Now that I have told you all about my dental drama, I will explain that I am either clairvoyant or I jinxed myself! A couple of weeks ago I was prescribed Percocet for recurring migraines as all other medications had failed. I am not a fan of the idea of Percocet but last week I caved and took one because I was just in too much pain! And I learned something… it isn’t only hormone medication that gives me wild dreams, painkillers do too!
In the first dream I was in the dentist chair with a bunch of people staring down at me and poking around my mouth. At this time the dentist said I was going to need an emergency root canal and I lost it! I was terrified. To make things worse, DH left me there all alone and didn’t say where he was going so while I was suffering and in pain (apparently no one bothered to freeze me for the root canal) I was also trying to call out for DH to save me. Finally, the root canal was over and when I looked up DH was standing there with a bunch of balloons from my favorite party store. He said something like “you always say no one ever buys you balloons so I thought these would help cheer you up”! I guess overall this was a sweet gesture, but if this ever happened in real life just hold my hand please (or knock me out)!
Now, the next morning I was convinced that I had woken up during the night panicking and that DH had gotten up and got me water and everything. I went to apologize to him and say thank you for being so sweet but, here’s the thing, he said that it never happened! I thought he was joking because the memory was so clear in my mind but he swore I never made a peep. Creepy!
Last night I had to take more painkillers, thanks to my dentist, so I took Toradol figuring Percocet was overkill. And, while I was right, it had the same effect in my dreams! I think it was related to a conversation I had earlier in the day or that somehow the conversation triggered it. In either case, I am NOT sharing this one! This doesn’t mean it’s dirty, it just means I am not sharing so get your minds out of the gutter!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Dentists and Greeting Cards
Generally speaking, I haven’t had any dental issues for years. In the last 10 years I have had my last two wisdom teeth pulled but that was it (and they were completely in and just had to be pulled so no big deal). Well, those days have ended – hopefully temporarily! Had my annual cleaning on Saturday, 160$. Found out I need 2-3 fillings thanks to overcrowding of my teeth, lack of flossing, etc… So, I went to have one filling done yesterday urgently because that tooth has been severely sensitive and halfway through the dentist tells me I MIGHT need a root canal; 50/50 chance at this point! I have a temporary filling in now with some medication and should know within the next month if I will require a root canal (to the tune of 1500-2000$ - best estimate at this point). If it is fine, a permanent filling will be put instead for about 150$ again. And next month I go back for the other fillings and that will be around 300$. Oh, and did I mention that I don’t have dental insurance?! Yes, I work for the government and vision and dental are NOT covered! Anyhow… whatever will be, will be…
Also, I have a rant about greeting cards. Why are they so damn expensive? Every April/May this happens to me - tons of events all at once and all of them “need” a card. Thankfully they were “buy 3 and get 3 free” but at 8$ a card that is still crazy! I found a .99 cent section and ended up getting a couple from there as well which were surprisingly nice. Which leads me to my next point… why does the price need to be written ON the card? Do people really need to know if I spent .99 or 7.99? Isn’t it the thought that counts? Personally, I don’t care if you get me a card at all. In fact, don’t! Honestly, I throw them all away within months of whatever occasion it is. I see them in a pile in my office at home and get into a cleaning frenzy and chuck them – so save your money! I think from now on I will black out the prices on the cards I buy because if you so desperately need to know how much I spent then maybe you don’t deserve a card in the first place. That or I will start to make my own like I used to; I am a designer last I checked, right?
Oh, and before anyone says something, yes I am aware these topics are completely unrelated but it all happened on the same day so it makes sense to me!
Also, I have a rant about greeting cards. Why are they so damn expensive? Every April/May this happens to me - tons of events all at once and all of them “need” a card. Thankfully they were “buy 3 and get 3 free” but at 8$ a card that is still crazy! I found a .99 cent section and ended up getting a couple from there as well which were surprisingly nice. Which leads me to my next point… why does the price need to be written ON the card? Do people really need to know if I spent .99 or 7.99? Isn’t it the thought that counts? Personally, I don’t care if you get me a card at all. In fact, don’t! Honestly, I throw them all away within months of whatever occasion it is. I see them in a pile in my office at home and get into a cleaning frenzy and chuck them – so save your money! I think from now on I will black out the prices on the cards I buy because if you so desperately need to know how much I spent then maybe you don’t deserve a card in the first place. That or I will start to make my own like I used to; I am a designer last I checked, right?
