Long in the Tooth
Posted By Russ Emerson on March 16, 2011 at 6:36 pm
Today, as it happens, is the 10th anniversary of my becoming a homeowner here in my adopted home state, North Carolina.
Taken a week before I took possession, the photo below shows the house nearly complete. All that remained was a bit of touch-up painting, and installation of the appliances and the garage door.
Oh, and the placement of a couple of tiny trees, which in the intervening years have become monsters.
Oh, and and the lawn has died annually, too. It never looked that good ever again.
My ten years here is the longest I’ve lived anywhere or done anything. And though the house has its problems, it is, on the whole, holding up better than I am.
So how did I celebrate the day? By doing what I usually do with my free time: by seeing a doctor.
Well, to be more accurate, it was the dentist that I went to see today. I had to have a replacement crown installed. Whoopty-doo. While I was there, we took care of a minor filling as well. Wheeee.
I don’t have dentist-o-phobia or anything like that, and I’m fairly tolerant of whatever discomforts might accompany treatment. If it hurts a bit, I count it as penance for my life as a ne’er-do-well.
I do have a system of signals worked out with the dentist, though, if there’s a problem while I cannot speak due to my mouth being wedged open.
If it’s a minor pain, I raise and wave my left hand where she can see it.
If it’s a major pain, I leap out of the seat and cling to the ceiling.
Now I would like to see the major part – not that I want you to hurt but that there would be a ceiling in any doctor’s office that could hold you!