must inquire with N), and then get the necessary supplies at Home Depot. Then I have to devise a plan, then actually do it, which I've found is one of the hardest parts. Fortunately I have mom there to motivate me.

I headed over to Home Depot with N in tow and we got the lumber, got the bar, as well as the necessary hardware, and I was good to go. Getting the first step accomplished was key to placating the powers that be, but needless to say, I can't be complacent and rest on my laurels, or risk losing my laurels. I need to take the supplies and put them into action, which shouldn't be so hard, should it?

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Then again, you just never know. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to aarondfrancis for the pic.

Multi-Instrumental

As a completely unbiased parent (yeah right) I've always thought A is competent on a variety of instruments, and recently she's begun dabbling in yet another one - the bass. Over at the Dojo she was asked to stand in for one of the bands because their bass player was away. It turns out that she was competent enough for them to ask her to continue to play bass for said band, and I for one think she should go for it. Of course there are issues of school, other musical commitments, and a teenage social life, but she'll figure it out if need be.

If that's not enough, her high school music teacher also asked her to play bass in their little jazz ensemble. She has a number of musical projects at the school, including jazz band, orchestra, and a special side jazz project mentored by her music teacher, IG. He's very supportive of the kids branching out, and originally A was going to play guitar, but he likes her bass playing and wants to make it a jazz quartet (bass, drums, piano, sax), with a bass instead of a guitar. Could this mean it's time to get another instrument? I won't go there... for now.

All in all I think it's very cool. All of these bands are slated to do assorted gigs throughout the coming year, so stay tuned for more.

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Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to photojimso for the pic.

Friends Down South

N has a new friend that lives a bit south of here, and when I say a bit, I mean about an hour drive away. Also, when I mean friend, I could mean more than that, but who am I to say?

Either way, the distance is an issue, but not an insurmountable one. We've made the trip a few times, and the whole family is very nice. They live near a big city (Concord), bigger than our own “big city,” so there's lots of stuff to do down there. It's actually the state capital (NH). Plus, if you can believe this, certain aspects of our lives actually place down there, including surfing (we pass through Concord en route to the beach), one of A's bands (the singer lives down there), and of course, hockey. Sure, it's not ideal, but all things considered, it's not so bad. I figure that as long as he's into it, we'll work towards finding a way to make it work.

At the very least, it's another good motivating force to get us to hit the waves, and you have to love when that happens.

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Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Patrick Bergeron for the pic.

Tire Neurosis

This year we've decided to put snow tires on both cars, and as you can imagine, I'm not too thrilled about the expense, but you can't put a price on safety. This winter has sort of crept on us with the warm fall, and already you can read stories about cars losing control on the roads. It's not even that cold and slippery, but as I mentioned, the cold weather seems to come out of nowhere after days of warmth, it really takes you by surprise. It's much better when it gradually eases you into winter, we're just better prepared on all levels.

Anyway, with A driving the car more and more, I feel much better having snow tires on both cars. It's a given on my car considering all the driving I do for hockey, but I want them on mom's car, as well. Of course I'll feel the $ pinch, but nothing new for me. Best of all, searching for a good deal on good snow tires is a great way to feed my OCD. If money was no object, I'd just take the car over to my mechanic and put on the best, Nokians. I won't even attempt to spell the name, it's Scandinavian (Finnish, I think), which means there's not enough vowels for an ignorant Californian like myself to pronounce.

Either way, after some tireless research (about 15 minutes), I think I've found a good tire. In the past I usually put the Nokians, but they're about $40 more per tire. Sure, they're great tires, but that's $160 per car more. I've also purchased Blizzaks, which are also great tires, but they're a little pricier, and they have an aggressive tread and don't last long. Last year mom decided to stick with her all seasons over the winter and it worked out because she's a good and careful driver, and employing a little common sense as to when to even attempt to drive is always a good approach. I know a few people who just use all seasons year-round, but most of them have 4-wheel drive.

In the past I've employed the wisdom that was shared to me by an acquaintance who said get the best winter tires you can get. I can completely see the merit to this approach, but given that we got along fairly well with just all seasons, I've deviated from this line of thought and now think that most snow tires will do just fine. I'm still reluctant to buy bargain basement tires made in China, but I'm a fan of Japanese tires. And of course, Scandinavian tires. Factoring in all this thinking, I'm going with a Japanese tire, the Sumitomo Ice Edge. I learned that the owner of our tire provider uses them, and I trust Japanese products, especially when it comes to cars. I also just recently learned that the tires are actually made in Finland, which is sort of weird, in a very good way, of course. I had pretty much decided on the Sumitomos, but the fact that they're manufactured in the same region of the earth and Nokians is just a little frosting on the cake. I love when that happens.

Do other people torture themselves like this over tires? Sometimes I think it's a wonder I can even make it out the front door, but that's the beauty of being a parent - your kid's needs force you to stop feeling sorry for yourself, get off your butt, and out the door. For someone like myself who excels at self-pity, this is a very good thing.

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Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Patti Z for the pic.

Taking Advantage of the Weather

Okay, so I tend to whine about the warm weather (to say the least), but despite my dislike for warm humid temps, the fair conditions have definitely been a bonus for me in terms of getting ready for winter. In years past I've left things out too long and then the snow comes. By that point, it's too late and they end up outside all winter. While this seems like the easy way out, it tends to come back to haunt you, especially when it comes to power tools.

With this in mind, with the recent warm up, which for the record is highly unusual (50 degrees near Thanksgiving? Gimme a break), I was able to run the chainsaw and lawnmower dry, and get the hoses drained and stored. I left the hoses out and once the freezing temps hit, the water inside them froze. I figured it was all over at that point, but with warmer temps forecast, I laid them out, let them drain, and then wound them up for storage. I also moved all the kindling blocks and fat logs into the basement, and got year two of the woodpile stacked and covered. Rock and roll!

I failed to do any raking this year, or for that matter last minute mowing, but I can definitely do that in the spring, when cabin fever makes doing crappy outdoor chores a joy (sort of), or at the very least, less miserable. Then again, I always seem to find a way to complain about something... just ask my family.

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Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Blaine French for the pic.