About that dental checkup -- 27/28 of my teeth are in fine shape. The one that wasn't, way in the back, had a cavity which was near a nerve and next to a huge, old, about-to-crack filling. A time bomb, in other words, and one that would need a crown to fix it -- there just wouldn't be much tooth left after the old filling was gone. Now I once had a very bad toothache, and I know that there is nothing more painful. It was so bad I welcomed the eventual root canal -- the pain was so bad I couldn't sleep, eat, think, or do much of anything but cry and wonder if chopping off my head would help. So I take care of dental problems right away in the hope that I will never have to go through that again.
If you've ever had a crown, you know the drill (sorry, pun intended!). During the first visit the decay and any old fillings are removed, and the rest of the tooth shaped into a pointy fang. Next, impressions of your mouth are made over and over, as you sit there with jaws welded shut by gobs of goopy stuff that gradually hardens in your mouth. A temporary cap is put in place, and the impressions are sent away for a lab to make your permanent one. The cap is received by your dentist in about three weeks. The problem -- I had planned to be 600 miles away when that permanent cap was due to come in. To return here to have the permanent cap put in would mean a 12-hour day of driving to get here, and the same back -- if I left the rig in western Texas and only took the truck. It would take even longer with the RV. Gas, without the RV, would be $240 (and I would have the added cost of staying in a motel) or $480 with the RV. I didn't know what I'd be doing, but I knew it didn't involve leaving on Tuesday.
Then on the way home from the dentist on Monday, the Universe decided to add another reason why I couldn't leave right away -- a big brown truck with bright cheery yellow letters kicked up a big rock that crashed into my windshield, causing a 3/8 inch crater with a couple little spidery cracks pushing out from the sides. Guess what my second word was -- the one right after "Oh..."
When I got back to the campground, I thought, "If I could just find a dog to pee on my foot my day would be complete."
I got the temporary cap put in today, and the earliest the permanent one can be returned from the lab is April 3rd. The windshield is supposed to be fixed tomorrow. So it seems now that I will not make it to the Guadalupe Mountains, and I will not make it to Fort Davis. If I drive as far as San Antonio before the 3rd, and make the 400 mile round trip to Houston for the dentist appointment on the 3rd, I could make it to Big Bend on the 4th. Is all that rushing worth it for 2 days in Big Bend? I don't know. Right now I'm going to sit here and contemplate my options for a while. The good part of all of this is that the weather was rainy and very windy on Tuesday and it would have been dangerous to be on the road. And the dog didn't find me.
2 comments:
My dear Girl! One of the best things about retirement is NOT putting yourself under the gun all the time in regards to the clock and the calendar. New Mexico will still be there next month or next year. Sit back, enjoy the day another way and take the pressure off! Also, that is a lot of gas money for a two day trip. Save it and stay in TX. God! I never thought that I would advise anyone to do that!
Was there something special going on in NM and was it, in any way, connected to your upcoming birthday?
Karen
Just meeting some friends and seeing a place I'd never been. My friends didn't even know that my "Big Day" would happen while I was there! Another "Big Day" for me is coming soon, too -- my One Year Retirement Anniversary (April 3). Hard to believe!!
ZoAnn
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