An expensive old maid.

I am typing this with a numb mouth.

I do NOT like to go to the dentist... no matter how much pain I may be in. I had to go in today to fix a big hole in my right bottom molar. It has been a big hole for over two months now. I made the big hole by eating popcorn up in Idaho - Paris, Idaho. Actually, I ate one of those kernels that did not pop. You know, the things people call "old maids".

I was quietly and happily watching FLY BOYS one evening while eating a nice warm bowl of microwave popcorn. Once I had finished all the puffy soft pops, I resorted to eating the ones with the partial kernel shell still stuck on the side. Having finished those, I went on to suck all of the buttery salt off of the unpopped ones. At last I just started to just chew on the tasteless "old maids". I went through quite a few and was actually enjoying popping one or two in to my mouth at a time and biting them apart, when I suddenly felt something in my mouth that was not chewable. I quickly spit it out in to my hand and found that it was hard and sharp. Instinctively, I knew it was not a piece of popcorn. (big pat on the back for that one!) Upon further inspection I confirmed my suspicions of it not being from a food group, and sadly confirmed that it was a piece of my molar! Within three minutes, I had two more pieces of my tooth in the palm of my hand.

In the ensuing two months, I probably flossed my teeth more times than I have in the 43 years I've had teeth! Nothing like finding a smidgen of beef from Tuesday night's dinner snugly tucked away in a molar hole Wednesday at lunchtime. I learned to eat on the left side of my mouth, and have found that chewing food appropriately is most easily done with both sets of molars working together. I've swallowed undermasticated food many a time in the last 60 days - and let me tell ya, it doesn't go down all that easily!

So, I am now heading upstairs to rest on my bed after a taxing afternoon at the dentist office. I'm about 1/2 way un-numb. I should probably take some comfort food up with me.

Hmmm... popcorn anyone??