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I went to the dentist on Friday morning to have a cavity filled.  I knew I was in for trouble when the waiting room had fox news playing.  I mean, really?  People actually watch that?

The dentist was friendly, but did a better job of numbing my lip than the inside of my mouth.  So, when he put that needle in, it hurt like crazy.  I winced, he apologized, and I sat there quietly while we waited for it to kick in.  Once he was ready, he told me to let them know if I felt anything since the shot should have taken care of it.  Now brimming over with confidence, I agreed and they set to work.

At one point, the dentist asked his assistant for a “2 by 2” and I would have told them to go ahead since there was already a 2 by 4 in my mouth by the feel of it.  Except that I couldn’t speak because they had all that gear in there.  Too bad, too.  That would have been funny.  But not worth stopping what they were doing just to make a joke that I might have had to explain to them.

The actually filling didn’t take too long and I was on my slightly woozy way to work.

When I got there, one of my first tasks was an unpleasant one.  I had to write up my student assistant.  We’re really laid back in the office, but the day before yesterday I had assigned him a task and found him asleep at his desk.  Not just, “whoops, my head fell down and I went sleepy-time”.  No, this was leaned back, feet up, and full-on nap mode.  All he lacked was a snuggie.

This was the second time he’s done this, so yesterday I found the form, filled it out and set some new rules.  If I find him asleep again, he goes home for the day.  Asleep on the clock again and we’ll terminate him.

This actually seemed pretty lax to me – I mean, it should be obvious that one should stay awake at work – but he got a little pissy about it.  But not at me.  He was upset that he was being held to a higher standard than one of our full time colleagues – even going so far as to fill out his own complaint form about that person. He gave that to me and I hung onto it – I’ll ask him on Monday if he still wants me to take it forward.  It’s not going to do a bit of good and only going to make him look whiny on the heels of his own write up.   We stayed busy the rest of the afternoon and I think we’re cool.  I hated doing it – I like working with him – but it’s not doing him any favors to look the other way now and have him go out into the “real-world” with unrealistic expectations.

I had a pretty quiet new year’s eve – went out to an early dinner of pesto chicken and amazing bread, then back video games until midnight.  I didn’t watch any of the countdowns as I find them all to be pretty painfully artificial.  Especially the hosts.  Ugh.

On New Year’s Day, I had lunch with friends-of-friends and found that one of them had interviewed at UA for an IT position a while back.  It was interesting to compare notes with someone who only had a brief glimpse of my department – at a time that really wasn’t us at our best.

Today was back to work for me and it was a pretty quiet day even after being off for so long.  I had kept up with my emails pretty well so there were no surprises for me, just the usual stuff.

I also got back to the pool  – which almost didn’t work out.  At my co-workers suggestion, I checked the website before I left and confirmed that the pool was open with three lanes.  When I got there, the sign on the door said the pool was closed.   The guy at the desk said he “thought” it was open for a few lanes before the swim meet.  I got changed and checked with the life guard.  She “thought” there was an open lane and went to check.  Finally, she found one of the swim coaches and he kicked two of his swimmers out of the lane so I could use it.  I got in my laps – one mile down for the year and 199 to go.

On Friday, it’s back to the dentist.  I have a cavity that needs to be filled and I’m going into work afterwards.  Eh, not really a big deal though I’m not looking forward to it.

And on Monday, it’s back to donating blood.  I had to take a year off because I was deferred – which was a bummer.  This time I’m doing a double-red donation – and I have to remember to take some tums.  (the anti-coagulant in the mix gives me a horrible taste in my mouth – something that the calcium in tums will clear).

In other news… I’ve decided to adopt a cat.  I don’t have it yet – though I’ve picked out a name and got all the gear.  I have a friend that volunteered at an animal shelter that I’m going to talk to and see if he can give me some pointers.

And finally, I’m cautiously optimistic about the new year.   Last year started out really rough, but as with all difficult things it got easier over time.   I had begun to wonder, but I guess I’ve got a little Blue Lantern in me after all.  There’s a little hope in the days ahead and though I can be gloom and doom with the best of them, I’m trying to see the sunshine past the ever-present clouds.