Oh, and before anyone says something, yes I am aware these topics are completely unrelated but it all happened on the same day so it makes sense to me!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Patton Oswalt: Response to Boston Marathon Bombing
The Good Outnumber You And We Always Will (as seen on Huffington Post)
Boston. Fucking horrible.
I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, "Well, I've had it with humanity."
But I was wrong. I don't know what's going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem -- one human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.
But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in a while, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness.
But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evildoers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.
So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."
Boston. Fucking horrible.
I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, "Well, I've had it with humanity."
But I was wrong. I don't know what's going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem -- one human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.
But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in a while, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness.
But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evildoers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.
So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."
Monday, April 15, 2013
Dr. Phil: Maintaining a Successful Relationship
Five and a half years into their marriage, Stacy and Chris, a Dr. Phil Family, ask for help rebuilding their union. Dr. Phil offers this advice.
Have a solid friendship. "Ask yourself what kind of friend you are being to your mate," Dr. Phil says. He asks Chris and Stacy what they enjoy doing with their friends, whether it be talking about silly things or sharing a good joke together. He then advises them to apply that same openness to their own relationship. "If you want a good friend, be a good friend," he suggests.
Meet each others' needs. "The success of a relationship is a function of the extent to which it meets the needs of two people," Dr. Phil explains. He tells Chris that he needs to discover what Stacy's needs are. "Maybe she needs a soft place to fall that day or she needs a shoulder to cry on," he says. He tells Stacy that she doesn't always need to agree with her husband, but she should figure out his needs, whether it's saying that she's proud of him, or that he looks nice that day.
Set specific goals. "Wake up each morning and say, 'What can I do today to advance the ball?'" Dr. Phil advises. Even small things will accumulate over time and make a difference. Find a quiet moment each day and come up with a specific goal to improve your relationship, whether it's calling your spouse during the day just to say hi, or telling your mate that you love him or her more often. Make a conscious effort.
Get back to basics. "The idea is to have some concept of what a marriage and a partnership is supposed to be and start doing those things," Dr. Phil urges. Write down your definitions of a successful relationship and live up to those definitions. Focus on the fundamental things that are going to make a difference in the long run.
Take responsibility. You can't control the way your spouse acts in your relationship, but you can control how you react in negative situations. "You have to take 100 percent responsibility for what you're doing in a relationship," Dr. Phil says. "Decide what you believe and hold to be true, and conduct yourself 100 percent consistent with that."
Turn the negatives into a to-do list. After getting failing grades on Dr. Phil's Relationship Health Profile Test, Stacy and Chris are instructed to turn their negative answers into positive actions. For example, if you don't have fun with your partner, you need to make a list of enjoyable activities you can do together. Ask yourself, what would make your answer on the quiz change?
Have a solid friendship. "Ask yourself what kind of friend you are being to your mate," Dr. Phil says. He asks Chris and Stacy what they enjoy doing with their friends, whether it be talking about silly things or sharing a good joke together. He then advises them to apply that same openness to their own relationship. "If you want a good friend, be a good friend," he suggests.
Meet each others' needs. "The success of a relationship is a function of the extent to which it meets the needs of two people," Dr. Phil explains. He tells Chris that he needs to discover what Stacy's needs are. "Maybe she needs a soft place to fall that day or she needs a shoulder to cry on," he says. He tells Stacy that she doesn't always need to agree with her husband, but she should figure out his needs, whether it's saying that she's proud of him, or that he looks nice that day.
Set specific goals. "Wake up each morning and say, 'What can I do today to advance the ball?'" Dr. Phil advises. Even small things will accumulate over time and make a difference. Find a quiet moment each day and come up with a specific goal to improve your relationship, whether it's calling your spouse during the day just to say hi, or telling your mate that you love him or her more often. Make a conscious effort.
Get back to basics. "The idea is to have some concept of what a marriage and a partnership is supposed to be and start doing those things," Dr. Phil urges. Write down your definitions of a successful relationship and live up to those definitions. Focus on the fundamental things that are going to make a difference in the long run.
Take responsibility. You can't control the way your spouse acts in your relationship, but you can control how you react in negative situations. "You have to take 100 percent responsibility for what you're doing in a relationship," Dr. Phil says. "Decide what you believe and hold to be true, and conduct yourself 100 percent consistent with that."
Turn the negatives into a to-do list. After getting failing grades on Dr. Phil's Relationship Health Profile Test, Stacy and Chris are instructed to turn their negative answers into positive actions. For example, if you don't have fun with your partner, you need to make a list of enjoyable activities you can do together. Ask yourself, what would make your answer on the quiz change?
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