a tentative plan

Nope, student never called.

I came home, grabbed some lunch, brushed, flossed, mouthwashed (I figure, the more prepwork I do, the less time I spend in the chair, maybe).

I've tentatively promised myself that if the checkup goes well I will come home and rake leaves - it needs to be done, today is going to be the warmest day (FSVO "warm") that I'm still here, and it's dry enough that the leaves won't be TOTALLY moldy. (I am still going to wear a facemask). Backyard leaves will get raked to the site of the old leafpile (there are few enough they should decompose), frontyard leaves will be bagged and set at the curb (I suppose, now, after I get back....)

(I also need to make a trip to the pharmacy for certain supplies I alluded to the other day, maybe they will have facemasks so I'm sure to have one on hand).

Cable except the local channels is totally out - called the provider and got a busy signal (!). Their online chat, though - they reassured me they knew of the issue and it was being worked on. (The good news is the one thing I wanted to watch today - the "holiday" NCIS - is on CBS, which is local, and is coming in).


I'm already accumulating yarn and patterns for my break. Some socks, some handwarmers, maybe finish the Hagrid sweater, I don't know....or take the pattern and yarn for Harvest and just start a whole new sweater. Some toy patterns and also the little freebee ocean animal kit that came with an issue of Simply Knitting.

I need to do laundry tonight so I have clothes for traveling (and then I also know for sure if I ruined my dark brown cords; there's a stain on them that looks suspiciously like bleach and I was wearing them when I cleaned Sunday, so). If they're spoiled maybe I can get a new pair up in Illinois.

Edited to add: Well, mixed news. My teeth are apparently sound but my gums are receding a little bit because - dun dun DUNNNN - I am not flossing *aggressively* enough. I guess I worry too much about dislodging crowns or damaging that one filled tooth.

I got a very aggressive hygienist - she was nice enough but gagged me a couple times with the polisher and also was pretty rough with the floss (I think one of the WORST sensations I know is having your teeth flossed by someone else. It just makes my skin crawl for some reason).

My gums bled a lot. She said that was because I wasn't flossing hard enough but I also wonder if it's related to either one of the darn meds I take (either the antihistamine or the beta blocker) or to the fact that I'm fundamentally pms-y today.

At least I think I can get away with not flossing before bed tonight.

She gave me some of those little rubber pick things; I'm supposed to use them on the "pockets" around my back teeth now. Ugh. And they sonic-cleaned my mouthguard, and she came back out with it and carrying a very stiff bristled brush and told me "Use this now" and I was like "What? You want me to brush my teeth with something the consistency of a toilet brush?" but eventually figured out she meant it for cleaning the mouthguard. (I guess it's like a denture brush? I don't know). I admitted I had at first thought she meant me to use it on my teeth and I said, "That would really have made my gums bleed" and she laughed and said "No! We don't want you to brush your teeth with hard bristles!" They gave me a soft-bristle toothbrush but I admit I prefer the Dr. Collins Perlo ones I have been buying so I might take this one (and a couple others I have still in their package) up to my parents' and donate them at their church - I think the church puts together "hygiene kits" for homeless people and also kids in foster care, and they can often use toothbrushes.

But at least that's done. Now I need to go rake leaves, which is good, because I need something to calm myself down after that dental appointment. I like my dentist but whoa, do I hate GOING TO the dentist.