I share a driveway with one set of neighbors and we chat whenever I see them.  The neighbors on the other side I didn’t know at all, even after having lived at my place for a year. These were the ones who’s yard I raked and I thought I might see them at some point – even if only to tell me to stay out of their yard.

One of my friends came over the other day and one of the neighbors was driving past and thought that he was me.   I came out and talked to her for a bit about how we hadn’t met yet and she mentioned off hand that she and her fiance thought I might have been a killer.

I was a little taken aback – not thinking I was that “off”.    When I thought about it later, I realized  – from their perspective – I might have seemed a little odd based on a collection of harmless behaviors.

1. I keep my curtains closed on the first floor much of the time.  It helps with the heating and cooling and affords a little privacy in a house in the city.  Still, I did have them open  – windows too – in the summer.

2. I don’t use my front door much since I park my car in the garage in the back.  Though I do leave from that door if I’m going for a walk or when I’m getting my mail.

3. I don’t leave a lot of lights on.  I prefer a slightly dim environment when I can get it – much more peaceful after a day of work.  I like little pools of light where I’m working and don’t like to waste the energy.   Still, there are some lights on in the evening – it’s not like the house is always dark.

4. I’m quiet.  I don’t like loud music and don’t have loud parties at my place.  I would think this is a good thing.

5. If I’m outside, I’m usually in the backyard.  It’s bigger and there’s more to work on back there.  I do keep my lawn mowed in the front and I’ll sometimes sit on the front porch in the summer and read.

I ended up telling her that I was just really quiet (“it’s always the quiet ones”) and said it was good to meet her.  I was considering baking some cookies and taking them over to their place – but I’m guessing they wouldn’t trust them now. Odd.

Yesterday, I was out to dinner with some friends and jokingly stole some food off of other people’s plates.  It’s really more for the mind games and test of speed than actually keeping the food, but people usually see the humor in it. One of the kids we were with followed my lead and “stole” a piece of pizza – still on the fork – right out of my friends hand. Everyone laughed – but not as much as when the same kid picked his pocket and took his car keys.

So, I’m apparently perceived as a killer and a thief.   I had no idea I was so bad-ass.

I was headed up to the pool yesterday and my jaw popped as I yawned.  It made sort of a crackling noise as it did so and my jaw ached afterwards.

I’ve had this happen before, but not for quite awhile.  When I was a kid I got diagnosed with TMJ – Temporomandibular Joint Disorder.   Back then my jaw popping would be loud enough that other people could hear it, my lower jaw was canted to the side, and I could almost dislocate my jaw.

I cut out the gummy bears and chewing gum and tried to calm myself down so I wasn’t clenching my teeth so much  – and while it didn’t go away, it got much better.  My jaw will still hurt if I have to hold my mouth open for an extended period – like going to the dentist – but otherwise it’s not been much of an issue.

Apparently, even without the chewy foods, the teeth clenching as a result of increased stress lately has made my TMJ flare up again.  Since I noticed this I’ve been trying to relax my jaw, but work and other stresses have been making that tough.  Thinking about getting a mouth guard until things settle down a bit – I’m sure it’s also related to my headaches.

I’ve got a break coming up, hoping that will reduce some of the tension and help me relax a bit.  I don’t want to go back to the constant jaw pain.  And I really miss gummy bears.

This past weekend, I went to visit my family for an early Christmas.  My sister and her family will be visiting her in-laws for Christmas day, so we got together on Saturday to exchange gifts and hang out with my nieces.  They were both really cute and fun – had a really nice time playing on the iPad and with some playdough with the older one.  I got some nice presents and I think everyone had fun.

On Sunday, I hung around my parents house until they got home from church.  We had lunch, and then we all sat down in the family room.  I knew something was up when Dad didn’t turn on the TV.

Mom started by asking if I believed in the doomsday prophecy (12/21/2012) and I said it was bunk and explained why.  She got more general about prophecy and I replied that there too many variables.  Then she started talking about prophecy in the bible and how so many of the prophecies in the bible had already come true – according to the bible.  I did mention “single source”, but that didn’t carry much weight.

