Root Canal

Remember back in May when I had my first dentist appointment in nearly seven years and I got away with just three small cavities?  And then in August how I narrowly missed a root canal?  Turns out, I'm not that fortunate.

Last week, the tooth that the dentist drilled the most started hurting.  My teeth had been sensitive to temperature changes since my appointment, but that was supposed to be normal and would eventually go away.  The pain that I experienced was different.  It was intense and would come out of nowhere.  I would be sitting at my desk at work and suddenly it felt like I was being stabbed in my mouth.  It would last for as long as twenty minutes and it was all I could do to not try to rip my own tooth out.  I made another appointment to see what we needed to do to stop the pain.

Yesterday, the dentist saw me.  After a quick look, he suggested some treatments we could try, including having me use a special prescription toothpaste, but confessed that a root canal was probably in my future.  After looking at a full x-ray of my head, however, he told me a root canal was necessary and asked me if I had time to do it right away.  I decided to go for it, so he numbed me up and started drilling and digging away the deepest part of my tooth.  (And perhaps my experience was different from the norm, but I didn't think it was all that bad.  My jaw got tired holding it open for so long, but it the actual root canal process was no worse than getting a regular filling.)  I got a temporary filling for the tooth that's soft -- and causes me pain if I accidentally eat on that side of my mouth -- and I'm getting a crown added in two weeks.  If all of that wasn't enough, the dentist admitted to me that the tooth is dying and that it will have to be pulled and replaced with a prosthetic some time next year, so I should start saving my money for what insurance won't cover.

Still, the pain stopped.  The dentist gave me a prescription for oxycodone, but I haven't needed it.  And, while the procedure was not cheap, I could still afford it, so I know it could have been much worse.  In fact, the whole experience was pretty good; I had a procedure done that ended my pain and didn't require me to use a credit card.

Number Three

I have a long history of getting hand-me-down furniture.  My desk and office chair were saved from being thrown away at work, my dresser and couch were given to me from a family that was moving out of Ellicott City, my loveseat was given to me by Ian (who had gotten it secondhand), my TV cabinet was included with a TV which I no longer own, and I picked up my living room end table next to a dumpster.  Only my bed and kitchen set are brand new.

At least they were.

That, dear reader, is my brand new TV cabinet.  I picked it out months ago on Amazon, but never completed the order.  Getting a new cabinet wasn't a priory since I already had one, plus I wanted some time to recover from my big purchase of a new TV.  Well, I decided to finally order it and it came last Friday.  I spent the evening assembling it, which was pretty straightforward if time-consuming.  Now, I have a sharp -looking cabinet and my third piece of brand new furniture.

Three's a Party

I've been working really hard to figure out who I should vote for this presidential election.  One the one hand, Hilary Clinton is a criminal with plans that will ruin our country, while on the other hand, Donald Trump is a criminal with plans that will ruin our country.  Every time I would make up my mind who I would vote for, I'd read a news story that proved that would be a bad idea.  Now I feel like I can't vote for either candidate and still retain my integrity.

That's why I'm not voting for either of them.  I'm voting for a third-party candidate, independent Evan McMullin.  He happens to be a member of the Church, but that's not why I picked him.  I picked him because he's the least terrible candidate to choose from.  Don't get me wrong, I think McMullin will do a fine job, but he's also the only candidate that doesn't turn my stomach just thinking about voting for them.  Some may say that I'm throwing my vote away by voting for a third-party candidate.  To them I say that by voting for McMullin, I'll still be able to vote and exercise my civic duty without supporting a candidate who I detest.

So if you're struggling with who to vote for, remember that you have more than two options.

Food Guru

As I was leaving work yesterday, one of my coworkers, Chelsea, stopped me to ask a question.  I was not happy with the idea of staying late, but I paused so she could ask her question.  Instead of being a work-related question, however, she wanted cooking advice.

She wanted a quick way to cook zucchini and had asked around and even checked Pinterest for a recipe, but hadn't found anything helpful.  I thought about her dilemma and asked her how comfortable she was using her broiler.  She immediately nodded, acknowledging that she hadn't thought of going that route.  I further explained that she would need to flip the vegetable (which was something she hadn't realized was necessary) and suggested some ways to prepare it that would make that easier.  She thanked me for my help and I was on my way.

I followed up with Chelsea this morning to see how it went.  Apparently, she hadn't been patient enough for the zucchini to get crispy, but it was fully cooked when she ate it.

I wasn't expecting the cooking question that I received, but it's nice to know that I have a reputation as a cooking expert and that I can live up to it.

New Policy

For many years, I have felt strongly about not giving money to panhandlers.  I have good motivation for feeling this way.  In one area of my mission, my companion and I knew a homeless man who regularly asked us for money that would almost certainly go to booze (he was at the stage of his alcoholism that he was having seizures if he didn’t drink every day).  I don’t want to help fuel an addiction, and since I can’t be sure where the money is going, I don’t give to anyone.

(Now, I do want to say that if a person on the street is playing music, I happily contribute.  They’re working as performers, which is a very different situation than simply saying, “Give me money for nothing.”)

However, just because I don’t want to unintentionally support an addict, that doesn’t mean that I’m unfeeling.  If I could lend support to the men and women I encounter in a way that can’t be used for drugs or alcohol, I would be interested in that.  Turns out, there’s something easy I can do that’s really a no-brainer, if only I had thought of it: water bottles.  Leah keeps a case of water bottles in her car, partly for her own use and partly so she has something she can give to panhandlers.  I thought the idea was fantastic, so I adopted it.  I was excited to be able to help out the destitute of my community, but since buying the case of water, I either haven’t seen a panhandler or I only see them when the light is green.  Even so, I’m sure that I’ll have a chance to give a bottle away soon enough.

I’m grateful that I have such a kind and clever girlfriend who inspires me to want to help those around.

General Conference, October 2016

Once again, we've come to that time of year where we get to enjoy a lovely weekend of being edified and uplifted by the servants of the Lord in the worldwide broadcast that is General Conference.  I watched the Saturday sessions with Leah, who was a great companion throughout (though I'm sure it didn't hurt that I made homemade burrito bowls for us).  On Sunday, we went and visited with Ian, Sherlin, and the kids.  The kids who watched (Henry, Aeva, and Clara) were surprisingly well behaved, though they were clearly antsy by the end of the final session.  Sherlin was a great hostess and provided snacks for the sessions and dinner once the whole thing was over.  It was great to spend time with people whom I care so much about.

As for the conference itself, one major theme really jumped out to me: repentance.  While repentance is easy to turn into a message of doom and despair, nearly every talk (if not every single one) that mentioned it was hopeful, focusing on the joy of a clear conscience and a clean soul.  Sister Linda S. Reeves' talk on the matter was particularly poignant.

I always enjoy General Conference, though I like it best when I can share it with my loved ones, as I was able to this time.