Dentists - A Love/Hate Relationship

Yesterday I finally completed the lengthy dental process, which started in early December when I lost a crown from a tooth that had had a root canal many years ago. Because the titanium post had broken, the tooth could not be saved, so had to be extracted. It was not a front tooth, but was far enough forward to be visible when I talked or smiled. The dentist recommended an implant (my second one, by the way).

Tooth implants are marvelous . . . and marvelously expensive! They involve the extraction of the tooth, the installation of the implant, six to eight weeks of healing, the creation of an abutment to hold a crown, and the placement of the permanent crown. For me, this process spanned five months.

Sometimes I think I’ve spent more time (and money) in a dentist’s chair, in my lifetime, than anyone else on the planet. Probably not, but, as some say, “Perception is everything.”

I still have nightmares about the dentist I went to as a child in Juneau. He used a jack hammer for a drill, and his assistant was trained in torture techniques. She used to slap my hand if I grabbed onto the arm of the chair too tightly. I know that my fear of the dentist stems from those days I spent in that stuffy little office.

As I grew older, dentists became gentler, their drills became faster and less jarring, techniques became more high-tech, and the anesthetic become more effective and easier to deliver. I still get a little knot in my stomach when I have a dentist appointment, but nothing like I used to. The fact is, in recent years I’ve had some of the most considerate, capable and gentle dentists I could hope for.

I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like, had I lived centuries ago, when the only resolution for a toothache was to liquor-up the patient and pry the tooth out. I’d hardly have a tooth left in my mouth, and I might have died, any number of times, from complications due to abscesses. I haven’t had many serious health issues, thank the good Lord, but my Achilles heel is in my mouth (talk about putting your foot in your mouth!). What a blessing that I live in this modern age, when dentists can work their wonders.

Thank you, Drs. Roholt and Cook, who cooperated in this successful and non-traumatic implant procedure.

Mother's Day

Last Sunday afaternoon Dan said, "Let's go down and see your Mom for Mother's Day." It sounded like a great idea to me, so we started making plans to do just that. But by Wednesday it was clear that Dan had come down with a doozy of a cold. We still held out hope that he could go to Carlsbad on Saturday, but he got progressively worse. By Saturday he had lost his voice entirely and was not feeling up to the trip. So I packed my bag and headed Mom's direction myself.

I got there Saturday afternoon - it's about a 5-hour trip down - and took her to her favorite Mexican restaurant, in Artesia, for dinner that night. It was great food, and we had a good time together. When we got home we stayed up until midnight talking. I went with her to Bible class and worship this morning, then hit the road again to return home.

It was a very brief visit, but we made the most of it, and I'm really glad I went.



About half-way between Albuquerque and Carlsbad lies Roswell. I always get a kick out of the Roswell UFO mystique. The downtown plays up that 1947 UFO crash to the hilt. This time through town I stopped for about five minutes and snapped a few alien shots. This first picture I took through the window of a shop. Hanging there is an old, water-stained copy of the Roswell newspaper, from the day of that famous and controversial event. I enlarged the date, from the banner of the paper, and inserted it at the bottom-right because that date -- July 8, 1947 -- is ALSO the day that Dan was born! Speculate all you want on any possible connection!


Here are just a few more shots -- just for the fun of it -- of a few of the aliens that seem to peek around every corner of downtown Roswell.

Early Morning Email

I woke up this morning and checked my email. There was a message from Takashi saying he and his bride, Yoko, will be coming to see us in August! Needless to say, we are happy and excited to see him again and to meet his bride of about one year, Yoko.

We may still be in our house, trying to sell it. We may have sold it and be packing to move out. We may already be out and living in a small apartment. But none of that will matter. It’ll just be great to see them, whatever our situation.

Takashi has come back to America to visit us a number of times since his exchange year. The first two times were in Oregon, and once again in Juneau. Now, for his fourth visit, he’s coming to see us in New Mexico – just in time, since a Texas move is on our radar.

Takashi’s first visit was a real surprise. You can read about it HERE. His third visit, to Juneau, was a little disappointing for him, because he had planned to do lots of sightseeing and outdoor adventures, but it was October, and the heavy, cold, windy rains had begun. Most of the tourist activities had closed for the season. He ended up hardly even catching a glimpse of the tops of the mountains or of any of the awesome scenery there. It was all shrouded in Juneau’s famous heavy, thick, low-hanging clouds, and the rain never did let up.

That kind of weather shouldn’t be a problem this time, but our guests should be prepared for HEAT at that time of year. I hope we can take them on a few day-trips out of the city, to see some of the beauty of New Mexico.

Robert's Book

I've finally completed Robert's book about his great-grandpa, my Dad.

To view it:

1. Go to http://www.viovio.com/shop/96602
2. Click on "Flip Preview" (below the cover image)
3. Click on a page that you have finished viewing to turn to the next page