Golden Lucy's Spiral Journal

Going on 87...Savoring and Surviving the Senior Years

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Smilin' Though

We finally got a look at Ben and Teresa’s professional wedding pictures. They were all wonderful! I think I look pretty foxy in this photo. I couldn’t stop smiling---it was such a happy day. Too bad I forgot to wear my teeth.
Yes I did. I was halfway down the aisle before I realized my lower partial plate was parked on my bathroom vanity and not in my mouth. Naturally I was horrified and resolved not to open my mouth during the festivities. However, as most of the photos attest, I never stopped smiling and undoubtedly also never stopped talking. Fortunately neither the priest nor the guests snickered and/or whispered “neener-neener-neeeeener! as I passed. But I was properly humbled---and that’s not an easy thing to do.

The good thing is that I can take comfort in the knowledge I’m not alone. Maria, our glorious Silver Fox recently related (http://www.silverfox-whispers.com/2006/08/25/guilty-as-charged/) the hilarious story of Bob’s missing partial plate. But I definitely came out ahead. Bob was the hapless victim of perfidious pet chicanery. I was the inept instigator of my own misery. (I also didn’t get dog spit all over my false teeth, which I view as a real plus.)

The new AARP bulletin featured an article on the growing dental needs of seniors. This made me think about all the problems my teeth have given me over the years, and how much dental care has changed in the last 80 years.

As a young child I never remember going to the dentist. Nobody I knew went unless they wanted a tooth yanked out of their head---a buck per tooth was the going rate as I remember. I had my first permanent tooth pulled when I was 13. I recall a tall glass cabinet with many little drawers, a porcelain bowl for spitting and a white enamel dental chair with a foot pedal and black leatherette head rest.

The dental office was in the dentist’s house and his wife was his assistant. She always referred to him as “Doctor.” You know, as in “Doctor will see you now.” As a child a wondered if “Doctor” was actually his given name, but in any case his wife was always reverential and deferential when she talked about him. (Although I later heard she ran off with an Episcopal minister from Scotland. I wondered if he had a Christian name.)

“Doctor” was merry fellow with a wooden leg. (I always hoped to get a gander at it but never did.) On rare occasions he would decide the tooth could be saved---if you had the extra fifty cents. He didn’t believe in anesthesia and both filled and pulled teeth without it. “Let’s get rid of these bad brownies!” he’d chirp as he proceeded with his excruciating poking, prodding and pulling. Ah yes, those were the days.

Even after I could afford my own dental care I seemed to have bad karma when it came to choosing a decent dentist. For example: There was the dentist whose aged dentist-father appeared standing over his son’s shoulder whispering in a vicious sotto voce, “Not like that, stupid!!” (I’m not making this up.) Unfortunately, even though I resolved not to return to that office the damage was done.

The irony is that having the benefit of dentistry today I’d no doubt have nearly all my teeth. My tooth enamel is very strong, my teeth are aligned and straight. There’s little doubt most of the dentists that treated me in the past expected I’d eventually have false teeth---didn’t everyone? Pulling teeth was more cost effective for them so why not?

Today I bitterly regret this kind of expediency. My last visit to our current dentist was an exercise in frustration. Dr. Letha Robison is a genius, an artist and a wonderful human being. (Run, don’t walk to this dentist.) She has done her best for me but the truth is I’m past dental redemption. The thousands of dollars required to save my remaining teeth, secure implants and “fill in the blanks” isn’t for me, a good investment. I’ll live with the dental anomalies I’ve grown accustomed to. But don’t worry. I’ll keep smiling anyway.

Monday, September 11, 2006

I Love you...I Don't Love You


Jack and Carole spent most of last week on a romantic holiday somewhere that despite my best efforts, remains a mystery to me (and everybody else). The kids announced they would be invisible/unavailable to all of us---and unreachable except in the case of asphyxiation, amputation or embolism. Even then I was just supposed to leave a message.

However, I didn't mind too much as I was having a lovely romantic interlude with my new computer. Alas, like many new relationships, we hit a rocky patch. I became increasingly frustrated while the computer grew ever more mysterious and unresponsive. Finally it shut down completely and refused to communicate despite my well-documented persuasiveness.

Did I dare call Jack? I wondered. None of my limbs were missing or visibly out of place...I wasn't lying helpless on the floor and there were no discernible gas leaks or other unwelcome intruders in our house. Well, to make a long story short, my higher character prevailed and I left them alone. But my computer was not impressed. It still wouldn't work----and didn't until Jack walked through the door at which point it lay down on its back and put its feet in the air.


So make me a liar. This technology today is beyond me. No wonder altecachers like me get frustrated and give up. Everybody else is adding all kinds of wonderful features to their blogs and I'm still wrestling with Blogger dashboard. But I shall prevail. I shall not allow my computer to patronize and abuse me. I will demand the same respect as I get from my furniture. And I'll never let Jack and Carole go away alone again.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Here's to YOU!

NDY. Not Dead Yet---an acronym I'll use in the future to alert my friends of my current earthly status. Please try to remember this as I probably won't.

Well, I'm finally rested up but my terminal terminal final croaked shortly after I made my last post. Thanks to all of you who wrote expressing concern and I'm really sorry I couldn't access my mail until yesterday. Carole's computer was also on the blink, though not permanently, and we had to wait for Dr. Science to come home from Houston and fix things.


It's really so odd. I thought of all of you so much. I wondered what Namoi thought about the Emmy awards, if Guy's sweetthing was all better, what Duncan and Holly were up to (who can keep up with Terri?!) I wondered how Kenju fits so many interesting things in her house, when Chancy and Joy were going to post more of their wonderful poetry and where Miss Celliania would finally move. Had Tidbit chewed through any vital electrical thingies? I sincerely missed Claude's thought-provoking Daily Snaps and I thought always of Savtadotty and my family in Eretz Isroel.

Inspirational Classics--new and old: Millie, Maria, Jamie Dawn, Ronni, Patti, Cop Car, Endment, Lorraine, Alan, Mike, Roberta, Rain, Ginnie, Saz, Coll, Naomi DB, Lucy, Janice and Roger et al----I miss you all---and I don't care if that sounds strange to a non-blogger.

I have three handwritten blogs to post but I must relinquish Jack's computer. He is standing, drooling, over me as I write. I think it's a sign---but I'll be back as soon as I can!

Your ever-lovin' and NDY lucyd