Dad brought up the conflict in the middle east and the Super storm Sandy as indicators of end times – and I responded that people said that Katrina and the Tsunamis were indicators and then nothing happened.  And that the conflict in the middle east has been going for hundreds of years and would continue due to some basic factors related to resources.

There were a few more comments and I had answers for them as well – then Dad got angry(?) or at least heated and raised his voice – upset that I wasn’t keeping an open mind.  I could have responded that they weren’t keeping an open mind either – but I knew better than to engage.  I was mostly quiet for the rest of the discussion and tried to show them that these were not the end times and that while I respected their religion (though, admittedly, less now than before the discussion), I didn’t share their beliefs – and neither did the catholics, jews, buddists, hindu, etc.  And that it should be okay.

They finished up by telling me that they would be fine when the rapture came, but they were worried (and upset because I’m close-minded) that I would go to hell because I’m not a believer.

Then we hugged and Dad asked how the rest of my week was going to be and if I had a lot of meetings.

[crickets chirping]

Like a light switch, the barrage was over.  I know they meant well, but it really was a barrage.  Dad almost yelling at me, Mom with a gigantic bible in her lap quoting at me.    I really don’t know what prompted it – though they did quote their minister a few times.  And I don’t know what they were hoping to accomplish.  Well, I guess they hoped I would go along with them – though Dad did say he didn’t expect me suddenly ‘get it’ and Mom said she was proud of my hardheadedness and my questioning nature.

(insert head shaking here)

I got a bite to eat and we watched an episode of Bones on DVD before I left.  I fought a terrible headache all the way back and had to stop a couple of times just to get out of the car and rest my brain.

When I got back to Akron, I stopped over at a friend’s to see how his weekend was.  As I was leaving, I looking out the side view mirror and saw a familiar cat next to his house.  It was his cat Max, who had slipped out while I was leaving. I shut off my car, got out quickly, and scooped up the cat.   He was freaked out and clawed me a bit, but I hung on.  My friend was by this point in his back-yard with the dogs, so I walked around and shouted to get his attention and told him I had his cat.  He met me at the door and we let the freaked out indoor cat back where he belonged.

So, a fun weekend, a disturbing weekend, and a heroic weekend.  Almost glad to be back to work.

I had a dentist’s appointment last Friday, so I had been extra diligent with my teeth and had been flossing like mad – hoping to avoid the lecture.  And the bleeding.

So, first off, X-rays.  Uncomfortable  – I almost gagged a couple times.

Then the cleaning.  The hygienist said I had good oral hygiene  but I bled like crazy when she was flossing me. I’ve heard you can swallow a pint of your own blood before getting sick – and I think I got pretty close.  Okay, well, maybe not that much blood – but it was still a lot and it was annoying.

Then the dentist came in and said that I was apparently grinding my teeth (news to me) and that I had a cavity (also news to me).  We talked about the TMJ I have and he said he had it too and had to give up chewing gum.  I made an appointment for after the first of the year to get it filled and went on my way – still tasting blood even after the cleaning.

Blasted with x-rays while I clenched plastic in my mouth.  Teeth scraped with a metal pick.  Waxed string dragged through my teeth.   X-rays aren’t “exactly” low tech, but still…

So, last Thursday I finished up 150 miles in the pool for the year.  My original goal was 120, but I finished it early enough to set a new goal and get to that as well.   Not bad for an almost 40 year-old geek.

I’ve still got a few days before the pool closes for the break and I’ll try to do some more, but I don’t have any official goals.

Next year, maybe 200 miles?

One day last week, I was up late playing videos games.  Not that unusual, but I noticed that my furnace was still running.  It was late enough that it should have cycled down for the night and I went over to check it out.  The display on the programmable thermostat was dim and I could just barely see that the battery indicator was blinking.  The batteries were dead enough that it wasn’t keeping track anymore and the furnace would just run.

I swore, then proceeded to dismantle the thermostat to get at the batteries.  The cover was a flimsy piece of plastic that I almost broke, but I finally got to them.

AA

Now, I don’t have a stockpile of batteries in my house and I had a total of zero AA batteries.  I started scrounging around for some and realized that if I didn’t find any, I would either need to leave the furnace on all night (making it too hot) or off all night (way too cold in the morning).

I finally found a flashlight with the right size batteries and salvaged those.  I put the thermostat back together and set about programming it again.  Did a little more swearing and then got out the manual.

The configuration menu is activated by holding the back-light button for three seconds.  I never would have found that without the manual.  And would it have killed anyone to add a “setup” button?   Why is the trend for electronic devices to reduce the number of buttons to stupid levels?  I blame Apple for that.

Except for remote controls.  I’ve got three remotes and each has at least 2 dozen buttons that I never use.  Really?

The thermostat required pushing buttons or holding buttons in the correct sequence  – with a timer that would clear what I was doing if I wasn’t fast enough.  I finally got everything set up again and went to bed – knowing that I would have to replace the batteries again soon since they weren’t new.

So, the temp in my house is back to normal for now.

Hmmm… I wonder if I can transplant some buttons from my remote controls to the thermostat?

I went on a tour of homes this weekend that were decorated up for Christmas.  Or were supposed to be – only a couple of the places really went all out and the rest were just extra fancy.  In one case, it was fancy beyond functional – I can’t imagine the people that lived there actually “living” in a space like that. Overall it was pretty and I got some ideas on using glass blocks, but it wasn’t as holiday decorating focused as I expected.  And it didn’t suddenly inspire me to decorate my house or anything crazy like that.

Sometime last Thursday is the last time I have a clear recollection of where my checkbook was.  It’s normally either in my dining room with my bills tray or in my back pocket if I have to take it with me.  I’ve never had problem with it getting loose from my pocket – but the last time I remember it was taking it off the counter and putting it in my pocket.  And that’s it.

So, yesterday I went to the bank and transferred the money from my vulnerable checking account to a new one. I got a new checkbook and a new account number and we left some money behind in the old account to cover bills that had already gone out but not cleared.

From there I headed over to post office and then to the payroll office to get my direct deposit sorted out.

I checked my bank online last night and saw that the funds had been moved, but that the new account was not yet set up for me to view.  So, I’m a little hesitant to use my debit card until that is sorted out – I’ll check again here in a few.

Fortunately, I’m done with my Christmas shopping.  Unfortunately, I don’t keep a lot of food in the house.

So, I’m stressed about my stupid mistake.   And my Mom and I recently had a difference of opinion via email that ended with her saying we would talk more when she next saw me.  Not looking forward to that one.

The combination has me a little off my game and not really excited about the upcoming holidays.    On a brighter note, I finished mile #143 in the pool yesterday.   Seven miles to go before I reach my revised goal for the year.

Spent Thanksgiving with my family – had a pretty nice time.  The highlight of the trip was painting with my niece – we made place-mats for the thanksgiving table.  She really enjoyed the painting and it was a really neat bonding experience.

We didn’t do a lot over the  holiday, mostly just ate and played games.    Good to just relax for a bit.

As I was packing up my car to head home, I noticed that the key fob wasn’t working to open the trunk or the doors. I figured it was the battery in the fob and opened the door manually with the key – then noticed that the lights didn’t come on.  I tried the key in the ignition and it wouldn’t turn over.  Turns out I’d left an interior light on when I’d parked my car Wednesday evening and didn’t notice.

I got out the manual and my Dad and followed the strange instructions to jump the car – except that the horn sounded each time we tried it.   Finally got it started and let it run for a little while before shutting it down.  It had enough charge to get going when I left and fully charged on the way home.

I expected some traffic on the drive back, but not seeing three accidents – or almost being a part of 2 more.    There were two separate times when traffic in front of me went from 60 to 0.  I had enough room to safely get stopped by standing on the brakes, but the cars behind me had to swerve out into the shoulder to get stopped.  In both cases, traffic got moving again with no apparent cause – though now that I think about it I’m wondering if it was a reaction to deer.  A third time we all had to hit the brakes, but by this point we were all so gun-shy that everyone had plenty of room to get stopped.

I was glad to make it home and put my care safely in the garage.

Got some shopping to do – both online and in the real world.  Guess I’ll need to brave the crowds some evening this week (wish me and my patience good luck) – my family is celebrating Christmas early this year.